See Canis, Blood-Hound, and Grey-Hound.

Training of Hounds. Before we speak of the methods proper to be used for this purpose, it will be necessary to point out the qualities which sportmen desire to meet with in these animals. It is generally understood, that hounds of the middle size are the most proper, it being remarked, that all animals of that description are stronger than either such as are very small or very large. The shape of the hound ought to be particularly attended to; for if he be not well proportioned, he can neither run fast nor do much work. His legs ought to be straight, his feet round, and not very large; his shoulders back; his breast rather wide than narrow; his chest deep, his back broad, his head small, his neck thin; his tail thick and bushy, and if he carry it well so much the better. None of those young hounds which are out at the elbows, or such as are weak from the knee to the foot, should ever be taken into the pack. That the pack may look well, it is proper that the hounds should be as much as possible of a size; and if the animals be handsome at the same time, the pack will then be perfect. It must not, however, be thought, that this contributes any thing to the goodness of a pack; for very unhandsome packs, consisting of hounds entirely different in size and colour, have been known to afford very good sport. It is only necessary that they should run well together; to which indeed an uniformity in Hound.

size and shape would seem to contribute in some degree. The pack that can run ten miles, or any other considerable space, in the shortest time, may be said to go fastest, though the hounds taken separately might be considerably inferior to others in swiftness. A pack of hounds, considered in a collective body, go fast in proportion to the excellence of their noses and the head they carry. Packs which are composed of hounds of various kinds seldom run well. When the packs are very large, the hounds are seldom sufficiently hunted to be good; twenty or thirty couples, therefore, or at most forty, will be abundantly sufficient for the keenest sportsman in this country, as thus he may be enabled to hunt three or even four times a week. The number of hounds to be kept, must, however, in a considerable degree, depend on the strength of the pack and the country in which you hunt. They should be left at home as seldom as possible; and too many old hounds should not be kept. None ought to be kept above five or six seasons, though this also is somewhat uncertain, as we have no rule for judging how long a hound will last.

In breeding of hounds, considerable attention ought to be paid to the dog from whom you breed. All such are to be rejected as have a tender nose, as are babblers or skitters. An old dog should never be put to an old bitch; nor should any attempt be made to cross the breed unless in a proper and judicious manner. Mr Beckford informs us, that he has seen fox-hounds bred out of a Newfoundland dog and fox-hound bitch; the whelps were monstrously ugly, and had other bad qualities besides. The cross most likely to be of service to a fox-hound is the beagle. The reason of crossing the breeds sometimes is, that the imperfections of one may sometimes be remedied by another. The months of January, February, and March, are the best for breeding; late puppies seldom thrive. After the females begin to grow big with young, it will not be proper to let them hunt any more, or indeed to remain for a much longer time in the kennel. Sometimes these animals will have an extraordinary number of whelps. Mr Beckford informs us, that he has known a bitch have fifteen puppies at a litter; and he assures us, that a friend of his informed him, that a hound in his pack brought forth sixteen, all of them alive. In these cases it is proper to put some of the puppies to another bitch, if you want to keep them all; but if any are destroyed, the best coloured ought to be kept. The bitches should not only have plenty of flesh, but milk also; and the puppies should not be taken from them till they are able to take care of themselves; their mothers will be relieved when they learn to lap milk, which they will do in a short time. After the puppies are taken away from their mothers, the litter should have three purging balls given them, one every other morning, and plenty of whey the intermediate day. If a bitch bring only one or two puppies, and you have another that will take them, by putting the puppies to her the former will soon be fit to hunt again. She should, however, be first physicicked, and it will also be of service to anoint her dogs with brandy and water.

Whelps are very liable to the distemper to which dogs in general are subject, and which frequently makes great havoc among them at their walks; and this is supposed by Mr Beckford to be owing to the little care that is taken of them. "If the distemper (says he) once get among them, they must all have it: yet notwithstanding that, as they will be constantly well fed, and will lie warm (in a kennel built on purpose), I am confident it would be the saving of many lives. If you should adopt this method, you must remember to use them early to go in couples; and when they become of a proper age, they must be walked out often; for should they remain confined, they would neither have the health, shape, or understanding, which they ought to have. When I kept harriers, I bred up some of the puppies at a distant kennel; but having no servants there to exercise them properly, I found them much inferior to such of their brethren as had the luck to survive the many difficulties and dangers they had undergone at their walks; these were afterwards equal to anything, and afraid of nothing; whilst those that had been nursed with so much care, were weakly, timid, and had every disadvantage attending private education. I have often heard as an excuse for hounds not hunting a cold scent, that they were too high-bred. I confess I know not what that means; but this I know, that hounds are frequently too ill-bred to be of any service. It is judgment in the breeder, and patience afterwards in the huntsman, that makes them hunt.

"When young hounds are first taken in, they should be kept separate from the pack; and as it will happen at a time of the year when there is little or no hunting, you may easily give them up one of the kennels and grass court adjoining. Their play frequently ends in a battle; it therefore is less dangerous where all are equally matched.—If you find that they take a dislike to any particular hound, the safest way will be to remove him, or it is probable they will kill him at last. When a feeder hears the hounds quarrel in the kennel, he halloos to them to stop them; he then goes in among them, and flogs every hound he can come near. How much more reasonable, as well as efficacious, would it be, were he to see which were the combatants before he speaks to them. Punishment would then fall, as it ought, on the guilty only. In all packs there are some hounds more quarrelsome than the rest; and it is to them we owe all the mischief that is done. If you find chastisement cannot quiet them, it may be prudent to break their holders; for since they are not necessary to them for the meat they have to eat, they are not likely to serve them in any good purpose. Young hounds should be fed twice a day, as they seldom take kindly to the kennel meat at first, and the distemper is most apt to seize them at this time. It is better not to round them till they are thoroughly fettered; nor should it be put off till the hot weather, for then they would bleed too much. It may be better perhaps to round them at their quarters, when about six months old; should it be done sooner, it would make their ears tuck up. The tailing of them is usually done before they are put out; it might be better, perhaps, to leave it till they are taken in. Dogs must not be rounded at the time they have the distemper upon them, as the loss of blood would weaken them too much.

"If any of the dogs be thin over the back, or any more quarrelsome than the rest, it will be of use to cut them; I also spay such bitches as I shall not want to breed from; they are more useful, are flouter, and are are always in better order; besides it is absolutely necessary if you hunt late in the spring, or your pack will be very short for want of it. The latter operation, however, does not always succeed; it will be necessary therefore to employ a skilful person, and one on whom you can depend; for if it be ill done, though they cannot have puppies, they will go to heat notwithstanding. They should be kept low for several days before the operation is performed, and must be fed on thin meat for some time after.

It is impossible to determine how many young hounds ought to be bred in order to keep up the pack, as this depends altogether on contingencies. The deficiencies of one year must be supplied by the next; but it is probable, that from 30 to 35 couple of old hounds, and from eight to twelve couple of young ones, will answer the purpose where no more than 40 couple are to be kept. A considerable number, however, ought always to be bred; for it is undoubtedly, and evidently true, that those who breed the greatest number of hounds must expect the best pack.

After the hounds have been rounded, become acquainted with the huntsman, and answer to their names, they ought to be coupled together, and walked out among sheep. Such as are particularly ill natured ought to have their couples loose about their necks in the kennel till they become reconciled to them. The most stubborn ought to be coupled to old hounds rather than to young ones; and two dogs should not be coupled together when you can avoid it. As young hounds are awkward at first, a few ought only to be let out at a time with people on foot, and they will soon afterwards follow a horse. When they have been walked out often in this manner amongst the sheep, they should be uncoupled by a few at a time, and those chattled who offer to run after the sheep; but it will be difficult to reclaim them after they have once been allowed to taste blood. Some are accustomed to couple the dogs with a ram in order to break them from sheep; but this is very dangerous for both parties. Mr Beckford relates a story of a nobleman who put a large ram into his kennel in order to break his hounds from sheep; but when he came some time after to see how nobly the ram defended himself, he found him entirely eaten up, and the hounds gone to sleep after having filled their bellies.

When hounds are to be aired, it is best to take them out separately, the old ones one day, and the young another; though, if they are to have whey from a distant dairy, both old and young may be taken out together, observing only to take the young hounds in couples, when the old ones are along with them. Young hounds are always apt to fall into mischief, and even old ones when idle will be apt to join them. Mr Beckford mentions a whole pack running after a flock of sheep through the mere accident of a horse's falling, and then running away.

With regard to the first entering of hounds to a scent, our author gives such directions as have subjected him to a severe charge of inhumanity. We shall give them in his own words. "You had better enter them at their own game; it will save you much trouble afterwards. Many dogs, I believe, like that scent best which they were first blooded to; but be this as it may, it is most certainly reasonable to use them to that which it is intended they should hunt. It may not be amiss first when they begin to hunt to put light collars on them. Young hounds may easily get out of their knowledge; and shy ones, after they have been much beaten, may not choose to return home. Collars, in that case, may prevent their being lost.—You say you like to see your young hounds run a trail—cent.—I have no doubt that you would be glad to see them run over an open down, where you could so easily observe their action and their speed. I cannot think the doing of it once or twice could hurt your hounds; and yet as a sportsman I dare not recommend it to you. All that I can say is, that it would be less bad than entering them at hare. A cat is as good a trail as any; but on no account should any trail be used after your hounds are too close to a scent. I know an old sportsman who enters his young hounds first at a cat, which he drags along the ground for a mile or two, at the end of which he turns out a badger, first taking care to break his teeth: he takes out about a couple of old hounds along with the young ones to hold them on. He never enters his young hounds but at vermin; for he says, Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it!"

Hounds ought to be entered as soon as possible, though the time must be uncertain, as it depends on the nature of the country in which they are. In corn countries hunting may not be practicable till the corn is cut down; but you may begin sooner in grass countries, and at any time in woodlands. "If (says Mr Beckford) you have plenty of foxes, and can afford to make a sacrifice of some of them for the sake of making your young hounds steady, take them first where you have least riot, putting some of the steadiest of your old hounds among them. If in such a place you are fortunate enough to find a litter of foxes, you may assure yourself you will have but little trouble with your young hounds afterwards.—If, owing to a scarcity of foxes, you should strop your hounds at hare, let them by no means have the blood of her; nor, for the sake of steadiness, give them much encouragement. Hare-hunting has one advantage;—hounds are chiefly in open ground, where you can easily command them; but notwithstanding that, if foxes be in tolerable plenty, keep them to their own game.—Frequent hallooing is of use with young hounds; it keeps them forward, prevents their being lost, and hinders them from hunting after the rest. The oftener therefore that a fox is seen and hallooned, the better. I by no means, however, approve of much hallooing to old hounds; though it is true that there is a time when hallooing is of use, a time when it does hurt, and a time when it is perfectly indifferent: but long practice and great attention to hunting can only teach the application.

"Hounds at their first entrance cannot be encouraged too much. When they are become handy, love a scent, and begin to know what is right, it will then be soon enough to chastise them for what is wrong; in which case one severe beating will save a great deal of trouble. When a hound is flagged, the whipper-in should make use of his voice as well as his whip. If any be very unsteady, it will not be amiss to send them out by themselves when the men go out to exercise their horses. If you have hares in plenty, let some be found fitting, and turned out before them; and you will find that the most riotous will not run after them. If you inten... tend them to be steady from deer, they should often see deer, and then they will not regard them; and if after a probation of this kind you turn out a cub before them, with some old hounds to lead them on, you may assure yourself they will not be unfeated long."

It is proper to put the young hounds into the pack when they stoop to a scent, become handy, know a rate, and stop easily. A few only are to be put to the pack at a time; and it is not advisable even to begin this till the pack have been out a few times by themselves, and "are gotten well in blood." They should be low in flesh when you begin to hunt; the ground being generally hard at that time, so that they are liable to be shaken.—By hounds being handy, our author means their being ready to do whatever is required of them; and particularly, when called, to turn easily which way the huntman pleases.

Mr Beckford begins to hunt with his young hounds in August. The huntsman in the preceding months keeps his old hounds healthy by giving them proper exercise, and gets his young hounds forward; and for this purpose nothing answers so well as taking them frequently out. The huntsman should go along with them, get frequently off his horse, and encourage them to come to him:—too much restraint will frequently incline the hounds to be riotous. Our author frequently walks out his hounds among sheep, hares, and deer. Sometimes he turns down a cat before them, which they kill; and when the time of hunting approaches, he turns out young foxes or badgers; taking out some of the most steady of his old hounds to lead on the young ones. Small covers and furze-brakes are drawn with them to use them to a halloo, and to teach them obedience. If they find improper game and hunt it, they are stopped and brought back; and as long as they will stop at a rate, they are not chastised. At such times as they are taken out to air, the huntsman leads them into the country in which they are designed to hunt; by which means they acquire a knowledge of the country, and cannot miss their way home at any time afterwards. When they begin to hunt, they are first brought into a large cover of his own, which has many ridings cut in it; and where young foxes are turned out every year on purpose for them. After they have been hunted for some days in this manner, they are sent to more distant covers, and more old hounds added to them. There they continue to hunt till they are taken into the pack, which is seldom later than the beginning of September; for by that time they will have learned what is required of them, and seldom give much trouble afterwards. In September he begins to hunt in earnest; and after the old hounds have killed a few foxes, the young ones are put into the pack, two or three couple at a time, till all have hunted. They are then divided; and as he seldom has occasion to take in more than nine or ten couple, one half are taken out one day, and the other the next, till they are steady.

To render fox-hunting complete, no young hounds should be taken into the pack the first season;—a requisite too expensive for most sportsmen. The pack should consist of about 40 couple of hounds, that have hunted one, two, three, four, or five seasons. The young pack should consist of about 20 couple of young hounds, and an equal number of old ones. They should have a separate establishment, and the two kennels should not be too near one another. When the season is over, the best of the young hounds should be taken into the pack, and the draught of old ones exchanged for them. Many must be bred to enable a sportsman to take in 20 couple of young hounds every season. It will always be easy to keep up the number of old hounds; for when your own draft is not sufficient, drafts from other packs may be obtained, and at a small expense. When young hounds are hunted together for the first season, and have not a sufficient number of old ones along with them, it does more harm than good.

Kennel for Hounds. See Kennel.