I have found out that the pure Airedale terrier and the hound make the very best dogs for c.o.o.n, lynx, mink, etc. Get a good Airedale and a good hound and you will have a pair of hounds hard to beat. The airedale are great water dogs and very hard workers and easily trained to hunt any kind of game. They are full of grit and they fear nothing and are always ready to obey your command. I have hunted with them and found this breed of dog away ahead of the water spaniel, collie, etc. Once you own one you will never be without it.

"The Airedales were first imported into this country in 1897 or 1898, from England, and as companion and guard dogs, as well as hunters and retrievers have made wonderful strides, and are becoming more popular as they become better known. In disposition and intelligence they are unexcelled. They will guard their master's family night and day, but on the other hand are affectionate and kind to children. They are natural hunters of both large and small game, in which they need but little training, and have been used and worked as hunters and retrievers with much success, as they are easily taught and very intelligent. In size, the standard calls for males 45 pounds, females a little less. Color, black and badger gray with tan extremities.

We should name the Airedale as a promising bear dog. His grit, courage, staying Quality and strength are all points of advantage in a dog that is expected to try conclusions with the hard-swatting bruin.

Also we frequently hear of noteworthy success of the Airedale in hunting and dispatching coyotes, c.o.o.ns, badger and bay-lynx, any one of which is capable of putting up a good fight. Also he is a hunter, retriever, trailer of c.o.o.n, 'possum, bear, wildcat, mink, coyote, deer, lynx, fox or small game.

The tendency nowadays is to produce larger Airedales, which shall retain the terrier qualities. The practical callings upon the breed's usefulness seems to justify that he be bred over 50 pounds, rather than between 45 and 50 pounds, which has in the past been the aim.

One writer says that it was in the valley of the Aire river that the Otter hound was crossed with the Bull Terrier, that product was the Scotch terrier, that with the Scotch collie, that with the Pointer, and that with the Setter dog and then the standard having been secured, the crossing was discontinued. In that dale of the Aire, then, was the great breed of dogs first experimented upon, that made the Airedale.

CHAPTER XXIV.

SCOTCH COLLIES. HOUSE AND WATCH DOGS.

The Scotch collie dog will make the best friend of all the dogs in the canine race, writes a collie admirer. Of all useful animals G.o.d gave to man what can excel the dog, at least with the stockmen; in affection no other dog can compare with him, he is a dog that every farmer needs. He has almost human intelligence, a pure bred collie can always be depended upon in sunshine or adversity. He can do his work in a manner that should put the average boy to shame. The pure bred Scotch Collies are of a kind and affectionate disposition and they become strongly attached to their master. There can be no friend more honest and enduring than the n.o.ble, willing and obedient thoroughbred Scotch Collie. As a devoted friend and faithful companion he has no equal in the canine race, he will guard the household and property day and night. The Scotch Collies are very watchful and always on the alert, while their intelligence is really marvelous.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Collie.]

At one year old they are able to perform full duty herding sheep, cattle and other stock, attending them all day when necessary, keeping them together and where they belong and driving off all strange intruders. They learn to know their master's animals from others in a very short time, and a well-trained dog will gather them home and put each into its right stall. They have a dainty carriage and line style, profuse silky hair of various colors.

Others incline to the conviction that practical purposes have been lost sight of in breeding, and that appearances have been sought to such an extent that the present day pure bred collies lack some of the attributes of intelligence and hardihood that made the collie famous. In view of this fact it is quite likely that for general purposes and certainly for hunting purposes, a dash of alien blood is advantageous.

The crossed collie, or the well-known shepherd dog, so common to the farm, are very often used with success in all forms of night hunting.

There are some who go so far as to maintain that the shepherd or a cross of shepherd and fox hound are ideal for c.o.o.n, rabbit and squirrel hunting.

The use of these dogs as sheep herders has deteriorated in this country, although they are still bred for practical purposes with marked success in parts of England.

HOW TO TRAIN A COLLIE.

The best way to make a start is to get a pure-bred puppy from a good working strain. To gain the best results and secure the full worth of a Collie as a stock dog, I would say, take him as a little puppy.

There are many reasons why we favor the little puppy to the dog nearly or quite grown. Most collies are sensitive and suspicious and of fine temperament and this characteristic often makes them appear rather more cowardly than brave. A Collie that has been properly cared for and considerably handled during his puppyhood up to maturity should have plenty of courage. A puppy should never be permitted to have a place of refuge where he can run away and hide on hearing a slight noise or unusual disturbance of any kind, or at the sight of a stranger.

If he is kept under conditions where he can see all that may be going on, and in that way become familiar with active life, learning that noises and strange persons do not harm him, he will develop plenty of courage, without which there is but little hope of great usefulness.

First, teach him his name, and to come when you call him. Teach him to mind but always by kind methods. Let him love and trust you, gaining his affection by gentle treatment. He should be accustomed to the collar and chain when young, though it is much better to keep him in the yard than confined by a chain while he is growing. Teach him one thing at a time--to lie down and remain in that position until excused; to follow at your will, and stop at the word, to come in at once at command, and to turn to the right or left.

All these lessons can be easily managed by use of a small cord and always using the appropriate word with emphasis. He should always be made to keep at your heels when out for a walk with you. In that way, after telling him to go to heel whenever he tries to run away, he will understand the word better when he goes with you to drive the cattle for the first time.

Let him keep back of the stock with you, while you drive the cattle to and from the field or pasture without undertaking to teach him, for as he learns by observation, he must have the example made plain.

He will quickly show a desire to help and then you may take advantage of this act, encouraging him to help you, and after he has been with you a time or two, he will soon become a driver at the heel. Give him plenty of practice, and when he becomes a good driver at the heel, taking a positive interest in his work, he can then be easily taught to turn the cattle to the right or left, to head them off, stop them or go alone into the distant fields and bring the cattle to the stable.

He should never be allowed to drive the cattle fast for if once allowed to run them, he will become careless and develop a disposition to worry them.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Shepherd Puppies.]

Do not weary him with over-commanding nor notice every little mistake which unnoticed may not occur again. If you gain his affection and do not forget to tell him that he has been a good dog when he has done well for you, he will learn fast for he has a wonderful memory and never forgets the things he has learned to do. Thus we are amply repaid for the care and time used in making the lesson plain.

I might say a few words about feeding the puppy, as he should have good food when young. The first few months he should be fed on bread and milk, never giving him any meat at any time, and as he grows older, give him the bread dry and the milk as a drink. A comfortable sleeping place should also be given him. The best place is in the house or stable and he should be kept in at night at all times of the year.

You will find that a well looked after Collie is a valuable and life-long friend and helper.

HOUSE AND WATCH DOGS.

The Great Dane, Mastiff, St. Bernard, Newfoundland, Poodle, Dalmatian Chow-Chow, English and French Bulldog have their places and purposes, but are entirely outside the province of hunting dogs. Most hunters admire these n.o.ble beasts, but inasmuch as they have no practical importance or use to the hunter, detailed description is omitted.

CHAPTER XXV.

A FARMER HUNTER--HIS VIEWS.

I am a farmer by trade and a racc.o.o.n hunter for sport, and nothing but a fox hound for me, and the better his breeding is the better I like it. I don't care how much noise he makes if he is fast. I like a good tonguer. I only have four hounds at this writing. I have caught 27 'c.o.o.n and 10 opossum. On the night of November 9th, some friends of mine went out 'c.o.o.n hunting with me. They had three 'c.o.o.n dogs and I had four, seven hounds in all. We went about two miles south of where I live to where we sometimes hunt the 'c.o.o.n. The first thing when we got there the dogs struck a trail and treed on top of a hill with an old coal entry just below it.

We got up to the tree all right and could hear one of the dogs barking "treed" about one-half mile south, so I left the boys to attend to that tree and I went to the lone hound. He was barking up a large black oak in the corn field. I soon spied an eye up the tree and shot him out and down came Mr. 'c.o.o.n. I looked up in the tree again and saw two eyes. The little 20-gauge spoke again and down came 'c.o.o.n No. 2. The other fellows did not have such good luck, as their c.o.o.n got into the coal entry.

We then started on and the dogs caught another trail and gave us some music for about twenty minutes. When they barked treed we went over to them and there were six of the dogs barking up a bushy oak and the lone dog was barking about eighty rods west of there. One of the boys started up the tree and got only part way up when out jumps Mr.

'c.o.o.n. The dogs all went for him and out comes another 'c.o.o.n and into the corn field he went just about at the top of his speed, and I guess he had no slow orders either by the way he was going the last time I saw him. We got a couple of the dogs after the runaway 'c.o.o.n but he made a hole, so we then went to the lone dog and he had one up. We got that and started west. We had not gone far when the dogs struck another trail and they circled to the northwest of us, came around west and south and turned east. Just across the hollow from us was a large tree that Mr. 'c.o.o.n was trying to make but he couldn't get speed enough to make it, so the dogs caught him as he got to the bottom of the tree.

The lone dog was with them on that chase. We left our 'c.o.o.n at a farmer's and started on. The dogs struck another trail and that 'c.o.o.n got into a hole and he was safe, so we ate our lunch, rested a little while and started on west. The dogs. .h.i.t another trail and went south about a mile and barked but not treed. We went to them and they had run this 'c.o.o.n into a shallow hole in the corn field. We tried to get one of the dogs to pull him out but the 'c.o.o.n got first hold every time, so we got a stick and dug in a little ways. We could then see Mr. 'c.o.o.n's eyes down in the hole. We sent three dogs in after him but they came out without him.

I had an old speckled hound we called Teddy. He went in and when he backed out he had company with him, and he seemed to think a great deal of his company, for he was hanging right on to him just as though he thought his company might leave him if he got a chance.

Ted was doing all he could, but he got him up so the other dogs could see Mr. 'c.o.o.n's back and then he had plenty of help and the 'c.o.o.n's troubles were soon over.

We then started northwest. The dogs were working a trail and they were puzzled on it; did not seem able to get away. There were a black oak and hazel bush where we were then, so we sat down to let the dogs work it out if they could. We were sitting within 10 feet of an oak tree, the lone dog came up, circles the tree and barks up, then three of the other dogs come up and start to bark. One of the boys says there might be a 'c.o.o.n up that tree but I doubt it. Well, I said, when four good 'c.o.o.n dogs bark up a tree at the same time, there is liable to be something up there, so up went one of the boys and down came Mr. 'c.o.o.n. We got him and the dogs were not long in starting another trail.

They started south but it was a cold one, but they struck right after Mr. 'c.o.o.n, and I guess they must have taken us a mile and a half on that trail to another patch of timber, and we were about a half a mile behind them when they barked treed. They had Mr. 'c.o.o.n up a tall red oak. We shot him out and soon had another trail going. They took this one south, and it was a warm one, right out into a corn field, and they caught him on the ground. We could hear the fracas and went to them as quick as possible, but we were not quick enough for they had killed Mr. 'c.o.o.n and we met them coming back. We went to where we thought they were when they caught the 'c.o.o.n but we did not find the right place for we did not find that c.o.o.n.

The dogs soon had another trail going and gave us some fine music for a little while and barked treed. We went to them and they had two 'c.o.o.ns up. We shot them out, and they soon had another one going south. It was getting pretty frosty about that time and they worked that trail about one hour south and west. We followed their music and they barked treed. We shot him out. That makes eleven 'c.o.o.n and one killed in the field that we could not find. Now there may be some of the trappers that will think I have added a few 'c.o.o.n to this hunt, but I have not. I have given you this 'c.o.o.n hunt as near as it happened as I can remember, but we had seven as good 'c.o.o.n dogs as you generally run across. I do not say seven of the best dogs ever went into the woods or the best in the United States, but they were 'c.o.o.n dogs and fast ones.

It seems that about every man that has a 'c.o.o.n dog or dogs and they tree a few 'c.o.o.ns, gets it into his head that n.o.body has a dog quite as good as his. I have one pair of hounds from a Williams b.i.t.c.h and a dog owned by Mr. Williams--Hodo is his name--but he is a pure Trigg dog. His pedigree runs back over forty years. One of Haiden C.

Trigg's dogs, Trigg, is the most successful hound breeder in the United States today. He started on the old original American fox hound, these long eared fellows with a deep mellow voice, called by some n.i.g.g.e.r chasers, as they used them in the south for that purpose, and some dealers are selling the old American Fox Hound today for American Blood Hounds. The only genuine blood hound we have is the English. See what the Trigg dog is today, short ears or much shorter than the dog Mr. Trigg started to improve on, with narrow muzzle, and stands up well with good feet and built on speedy lines, a red fox dog, and when he started on there were few of them that could hole a red fox inside of eight hours, and the Trigg dog of today will hole a red fox in a comparatively short time. Of course the fox they are running and the kind of country they have to run in, have a great deal to do with it. I run fox myself sometimes, or my hounds do rather.

Now I see some of the hunters like a still trailer, but I want to hear my dogs work and I want to know which way they are going, and when they begin to get away I can follow and keep in hearing of my dogs. I can tell by their baying just about what they are doing, if the trail is cold or warm, and can tell which way they are going. I wouldn't give a cent to hunt with dogs that couldn't make a little music when on the trail.

I see some of the brothers think nothing but a still trailer catches his 'c.o.o.n on the ground. If you have fast trailers they will catch 'c.o.o.n on the ground if they tongue every other jump. My dogs are all good tonguers and I often have them catch 'c.o.o.n on the ground and big 'c.o.o.n, not little young 'c.o.o.n any more than old ones. A young 'c.o.o.n will take to a tree quicker than an old one. I have got to see my first well bred 'c.o.o.n hound that will still trail. I have never seen him yet, that is, a fox hound. I have tried shepherd and hound cross, bull dog and hound cross, and beagle and fox hound cross, but give me the pure bred fox hound every time for a 'c.o.o.n dog, and I don't care how long his pedigree is either. Let me tell you, you cannot get a fox hound too fast for 'c.o.o.n, the faster he is the better.

I read where a brother made the statement that you wanted a slow hound for a 'c.o.o.n dog. Well, he may want a slow one, yet I am sure I do not. He goes on to say that a fast dog will run over the trail if the 'c.o.o.n makes a short or square turn, the fast hound will run by and lose too much time finding the trail again. Let me tell you right here, the fast hound can't help but run over, but he knows right where he lost that trail. If he happens to circle the right way he only has to make a half circle and he is off again. On the other hand, if he circles the other way he makes a full circle and hits the trail and is going just as fast as ever. If he has a good nose on him he has not lost four seconds. A fast hound will make that turn in a trail quicker every time than a slow one will. I have had both slow and fast and have hunted 'c.o.o.ns about 23 years. Am now a man 38 years old, and if I don't know what a hound is I sure never will.

I don't claim to know it all, for a man never gets too old to learn.

He could learn something every day if he lived a thousand years, or for all time to come. There is no dog that will work a cold trail out like a good hound. He will work out a trail and tree a 'c.o.o.n when a cur dog would pa.s.s right over the trail and pay no attention to it whatever. It must be the brothers that like the still trailers that never had a good 'c.o.o.n hound, for I have never seen good 'c.o.o.n dogs but I have seen the best ones wrapped up in a fox hound hide.

I have a black and tan hound that will fight for me at any time. I can't scuffle with any one outside of my own family for he will bite them just as quick as he can get close enough to them. I had to give him several hard whippings to make him quit rabbits. Now they don't bother him any when he is looking for 'c.o.o.n with me at night. His father was the hardest dog to break off of rabbits that I ever broke, but when he was three years old he would not notice a rabbit at night but would trail them in the day time. He turned out to be a very valuable hound. He would retrieve as good as a retriever on land or in water, would catch any hog that I told him to catch and hold it until I told him to let it go. I could point out any chicken I wanted him to catch and he would get it for me and would not hurt the chicken any.

Some people think a hound don't know anything but trail, but a good hound is a very smart dog and a poor hound is about as worthless a dog as you can find. Take the hound as a breed and I must say they are a n.o.ble breed. The fox hound requires, I think, more exercise than any other breed of dogs. I have a 25 gallon caldron. I put most any kind of meat that I can get, beef, horse flesh, 'c.o.o.n, when there is one that is pretty badly bruised up, pork or any kind of meat that is not decomposed, and put it into this caldron. Of course, I put water in first then put in my meat and boil until it will all stir off the bone. I then take all the bones out and stir in corn meal until I have enough so that when the meal is done it will be a very stiff mush. When it is done and cooled off you can take it out in chunks. Use no salt, if any, very little, as a very little salt will physic a dog.