Hunting Dogs: Describes in a Practical Manner the Training, Handling, Treatment, Breeds, Etc., Best Adapted for Night Hunting as Well as Gun Dogs for Daylight Sport

In Short

This comprehensive guide serves as a practical manual for training, breeding, and maintaining hunting dogs for both night chases and daylight field sports. The author outlines step-by-step methods for breaking young hounds on specific game—including raccoon, skunk, mink, fox, and deer—while detailing proper kennel management, feeding, and medical care. Interspersed with advice from experienced hunters across North America, the text contrasts differing philosophies on trailing techniques, cross-breeding, and hound temperaments. It has endured as an authentic artifact of American sporting heritage, praised for its direct, unvarnished insight into early twentieth-century outdoor life and canine training.

The Story

The text opens with an exploration of nocturnal hunting, establishing the physical stamina, patience, and grit required of a hunter venturing into dark swamps and thickets. Night hunting presents unique challenges compared to daylight sport, demanding dogs that can navigate difficult terrain without constant human guidance. The narrative systematically progresses into the mechanics of training, starting with early foundation work. Young pups must be introduced to scent and terrain gradually, avoiding overexertion or mental confusion caused by an overexcited handler.

As the training instruction unfolds, specific procedures are provided for targeting different quarry. Raccoon hunting requires teaching a dog to track fresh scent through water and brush, ignore distractions, and "bark up" once the quarry is treed. Instruction extends to handling skunks, opossums, and minks, highlighting the behavioral differences between game species and the precise discipline required to prevent dogs from damaging valuable pelts. Guidance on fox, coyote, wolf, and rabbit hunting demonstrates how handlers must adapt their strategy—whether using experienced lead dogs, starting cold trails on snow, or exercising restraint so a hound learns to self-correct on lost scents.

The manual then transitions from field training to the foundational principles of breeding and kennel maintenance. A dog’s performance in the woods depends heavily on its physical build, structural mechanics, diet, and living quarters. Readers learn to evaluate body geometry, including chest depth, leg curvature, and chest width, to ensure speed and endurance. Practical care takes priority over theory: proper housing prevents exposure, while clean diets centered on cornmeal mush and meat broth maintain a dog's scenting ability and stamina. Common health afflictions, such as eczema, indigestion, and distemper, are addressed with straightforward treatment strategies.

The final section broadens into a survey of specific breeds and working dog traditions. Detailed chapters evaluate American foxhounds, beagles, dachshunds, pointers, setters, terriers, and collies, analyzing how their innate traits serve various hunting roles. The text examines regional variations in hunting practices, including the use of sled dogs in arctic conditions and the specialized role of dachshunds in underground badger hunting. It concludes with an authoritative table of technical terms, equipping the reader with the precise vocabulary of the sporting dog world.

How It Unfolds

The call of the night trail The text establishes the demanding nature of night hunting, describing the physical endurance needed to navigate dark swamps and dense briars. Early chapters emphasize that successful hunting relies entirely on understanding game behavior and cultivating a dog’s natural instincts through steady, calm direction rather than wild excitement.

Building the working hound Instruction turns to specific game training, outlining clear routines for raccoon, skunk, mink, and fox. The handler is advised to let young dogs work out scent problems independently, teach them to tree game securely, and avoid harsh punishment or over-excitement that could ruin a prospective tracker.

Structure, diet, and kennel care The focus shifts to physical health and breeding mechanics, analyzing how chest shape, bone structure, and leg angle impact a hound’s stamina. Recommendations emphasize simple, nutritious diets like baked corn bread and boiled meat, warning against spoiled food that degrades a hound's scenting capabilities.

Diverse breeds and specialized duties The treatise broadens to review established breeds, from American foxhounds and terriers to draft sledge dogs and underground dachshunds. It concludes with a reference dictionary of technical terminology, consolidating the practical knowledge required to breed, train, and discuss working dogs effectively.

The People

• Oliver Hartley — The author and guiding voice who organizes practical advice, clarifies training techniques, and provides sober commentary on sporting field methods.
• The "Southern Gentleman" — An anonymous sporting writer whose colorful, romanticized accounts of raccoon hunting are cited and gently corrected by the author to reflect realistic field conditions.
• A Canadian Hunter — An experienced contributor who outlines the precise physical anatomy, chest dimensions, and leg structures necessary for a hound to maintain speed and stamina.
• Pont — A trained hunting hound whose clever tracking uncovers trapped game and demonstrates the intelligence and loyalty produced by patient, respectful training.
• Am — A short-tempered hunting companion whose harsh handling of Pont illustrates how impatience and anger fail to yield good results from a working dog.
• H. Clay Glover, V.S. — A veterinary specialist quoted on canine health, offering practical diagnoses and treatments for digestive ailments and skin conditions like eczema.

In Its Own Voice

"A half dozen hunts will make an enthusiastic 'coon hunter of any able bodied man--and I might suggest that a half a thousand 'coon hunts will make an able bodied man out of any man."

The author introduces the vigorous, health-restoring nature of night hunting in the book's opening pages.

"My rule is this: Whenever I pull a dog's collar, he must look out for No. 1 without my going to show him."

A seasoned trainer explains the fundamental rule of letting a hound learn self-reliance on the trail.

"A hound to be a fine ranger does not require many years of training if he comes from a sire and dam that were both good rangers..."

An experienced breeder reflects on the crucial role that inherited instincts play in developing a capable hunting dog.

What It's Really About

Beneath its practical instructions for training hounds, the book presents a philosophy of partnership between humans and working animals. It argues that successful hunting is not a matter of forcing obedience through brute strength or excessive noise, but of fostering a dog’s innate intelligence through calm consistency, clear boundaries, and proper physical care.

The text also explores the debate between specialized breeding and practical field utility. It weighs the merits of purebred strains against purposeful cross-breeds, warning that breeding solely for physical appearance or show standards erodes the working qualities of a line. Ultimately, the work asserts that true sporting value is measured strictly by endurance, scenting ability, and steady character in the field.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to working dog enthusiasts, modern hunters, outdoor historians, and anyone interested in traditional American sportsmanship. Reading it feels like sitting in a workshop with a seasoned woodsman who values plain speaking, practical efficiency, and the welfare of his animals above empty theory or showmanship.

The text carries the distinct charm and unfiltered vocabulary of early twentieth-century field guides. While modern readers may encounter dated views on animal handling, game management, or local pest control, the core advice remains remarkably sensible. Hartley’s insistence on patience, calm handling, proper nutrition, and respect for an animal's natural instincts continues to resonate with dog trainers today. What stays with the reader is a clear window into a lost era of backcountry sport, defined by damp nights, lantern light, and the distant music of trailing hounds.

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