The morning call., 1894-10-28

rule each trainer has from four to six dogs
in his charge. but in several instances
may be noticed young men who have but
two or three dogs in their string, and the
rivalry shown by each of the trainers is
NEST amusing.
Few persons have any idea of the trou-
bic, care and expense involved In the prep
aration of a greyhound for such meeting
as that of Merced. Six weeks at least of
incessant daily work must be gone through
before this 1.-THE and beautful creature
can be properly wound up 10 stand with
auy hone OF success the desperate strain
that will be required of it when asked TO
measure strides with another OF its type
after one of the flying-machines called
a Merced hare.
The great difficulty which trainer of
grayhounds has 10 overcome is the wide
difference in the constitution of his dogs.
Scarcely any two dogs require the same
treatment, and the chief art in training IS
to discover the exact amount of work and
food that each dog will require in order to
bring him out to the best advantage.
Before commencing to train grey houn q
| it is necessary 10 consider the condition he
| is in at the time and what amount OF work
he is likely 10 bear, and 10 do this success
fully The trainer should have some knowl-
edge of his breeding and also be judge OF
| bodily formation.
In England aud Australia nearly all the
| training is done by professionals-men
who have spent their lives almost at the
| business-hence it follows that their work
is generally complete and the hounds are
sent to the coursing fields wound up to
concert pitch" Certa!rly the great Eng
| lish horse-trainer, Mat Dawson. never
| looked with more critical eye on Derby
favorite as he steps out on the field of
| EPSON than does one of those professional
| greyhound-trainer RS look upon the hound
as he hands him TO the slipper at Altcar in
England or On the Werridee plains OF Aus
| iralia.
Strictly speaking there are no profess
| sonal trainers here, aud the unacCount-
| able failure of many of our hounds iE some
meetings must be largely attributed TO
| want of proper training more than to any
| other cause.
Among our city men, however, there is
one leashmsn that may be cassed as a
| professional, for in years gone by. when
| his time was his own, no dogs were ever
| sent to slips in finer condition than were
his, and as result he invariably came Out
| on top or close to it.
To fit a dog properly for coursine
meeting, and especially for such one as
| that at Merced, where each course will
average from two to three miles, great and
| continued care must be exercised. Fol
| the first two weeks he should be made tC
| travel from eight to ten miles day (the
| early morning being the best time). When
brought back 60 his kennel his feet should
| be carefully washed in cold water anG
| dried. Handwriting should their be re-
sorted TO for at least half an hour. along
| the sides, down the shoulders and hind
quarters; clothing in this climate is un-
| necessary, except on the cOUrsing field
The kennel should be comfortable, vel
ventilated and free from draughts.
The feeding should be attended with
the greatest care, and indeed it is in thi,
point that great mistakes are made. The
| trainer should be able 70 see whether tbs
| food supplied is OF the right quality and o.
the necessary amount.
About pound OF good beef or at most ;
pound and half with similar amount o
good biscuit Graham crackers are muci
thought of here), should be about suffi
cient for each dog; but in this the traine
should be able TO judge, as some dogs may
require more and some dogs less.
During the third and fourth week o
training the dog should have about fifteeI
miles a day of horse exercise, but thu
trainer in this, too, should be Judge ant
see whether the dog is improving or goin,
back under the severer exercise. A littl
vegetable once or twice a week is abso
luiely necessary. Physic, except at tn
commencement, is undesirable. ant
''otonehenge," the greatest of all grey
hound authorities, says that ]alap. salt
or aloes will be found to be the best, ever
, when given within three or four days o
running; they give tone to the stomach
and render the dog lively and full OF spirits
During the last ten or twelve days o
training care should he taken that the DO
is not ground down with too much work