Hounds belong to hunting breeds, rarely any of the owners acquires them just to keep in the house. With them, you constantly need to deal with and arrange long runs so that the dog is always in good shape. If you are a novice hunter-racer, then you will need to choose a hound puppy who will become your faithful assistant and friend.
Instructions
Step 1
For an inexperienced hunter, it is best to rely on the conscience of a breeder who has been leading a certain breed of your choice for a long time. He can observe puppies from birth and by one and a half months, when it comes time to distribute them, he can accurately assess their hunting qualities.
Step 2
If you rely on your own strength, then first ask the breeder about the parents of the puppies of this litter and their ancestors, find out their marks based on the results of show and field trials. It is important that there are no dogs of other breeds in the family, "silent" - who drove the prey without barking, and "cattle" - throwing themselves at the cattle and biting its throat, since the puppy can throw itself into such an ancestor. The best puppies in the third or fourth litters from this bitch.
Step 3
It is easier to choose a puppy at the age of 5-6 months, but few breeders keep them until that age. Therefore, pay attention to the color of the puppy. Experienced racers have noticed this feature: if the color of a puppy matches the color of those dogs that are included in his pedigree, then he will most likely have the same character and working qualities as his ancestor, which has the same color.
Step 4
Immediately discard those puppies that have obvious defects that cannot be corrected by education: wrong or "bulldog" bite, bridling. These are signs of breed degeneration. A disadvantage that can be seen already at the age of one month is a dumped rut (tail), it should be located above the hock joint, which serves as a sign of the correct structure of the spine and a strong back.
Step 5
A good sign for a hound is a dark eye color, although at the age of one month they all have a slightly bluish tint. Both eyes must be the same color. Pay attention to nose coloration, uniform pink and marbled coloration is considered a marriage. English and Russian hounds may have small pinkish specks on the nose, after a while they disappear from them.
Step 6
From those puppies that remained after culling, select the largest, bony, with thick paws. Is it your dog.
