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NORTH ENGLISH DOG RACING How the Animals Are Trained for Supreme Action The Butchers Mistake. In some part* of England — chiefly mining enstrleta —men are so keen on spoits in which dogs are used that individuals would consider life without a dog hardly wwrta living. A certain amount of time is anenl each day en grooming the animal; it awala are ran fully prepared by the housewife under explicit tnetiaktlam from ber epense. In the atana ktanrx hours taw little dog — usually a whippet - -clad in its warm coat, attends him mi ins arauts. Bitting at Ma feet al the -.treet corner a- he rant* with his friends and lays wagers for racing matches on the coming Saturday. The whippet is like a -re.vhound in miniature. Fully trained it carries nothiag hut hard muscle on its slender banes, ami is the embodiment of beauty and strength conihined. The miner has been barsaty criticized for the pains which he takes to get his dag into perfect condition. It has been said of him that he wonld make his children go without meat in order to rive il to hi- dog. That is. of course, a ridiculous lihel. Nevertheless, the racing miner will hank heavilv on his little dog and will put up stakes 0f £100 or more without turning a hair. The dd method of racing whippets was to release a fre-hly caught wild rabbit in an open field, ami when it attained a certain start to anlense a couple of whippets. The dog which seized humiy first won. A more humane seethed is now in vogue. Tho dogs are trained to race after a rag lohl in the band of an official at a specified distance from the starting paint, the first dag to seize the rag being the winner. Jreyhound coursing is more "sporty," and is popular among miners. two dogs bj ha-h arc led over fields. When a hare springs up they are released. "luss." beiag on her own ground, is often too clever for the dogs, ami escape*. Decision goes by points. When a dog leads and turns the hare one [ oint is scored, and so on. Small fortur. s have bee* made hy those dogs. Here is a case. A local butcher bred greyhounds, but eeatd not win anything. One day a miner passed him with a basket of greyhound puppies. He was going to drown them. The butcher selected one and kept it. Six months later it won a race, and the owner sold it for S500. In the following year it won another race, atol was sold again for 88,000. The* il won the Waterloo Cup — the English dog Derby and was finally Bold for one thousand gained*. The bnteher went ahont like one who had losf all hope id joy in this life: It is ajntte amusing to watch the racing miner nursing his dog before a race. He will pick up a hig greyhound in his arms .uul carry it over a piece of wet ground; he wiil place an umbrella over it and stand in the rain himself. The dog understands and makes ready for tie- treatment, always keeping a weather eye open for the sight of a hare. - lid Bits. «
