116 THE AMERICAN HUNTING DOG 



is no objection to a wide opening to let in fresh 

 air at the far end, so long as you have a comfort 

 able, wind-tight and draught-proof retreat beyond 

 the door to curl up in. That's the way Fido 

 would look at it, if you asked him! And then, 

 from your human point of view, that of being able 

 to clean the kennel easily, why not have the rest 

 of that side hinged at the top, so that it can be 

 opened up to expose the whole interior for clean 

 ing, and also in summer permit raising it up to 

 keep the kennel cool and provide a verandah under 

 which the dog can lie if he finds his bed too hot. 

 And so we get Ideal Construction No. 1, videlicet, 

 a side-opening kennel, with the door at the end of 

 said side, and the rest of the said side openable 

 from hinges placed up under the eaves. How 

 large? Measure your dog, some time when he is 

 lying flat on his side at complete ease, his legs 

 stretched out straight as if in walking posture. 

 For a setter, pointer or coonhound this will be 

 found to be about 24x36 ; for a smaller dog, such 

 as a beagle or spaniel, 20x28. With this basis of 

 floor area to go on we have but to decide on the 

 height to be ready for the work of building. The 

 bird-dogs and large hounds stand 24 inches at 

 the shoulders, and, so that the kennel may be 

 warm in winter, we will make it not much higher 



