524 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



growth and development, the first essential is abundant 

 food, and it should be largely of meat. Scarcely less im- 

 portant are decent cleanliness and free exercise. After a 

 puppy is once accustomed to solid food, the matter of feed- 

 ing becomes simple. All the provoking minutiae of exact 

 quantities, particular -qualities, and fixed periods in the 

 matter of food and feeding are of little moment. If a 

 young dog has sufficient exercise, there is no danger of his 

 being overfed. It is with dogs as with men, give them 

 enough muscular work to do, and no amount of food which 

 they can eat will be likely to hurt them. 



Dogs should have bones given them at frequent inter- 

 vals, but of course small bones should be kept from pup- 

 pies, for they might be swallowed whole and produce 

 serious trouble; or, if broken, the sharp points would be 

 likely to play the mischief with the internal arrange- 

 ments. 



Where puppies must be reared in crowded kennels, with 

 the scantiest exercise, I can not suggest any course of pro- 

 cedure; the conditions are so unnatural, justice can scarcely 

 be done them. 



Worms are the principal cause of puppy mortality; 

 "Ashmont," in another part of this book, gives full and com- 

 plete directions for treating animals afflicted with them; 

 but "a pound of prevention," etc. About a week before 

 a bitch is due to whelp, she should be dosed for worms; 

 should then be shut uj)inher kennel, on abundant bedding, 

 until she has thoroughly evacuated. The bedding should 

 then be carefully removed and burned, and the kennel well 

 washed and cleansed with some insecticide boiling hot 

 water, carbolic acid solution, sulphate of soda solution, etc. 

 Then wash the bitch carefully all over, so that every "nit" 

 sticking to her coat may be removed or destroyed; even 

 taking care that the water used is accounted for. Puppies 

 nosing and rooting around in search of the teat are likely 

 to get into their mouths any nits that may be attached to 

 the dam' s hair, and a full crop of worms may be the result. 

 I have thought that the eggs of worms are like the old say- 



