THE GREAT DANE 51 



progeny were expected. It is very important that both sire and 

 dam should be in perfect health and condition, or the puppies will 

 most probably be small and puny at birth. As size is of great 

 importance, the bitch should be exceedingly well and carefully fed 

 all the time she is in whelp, varying her food as much as possible, 

 and giving nourishment without letting her get too fat. Walking 

 exercise is best at this time, and during the last month the bitch 

 should never be allowed to gallop or jump. With such very heavy 

 dogs the result, if they are allowed to do so, is generally dead 

 puppies. No Great Dane bitch should be allowed to rear more 

 than five or six puppies to do them really well. It is unnecessary 

 to destroy the others, as there are always plenty of foster-mothers 

 advertised in the doggy papers, and this method is invariably 

 successful if the foster-mother is taken out of sight and hearing 

 while the puppies are changed. The puppies should all be left 

 together for half an hour while the foster is away, and then all 

 the foster-puppies should be removed where the mother can neither 

 smell nor hear them, and with a little patience and watchfulness 

 for an hour or two there is little fear of any mishap occurring. 



At ten days, or at latest a fortnight, the puppies should be fed 

 with milk thickened with any of the advertised infant foods. At first 

 dip their noses in and let them lick off what remains, and in a day 

 or two they will lap nicely. This will help them greatly, and 

 prevents their feeling the ill-effects of weaning, which should be 

 done gradually, removing the mother for longer and longer intervals 

 during the day, and at last returning her only at night, and then 

 keeping her a'way altogether. The puppies ought now to be fed at 

 least five times a day, giving the first meal as early and the evening 

 meal as late as possible. Twice a day they may have the milk 

 thickened with food well-boiled oatmeal or rice, good, reliable 

 biscuits crushed very small and only prepared as required, cods' 

 heads, paunches, and meat, occasionally giving a little raw. Melox 

 Food the writer has found very successful, if given in small quantities 

 once a day. If cods' heads are boiled long enough, the bones will 

 become so soft that they will not harm the puppies to eat, only 

 care should be taken that they are soft. 



At this stage the puppies require no regular exercise. A large 

 paddock or yard with shade, a warm, dry house to sleep in, plenty 

 of large bones to gnaw and play with, and plenty of sunshine are, 

 however, essential. 



Great Dane puppies, save under exceptional circumstances, 

 should not make their appearance in the winter or, still worse, the 

 autumn. February and March are the best months, as then they 

 have the whole summer in which to grow. The writer's puppies 

 have the run of their paddock during suitable weather night and 

 day all through the summer, and are never shut up at all. Small 



