CHAPTER II. 

 REARING. 



MANAGEMENT IN THE NEST.— CHOOSING.— THE FOSTER NURSE.— FEEDING 

 BEFORE WEANING.— CHOICE OF PLACE FOR WHELPING.— REMOVAL OP 

 DEW-CLAWS, ETC.— WEANLNG. — LODGING. — FEEDING. —EXERCISE.— 

 HOME REARING V. WALKING.— FOOD.— GENERAL MANAGEMENT.— CROP- 

 PING^ BRANDING, AND ROUNDING. 



THE MANAGEMENT OF WHELPS IN THE NEST. 



Until weaned, the management of dogs does not require much 

 care beyond the feeding of the mother, and the necessity for re- 

 moving a part when the numbers are too great for her strength 

 to support. For the first fortnight, at least, puppies are entirely 

 dependent upon the milk of then- dam or a foster-nurse, unless 

 they are brought up by hand, which is a most troublesome office, 

 and attended also with considerable risk. Sometimes, however, 

 the bitch produces twelve, fourteen, or even sixteen whelps, and 

 these being far beyond her powers to suckle properly, either the 

 weak ones die off, or the whole are impoverished, and rendered 

 small and puny. It is better, therefore, especially when size and 

 strength are objects to the breeder, to destroy a part of the litter, 

 when there are more than five or six in the greyhound, or seven or 

 eight in the hound or other dog of that size. In toy dogs a small 

 size is sometimes a desideratum, and with them, if the strength of 

 the dam is equal to the dram, which it seldom is, almost any num- 

 ber may be kept on her. For the first three or four days, the bitch 

 will be able to suckle her whole litter ; but if there are more pup- 

 pies than she has good teats, that Is, teats with milk m them, the 

 weak ones are starved, unless the strong ones are kept away m 

 order to allow them access, so as to fill themselves in their turn. 

 To manage this, a covered basket, lined with wool if the weather 

 18T 



