PUPPIES AND THEIR CARE-^ 



Early Care Aids Age 



As with children, so with puppies — early 

 training and environment mould the grow- 

 ing dog. Underfeeding, damp, drafty 

 quarters, the wrong kind of foods, bad 

 habits not corrected, skin condition be- 



coming worse on account of lack of 

 grooming — ^all these take their toll in the 

 developing dog. Therefore, proper care of 

 the puppy is essential for his permanent 

 welfare and for the conscience of the 



I.— WHAT BREED, AGE, AND SEX OF DOG? 



Why a Puppy? 



Should the prospective dog owner 

 purchase a puppy or grown dog? 



By all means, purchase a puppy. To 

 observe and supervise the physical and 

 mental development of a puppy is to 

 undertake a college course in pedagogy 

 and psychology combined. One notes the 

 same problems as in that of the growing 

 child. It is worth all the extra trouble to 

 study the ways of the puppy, to notice his 

 outlook on life, to mould his habits and 

 personality even day by day. 



The puppy coming into the household 

 adapts himself to the ways of the family. 

 The dog reflects the master in habits, in 

 disposition and personality. He should 

 and does take on the color of his owner's 

 habits and temperament, like master, like 

 dog. 



There is the opportunity to teach him 

 early in obedience, to mould his ways be- 

 fore they have hardened into undesirable 

 habits, to give him the opportunity to 

 build up a strong body for later years, to 

 make him a member of the family and a 

 desirable playmate and guard for the 

 children. 



All these lead to the conclusion that a 

 dog should be purchased as a puppy and 

 his education early directed entirely by 

 the one or two persons who are to have 

 the permanent responsibility for the dog. 



At What Age for Purchase 



Perhaps the best age at which to pur- 

 chase a puppy is that of three to four 

 months, but up to six months is satisfac- 

 tory. He has gotten his milk or first 

 teeth at four to six weeks ; by the age of 

 three months he already should have had 

 a worming, learned much from his broth- 

 ers and sisters, and should be ready to go 

 out into the world for his human-directed 

 education, particularly in obedience. 



He has had time and opportunity to 

 associate with other dogs to learn by imi- 

 tation the many things which he can 

 learn only from other dogs such as bark- 

 ing, being on guard, and developing a 

 sense of curiosity. 



What Breed is to be Chosen? 



There are 109 officially recognized breeds 

 of dogs in the United States. "Which one 

 of these shall the family, perhaps little 

 familiar with the various breeds, choose 

 as a coming member of the household, one 

 over which they will be much concerned? 



Every breed is a good breed. The world 

 around, a dog is a dog, whether pure« 

 bred or mongrel, large or small. The 2- 

 pound chihuahua of Mexico can shake 

 hands with the 220-pound St. Bernard of 

 Switzerland and say truthfully, "Hello, 

 brother." All dogs possess the same 



qualities which have endeared them to the 

 human race thru all the centuries — loy- 

 alty, devotion, unselfishness, patience, 

 usefulness and courage even unto death. 



Size of Breed 



Unless one lives in a very small apart- 

 ment, even the large-sized breeds can be 

 chosen. The very large breeds do not run 

 greatly, are mindful of the furniture in 

 the home, do not need as much exercise 

 in proportion as the smaller-sized dogs, 

 and are especially considerate of children. 

 We have been in homes where great danes 

 were kept and these dog sseldom or never 

 harmed the furnishings in any way. 



The medium-sized and small dogs are 

 more popular and naturally so, for they 

 adapt themselves more readily to private 

 living quarters, to automobiles, and to 

 easy handling. But insofar as children 

 are concerned, almost any breed can be 

 chosen. 



For instance, one might say that the 

 terrier is ideal. He is ideal, yet requires 

 much exercise ; he runs much ; he barks 

 much out of the sheer joy of living ; rugs 

 and carpets mean little to him in his gay 

 life. And yet we heartily can recom- 

 mend the terrior as a dog for any home. 



Breed Not Highly Important 



Altho we go contrary to most advice on 

 this subject, we believe that there need be 

 little concern over choice of breed. The 

 great consideration is that the dog, what- 

 ever the breed, once it has been taken into 

 the home, receive proper care, daily 

 exercise, correct feeding and constant 

 training. 



Today the emphasis is placed not so 

 much upon more dogs but upon better- 

 trained and better-cared-for dogs; and 

 this depends entirely upon owners who 

 realize the necessity of caring for a dog 

 and who are willing to put forth the effort 

 to this end. 



Advantages of the Female 



Shall a male or female be chosen? 

 Prejudice favors the male and indeed 

 kennels usually charge from five to ten 

 dollars more for a male than for a female 

 out of the same litter. Unfortunately 

 there still persists the custom of drowning 

 the girls and saving the boys, so to speak. 

 We are heartily in favor of a campaign 

 in behalf of the female dog. 



The author has written a leaflet entitled 

 "In Praise of the Female," which has 

 been widely reprinted even in foreign 

 countries. It presents statements with 

 which almost all oldtime dog people agree, 

 namely, that the female is more easily 

 trained, does less damage to the furnish- 

 ings in the home, is housebroken more 



