5— PUPPIES AND THEIR CARE 



readily, does not roam about so much, does 

 her duties more modestly and in smaller 

 area, is more considerate of children, is 

 cleaner in the house, and in general, if 

 there is any advantage in sex, she has it. 



There is only the consideration that is 

 placed upon the female of every species — 

 the coming into season or heat. This oc- 

 curs twice a year and for a period of about 

 twenty days each time. Remember that 

 at all other times, there is absolutely no 

 mating of dogs. 



During these heat periods, the female 

 or bitch should be taken out on lead or 

 kept in the house or closely screened yard. 

 There is the desirable alternative that the 

 female may be bred and a litter be raised, 

 thus adding to the family income. 



Altho in this booklet we constantly 

 use the male pronoun — him, his, he to re- 

 fer to the puppy, we always include both 

 sexes. If you are in doubt about what 

 sex to choose, get a female or bitch puppy. 



Where shall Puppy be Bot? 



Where can one locate a satisfactory 

 puppy? Some pet shops are reliable and 

 sanitary. The best source of supply is a 

 kennel, a place large or small, public or 

 private, where dogs are bred, raised and 

 sold. 



Buy only from a reliable kennel, one 

 which advertises in dog publications and 

 other reliable publications. 



These kennelmen or breeders are inter- 

 ested in satisfied customers as much as in 

 making a sale. You can depend upon the 

 accuracy of the pedigree records. You 

 can depend upon dogs being in healthy 

 condition when purchased. The average 

 breeder is interested in selling good stock 

 which later will bring more customers to 

 him by reason of the satisfaction the 

 purchaser has in the puppy. 



It can be accepted as a general truth 

 that one gets in this world just about what 

 he pays for. Pay a fair price and get 

 a healthy, truly-represented dog. You are 

 taking over a living investment that will 

 repay daily dividends for a decade. 



Choosing One of Several 



Which one shall be chosen out of a 

 litter? This is a matter of personal pref- 

 erence and in the way of color chiefly. 



On the whole, choose a puppy that is 

 wide-awake, takes an interest in surround- 

 ings, comes promptly when you whistle or 

 make a sound, shows a friendly disposi- 

 tion, snuggles in your arms, wants to eat 

 your hat, and in general, is a lively, play- 

 ful, easy-moving dog. 



Ask the kennel man to let you handle 

 the dog and walk it on lead. Watch for 

 lameness, stiff movement, dullness. Exam- 

 ine the coat and skin — it should be glossy 

 and oily. 



Does the puppy want to play? Is it 

 spunky and aggressive? Is it on its toes, 

 ready for fun, interested in everything? 



Avoid any puppy whose eyes and nose 

 are running, skin scaly, foot pads sore, 

 legs not properly shaped, inside of ears 

 red, swollen or foulsmelling, white spots 

 on pupil and iris of eye. 



Get the puppy you want and with it 

 preferably at the time of purchase, get 

 two signed papers — a pedigree for at least 

 three generations and a registration appli- 

 cation. Get preferably a puppy inoculated 

 against distemper — and then be on your 

 way home to embark on years of com- 

 panionship and adventure with a dog — 

 your dog. 



Naming the Dog 



What shall you name the dog? There 

 are the traditional names Fido, Rover, 

 Spot, Lad, Queenie and Prince. Choose 

 whatever call name you wish but choose 

 it early and always use this same name. 



Use color, size, personality of dog. or 

 some aspect of your own family life as the 

 basis for choosing a name. For instance, 

 if he is black in color, he can be called 

 Goalie. Blackie, Blackout, Middle (mid- 

 night I, Affie (Africa), Inkie, Clips 

 (eclipse). 



His registered name can be entirely dif- 

 ferent. He may be known as Buster to 

 everybody including himself and yet he 

 may be registered as Sir Pride of Forest 

 Hills. 



II.— THE PUPPY ARRIVES IN NEW HOME 



For months the family has been dis- 

 cussing the desirability of purchasing a 

 puppy. Mother protests that she does not 

 want her rugs ruined. The children insist 

 that they want a dog just like the other 

 boys and girls have. Father seemingly is 

 neutral, but behind the scene he slyly en- 

 courages the children. 



So the puppy is purchased from a re- 

 liable kennel, the pedigree certificate and 

 the registration application obtained in 

 advance, and the puppy is delivered by the 

 express man. 



"Have a Heart' 



We cannot set forth the situation more 

 effectively than by repeating what we 

 wrote a long time ago as one of the Siri- 

 us Sentiment Seiiee, entitled Have a 

 Heart: 



Nothing is more pathetic and at the 

 same time more courageous than a few- 

 months-old puppy literally pulled away 

 from its mother, away from brothers and 

 sisters ; then pushed into a crate, shaken 

 up on a jolting journey, finally ushered in- 

 to the presence of strangers in its new 

 home, each one of whom insists upon 

 handling it. 



The slats are torn off the crate — a com- 

 motion enuf to terrify even an old dog. 

 The little breathing bunch of softness is 

 cold, hungry, trembling after the rough- 

 ness of travel, and with it all, a sickness 

 it never knew before, that of loneliness. 



Far from home and playmates, it peers 

 out of the crate with frightened yet trust- 

 ing eyes. It looks about only to be dis- 

 appointed for it had fancied dimly in the 

 back of its mind, that in some way, at the 



