PUPPIES AND THEIR CARE— 10 



Do not bathe a dog needlessly. Do not 

 use strong soap. Do not bathe the dog 

 when it has an irritated or bad skin con- 

 dition. 



Method of Bathing 



In bathing the dog, use medium warm 

 water. Place the dog carefully into the 

 tub. Soap his coat well before you put the 

 water on the dog. It is well to start with 

 the feet and hindquarters and finish with 

 the ears and face. 



After you have soaped the coat and 

 then applied the water with vigorous rub- 

 bing either with your hand or with a soft 

 brush or a cloth, then drain the water out 

 of the tub and rinse the coat with clean 

 warm water. Be careful around the eyes 

 and ears. 



You can let him shake himself a bit in 

 the bathtub, as this takes off some of the 

 • water, but if he doesn't do it here, seize 

 him promptly and throw a towel about 

 him for he will do it over the floor and 

 your carpet the moment he is out of the 

 bathtub. 



Hair Dried to the Roots 



Now comes perhaps the most important 

 instruction concerning the bathing of the 

 dog. Rub the dog dry. The coat is not 

 dry until the hair even down to the very 

 roots in the skin is dry. Particularly on a 

 longcoated dog, the outer surface may be 

 dry and yet the hair carry moisture around 

 the roots. The consequence may be a 

 severe cold, particularly if the dog is not 

 in a warm place and free from draft. An 



electric dryer can be used to hurry along 

 the drying. 



In cold weather a dog, whether long- 

 coated or shortcoated, should be dried well 

 and kept in the house at least two hours 

 after the bath. 



Dry bathing with sand, cornmeal, saw- 

 dust or specially prepared commercial 

 powders can be recommended also. 



Long Toe Nails 



If he gets plenty of outdoor running, his 

 toenails will not grow so long that they 

 become curved, spread his toes apart, and 

 cause him to walk as tho he were lame. 



However, if your dog's toenails are too 

 long, cut them with a heavy shears, a 

 special nail clipper, or file them top and 

 bottom until the filed line breaks thru. 

 Cut off about one-third the length — keep 

 "in the white." 



Should not be "Sissies'^ 



We are not recommending the use of 

 blankets, coats and sweaters for the dog. 

 Only when a dog has been ill or when it 

 is very shortcoated and has little exercise, 

 or is feeble from old age, should a covering 

 be used. 



We believe that every dog in normal 

 health, even a shortcoated dog, and in the 

 coldest weather, should not use blanket or 

 sweater. Dogs should have by nature a 

 certain amount of stamina which makes 

 them vigorous, useful and hardy. 



As soon as the dog is taken outdoors, he 

 should be urged to run freely so that the 

 circulation of the blood balances the change 

 between the warm house and the outdoors. 



VIII.— DISEASES OF THE DOG 



If the puppy is properly fed, properly 

 groomed and properly quartered, as we 

 have set forth on the preceding pages, the 

 probability of illness is lessened greatly. 

 But we repeat that the puppy is a young, 

 sensitive bit of life, which quickly can be 

 turned from health to sickness. 



_ In the following discussion, we can men- 

 tion briefly only some of the more impor- 

 tant and common ailments. 



Give Both a Fair Chance 



First of all, use common sense and ordi- 

 nary treatment and do so early, as soon 

 as the first symptoms of illness appear. 



Do not wait too long before taking your 

 puppy to the veterinarian. Too often the 

 dog is taken to the veterinary hospital 

 when it is near death; then not even the 

 best veterinarian can save the life of the 

 dog. Yet when the dog dies, the owner is 

 inclined to blame the veterinarian. 



Instructions given now are merely by 

 way of precaution and early attention, de- 

 signed as first aid and most of all, to 

 keep a well dog well. 



Worms and the Puppy 



Worms are the bane of a puppy's exist- 

 ence. It is safe to say that all dogs have 



• // the tables were turned and the dogs were the "superior*' beings 



