COURSING. 459 



system developing gradually, without showing an ounce 

 of excessive adipose tissue. 



A raw bone may be given twice per week. Dogs 

 seem to require an excess of carbonate and phosphate of 

 lime, and their efforts to secure the meat on the bone 

 will keep the tartar from forming on the teeth, and also 

 keep the gums healthy. 



When it is impossible to prepare the food as directed, 

 give carefully selected table-scraps. 



Whatever the diet may be, try and select food that 

 you can surely supply to the end of the coursing season, 

 and adhere to it strictly. 



To make a radical change two weeks before a coursing 

 meeting is fatal to success. Dogs were brought to the 

 meeting at Great Bend, a few days previous to the meet- 

 ing, that had been petted and fed at home like one of the 

 family, but hearing of Spratt's biscuit being such a valu- 

 able training-food, their owners would feed them quite 

 liberally of the biscuit, hoping to supply a special stim- 

 ulus for the occasion; but what was their disappoint- 

 ment to find the poor creatures' bowels out of condition, 

 and quite undone for a six days' contest. 



We had other examples, where young dogs had been 

 fed on the coarsest corn- meal to within three weeks of the 

 meeting, and then changed to a diet selected from the 

 best hotel-scraps; and although they were fed sparingly 

 of this, they became "logy" and out of heart, and of 

 course made a very sorry showing in the public contests, 

 although they were quite speedy. 



Two meals per day is ample for a dog in training, but 

 one is much better if you accustom him to it from the 

 first. The heartiest meal should always be given at 

 night. 



The quantity of food for each dog should be regulated 

 as before stated, and no two will require the same kind 



