SPA NIELS — SPLINTS 



readily purchased by some people though useless for 

 others. Moreover, some of the above defects cannot 

 strictly be included in the category of either soundness 

 or unsoundness, but as they affect the working capacity 

 of a dog, it may be permissible to refer to them here. 

 It may be added that no dog which is suffering from 

 any temporary disease or illness can be regarded as sound, 

 even though he be on the high road to recovery, as re- 

 lapses may occur, or convalescence be retarded, by a 

 change of food or kennel. 



Spaniels. — The spaniel family is a very large one, and 

 consists of four divisions — namely, the Springers, by which 

 name the larger-sized field spaniels, including the Clumber, 

 Sussex, Field, Norfolk, and Welsh, are known ; the 

 Cockers, or smaller-sized field varieties ; the water-spaniels, 

 English and Irish ; and toy spaniels. The above breeds 

 are referred to under their respective headings. 



Spanish Bulldog. — A big, coarse dog, somewhat of the 

 bull-mastift' type, and possessing few points in common 

 with the show bulldog of the present day. An ineffectual 

 attempt was made to popularise the variety in this country 

 some forty years ago. 



Spanish Fly. (See Cantharides.) 



Spitz Dog. — The German name for the Pomeranian. 



Splay Feet. — Open, flat feet. 



Splints. — {a) The narrow, flat pieces of thin board, 

 or possibly stout cardboard, which are used in cases 

 of fractured limbs, to keep them in position after being 

 set. 



(<^) Small bony lumps which occasionally, but infre- 



i8i 



