SUTURES — TAILLESS DOGS 



thick and soft, but weather-resisting, and for preference it 

 should be quite flat, but a slight wave is permissible. The 

 colour is a rich golden liver, any approach to a puce or 

 muddy shade being a bad fault, and the average weight is 

 about 40 lbs. 



Sutures. (See Stitching-up Wounds^ 



Swivels. — Every chain or lead used for dogs should 

 have a swivel which works easily close to the spring hook 

 which is attached to the collar, and the addition of one 

 at the middle and a third one at the other end, if that has 

 a sprink hook on it, is a very wise arrangement, which is 

 cordially recommended to the consideration of dog-owners. 

 All properly constructed show chains are thus designed, 

 as a protection against the dog being strangled on the 

 bench or whilst travelling. (See Chains, Slips, Spring 

 Hooks.) 



Table Scraps form an excellent food for dogs, and 

 especially those of the toy varieties, provided that the green 

 vegetables are not omitted and that the amount of meat 

 fat and greasy substances is strictly limited, as too much 

 stimulating food is certain to heat the blood of animals 

 which do not get much exercise. (See Feeding.) 



Tailless Dogs. — It is rather a moot question whether 

 there are any varieties of dogs in existence which are 

 naturally tailless, but certainly there are some breeds, many 

 representatives of which are born with no tails or else 

 very short ones. Probably this may be the result of a 

 long-continued custom of removing the caudal appendages 

 of the breeds in question, and if so it is an illustration of 

 heredity. On the other hand, if it were so, there would be 



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