USEFUL INFORMATION REGARDING DOGS. 243 



potent drug, as it would be dangerous to human life if spilled over a cut 

 or wound. 



Shipping Dogs by Express. — This is a very important matter, and the 

 greatest precautions must be taken and care exercised unless you are so 

 heartless as to not care how much cruelty and hardship the dog endures, 

 especially on a trip of over twelve hours unless properly crated, watered 

 and fed, and a day and night trip is just so much harder. If it is a grown 

 dog, an adult, food for twenty-four hours they can do without, and no harm, 

 but in case of a young puppy, it must have food at least twice a day even 

 if only for a day or night trip. This you can arrange for by sending food in 

 a bag tied onto the box and a large, prominent request on box, "Please 

 Feed Morning and Night — Food in Bag." If an adult dog, and trip is a 

 day and night only, then drop a big bone or two in box for it to gnaw on, 

 or a few dog cakes. Fasten tin pan or cup inside in one corner, up a few 

 inches from floor for water and a big request on box, "Please Water Often," 

 especially if in hot weather. Now, as to longer trips than twenty-four hours, 

 extra attention must be given. My plan is as follows: I first go to my ex- 

 press agent, have him look up best time to start dog for best trip and as 

 to connections. Then if trip is to be two days or longer, I get him to 

 write on ahead at least twenty-four hours to the agents at any stations 

 where dog has a "lay over" of an hour or longer, asking this agent to 

 there take out the dog on chain to attend to nature's calls, also to feed 

 and water. I find no difficulty in getting such favors shown by asking my 

 agent, and you can no doubt do the same from your agent, whom you pro- 

 bably know or he knows you. To have dog taken out you must have a 

 door so they can do as requested. By arranging this way, your dog is 

 reasonably assured of some comfort added to his long and hard trip. The 

 greatest danger of these long trips are from inflammation of the kidneys or 

 bowels, due to not emptying, and this almost always the result if a dog 

 "holds in" for over twenty-four hours, which is even too long for safety. 

 Now as to the box, which must be made right. If dog is to go in fall or 

 winter, or any season subject to quick changes, unless you have a good, reg- 

 ular dog crate. Several now made for dogs. (See LeGalle Bros', adv. in 

 this book), then make your box the height of the dog at his shoulder, as 

 long as his body and head and just wide enough so he can turn around by 

 bending his body, and he will be comfortable, as a box too large is just as 

 bad. Make it open on the sides and top for air, but have the lower half 

 of each side and end tightly closed so that the dog when lying down is 

 not exposed to draught, as they are often kept outside in a depot open at 

 ends, on a truck, and thus right in a draught, and having come from a 

 warm car, the natural result would be a cold or perhaps pneumonia. I 

 always have request sent on ahead, on a winter trip, to "please keep 

 inside where warm at any lay overs," and this you can have done also. 



Give him plenty of straw in his box if in winter. Make box on top 

 like the roof of a house so that there is no danger of his being smothered 

 as he could be perhaps if box was square, by express messenger putting 

 him in a corner and another box or trunk on the top and sides of his box, 

 thus depriving him of air. Make box so there is no danger of this hap- 

 pening. Fasten by nailing inside box, in one corner, a tin cup or pan, about 

 right distance up, then spend a nickel for aother tin cup and fasten this 

 one on the outside of his box by a string or wire, so that there is no ex- 

 cuse for the express messenger not doing what all shippers pay express 

 companies double rates for doing — caring for dogs en route. Express cars 

 seldom have any water in them (the messenger himself when thirsty going 

 back to the next coach for his drink), and this tin cup tied on outside 

 and a written request tacked on box, "Please water often," leaves it easy 

 for him to bring the dog a drink, the facilities being handy. Did you ever 

 notice how often in traveling in hot weather you will visit the water cooler? 



Never Start a Dog on a Full Stomach; the motion of the car would 

 very likely make him sick and cause him to throw up what he had eaten, 

 soiling his box and himself as well. 



The night you are to ship dog give him a fair meal that afternoon, 



