270 USEFUL INFORMATION REGARDING DOGS. 



wanted and small expense not objected to it would be well to have a one- 

 inch pipe run from pump to each of the yards leading to each dish; at the 

 pump you could have a connection that would fill each dish independently or 

 fill all at one time; this would avoid the bother of carrying water in pail 

 to each dish. 



If you follow the plans as set forth above, I know you will have a 

 kennel that will suit you in every detail and one which will be a pleasure 

 to your best friends, "the dog." Should you at any time wish any further 

 advice on this subject, I will be only too pleased to assist you in any way 

 possible, knowing it will benefit the kind, dumb creature who gives his 

 master worlds of pleasure and is ever faithful, be he the companion of the 

 rich or poor. 



Stud JDogs. — a great deal of a breeder's success depends upon the 

 state of health in which the stud dog begets offspring; for a delicate or un- 

 healthy dog is more than likely to transmit his defects to his puppies, who 

 are in consequence more difficult to rear, and of less value when they at- 

 tain maturity. Considerable attention should therefore be paid to the 

 comfort of a dog who is in the habit of receiving a large number of stud 

 visits. He should, if possible, be well exercised morning and evening, either 

 by a country walk, or a run round his owner's yard; and his diet must be 

 wholesome and liberal. Stud dogs should never be used during the heat 

 of the day, whatever the exigencies may be. It should be borne in mind, 

 too, that it is always well to have your stud dogs look clean and tidy, 

 both when out of doors and when in the kennels. Much depends upon the 

 first impressions formed by the owner of a bitch who contemplates breeding 

 from him, and many a dog is passed over whose services, had he been in 

 better fettle, might have been resorted to. Care should be taken not to 

 overtax the energies of a young sire by allowing him to receive too many 

 visits; the result of excesses in this way being both sickly offspring and 

 his own ultimate failure at the stud. Fifteen or twenty bitches a year are 

 quite enough for a dog not in his prime, and about twice the number for 

 a dog in the full vigor of his strength. As a rule, dogs under eighteen 

 months old are not likely to do themselves or their owners much good if 

 bred from; and availing one's self of the services of a very old dog is always 

 risky. It is extremely hard to state an age at which a dog can be said to 

 be "old;" some retain the vigor of their youth up to ten years and more, 

 whilst others get decript and break up at six or seven. So much depends 

 upon constitution and careful attendance that it is impossible to advise upon 

 the age at which a stud dog ceases to be of use; but breeders should see 

 the dog for themselves, if they do not know him, and judge from his ap- 

 pearance and condition, whether he is likely to suit their wishes. 



In this age of bench show celebrities the precautions necessary to ob- 

 tain the best results are too often neglected in the case of a stud dog on 

 which there is a big run, and doubtless, carelessness in looking after the 

 bitch is responsible for a good many "misses." 



A sire should be looked upon with suspicion if his services are in too 

 great request, and the number of his receptions unlimited, as it is only 

 reasonable to expect sickly offspring from a dog whose stud experiences 

 are practically unrestricted. A very old dog, unless mated to a young and 

 vigorous bitch, is more than likely to fail to get stock at all; and if he 

 succeeds in doing so, the puppies are very frequently of bad constitution 

 and delicate in their earlier days. It is often the case that the services 

 of a successful show dog are most eagerly sought after by breeders, and 

 the merits of his father entirely overlooked; and this is certainly a fact 

 which must puzzle all practical men when they reflect upon it. A good sire 

 of good pedigree, who can produce stock of superior quality to himself, is 

 better worth patronizing at a low fee than his successful son who has yet 

 to prove himself the success at the stud which he is on the bench or in 

 the field; especially as in the latter instance the sum charged for his ser- 

 vices is sure to be a considerable one. Many of our champion dogs have 

 turned out complete failures from a breeder's point of view; while their 



