THE CARE OF YOUNG PUPPIES 27 



Bruxellois will have about two -thirds taken away, 

 and a spaniel three-fifths. The tail of a Schip- 

 perke is removed up to the root. 



I have already referred in an earlier chapter to 

 the necessity of warmth for young puppies. Few 

 ideas are so fundamentally wrong as that a puppy 

 may be hardened by exposure to a low temperature. 

 Even 80 Fah. should not be considered excessive, 

 and one would prefer a minimum of 70. This is 

 particularly necessary for the first six weeks, but 

 after that, if the weather is cold, it is undesirable 

 to withdraw the fire from the sleeping quarters. Toys 

 necessarily require more coddling than the hardier 

 varieties, and short -coated ones are more susceptible 

 to chills than those equipped with long hair and 

 a dense under-coat. I do not say that puppies cannot 

 be reared without artificial heat, but the chances are 

 against them, and the results are not likely to be 

 satisfactory. It is scarcely necessary to say that the 

 bedding straw should be frequently renewed, and, 

 wherever possible, the bench should be changed so 

 that the one which has been in use can be well washed 

 and dried. If these precautions are observed, insect 

 pests are not likely to be troublesome, but if they 

 multiply, they should be exterminated by the use of 

 Keating 's Powder. Puppies are frequently infested 

 with lice, particularly round the ears and at the 

 back of the neck, and these may be destroyed by 

 the application of a mixture made of two parts of 

 paraffin and one of milk, thoroughly incorporated 

 together, and the same treatment may be used for 

 ticks ; apply with a sponge, and go over the parts 

 afterwards with an ordinary toothcomb. 



Until weaning- time the puppies are. not likely to 



