40 The Dog Book 



kennel. We have counted over forty of all sorts, from Airedales to Bostons, 

 playing and romping together with the men only within hearing as they 

 set about cleaning the kennels. It takes a good hour to do the rough work 

 of cleaning up, and to put the kennels in order for the return of the dogs, 

 which are watered and lightly fed. The men then have breakfast, and after 

 seeing that everything is perfectly clean and shipshape, each of the helpers 

 starts out with from four to six terriers and takes them for a good hour's 

 run through the pine woods. These are close by the kennels and afford 

 splendid exercise-grounds with the flooring of dry pine-needles on which 

 to run. When the roads are in good condition, a run is given there by way 

 of variety. In this way all the dogs which require special amount of exercise 

 get it, and on their return are watered and put in their stalls, any mud being 

 wiped off them and the friction of the straw and the spaced flooring of the stall 

 doing the rest in the way of keeping the dog clean. 



By the time all the dogs requiring it are given this running exercise, such 

 as the terriers (except Bostons) and sporting dogs, it is necessary to set about 

 the work preparatory to feeding, and at six o'clock the dogs have another 

 run in the field, whereupon each lot as called is fed, till all are in their 

 stalls again. Finally, just before the men retire, the dogs are allowed a few 

 minutes in the covered side-yard, and then are sent to bed for the night. It 

 may be supposed that this exercising of the dogs entails an excessive amount 

 of labour. True, there is a good bit of work, but the dogs are always 

 clean and neat and take plenty of exercise when they are out, being on 

 the scamper all of the time. On the other hand, there is not half as much 

 cleaning of kennels, and the absence of vermin and all disease is a far greater 

 recompense. The dogs are speedily kennel-broken, and if one wants liberty 

 he lets the kennel-man know. 



We have seen a moderation of this stall system at the kennels of Mr. 

 Gooderham, whose kennel manager, Charley Lynden, is famed for the con- 

 dition in which he shows his smooth fox-terriers. Such of the dogs as are 

 to be shown are kennelled separately in large boxes in which there is a sleep- 

 ing bench. Enough of the door is cut out at the top to allow the dog to 

 sit with his head through the hole. It is a rather comical sight when there 

 are a dozen heads sticking out of as many boxes in a row. The important 

 thing to note in this boxing is to get the hole high, so that the dog will stretch 

 up in place of crouching to look out. 



We had recently to devise plans for the accommodation of about a 



