44 THE OLD ENGLISH SHEEP DOG 



Each puppy is to be taken from his bed in turn, and 

 held by an assistant, with his little stern pressed close 

 against a table edge. The operator finds the nearest 

 joint to his body, and removes the remainder of the tail 

 with one sharp, clean cut. The pups are then to be 

 replaced, all traces of the work removed, and the 

 mother called in. She will attend to the tiny wounds 

 at once. 



By this time the owner should have had an oppor- 

 tunity of noting the members of the family, their 

 respective sexes and their merits. If the services of a 

 foster-mother have been required, the least desirable 

 puppies may be handed over to her charge. These 

 should be carefully exchanged with her own offspring, 

 of which a couple usually accompany her, until she 

 settles down to the mothering of whatever number may 

 be allotted to her. 



On the fourth day, if the bitch exhibits no signs of 

 feverishness, her diet may be increased by the addition of 

 bread well soaked in gravy, and of sheep's paunches care- 

 fully cleaned and cooked, with a plentiful supply of fresh 

 milk, so long as she shows no symptom of diarrhoea. This 

 is a very common complaint with whelping bitches, and 

 immediately on its appearance the milk should be dis- 

 continued, for persistent diarrhoea will seriously affect her 

 own supply. 



Otherwise, at the end of the first week the mother may 

 be put upon a generous meat diet, for the tax upon her 



