ON KENNEL MANAGEMENT 57 



Thus much parenthesis; now to resume. Of equal 

 importance with the bob-tail's proper diet is the item 

 of his suitable housing ; and here it may at once be 

 pointed out that a little common-sense will serve to 

 secure for him, at a minimum cost, the requirements 

 too often lacking in the most picturesque and expensive 

 kennels. 



The main points to be considered are thorough venti- 

 lation, freedom from draughts, and absence of damp. A 

 disused cow-shed may be made to combine these 

 essentials just as completely as a high-priced kennel of 

 the latest and most artistic design. 



The ventilation should be so arranged as to allow 

 for a reasonable current of air well above the level at 

 which the dog lies, and a number of small apertures 

 will better achieve this result, without the possibility 

 of draughts, than one or two large ones. At the lower 

 level these draughts may be cheaply and easily defied 

 by the simple expedient of covering over cracks with 

 strips of well -tarred felt, or even of strong brown paper. 



The bench on which the dog sleeps should be raised a 

 foot or so above the flooring, and if the latter can be made 

 of concrete or cement so much the better. But it is not 

 essential. A thick layer of peat moss spread beneath the 

 wooden bench will serve the purpose equally well. In 

 very cold weather a bed of clean wheat straw should be 

 provided ; at other times the dogs do best on the bare 

 boards. Cleanliness is of the greatest importance, and the 



