108 THE AMERICAN HUNTING DOG 



floor of the box, is a good thing to make, to avoid 

 having any valuable puppies rolled on or smoth- 

 ered by the dam. The shelter under this shelf is 

 protection enough until the puppy is found and re- 

 stored to the family. The bitch will make her 

 own nest in the straw of this box and you had best 

 not interfere with her nor attempt to handle the 

 new-born pups. She will attend to this matter 

 herself; all you are to do is to see that each one 

 has a warm spot next her body and that it is nurs- 

 ing right manfully. Right after birth also is the 

 time to make a record of the markings of each 

 pup and note his structural characteristics, for 

 later the fat on his little body will hide every ves- 

 tige of his future appearance. Your principal 

 care for the first week will be to keep the mother 

 well fed ; meat, broth, bread and table scraps being 

 given her three times a day. Milk is good, but 

 apt to run to fat, which the bitch will put on her 

 own body instead of passing it on to the pups. 

 If everything is well you can see the pups grow, 

 and they will be quiet most of the time, either 

 nursing or sleeping. In two weeks' time they 

 should all be fat as butter, with eyes open and 

 every sign of getting on in the world. They are 

 blind until the ninth day, and after the eyes open 

 the kennel should be darkened lest their future 



