154 Horse and Hound. 



sessed by the sire, as with the desired quaHties 

 you may get some very undesirable ones. 



Hound bitches generally come in season when 

 eight or nine months old, especially those reach- 

 ing this age in the spring months. They should 

 never be bred until the second heat, which in this 

 case would be in the fall. It is too great a tax on 

 the energies and system of the bitch, and the pups 

 are apt to be weak and puny, and the strain may 

 affect the constitution of the bitch through life. 

 If one expects strong, vigorous pups with stamina 

 and constitution when they attain maturity, they 

 should never breed to a bitch under eighteen 

 months or over six years of age. 



Bitches generally come in heat every six or 

 eight months, and on an average three times in 

 two years. They should be separated from the 

 dogs at the very first signs of heat, which are 

 generally excessive spirits and playfulness, undue 

 levity upon the part of the quiet, sedate old lady 

 being an infallible sign. The next stage is the 

 swelling of the parts, followed by the discharge. 



If it is a strange bitch, allow her to become 

 accustomed to her new surroundings before serv- 

 ice. Do not keep her near dogs ; remember their 

 remarkable noses are doubly keen under such cir- 

 cumstances. Take the greatest possible precau- 

 tions to isolate her, then double your precautions. 

 There is not only a chance of her getting out, but 



