REARING PUPPIES. 65 



sloppy, almost liquid, food. This when long continued 

 unnecessarily distends the stomach and bowels, and so the 

 evil is to some extent permanent. If we take a line from 

 Nature in this respect we shall not go far amiss. Now 

 the natural habit of the bitch is, before she has weaned 

 her pups, and for some time after, to supply them from 

 her own stomach with half-digested food, which she 

 disgorges for them. This, I think, should teach us the 

 degree of consistence of the food best suited to the pup at 

 that early age. Afterwards the natural food would neces- 

 sarily become of a firmer character, as the young puppies 

 began to feed on the animals killed for them by the old 

 ones. It is also plain to all, that at the earliest aare 



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possible puppies delight to use their teeth by tearing 

 and gnawing bones, &c., and this answers the double 

 purpose of facilitating the irruption of the permanent 

 teeth, and increasing the saliva which aids in digestion; 

 therefore bones of suitable size should be given. The pups 

 should also be accustomed to pieces of Spratts Fibrinc 

 Biscuits, dry, as these answer the same purposes referred 

 to as bones do, and are, moreover, highly nutritious 



The first thing in the morning the puppies should have 

 a short run out, to give them an opportunity of relieving 

 themselves, and then at once be fed. 



The frequency of the meals must be regulated by the 

 age. When first they leave the dam, four or five times 

 a day is not too often, and whenever they appear hungry 

 between a few bits of dry biscuit may be given. Made 

 food should not be left about in the dishes or troughs 

 from meal to meal, as it either gets fouled, or turns sour, 

 and sets up diarrhoea. 



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