1 06 General Manageuietit of the Dog. 



the puppy will take it readily enough, and no drenching 

 is required ; but care should be taken that the quality is 

 good, and that the oil is not the rank stuff sometimes 

 used in kennels of sporting dogs. The compound rhu- 

 barb pill may be given by opening the mouth with the 

 left hand, and then dropping in the pill. It must be 

 boldly pushed well down the throat as far as the linger 

 will reach, no danger being risked in effecting this simple 

 process. If the liver is not acting (which may be known 

 by the absence of the natural gingerbread colour of the 

 evacutions), from half a grain to a grain of blue pill may 

 be added to either dose, and repeated if necessaiy every 

 day or every other day till the desired effect is produced. 



Very young puppies should not be washed even in the 

 summer season, as they are very liable to chill. After 

 they are three months old, however, a bath of warm 

 water, with or without soap, wdll do good rather than 

 harm, provided that care be taken to dry them well 

 aftenvards. For white dogs, white soap is required to 

 give full effect to this operation ; and it may be either 

 curd or white soft soap, whichever is preferred, the latter 

 being most effective in cleaning the coat. Long-haired 

 dogs, such as spaniels, the Maltese and Skye terriers, 

 require combing and brushing until they are dry, which 

 should be done in the winter before a fire ; and in the 

 latter breeds the coat should be parted down the back 

 with the comb in the most regular manner. If the hair 

 has become matted, a long soaking will be necessary, the 

 comb being used while the part of the dog submitted to 

 its teeth is kept under water, which will greatly facilitate 

 the unrolling of the tangled fibres. After the coat is dry, 

 where great brilliancy is demanded, a very slight dressing 

 of hair-oil may be allowed occasionally ; but the brush is 

 the best polisher, and when " elbow-grease " is not spared, 

 a better effect will be produced than by bear's grease at 

 half-a-crown a pot. 



With the exception of fleas, pet dogs ought never to be 

 infested with any vermin. Sometimes, however, they 

 catch from others either lice or the ticks which infest 

 the canine race. The appearance of the first two parasites 



