THE REARING OF PUPPIES. 151 



" To be forewarned is to be half armed," applies in a 

 very higli degree in regard to these youthful troubles. 

 Prevention is better than cure always, but especially so 

 in this case ; for such is the delicate nature of all young, 

 pure-bred dogs, as compared with the curs that run the 

 streets, that it is very often a grave question whether 

 medicine, which may help in the troubles of older dogs, will 

 not do more harm than good with puppies. Certainly 

 all the arrangements should be made with a full realization 

 of possible dangers and their prevention, rather than of 

 dosing with medicines. The breeder who does not act on 

 this principle will not be a success ; and the practitioner 

 of canine medicine, like his colleague in human medicine, 

 is discharging his highest functions when he advises so as 

 to prevent evils which, in a good proportion of cases, he 

 can but imperfectly remedy. 



But in this as in every other case, if we would pro- 

 ceed on a sound basis, we must grasp those few underly- 

 ing principles on which all the details hinge. 



Let us consider that we have to do with a rapidly 

 growing being that must adapt its own altering constitu- 

 tion to a changing environment. There is a double in- 

 stability. The constitution of the creature alters con- 

 stantly and rapidly, and this alone is no small factor ; and 

 the changing animal must be adapted to all vicissitudes 

 of climate and to everything that enters into the environ- 

 ment, so that the practical problem with the breeder is 

 this : To adapt the environment, as far as possible, to 

 changes that are inevitable in the organization of the 

 puppy ; and in doing this two extremes are to be avoided 

 — constant coddling and neglect. 



