BROOD BITCHES AND WHELPS. 55 



to shut them up, which more often than not proves 

 fatal. 



A day or two before a bitch is due to whelp she 

 requires watching and shutting up alone at night. 

 If everything is well with her, it is the best plan to 

 leave her quite alone. Interference at these times 

 generally does more harm than good. I have known 

 some bitches whelp nine puppies in under two hours, 

 while others take twelve to sixteen hours or more for 

 smaller litters. Help is sometimes required, but not 

 often, if the plan of allowing the bitches their full 

 liberty has been carried out. 



Let the bench be practically on the ground. 

 Mine are formed of 2-inch by i-inch battens, with 

 a small space (less than ^ inch) between each piece. 

 Over this is firmly tacked a piece of thin bagging 

 (my huntsman generally uses biscuit bags), which 

 is a great advantage to both the bitch and the 

 whelps, especially the latter, as it prevents them 

 slipping, as they would do on the bare boards, when 

 suckling. 



The bagging will require changing constantly, 

 and in about three weeks can be dispensed with 

 altogether. A plentiful supply of clean wheat straw 

 should always be allowed the bitch, though she never 

 allows the whelps to lie on it, but a good circle of it 

 outside where she lies helps to keep the puppies 

 warm. 



It is as well to let the bitches come to their whelps 



