DISTEMPER. .341 



the distemper, which often takes off a moiety of 

 them. As the period of gestation in the female 

 dog is somewhat over two calendar months, the 

 fox-hound bitch should, if she can be spared, be 

 put to dog in January, as then she will litter in 

 the spring, when the weather is comparatively mild 

 (cold being destructive of young animals of this 

 sort,) and the puppies will come early into kennel, 

 generally be of good size, and powerful; and be 

 entered without loss of time. The tips of their 

 sterns being pinched off, and their dew-claws cut, 

 whelps should be taken to their walks at about two 

 months old ; and if to those where there is plenty 

 of milk or whey, they will be the better for it. 

 Whelps walked at butchers' houses grow to a great 

 size, but they are apt to be heavy-shouldered and 

 throaty, and otherv/ise out of shape. If possible to 

 avoid it, puppies should never be tied up, as per- 

 petually drawing at the collar-chain throws their 

 elbows out, and otherwise damages their legs, par- 

 ticularly by spreading their feet, and altering the 

 form of their ancles, although it is sometimes al- 

 most impossible to avoid it, from their proneness 

 to do mischief. If old bitches are bred from, they 

 should be put to young dogs, and of course tice 

 mrsd ; and a bitch should not be worked for at 

 least the last month of her time and immediately 

 on her whelps being taken from her, a dose of 

 physic should be given her. 



Distemper. — It is said that the dog in a state of 

 nature is subject to few diseases, and for these he 



