50 THE BOOK OF THE DOG. 



repay the cost and trouble of rearing them. Good bitches are at all times scarce, and are not to 

 be had for a mere trifle, although, of course, occasionally bargains are to be met with in these as in 

 everything else ; but it should be remembered that low-priced articles are frequently the dearest 

 in the end. 



" In selecting a bitch, particular attention should be paid to her breeding ; the pedigree should 

 be scanned carefully, to make sure she is well bred not only on the sire's but also on the dam's 

 side, and that their ancestors, again, are descended from blood of undoubted purity. Having 

 satisfied yourself on this point, see that the bitch is well made throughout, and likely to prove a 

 good brood bitch ; long in the body and great width across the loins. If there be any blemish, 

 ascertain, if possible, if it be the result of accident or bad rearing, or hereditary. The new 

 purchase having arrived home, study her carefully ; not with a view to discover her good points, 

 which will probably be apparent enough, but in order to find in what respect she is deficient. It 

 is, in my opinion, far better to breed from a well-made bitch with a pedigree on which you can 

 rely, but which for some reason may be an animal not capable of winning prizes, than from a 

 bitch, perfect in appearance and winner of several first prizes, but of whose pedigree you know 

 nothing, or as to the correctness of which you are in doubt ; for it is like groping about in the 

 dark to find out what blood will best suit her. 



" The next step is to endeavour to find out the dog most likely to suit your bitch. Never 

 mind whether he be a champion or not. Unless the bitch be very much in-bred, I would advocate 

 selecting a dog that has a good deal of the same blood in him ; and I like, if possible, to see some 

 of his stock, taking care at the same time to ascertain what sort of bitches they are from, as this 

 would be some assistance in forming a judgment as to whether he would be likely to suit your 

 bitch. Endeavour to select a dog good in those points where the bitch is deficient ; and if there be 

 any special fault I wish to breed out, I should select a sire coming from a strain where this fault 

 does not appear, or, if anything, from a strain slightly faulty in the opposite direction. What I 

 mean is this : supposing I had a bitch deficient in head but with good body, &c., the simple fact of 

 putting her to a perfect-headed dog would not necessarily have the desired effect of obtaining good- 

 headed puppies, and especially so if the dog come from a strain not noted for its good heads ; but 

 if I could secure the services of a moderate-headed dog, provided I were satisfied he came from a 

 family known to be good in this particular point, I should be more sanguine of success, although 

 it would very probably be requisite to put a daughter of this pair to a good-headed dog of the 

 same blood as the sire before I attained what I wanted. 



" The aim of the breeder should be to breed animals as nearly perfect in all points as possible, 

 and I should consider it a great error to breed with a view to perfection in one or perhaps two 

 points to the neglect of all others. A Mastiff with the grandest head in the world is useless unless 

 he has a body and legs in accordance. Neither should a breeder be bigoted as regards one 

 particular strain, for some of the best results have been attained by crossing various strains ; but 

 this requires care and judgment, and must not be attempted in a haphazard sort of way. 



" The most common faults which I notice in many Mastiffs are want of breadth in muzzle, 

 want of bone, deficiency in size (I mean body, &c., not height), over-large ears, together with 

 bad legs and cow-hocks ; these latter, however, being most frequently caused by want of 

 exercise and bad rearing, and I believe that many, in their over-anxiety to have puppies of 

 heavy weight, are too apt to overload the body to the detriment of the legs. So long as they 

 have plenty of nourishing food and are in good health, it is an error to get Mastiff puppies 

 too fat when young ; this can be done later on. 



" Size, bone, good shape, and correct skull, may be best obtained by the aid of such a dog 



