THE BROOD BITCH. 527 



tempered bitch if she sees her family carried off. Opinions vary much as regards whether 

 dogs can count or not ; but our own belief is decidedly in favour of their being able to do so up to 

 a certain number. This is a matter of considerable importance where puppies are concerned, for 

 it is often necessary to remove some from the mother. Some bitches seem to take no notice of the 

 diminished number of their family, whilst others appear frenzied by their bereavement, and, 

 acting on a first impulse, have destroyed the remaining whelps, unless restrained from doing so. 

 It being therefore certain that mothers are capable of discovering, by counting or otherwise, 

 when any of their puppies have been removed in their absence, it behoves the breeder to be 

 careful how he acts when such a course has to be adopted. If he carefully watches the bitch for 

 half an hour or so on her re-introduction to her family, and sees that all is well, he need have no 

 further care on that score ; but should she become restless, and show signs of an inclination to 

 destroy the remaining whelps, she must be closely guarded in order to prevent mischief. Some 

 bitches are notorious for the habit they have of killing their puppies, and in such cases the only 

 means to adopt is, in the absence of a foster-mother, to take the puppies in-doors, and keep them 

 warmly wrapped up in a basket lined with flannel before a fire, and let the mother come and 

 suckle them every two hours. Whilst with them she should be laid on her side, and gently held 

 down so as to prevent her injuring them in any way. 



Having alluded above to the subject of foster-mothers, we may express the opinion that, in 

 the event of valuable puppies being expected, the acquisition of such an animal is very desirable. 

 A bitch in whelp can often be obtained from the Dogs' Home, Battersea, for a few shillings, 

 and if one is not to be obtained there in a suitable condition of pregnancy, Mr. Scorborio, the 

 courteous and energetic manager of that institution can often put owners in the way of obtaining 

 one at a very reasonable figure. Foster-mothers can also frequently be hired for a few weeks, if 

 advertised for in the papers ; and as a matter of fact we once obtained the services of seven at 

 1 each from one advertisement in the Live Stock Journal. The greatest precaution must 

 however be exercised by owners, in order that no diseased or unhealthy bitch be received in the 

 responsible position of wet-nurse to their puppies, for the danger of such an introduction can hardly 

 be exaggerated ; and therefore many persons rather shrink from investing in bitches of whose 

 antecedents they are ignorant. 



Aid from inexperienced persons when administered to a bitch in labour is almost sure 

 to be attended with most unsatisfactory results, and we are simply re-echoing the opinion of 

 the vast majority of practical breeders when we express the conviction that many of the 

 so-called veterinary surgeons practising in this country know next to nothing of canine 

 pathology. A man who may or may not have passed his examination at the Veterinary 

 College, and professes to be an adept at physicking horses or doctoring cows, invariably 

 considers himself quite qualified to attend upon dogs, and possibly in a few cases he 

 may be so ; but in most instances he knows less than the kennel-man does, and increases 

 the ailing dog's difficulties by his injudicious treatment. " There is a man down the 

 street who knows all about dogs," is a common saying when the owner is in a difficulty, 

 and the man is sent for, generally turning out to be absolutely incompetent and grossly 

 ignorant of what he professes to understand. For our own part we believe that doctoring 

 their own dogs is an easy task for tolerably intelligent and fairly attentive owners, and 

 experience has taught us that the list of drugs and remedies which are applicable to 

 canine diseases is a very limited one indeed, and that an elaborate doggy pharmacopoeia 

 is a wholly unnecessary institution, which can only tend to complicate the difficulties 

 which lie in the way of a beginner when he attempts to arrive at a correct diagnosis and 



