MANAGEMENT OF DOGS 391 



will eat, with appetite, the oftener varied the better, as 

 I said in the " Introduction." 



Unless any difficulty occurs, at the birth of the 

 puppies, when skilled assistance should be obtained, 

 the less the bitch is disturbed the better, but a few 

 days afterwards it is well to examine the litter, 

 and destroy any deformed or faulty ones, and if she 

 has more than she can reasonably bring up, to put some 

 of them under a " foster mother," which are frequently 

 advertised in the papers dealing with dogs and doggy 

 matters, if not procurable in your own district, in such 

 case, it is best not to take away all the foster litter at 

 once, but introduce the new-comers (in the absence of 

 the "Foster,") amongst her remaining puppies, and 

 mix them up, together, so that they will smell alike, 

 and gradually weed out those not desired to be kept. 



After three weeks old, the puppies should be given 

 bread and milk, which will help the mothers in their 

 nursing, and about this time if a breed which requires 

 their tails to be shortened, a part may be taken off, with 

 a strong pair of scissors, not too sharp, feeling for a 

 joint, before making the cut, and if carefully done, it 

 causes but momentary pain, and soon heals up. 



At six weeks old, they may be removed from the 

 mother, altogether, and if she seems at all troubled 

 with milk, occasionally squeeze out any milk, with the 

 finger and thumb, and dress the teats with vinegar and 

 water, which generally prevents swelling or inflamma- 

 tion, and helps to dry off the milk. 



I need not say that the stories sometimes heard 



