THE NATURAL DIET. J 



the notion that the all-important essential is quantity,, 

 and, food being food always, quality is a trivial matter. 

 These are some of the most noticeable faults which appear 

 in the practices of breeders of to-day, and in the face of 

 them it is not surprising that failures are so frequent and 

 such a large proportion of dogs are so often out of condi- 

 tion if not the victims of disease. 



The first point of essential interest and importance to* 

 be considered is the proportion which the several ingre- 

 dients of the mixed diet should bear to one another. 

 Unfortunately no rule which will admit of wide applica- 

 tion can be fixed here, for the requirements are influenced 

 by the age, amount of exercise, condition of health, 

 seasons of the year, individual peculiarities, etc. A 

 puppy, young and growing, needs in proportion a more 

 generous quantity of animal food — milk or meat — 

 for muscle and bone building than he will after he has 

 matured and his structure is complete. During the hunt- 

 ing season and while his muscles are being constantly 

 drained as it were by his work a dog can not only assimi- 

 late more meat, but actually requires a much larger pro- 

 portion, than he that is kept much of the time on the chain 

 and allowed but little exercise. This important fact can 

 perhaps be given greater prominence by the assurance' 

 that an excessive indulgence in meat has much the same 

 effect upon dogs as upon members of the human family ]• 

 and surely no one will gainsay that while men who work- 

 hard, as with the pick and shovel, can eat freely of meat 

 twice and three times daily and be none the worse for it, 

 were students, book-keepers, or others of sedentary occupa- 

 tions, to attempt such a diet, in a short time they must 

 become dyspeptic, bilious, and otherwise disordered. 



In estimating the daily quantity of meat some modifica- 

 tion is allowable and often demanded according to the 



