CHAPTER IV. 



DIETARY FOR PUPPIES. 



Having taken a general survey of the range of mate- 

 rials at the command of man for the purpose of feeding 

 his dogs, it is well to return and, starting as it were with 

 a litter of puppies about leaving their mother, apply the 

 principles laid down in the foregoing chapters. 



The period of weaning fixed by breeders is between the 

 fourth and fifth weeks ; and this seems in accord with the 

 plans of Nature, for the milk secretion is then as a rule 

 falling off, both in quality and quantity, and most mothers 

 give their young other food if their caretakers fail to 

 do so. 



Closely observe the average mother that is denied assist- 

 ance in nourishing her little ones after her milk has begun 

 to fail and she will soon be detected in providing for them 

 from her own feeding-pan, conveying the same in her 

 stomach and regurgitating or vomiting it up before them. 

 And when the puppies are so situated that several experi- 

 enced mothers have access to them, if their own fails to do 

 this the chances are many that some one of the others 

 will assume the duty. 



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