GENERAL DIETARY. 79 



sooner or later are sure to grow thin in consequence ; and 

 the same result is often noted with mature dogs. There 

 is truth in the old saying that one may starve with a 

 stomach full. Persistently overfeed a baby and it will 

 waste away and die, and the same error in feeding a 

 puppy is likely to result as disastrously. 



Overfeeding is scarcely likely to kill a mature dog but 

 it will surely put him out of condition — make him thin, 

 dispirited and ailing, and his coat harsh and staring. But 

 few appreciate this fact however, and when dogs present 

 symptoms induced by gluttony they are generally fed even 

 more generously. 



A dog that is allowed perfect freedom is not often made 

 ill in consequence of over-eating, because free exercise is 

 his remedy, but one much on the chain soon suffers greatly 

 from the ill effects of this habit. And this important fact 

 should be kept in sight and have due weight in estimating 

 the amount of food required. 



A word of protest here against allowing dogs to become 

 too fat. This fault is a common one among owners of large 

 breeds, and some judges at bench shows do much to 

 encourage it. The term " condition " as used by them is 

 decidedly elastic, but these judges generally appear to 

 consider a large dog in condition when he is well rounded 

 out even by an excessive accumulation of fat. Yet a 

 sporting dog to be in good condition must be compara- 

 tively lean ; while all others that are really in good con- 

 dition are in good health, free from any excess of fat, and 

 firm and hard in muscles and flesh. 



Finally, not only should the food of dogs be of good 

 quality and carefully prepared, but it should be served up 

 in dishes that are sweet and clean. Many authors have 

 discussed the dirt-eating propensity of these animals and 

 reached the conclusion that their food should be thrown 



