l8o KENNEL SECRETS. 



his good points were duly brought out and no unusual 

 prominence was given his defects. 



But in choosing such a caretaker let it be one who is 

 to handle no more than twelve dogs, for he could scarcely 

 do full justice to a greater number ; and had he several in 

 the same classes he would quite naturally take the best 

 one into the ring and leave the others to show attendants, 

 who, as a rule, in this branch of the service are scarcely 

 better than hitching-posts, having no interest whatsoever 

 in the dogs which they are parading before the judges. 

 And as several classes are being judged at the same time^ 

 if a handler has many dogs there might be one or more 

 in each ring, and the majority of them, of course, beyond 

 his oversight. 



As stated near the beginning, shows themselves are 

 not a great menace to dogs but they are made so to many 

 by the stupidity of their owners or caretakers, and one 

 of the most glaring faults of which they are guilty appears 

 in the familiar method of feeding. 



With only an occasional exception dogs do not eat well 

 while on the bench, especially during the first and second 

 days. This is but natural, and the loss of appetite would 

 prove salutary were its significance rightly interpreted. 

 A journey on the cars is extremely tiresome to man not- 

 withstanding the luxurious provisions for his comfort, and, 

 obviously, dogs shut in from light and often from air, in 

 narrow and cramped quarters, must generally suffer in- 

 tensely. There is, moreover, the constant and deafening 

 din, which keeps them excited and anxious, and precludes 

 all possibility of sleeping. It is not surprising, therefore, 

 that after a journey, even although it has not extended 

 beyond a day, they are fagged out, nervous and excitable. 

 Now put them into a building with several hundred strange 

 dogs, no small proportion of which are constantly yelping,. 



