212 KENNEL SECRETS. 



will depend much upon the care they receive. If the 

 proper treatment be commenced in utero, the expectant 

 dam be carefully nourished, especially with foods which 

 favor bone production ; if to that end also she be treated 

 with proper medicines while carrying her puppies, and 

 they in turn be wisely fed from the day of weaning; 

 furthermore, be promptly given tonics when such are 

 indicated; and if, finally, they be judiciously exercised; 

 then the chances of their being broken down behind are 

 indeed but few, comparatively. 



Many breeders whose opinions are of real value insist 

 that health, integrity of form, and normal activity are 

 paramount essentials and take precedence to type. That 

 is, far better a healthy, sound, strong, and active dog and 

 only a fair representative of his breed than one like that 

 described in the foregoing, possesssd of only one point of 

 special excellence, and aside from that be grievously 

 wanting and really a cripple, entirely unfitted for the pur- 

 poses for which his breed was evidently designed. 



Far from justifying the propagation of a breed of 

 cripples, the writer realizes the importance of keeping to 

 type always in breeding, and often taking what may seem 

 to some to be long chances to be true to it. 



Using once more the grand headed cripple as an illus- 

 tration, it were far better for a breeder less fortunate than 

 the owner of this dog to secure by breeding to him at 

 least that one notable quality as speedily as possible for 

 the success of his kennels. And that fixed therein, he 

 should, of course, endeavor to eradicate the penalties, as it 

 were, of breeding to the cripple. In other words, once he 

 has a kennel characterized by grand heads he should try 

 by careful selection to breed out the remaining faults. 

 Thus breeding, never indiscriminately, but always with a 

 special purpose, and invariably resorting to those dogs 



