IN SEASON. 217 



relating to early maternity which are so prevalent, more- 

 over, that his experience in breeding has convinced him 

 that bitches and their offspring are liable to the same ill 

 effects of this practice as other animals, — although they 

 may not be as marked as with some species, — the writer 

 holds that considering this question fairly and from the 

 standpoint of health alone, the inevitable conclusion must 

 be that no bitch ought to be mated before she has reached 

 full growth. 



Those who advocate breeding at the first period do not, 

 however, consider the question from this standpoint, but as 

 one of expediency ; and taking the same liberal view of it, 

 considering, also, the extent to which their theory is 

 practised, one naturally hesitates to assert that they are 

 absolutely wrong. And, certainly, they have some sup- 

 port in the fact that while maternity will arrest the up- 

 ward crrowth of bitches it will not have the same decided 

 effect upon the growth of their bodies ; and if one threat- 

 ens to shoot up too high on her legs she will likely under 

 its influence settle down and assume rather better shape 

 than she would had nature not been interfered with. 



Fortunately this method of " shaping " is rarely ever 

 applied excepting to a few small breeds in which the 

 injuries of too early maternity are only comparatively 

 slis:ht, and it is easier to condone it since there exist 

 standards which demand that certain varieties of dogs be 

 unnaturally long in body and low on the legs. Moreover, 

 it is simply natural for a breeder to prefer a symmetri- 

 cally formed little bitch to a big one greatly out of pro- 

 portion ; and there are not many who would allow the 

 question of health to weigh very heavily could he stop a 

 bitch from running up like a weed. 



This other view of the question certainly lessens the 

 force of the arguments against breeding bitches at their 



