284 KENNEL SECRETS. 



in the fact that all whelpings occurred in the kitchen 

 excepting when the weather was intensely hot ; and until 

 long after the weaning the youngsters rarely encountered 

 a temperature lower than 80°, while oftentimes during 

 days it ran much higher than this in their corner, which 

 was within two feet of the cooking range, and on several 

 occasions, for the purpose of experiment, quite intense 

 heat was kept up day and night for a week or more, 

 during which times the little ones actually grew faster 

 and became plumper, stronger and hardier than while the 

 temperature was at the usual degree. 



It is, of course, impossible to fix the temperatures 

 which puppies require in their various stages of growth, 

 for obviously the toys require a higher degree of heat 

 than the big ones, and as a rule the short-haired a higher 

 than the long-haired. But niceties of adjustment are not 

 necessary, provided the degree is high enough, for it is 

 scarcely possible to keep any puppy too warm during his 

 first month. 



As previously stated, after the weaning, and when some 

 decided resistance to cold has been acquired, a lower 

 temperature than 75° will in many instances be allow- 

 able, but in none ought it to fall more than five, or at the 

 most ten, degrees before the puppies are five or six 

 months old. 



A nearer adjustment than this would scarcely be pos- 

 sible without duly considering the influence of existing 

 conditions. For instance, if five or six puppies were 

 together it would not be necessary to keep the quarters 

 quite as warm as it would be were they occupied by only 

 one or two. Some puppies are more playful than others, 

 and the active require less artificial heat than the sluggish. 

 The coat makes a very great difference also, and mani 

 festly a short-haired puppy cannot bear a low tempera- 



