212 EVERYTHING ABOUT DOGS. 



be rejected. It is best given in the form, of an egg-nog and fed a few teaspoonfuls 

 at a time. 



A dog will eat small quantities of food offered from his master's hand when 

 he will refuse it from a dish. Do not allow a pan of food to remain before him 

 after he has declined to eat. Remove it at once and offer it at some future time. 



CONDUCT OF DOGS IN THE SHOW RING. Of far more importance than 

 is often thought to be the case, is the conduct of a dog when before the judge. A 

 dog to be seen at his best on the eventful day should have some little preliminary 

 training. It is one thing to have a decent specimen, and quite another for it to 

 comport itself so that the judge can take in at a glance, and with the least pos- 

 sible delay, the chief points. A dog that will not show itself to advantage is at an 

 obvious disadvantage with one that knows the business thoroughly, and whose 

 owner is able to display all his strong points without unduly exposing his weak 

 ones. Old show hands know this very well, as any one may see for himself by 

 watching attentively the expert handlers at a show like the New York Show. 

 There are some judges who will take a lot of pains to get a nervous dog to show 

 himself, but there are others, having heavy classes to judge, who cannot bestow 

 '(he time necessary to get each individual dog in the best humor to show himself. 



Such being the case, it is, too, politic of an owner to either take the dog into 

 the ring himself, or else leave it to someone who is an expert in the business, or 

 that the dog knows perhaps as well as its owner. All owners cannot, of course, 

 keep a kennelman, or indeed, accompany their charges; but if a valuable dog is 

 being shown it is not wise to leave it to a perfect stranger to "handle" the animal. 

 There are a number of expert handlers at every show, and the novice that has a 

 good dog and cannot conveniently attend himself would find it to pay him to 

 enlist the services of one of these professionals. Where there is no one deputized 

 to act the part of handler, it is left to the keepers to bring in the dog. Naturally 

 'the dog will not show himself for these men as it would for its owner or some one 

 fully conversant with show ring business, and suffers accordingly. Dogs are 

 highly sensitive animals, and often when sent away without any previous prepa- 

 ration look and really are dejected. 



The person, therefore, who aspires to be an exhibitor, and to get every ad- 

 vantage possible out of his or her dog, will be well advised to rehearse a few times 

 the actual business of the show ring. 



Take your pups out into the road early, to accustom them to curious sights 

 and sounds, it makes all the difference at their first show. 



Accustom them to follow you without lead early, also to have on a collar, 

 and to lead nicely. This cannot be done in a field or garden they know well, or 

 'they will scream and crouch, but in a road or quiet street they will pay more 

 attention to you. 



1 would particularly impress on all who own dogs especially young owners 

 that is it not only to their interest, but it is their duty to be true masters, ruling 

 with firmness and kindness, and providing for all the wants of the animal in lodg- 

 ing, food, and exercise on principles of common sense; and it must be evident 

 that thus only can health be maintained. If a dog have not proper food provided 

 at proper times, but be allowed to be the scavenger of the yard and the street, 

 what wonder if he become loathsome and diseased, a nuisance to his owner and 

 everyone else? If, on the other hand, he be pampered, petted, and stuffed with 

 tit-bits and sweet cakes, he will lose all kindliness of disposition (the great charm 

 of a companion dog), and become a morose, peevish, snappish misanthrope, that 



