THE BORZOI 105 



a puppy. If so, place yourself in the hands of a breeder 

 with a reputation at stake (unless you have a friend 

 who understands the breed). It is a fact that even a " cast 

 off " from a good strain that has been bred for certain points 

 for years is more likely to turn out a better dog than a pup 

 whose dam has been mated " haphazard " to some dog who 

 may or may not have been a good one. Big kennels also gener- 

 ally possess the best bitches and breed from them, and the 

 bitch is quite as important a factor as the sire. If, however, 

 you prefer to rely on your own judgment, and wish to choose 

 a puppy yourself from a litter, select the one with the longest 

 head, biggest bone, smallest ears, and longest tail, or as many 

 of these qualities as you can find combined in one individual. 

 Coat is a secondary matter in quite a young pup ; here one 

 should be guided by the coat of the sire and dam. Still, choose 

 a pup with a heavy coat, if possible, although when this puppy 

 coat is cast, the dog may not grow so good as one as some of 

 the litter who in early life were smoother. 



As regards size, a Borzoi pup of three months should 

 measure about 19 inches at the shoulder, at six months about 

 25 inches, and at nine months from 27 to 29 inches. After ten 

 or twelve months, growth is very slow, although some con- 

 tinue adding to their height until they are a year and a half 

 old. They will, of course, increase in girth of chest and 

 develop muscle until two years old ; a Borzoi may be con- 

 sidered in its prime at from three to four years of age. As 

 regards price, from 5 to 10 is not too much to pay for a really 

 good pup of about eight to ten weeks old ; if you pay less you 

 will probably get only a second-rate one. Having purchased 

 your puppy, there are three principal items to be considered 

 if you intend to rear him well ; firstly, his diet must be varied ; 

 secondly, the pup must have unlimited exercise, and never be 

 kept on the chain ; thirdly, internal parasites must be kept 

 in check. For young puppies " Ruby " Worm Cure is most 

 efficacious, and does not distress the patient. 



Food should be given at regular intervals not less fre- 



