HOUSE MANAGEMENT OF PET DOGS. 



apartment should have a fire, but it is not desirable that the puppy should lie 

 basking close to it, though this is far better than the other extreme. Even in the 

 severest cold a gleam of sunshine does young creatures good, and the puppy should, 

 if possible, be allowed to obtain it through a window in the winter, or without that 

 protection in the summer. It will take exercise enough in playing with a ball of 

 worsted or other material indoors until it is ten weeks old, but after that time a 

 daily run in the garden or paddock will be of great service, extending to an hour or 

 an hour and a half, but not so as to overtax its limbs. After this age, two or three 

 hours a day, divided into periods of not more than an hour each, will be of service ; 

 but it is very seldom that young pet dogs can reckon on this amount of exercise, 

 and, indeed, it is not by any means necessary to their healthy growth. Until after 

 the tenth week, cow's milk is almost essential to the health of the puppy. It should 

 be boiled and thickened at first with fine wheat flour, and, after the eighth week, 

 with the mixture of coarse wheat flour and oatmeal. The flour should be gradually 

 increased in quantity, at first making the milk of the thickness of cream, and, 

 towards the last adding meal in quantity sufficient to make a spoon stand up in it. 

 If the bowels are relaxed the oatmeal should be diminished, or if confined increased. 

 This food, varied with broth made from the scraps of the table, and thickened in 

 the same way, will suffice up to the tenth or twelfth week, after which a little meat, 

 with bread, potatoes, and some green vegetable, may be mixed together and 

 gradually introduced as the regular and staple food. The quantity per day will of 

 course vary according to the size of the puppy ; but, as an approximation to the 

 proper weight required, it may be laid down that, for each pound the puppy weighs, 

 an ounce of moderately solid food will be sufficient. From the time of weaning up 

 to the tenth week it should be fed four times a day ; then up to four months, three 

 times ; and afterwards twice until full grown, when a single feed will, in our 

 opinion, conduce to its health, though many prefer going on with the morning and 

 evening supply. When the puppy is full grown, meat, bread, and vegetables (either 

 potatoes, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, or parsnips), in equal proportions, will form 

 the proper diet, care being taken to avoid bread made with much alum in it. Dog 

 biscuits, if sound, answer well for pet dogs ; but the quantity required is so small 

 that in most houses the scraps of the bread basket and plates are quite sufficient. 

 Bones should be supplied daily, for without them not only are the teeth liable to 

 become covered with tartar, but the digestion is impaired for want of a sufficient 

 secretion of saliva. 



If the above quality and quantity of food and exercise are given, in combina- 

 tion with the protection from cold recommended, the pet puppy will seldom require 

 any medical treatment. Sometimes, in spite of the most careful management, it will 

 be attacked by distemper contracted from some passing dog infected with it ; but 

 with this exception, which will not often occur, it may be anticipated that the 

 properly treated pet dog will pass through life without submitting to the attacks 

 of this disease, which is dire in its effects upon this division of the canine race. If 

 care is taken to add oatmeal and green vegetables to the food in quantity sufficient 

 to keep the bowels from being confined, no aperient will ever be required ; but 



