1 78 BREEDING. 



IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH IN BOTH SIRE AND DAM. 



Health in both parents should be especially insisted upon, and 

 in the bitch in particular there should be a sufficiently strong con- 

 stitution, to enable her to sustain the growth of her puppies before 

 birth, and to produce milk enough for them afterwards, though in 

 this last particular she may of course be assisted by a foster-nurse. 



BEST AGE TO BREED FROM. 



The best age to breed from, in almost all breeds, is soon after the 

 sire and dam have reached maturity. When, however, the pro- 

 duce is desired to be very small, the older both animals are, the 

 more likely this result is, excepting in the last litter which the 

 bitch has, for this being composed of only one or two puppies, they 

 are not smaller than the average, and are sometimes even larger. 

 All bitches should be allowed to reach full maturity before they 

 are permitted to breed, and this period varies according to size, small 

 dogs being adult at one year, whereas large ones are still in their 

 puppyhood at that time, and take fully twice as long to develop 

 their proportions. The mastiff is barely full grown at two years, 

 large hounds at a year and a half, greyhounds at the same time, 

 pointers and setters from a year and a quarter to a year and a 

 half, while terriers and small toy dogs reach maturity at a year 

 old, or even earlier. 



IN-AND-IN BREEDING. 



The questions relating to in-and-in breeding and crossing are of 

 the greatest importance, each plan being strongly advocated by 

 some people, and by others as strenuously opposed. Like many 

 other practices essentially good, in-breeding has been grossly 

 abused. Owners of a good kennel having become bigoted to their 

 own strain, and, from keeping to it exclusively, having at length 



