THE APPRENTICE KEEPER 145 



pleasant, may be a good courtier, but he is a dishonest 

 servant. 



Generally speaking, the first duty of the apprentice 

 gamekeeper is to be kennel boy. Simple as it may 

 appear, the keeping of a kennel requires a good deal 

 of attention and intelligence. It is sad to see how 

 often a valuable kennel of dogs is subjected to neglect. 

 Unless the head-keeper has a knowledge and a keen 

 love of dogs, it is impossible that the kennel boy can 

 be properly trained. It will add to his store of know- 

 ledge if he can borrow or acquire books written on the 

 subject, provided he has sufficient intelligence to dis- 

 criminate what is practical from what is not. There 

 are two or three points which may be briefly noted 

 (i) The kennels should be kept scrupulously clean, 

 and periodically disinfected with weak carbolic and 

 water ; (2) the bed, which should consist of clean straw, 

 should be shaken up every day and any dust swept 

 out of the benches. Let the 'prentice keeper note the 

 appearance of a dog that sleeps in a stable among clean 

 straw, and he will at once understand the necessity for 

 cleanliness in the bedding of dogs. There is nothing 

 a dog seems to revel in more than a roll among clean 

 straw when it is put into his bed. (3) After the kennel 

 has been washed, or during very hot sunshine, dogs 

 should not be allowed to lie upon the pavement, as 

 their bodies are apt to draw damp from it and rheuma- 

 tism results. Many dogs are rendered unfit for work 



by neglecting this important precaution. (4) The 

 10 



