PREPARATION OF THE OVERFED DOG. 319 



in the evening, and some give a small portion of food also at 

 that time. On the following morning no roadwork whatever 

 should be given beyond what is absolutely necessary to reach some 

 grass land, where the dog should be allowed to play, being walked 

 about there for three or four hours. After this he is taken home 

 and treated exactly as before. On the fourth morning the trainer 

 has to consider whether his charge is progressing as he wishes in 

 point of weight, for which purpose he puts him on the scales, 

 taking care to choose the same period of the twenty-four hours for 

 the comparison as that on which he last weighed him. If about 

 2 Ibs. have been lost he may come to the conclusion that he is 

 going on well, and no alteration need be made ; but there are 

 some constitutions so robust that they refuse to give up their 

 fat to ordinary measures, and over them castor oil has little or no 

 effect, nor will any reasonable reduction of food produce what is 

 desired. These cases are, however, exceptional, and I believe that 

 there are very few dogs which cannot be brought out light enough 

 by a fair amount of exercise united with a reduction in their food. 

 Trainers in general have a great objection to starvation in their own 

 persons, and hence perhaps they think it less cruel to their charge 

 to physic them than to reduce their food, but it is a great mistake 

 in every way. Occasionally, however, a dog of a gross constitution 

 has made his feet too sore in his work to go on with it to a 

 sufficient extent to effect the reduction in weight which is desired, 

 even when due starvation is practised, and in such a case an active 

 purgative like the following may be tried with advantage : 



