PRACTICAL GREYHOUND BREEDING 81 



liver oil, with the same quantity of Parrish's chemical food, can 

 be mixed in the feeding-trough. 



Greyhounds are very prolific, and have been known to 

 throw upwards of twelve puppies at a birth, nine and ten being 

 of frequent occurrence ; but such numbers are more than any 

 ordinary bitch can manage with justice to herself and them. 

 When practicable, a foster-bitch should be ready at hand, and 

 this provision should not be left to the last moment, for they 

 are often very hard to procure. It is better to get a healthy 

 spaniel, poodle, pointer, or other bitch of suitable size, served 

 at the same time as the greyhound bitch, and then you know 

 that the time will fit in conveniently ; a maiden bitch, however, 

 should not be chosen, but one who has already performed 

 her maternal duties creditably. However much milk the grey- 

 hound is apparently blessed with, she ought not to be asked 

 to bring up more than five whelps at the most ; for often 

 the lactine flow will suddenly cease, and it will be necessary to 

 rear the whelps by hand, always a risky undertaking, and even 

 those that survive are heavily handicapped for months to come. 



Some breeders are inclined to believe that the moral attri- 

 butes of the foster-mother are assimilated with the milk. For 

 our part we do not accept this theory ; but, were it true, a bull 

 or bull-terrier bitch would be a most desirable wet nurse, 

 likely to impart some of her courage to her charges. 



In changing the puppies from the real to the foster-mother 

 it will be as well to do so gradually, and always to leave at least 

 one of her own pups with the latter. Should it be impossible 

 to procure a foster-mother, and should your greyhound produce 

 a large litter of, say, nine, it will be necessary to harden your 

 heart and doom three or four of them to destruction. We 

 are quite aware that this requires Spartan fortitude, especially 

 when a large fee has been paid for some celebrated sire 

 to your choicest bitch, and when the whole litter presents 

 an appearance of level excellence. If, as sometimes happens, 

 there are three or four obviously weakly ones, smaller than 

 their brothers and sisters, and very deficient in bone, then 



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