28 Modern Breaking 



of great importance. After weaning, the puppy 

 enters the world under independent conditions 

 and has, . as is to be expected, more or less 

 trouble in adapting itself to them. The mother's 

 milk is its natural food and must now be 

 replaced by cow's milk, and for a time this 

 must be the principal article of diet. There is 

 a popular but erroneous opinion that fresh milk 

 produces worms, and that sour milk destroys 

 them. The fact is that milk does not cause 

 worms, but on account of its non-irritating ac- 

 tion in the intestines, induces the accumulation 

 of a large amount of mucus, that is a most 

 desirable place for the hatching of the eggs of 

 worms and enables them to multiply under 

 most favorable conditions. Sour milk has a 

 laxative action on the bowels and tends to expel 

 this mucus and the worms with it. 



For the first two or three months of a puppy's 

 life milk cannot be dispensed with, and any bad 

 results from its use will be neutralized largely 

 by alternating sour milk with fresh milk, or 

 giving sour milk once or twice a week. The 

 rule to follow in feeding a puppy is '"little and 

 often." For the first few days after weaning 

 he will lap only fresh milk. This should be 

 thickened with stale bread or crackers, or, better 

 still, use Spratt's puppy biscuits, as puppies 

 thrive on them and the convenience they afford 

 amply will repay any sportsman for the slight 



