General Management. 3 



rupted, and the foundation laid for ill health ; but as soon as 

 the animal comes home, has had sufficient time to rest, and 

 become cool, then food may be proffered and will be 

 relished considerably more. I am now alluding to dogs 

 in heklth ; invalids of course require a different systemi 

 and, under many conditions, require frequent support. 



Quantity. — This should be exactly in proportion to the 

 appetite, i.e., until the animal is satisfied. Some individuals 

 coridemn the practice of permitting dogs to fill, or, as they 

 put it, overgorge theihselves. And where dogs have been 

 previously starved, or have missed a meal or two, they are 

 right, but otherwise not so. The cravings of the carnivorous 

 stomach are not of the frequency found in herbivorous and 

 omnivorous ones, owing to the slow process of digestion ; 

 and this being so, a larger stock of material is required to 

 work on than when the intervals between the meals are 

 shorter ; otherwise long fasts would result, and eventually 

 act prejudicially to the animal's health. 



When the dog, after eating for some time, pauses, looks 

 about, leaves the dish, returns to it and makes an attempt, 

 as it were, to get a little more down, then it should be 

 removed. Company will frequently induce the animal, from 

 motives of jealousy, to take more than he really wants, and 

 he will greedily devour, on the approach of another 

 creature, that which a few moments before was rejected. 

 This, of course, is hurtful ; it may be likened unto the 

 surplus oil on machinery, which cannot- be utilized, and is 

 therefore wasted, and does injury to other parts : so with 

 the dog, the surplus food may pass into the intestinal canal 

 undigested, and produce diarrhoea or constipation. 



Kind of Food. — Many and various are the opinions on 

 this point : horse-flesh, mutton, paunch, entrails, liver, 

 greaves, and oatmeal are among the list of those 

 advocated. 



Flesh is undoubtedly the dog's natural food, but, on the 

 other hand, we must look to the circumstances under which 

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