CHAPTER II. 
REARING. 
Management in the Nest—Choosing—The Foster-Nurse—Feeding before 
Weaning—Choice of Place for Whelping—Removal of Dew-Claws, &.— 
Weaning—Lodging—Feeding—Exercise—Home-Rearing ». Walking— 
Food—General Treatment—Choice of Puppies after Weaning—Cropping, 
Branding, and Rounding, 
THE MANAGEMENT OF WHELPS IN THE NEST. 
Tuis, till they are weaned, does not require much knowledge or 
experience beyond the ‘feeding of the mother, and the necessity for 
rémoving a part when the numbers are too great for her strength 
to support. For the first fortnight at least, puppies are entirély 
dependent upon the milk of their dam or a foster-nurse, unléss they 
are brought up by hand, which is a most troublesome office, and 
attended also with considerable risk. Sometimes, however, the 
bitch produces twelve, fourteen, or even sixteen whelps, and these 
being far beyond her powers to suckle properly, either the weak 
ones die off or the whole are impoverished and rendered small and 
puny. It is better, therefore, especially when size and strength 
are objects to the breeder, to destroy a ‘part of the litter, when they 
are more than five or six in the greyhound, or seven or eight in the 
hound or other dog of that size. In toy-dogs a small size is some- 
times a desideratum, and with them, if the strength of the dam is 
equal to the drain, which it seldom is, almost any number may be. 
kept on her. For the first three or four days the bitch will be able 
to suckle her whole litter; but if there are more puppies than she 
has good teats, that is, teats with milk in them, the weak ones ard 
starved, unless the strong ones are kept away in order to allow them 
access, so as to fill themselves in their turn. To manage this 4 
covered basket, lined with wool if the weather is at all cold, should 
