254 REARING. 
be provided ; and in this one-third or one-half of the puppies should 
be kept, close to the mother, to prevent either from being uneasy, 
but the lid fastened down, or she will take them out in her mouth. 
Every two or three hours a fresh lot should be exchanged for those 
in the basket, first letting them fill themselves, when they will go 
to sleep and remain contented for the time fixed above, thus allow- 
ing each lot in its turn to fill itself regularly. At the end of ten 
days, by introducing a little sweetened cow’s milk on the end of 
the finger into their mouths, and dipping their noses in a saucer 
containing it, they learn to lap; and after this there will be little 
difficulty in rearing even a dozen ; but they will not, however care- 
fully they may be fed in aid of the mother, be as large as if only a 
small number were left on her, and therefore greyhound breeders 
limit their litters to five, six, or at most seven; destroying the 
remainder, or rearing them with a foster-nurse. 
CHOICE OF WHELPS. = 
To choose the whelps in the nest which are to be kept, most people 
select on different principles, each having some peculiar crotchet 
to guide himself. Some take the heaviest, some the last-born ; 
others the longest of the litter; while others again are entirely 
guided by colour. In toy-dogs, and those whose appearance is an 
important element, colour ought to be allowed all the weight it 
deserves, and among certain toy-dogs the value is often affected a 
hundred per cent. by a slight variation in the markings. So also 
among pointers and setters a dog with a good deal of white should 
be preferred, on the score of greater utility in the field, to another 
selfcoloured puppy which might otherwise be superior in all 
respects. Hounds and greyhounds are, however, chosen for shape 
and make ; and though this is not the same at birth as in after life, 
still there are certain indications which are not to be despised. 
Among these, the shoulders are more visible than any others, and 
if on lifting up a puppy by the tail he puts his fore-legs back beyond 
his ears, it may be surmised that there will be no fault in his shape 
in reference to his fore-quarter, supposing that his legs are well 
formed and his feet of the proper shape, which last point can hardly 
be ascertained at this time. The width of the hips and shape of 
