212 



THE BEASTS OF PREY. 



Dog, a female, had to accompany him on the jour- 

 ney, which was a distance of eighteen miles. Once 

 she gave birth to seven Pups in a strange locality 

 and the shepherd had to leave her there. But a day 

 and a half after his return he found the mother Dog 

 with her seven Pups at the house door. She had 

 carried the little ones, one after another, a short 

 space at a time, and in this way made the entire dis- 

 tance thirteen times, in spite of her weakness and 



ITALIAN GBETHOUND. Because of its great symmetry oi body and limb the Italian Greyhound is 



highly prized by connoisseurs of Dogs. It is the smallest of the Greyhounds, but its more delicately shaped out- 

 lines and especially smooth, soft coat make it a great favorite. It resembles the other Greyhounds in its general 

 traits. ( Canis familiaris grajus italicus.) 



exhaustion, and had successfully accomplished the 

 difficult task." 



How Young It is usual to retain but two or three 

 Puppies Should or at the most four Pups out of a 



be Trained. Htter, in order not to weaken the 

 mother too much. The little fellows need a great 

 deal of nourishment, and the mother is hardly able 

 to satisfy them. Man, being the animal's protector, 

 ought to feed a suckling mother Dog particularly 

 well. Every thoughtful owner of such an animal 

 prepares for her a soft place in some dark, warm 

 corner, and then helps her to rear the little family 

 as best he can. The mother seems to have a heart 

 capable of great love, and she tolerates strange 

 Pups, or even other animals, such- as Kittens and 

 little Rabbits that may be given her. I have often 

 tried this experiment, but think that suckling Cats 

 are still kinder than a mother Dog, which rarely can 

 refrain from wrinkling her nose somewhat disdain- 

 fully at foster children. Still they prove excellent 

 wet-nurses for Lion and Tiger cubs. 



Usually the Pups are weaned after six weeks. 

 The mother is then put on short rations, so that 

 her milk will dry up. The young ones are taught to 

 eat light, solid food and trained to be cleanly in their 

 habits. They shed their first teeth during the third 

 or fourth month; at the age of six months they do 

 not care much for the mother. If one wishes to 

 educate or train them, he must not wait much longer 

 before he begins. The opinion prevailing among 



hunters and Dog breeders of the old school that a 

 Dog is too young and weak to be taught before he 

 is a year old is not correct. Adolph and Karl 

 Mueller, who are distinguished both as naturalists 

 and sportsmen, begin the training of their Hounds 

 as soon as they can run, and their success has beea 

 marked. Their pupils do not receive a single ill- 

 meant blow, hardly ever an angry word or any cor- 

 rection beyond a slight remonstrance, and they turn 



out to be the most efficient 

 companions and assistants 

 in the chase. Young Dogs 

 ought to be treated like 

 Children and not like stub- 

 born slaves. They are, with- 

 out exception, willing and 

 docile pupils, soon listen 

 attentively to every word 

 of the trainer, and do more 

 and better work when actu- 

 ated by love than when 

 impelled by fear. Trainers 

 of Dogs who can do noth- 

 ing without a collar of 

 thorns and a whip are igno- 

 rant torturers, and not 

 thinking educators. 

 Length of Life Dogs enter 

 and Diseases upon old age 

 of Dogs. when they 

 are twelve years old. In- 

 stances are on record, how- 

 ever, where they have* 

 lived to be twenty, or even 

 as much as thirty years old; 

 but these are rare, excep- 

 tional cases. If they do 

 not die of o 1 d age their 

 death is caused by one of 

 the many diseases to which 

 they are subject. 

 A very common Dog disease is the mange, caused 

 by parasites, and not, as was formerly believed, in 

 consequence of improper food, lack of exercise or 

 uncleanliness. Young Dogs often suffer from dis- 

 temper, consisting of a contagious inflammation of 

 the mucous membranes, occurring oftenest between 

 the fourth and ninth months of their age. It may 

 be said that more than half of the European Dogs 

 succumb to it, or at least have their usefulness 

 spoiled by it. They also suffer from parasites, of 

 which- more than a dozen kinds are known. They 

 are often infested with Fleas and Lice, and in cer- 

 tain localities suffer from Ticks. The former are 

 easily got rid of by strewing a layer of ashes on 

 the ground under the straw upon which the animal 

 sleeps, or else by rubbing Persian insect powder 

 into the fur. The Ticks which plague them most 

 may be exterminated by dropping a little brandy, 

 salt-water or tobacco juice on them. It is not ad- 

 visable to tear these insects out by force, as the head 

 is apt to remain in the wound and cause suppura- 

 tion and abscesses. 

 Hydrophobia, its The most terrible malady known tO' 

 Symptoms and Dogs is hydrophobia or rabies, 

 Dangers. which endangers not only other 

 Dogs and domestic animals, but also human beings. 

 Usually this fearful malady occurs in the older Dogs, 

 mostly in summer, when the heat is greatest, or 

 in winter, when the cold is intense. One may recog- 

 nize it by the Dog's changed conduct. He becomes 



