GENERAL MANAGEMENT. 3 



course require a different system, 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 

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

 put it, overgorge themselves. And where the 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 preju- 

 dicially 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 machin- 

 ery, 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 advo- 

 cated. 



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

 other hand, we must look to the circumstances under which 

 he is placed. For instance, toy-dogs or house-pets not used 

 for sport do not require flesh-meat beyond an occasional bone 

 and meat-gravy ; bread or plain biscuit with milk, oatmeal 

 porridge, plain rice-pudding, or potatoes and gravy, with 



