872 VETEEINAEY HYGIENE 



Exercise is essential to the health of these animals, and 

 many retain the excrement until they have had a gallop. 

 Those mifortunate individuals doomed to be chained up as 

 watch-dogs should be fed on wet biscuits, as these are laxa- 

 tive when fed wet, but not so when eaten dry ; as with wet 

 or dry bran when fed to horses. 



Water. — A fresh supply of clean water should be within 

 reach, but it will be observed that dogs seldom drink when 

 chained up or confined in a kennel. If let off the chain or 

 freed from confinement they will drink immediately on their 

 return, although they may not have travelled a dozen yards. 

 No dog will grow fat unless he drinks freely. The time- 

 honoured custom of placing a roll of sulphur in the drinking 

 trough is quite harmless ; it is very insoluble. 



Housing. — Dogs belonging to what may be called the use- 

 ful breeds, as distinguished from the delicate fancy animals 

 who share the owner's rooms, may be trained to sleep in 

 a kennel outdoors all the year round and in any climate. 

 They will make a bed in the snow and rear healthy whelps, 

 or through pampering become so tender as to need a basket 

 sheltered from the draughts of an ordinary living room. 

 As bedding material pine shavings are preferred as inimical 

 to fleas. It need hardly be said that changes should be 

 made gradually if habits are to be altered. Kennels out- 

 doors should always be provided with a wooden platform. 

 In confined yards one or more posts should be erected, or 

 male dogs will not urinate as freely as is desirable. In this 

 matter also they are creatures of habit, and of man's con- 

 venience. If early trained to retain urine, they will suffer 

 greatly rather than offend, and will learn to evacuate the 

 bladder by one or two efforts when turned out for the 

 purpose, but their natural habit is to pass small quantities 

 and at many places. Bitches more frequently empty them- 

 selves by one or two efforts, and do not appear to find 

 smelling at posts necessary as male dogs do. 



Washing. — It is occasionally necessary to wash dogs, but 

 is a practice which leads to many troubles. The white- 

 haired varieties, kept as pets, cannot well be kept clean 



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