FEEDING BEFORE WEANING. 279 



her teats ■will have become painfully distended with milk. Then 

 put all the pups in her nest, and, carefully watching her, let hex 

 go back to them. In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, she will 

 at once allow them all to suck quietly, and if she licks all alike, 

 she may be left with them safely enough; but if she passes the 

 fresh ones over, pushing them on one side, she should be muzzled 

 for twelve hours, leaving all with her, and keeping the muzzle on 

 excepting while she is fed, or watched till she is observed to lick 

 all alike. On the next day, all but one of her own puppies may 

 be withdrawn, with an interval of one hour or two between each 

 two, and taking care that she does not see what is done. After 

 two days the last may also be taken away, and then she acts to 

 her foster- puppies in every way the same as to her own. Some 

 people squeeze a little of the bitch's milk out of her teats, and 

 rub this over the puppies, but I have never seen any advantage 

 in the plan, and, as I have never had any difficulty in getting 

 puppies adopted, I do not recommend any other than that I have 

 described. In most cases the foster-bitch is strange to those 

 about her, having been brought from her own home, and in that 

 case a muzzle is often required for the safety of the servants 

 watching her as well as for the whelps ; but if she seems quiet 

 and good-tempered, it may be dispensed with even here. 



FEEDING BEFORE WEANING. 



The food of whelps before weaniTU/. should be confined at first 

 to cow's milk, or, if this is very rich, reduced with a little water. 

 It is better to boil it, and it should be sweetened with fine sugar, 

 as for the human palate. As much of this as the whelps will 

 take may be given them three times a day, or every four hours 



