282 BEARING. 



the same may be said of the dew-claw. If, however, the nail 

 only is to be removed, which it always ought to be, the teeth 

 serve the purposes of a pair of nippers perfectly, and by their 

 aid it may be drawn out, leaving the claw itself attached, but 

 rendered less liable to injury, from having lost the part likely to 

 catch hold of any ..projecting body. 



WEANING. 



When weaning is to be commenced, which is usually about the 

 fifth or sixth week, it is better to remove the puppies altogether, 

 than to let the bitch go on suckling them at long intervals, By 

 this time their claws and teeth have become so sharp and so 

 long, that they punish the bitch terribly, and therefore she does 

 not let them fill their bellies. Her milk generally accumulates 

 in her teats, and becomes stale, in which state it is not fit for the 

 whelps, and by many is supposed to engender worms. The puppies 

 have always learned to lap, and will eat meat, or take broth or 

 thickened milk, as described in the last chapter ; besides which, 

 when they have no chance of sucking presented to them, they 

 take other food better, whereas, if they are allowed to suck away 

 at empty teats, they only fill themselves with wind, and then lose 

 their appetites for food of any kind. But, having determined to 

 wean them, there are several important particulars which must 

 be attended to, or the result will be a failure, at all events for 

 some time. That is to say, the puppies will fall away in flesh, 

 and will cease to grow at the same rate as before. In almost all 

 cases, what is called the " milk-fat " disappears after weaning, 

 but still it is desirable to keep some flesh on their bones, and 

 this can only be done by attending to the following directions, 

 which apply to dogs of all kinds, but are seldom rigidly carried 



