CHOICE OF PUPPIES AFTER WEA;N~IS~G. 295 



required is, firstly, a habit of obedience, the do? being taught his 

 kennel name, to follow at heel, and to lead. Some breeds require 

 more than this ; as, for instance, the pointer and setter, which will 

 be mentioned under the head of breaking. Secondly, great clean- 

 liness in all respects, the kennel being kept scrupulously clean by 

 washing the floor, and at least once a year lime-washing the walls, 

 while the skins are freed from any vermin which may be found 

 by the means described in the Third Book. In the summer a 

 straw bed is seldom required, but in the winter it must be given 

 for the sake of warmth, and changed once or twice a week. Physic 

 is not needed as a regular practice, if feeding is conducted on the 

 above plan, and the exercise is sufficient; but if the puppies are 

 dull, a dose of castor oil occasionally will do good 



CHOICE OF PUPPIES AFTER WEA>"ES~G THEM. 



Puppies of all kinds vary in form so much between the weaning 

 time and the period of full growth, that there is great difficulty 

 in making a choice which shall be proved by subsequent events to 

 be on reliable grounds. All young ani m al s grow by fits and starts, 

 the proportions varying with the stage of development in which 

 any part is at the time of examination. Thus at the fourth month 

 a puppy may look too long, but during the next month he may 

 have grown so much in the lees that he no lomer looks 50. 

 A2ain- another may be all legs and wings in the middle of his 

 growth, but he may finally grow down to a strong, low, and mus- 

 cular dog. So also with the fore and hind quarters, they may 

 orow alternately, and one month the fore quarter may be low, and 

 the next the hind. Xone but an experienced eye, therefore, can 

 pretend to foresee, after the period of weaning, what will be the 



