OF BREEDING GENERAL!?. 
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CHAPTER V. 
GESTATION, PARTURITION, ETC. 
OF BREEDING GENERALLY. 
From the earliest times great diversity of opinion has existed 
respecting the proper age at which dogs should be allowed 
to breed, with the view of producing strong and healthy 
puppies. 
We are informed by Aristotle, who flourished in the fourth 
century before the Christian era, that ancient sportsmen, 
for the ennobling of their race of dogs, did not suffer the 
male to engender till he was four years of age, and the fe¬ 
male three ; and that the former was only allowed to pro¬ 
pagate for eight years thereafter, and the latter for six years 
They conceived that the progeny of such would be much 
stronger than those bred at an earlier age. This opinion 
does not, however, hold good, although it is found that the 
puppies produced by a female under twelve months, are ge¬ 
nerally weak. It is now ascertained, from patient investi¬ 
gation and experience, that a female should be fully twelve 
months old before she is allowed to engender, and that 
whelps produced by a dam about this age, are as good as those 
at any later period of the animal's life. The male ought to 
be at his full strength and symmetry, but not aged, as the 
offspring of such are generally dull and deficient in spirit. 
The usual time at which females are first seized with the 
furor uterinus , is at the age of twelve months; but there are 
