Selection and Breeding 
107 
are so weakened that they become thin and out of 
condition in general. Naturally in such cases the 
owner soon learns for himself that the bitch should 
have a period of rest occasionally. The general 
opinion is that if a bitch raises one strong healthy 
litter a year this is all that should be expected of 
her, and in this 1 heartily concur. 
Selecting the Stud Dog 
If the owner of the matron is not also the owner 
of a stud dog he should cast about for a suitable 
mate for his bitch long enough ahead, so as to have 
all arrangements made before she has come to her 
period of oestrum. In this connection it might be 
observed that even though the owner may have a 
dog of good breeding, if he is not suited to the 
particular bitch which he intends to breed, he should 
not hesitate to go elsewhere to find one that is. 
Economy in saving stud fees is frequently not 
economy after all and the wise breeder realizes this. 
In the selection of the stud dog, the breeder or 
owner of the bitch must he governed by the good 
points and the weak ones that exist in her. In the 
first place, pedigree should be given careful con¬ 
sideration, in order to ascertain whether or not such 
a particular combination is advisable from the view 
point of fusing the two lines of blood. This alone, 
however, is not an absolute guarantee of a sucess- 
ful union. The individual must be taken into con¬ 
sideration. Type, naturally, should be some influ¬ 
ence. If the bitch is weak in muzzle, not correct 
in couplings or bad in front, the idea should be to 
select a dog that is good in these parts and at the 
