114 
Beagles and Beagling 
than the usual one large evening meal. The reason 
is obvious, for it is unwise to give such a large 
ration as to distend her stomach and increase the 
prospective mother’s discomfort. Exercise during 
the first four weeks may be about the same as when 
she is in normal condition, unless you know her 
to be given to aborting; then, naturally, her activi¬ 
ties should he restricted. After the beginning of 
the fifth week it is well to omit violent exercise, 
but allow her to take all she pleases in the kennel 
yard; provided there are no benches or high places 
from which she might jump on and off. Idle begin¬ 
ner, upon superficial examination might not be able 
to determine whether the bitch is in whelp or not 
before external signs make this obvious, but by 
placing the hand on her abdomen and pressing 
upward it will be noticed at the end of the fourth 
week, if she is in whelp, that she sags down imme¬ 
diately upon release of the hands. At five weeks 
the distended sides begin to show and at the end 
of the sixth week, her altered form in general will 
become quite noticeable. 
It is from this time on that she must be watched 
more carefully. While it is not necessary to isolate 
her from all her companions (if there are any) ; 
it is as well not to allow her to romp with larger 
or older dogs, as sometimes an accident may occur 
by one of the dogs colliding with her. About the 
seventh week put her in the place where you expect 
her to whelp. That is, if you have a separate whelp¬ 
ing kennel or yard prepared for her; and it is always 
well that this be done sometime in advance, in 
