Care of the Matron—Rearing the Puppies 115 
order to allow her to become accustomed to her new 
surroundings. Sometimes, however, the most care¬ 
fully prepared place will not suit her and if she has 
the freedom of the premises she may select a place 
under the barn or the porch, or some other secluded 
corner. This being the case, and it is in mild 
weather, it is as well to let her alone; as she will he 
much better satisfied than with human interference. 
This is resorting to the nature method, it is true, 
but when conditions in the way of weather and 
otherwise are right, sometimes nature is a far 
better guide than all the science that man can devise. 
If the place for her “maternity ward” has been 
selected by her master this should be so situated 
as to be away from other dog's and disturbances. 
A darkned room or corner in a barn, in a box stall 
or in an outbuilding, are all quite satisfactory. 
A kennel compartment, when regular kennels are 
maintained, is also a good place ; hut this should be 
out of the glaring light. The usual sleeping benches 
should be removed, and a flat platform flush up 
against the wall and not more than inch or two 
above the door should be installed. Some insist 
that a piece of carpet should be tacked over this in 
order to give the mother something to get her claws 
into during her hour of travail; but this is not 
always the most satisfactory method, for the cover¬ 
ing is likely to become torn before her time and 
the puppies are liable to be caught among the shreds 
and thus become strangled; or, the mother is as 
likely as not to lie on them before the puppies are 
able to extricate themselves. A wooden strip about 
