■J X /'v-r-^ >^ NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES S01 229723 Q This book is due on the date indieal below and is subject to an overd fine as posted at the circulation de EXCEPTION: Date due will b earlier if this item is REC ALLEE APR 2 aiooo MAY 2 ^1 150M/01 -92-941 680 THE DOG OF :;reat Britain, America, and . countries. * Ibeir Breeding, Training, and Management in Health and Disease. >?mm ALL THE ESSEFTIAL PARTS OF THE TWO STAPABl) WORKS ON THE D0&, By STONEHENGE. TOGETHER WITH CHAPTERS BY AMERICAM WRITERS. NEV^ AND ENLARGED EDITION. IXH OVKR one; HIJItiDRKO 1Ih proverb, and a law of King Canute having precluded the commonalty from keeping him. Numberless hypotheses have been brought forward relative to the origin of the greyhound, Buffon tracing him to the French nation, and some other writers fancying that they could ■with more probability consider him as the descendant of the bull- dog or the mastiff. But as I believe that it is impossible to ascer- tain with any degree of certainty the origin of the species Canis, so I am quite satisfied with the conclusion that no long-standing va- riety can be traced to its source. We must, therefore, be content to take each as we find it, and rest content with investigating its present condition ; perhaps in some cases extending our researches back for fifty or a hundred years, and even then we shall often find that we are lost in a sea of doubt. Until within the last twenty -five years public coursing was con- THE SMOOTH GKEYIIOUXD. 37 fined to a very limited circle of competitors, partly owing to the careful retention of the best blood in the kennels of a chosen few, but chiefly to the existing game laws, which made it imperative that every person coursing should not only have a certificate, but also a qualification, that is to say, the possession of landed prop- erty to the value of one hundred pounds per annum. Hence the sport was forbidden to the middle classes, and it was not until 1831 that it was thrown open to them. From that time to the present the possession of the greyhound has been coveted and obtained by great numbers of country gentlemen and farmers in rural districts, and by professional men as well as tradesmen in our cities and towns, so that the total number in Great Britain and Ireland may be estimated at about fifteen or twenty thousand. Of these about five or six thousand arc kept for public coursing, while the remainder amuse their owners by coursing the hare in private. Various explanations have been oflTercd of the etymology of the prefix grey, some contending that the color is implied, others that it means Greek {Grains), while a, third party understand it to mean great. But as there is a remarkable peculiarity in this breed con- nected with it, w^e need not, I think, go farther for the derivation. No other breed, I believe, has the blue or grey color prevalent; and those which possess it at all have it mLxed with white, or other color ; as, for instance, the blue-mottled harrier, and the blotched blue and brown seen in some other kinds. The greyhound, on the contrary, has the pure blue or iron grey color very commonly ; and although this shade is not admired by any lovers of the animal for its beauty, it will make its appearance occasionally. Hence it may fairly be considered a peculiarity of the breed, and this grey color may, therefore, with a fair show of probability, have given the name to the greyhound. In describing the greyhound it is usual, and indeed almost neces- sary, to consider him as used for the two purposes already men- tioned, that is to say, — 1st, as the private, and 2ndly, as the public, greyhound ; for though externally there is no dificrence whatever, yet in the more delicate organization of his brain and nerves there is some obscure variation, by which he is rendered more swift and 38 DOMESTICATED HUNTING DOGS. clever in the one case, and more stout and honest in the other. In the horse the eye readily detects the thoroughbred, but this is not the case here : for there are often to be met with most beautifully formed greyhounds of private blood, which it would be impossible to distinguish from the best public breeds by their appearance, but Tvhich in actual trial would be sure to show defective speed and sagacity. This being the case, I shall tirst describe the general characteristics of both, and afterwards those in which they differ from one another. The points of the greyhound will be described at length, because as far as speed goes, he may be taken as the type to which all other breeds are referred ; but, before going into these particulars, it will be interesting to examine the often-quoted doggrel rhymes, which are founded upon a longer effusion originally published by Wynkyn de Worde in 1496, and to institute a comparison between the greyhound of the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries. In the former of these periods it was said that this dog should have — " The head of a snake, The neck of the drake, A back like a beam, A side like a bream. The tail of a rat, And the foot of a cat." Now, although the several points herein mentioned may be en- larged upon, it is scarcely possible to dissent from any one of them ; but, as all my readers may not exactly know the form which is meant to be conveyed by the side of a bream for instance, it is necessar\- to explain it in more intelligible language. 1st. The HEAD, it is said, should be snake-like, but this is not to be taken literally, as that of the snake differs considerably from the head of any specimen of the greyhound which has ever come under my observation. Every snake's head is flat and broad, with the nose or snout also quite compressed, while the head of the greyhound, though flat at the top, is comparatively circular in its transverse section, and the nose is irregularly triangular. There is no doubt that the greyhound of former days, before the cross of THE SMOOTH GREYHOUND. 41 the bulldog was introduced, had a much smaller head than that which is now seen ; and I also believe that some breeds at present existing may be ascertained to be free from this cross, by their small brain-cases ; but, still, none have the perfectly flat head of the reptile in question. The tyro, therefore, who looks for a literal interpretation of the first line of the rhyme will be disappointed. My own belief is that a full development of brain gives courage and sagacity, but leads to such a rapid acquirement of knowl- edge relative to the wiles practised by the hare, as to make the dog possessing it soon useless for anything but killing his game, which he is often able to do with absolute certainty. Hence it is important to bear this in mind, and to take care not to overdo this characteristic. In all cases, the more the development is increased behind the ears, the higher will be the courage ; and if this can be obtained without a corresponding increase in the diameter in front of those organs, there will be no attendant disadvantage, as the intellectual faculties no doubt reside in the anterior part of the brain. The best average measurement opposite the ear in dogs of full size is about 15 inches, and for bitches, 14 or 14|. The jaw should be very lean, and diminisliing suddenly from the head, not gradually falling off in one uniform line. The teeth are of great importance, as, unless they are strong and good, the hare cannot be seized and held. They should be white, strong, and regular, showing strength of constitution, as well as being useful in the course. As a rule, the incisor teeth meet each other, but some dogs are underhung like the bulldog, and others the reverse, like the pig ; that is to say, one or other set of teeth overlaps those above or below, as the case may be. The former is not of much conse- quence, unless very much marked, when it diminishes the chance of holding the hare ; but the latter is certainly prejudicial, and a *' pig-jawed " greyhound should never be selected, though I have known one or two good killers with this formation. The eye should be bright and tolerably full, the color varying with that of the coat. The ears are generally recommended to be soft and fall- ing, and pricked ears are despised, as being terrier-like, but some good breeds possess them, nevertheless, probably deriving them 42 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. from the bulldog. I cannot, therefore, lay any great stress upon this point in the formation of the head. The NECK also, though compared to that of a drake, is a long way from being as thin, but, nevertheless, it may be said that it should be as drake-like as possible. The object of this is to enable the IAN DOQ. 4ii Fig. 5. — THE HAKE-INDIAN DOG, THE HARE-INDIAN DOG. The Hare-Indian dog inhabits the country watered by the Mac- kenzie River and the Great Bear Lake of America, where it is used to hunt the moose and reindeer by sight, aided occasionally by its powers of scent, which are by no means contemptible, but kept in abeyance by disuse. The feet are remarkable for spreading on the snow, so as to prevent them from sinking into it, and to enable the dog to bound lightly over a surface which the moose sinks into at every stride. The hight is about 25 inches, combined with great strength. The ears are broad at the base, and pointed to- wards the tips, being perfectly erect. The tail is thick, bushy, and slightly curved, but not so much so as in the Esquimaux dog. The hair is long and straight; the ground color being white, marked with large, irregular patches of greyish black, shaded with brown. 50 DOMESTIC A.TED HUNTING-DOGS. THE ALBANIAN DOG. The Albanian dog is said to stand about 27 or 28 inches high, with a long pointed muzzle, powerful body, strong and muscular limbs, and a long bushy tail, carried like that of the Newfoundland dog. Mis hair is very fine and close, being of a silky texture, ana of a fawn color, variously clouded with brown. He is used for hunting the wild boar and wolf, as well as for the purpose of guarding the sheep-fold from the latter ; but the accounts of this dog vaiy greatly, and are not much to be relied on. THE GRECIAN GREYHOUND. This elegant animal is somewhat smaller than the English dog. The hair is longer and slightly wavy, the tail also being clothed with a thin brush of hair. This is supposed to be the same breed as the greyhound of Xenophon, the Athenian. THE RUSSIAN GREYHOUND. This variety of the greyhound hunts well by scent, and, being at the same time fast and stout, he is used for the destruction of the wolves and bears which inhabit the Russian forests, and also for coursing the deer and the hare. For this latter sport he is well adapted ; but, being somewhat deficient in courage and strength^ he is hardly a match for the wolf and bear, excepting in packs. The Russian greyhound is about 26 or 27 inches high, with short pricked ears, turned over at the tips ; he is rather thin and weak in the back and loins, and long on the leg. The coat is thick, but not long, excepting the hair of the tail, which is fanlike, with a spiral twist of a peculiar form. The color is dark brown or grey. I am not aware of any undoubted specimen of this breed having been imported into England, nor of a correct portrait TUKKISH AND PEKSIAN GREYHOUNDS. 51 having been painted ; so my readers must depend upon description alone. THE TURKISH GREYHOUND. A small and almost hairless dos^, of the greyhound kind, is met with in Turkey, but it is not common in that country, and I have never seen a specimen or even a good portrait of it. THE PERSIAN GREYHOUND Is an elegant animal, beautifully formed in all points, and re« sembling the Italian in delicacy of proportions. In Persia he is used for coursing the hare and antelope, as well as sometimes the wild ass. When the antelope is the object of the chase, relays of greyhounds are stationed where the game is likely to resort to and slipped each in their turn as the antelope passes. The Persian greyhound is about 24 inches high. The ears are pendulous like those of the Grecian dog, and hairy like those of the English setter, but in other respects he resembles the English smooth greyhound, with the exception of the tail, which may be compared to that of a silky-coated setter. Several portraits of this dog have appeared at various times in the *' Sporting Magazine " and elsewhere, but I am told they do not well represent his ap- pearance. 52 DOJilESTIOATED HUNTING-DOGS. Fig. 6. — ^ITALIAN GREYHOUNDS, BISMARK AND CRUCrFIX. THE ITALIAN GREYHOUND. This little dog is one of the most beautifully proportioned ani- mals in creation, being a smooth English greyhound in miniature, and resembling it in all respects but size. It is bred in Spain and Italy in great perfection, the warmth of the climate agreeing well ■with its habits and constitution. In England, as in its native country, it is only used as a pet or toy dog, for though its speed is considerable for its size, it is incapable of holding even a rabbit^ The attempt, therefore, to course rabbits with this little dog has always failed, and in those instances where the sport (if such it can be called) has been carried out at all, recourse has been had to a cross between the Italian greyhound and the terrier, which results in a strong, quick, little dog, quite capable of doing all that is re- quired. The chief points characteristic of the Italian greyhound are shape, color, and size. THE ITALIAN GREYHOUND 53 In shape, he should as nearly as possible resemble the English greyhound, as described elsewhere. The nose is not usually 80 long in proportion, and tlie head is fuller both in width and depth. The eyes, also, are somewhat larger, being soft and full The tail should be small in bone, and free from hair. It is scarcely so long as that of the English greyhound, bearing in mind the difference of size. It usually bends with a gentle sweep upwards, but should never turn round in a corkscrew form. The color most prized is a golden fawn. The dove-colored fawn comes next; then the cream color, and the blue fawn, or fawn with blue muzzle, the black-muzzled fawn, the black- muzzled red, the plain red, the yellow, the cream-colored, and the black ; the white, the blue, the white and fawn, and the white and red. Whenever the dog is of a whole color, there should be no white whatever on the toes, legs, or tail ; and even a star on the breast is considered a defect, though not so great as on the feet. The size most prized is when the specified weight is about six or eight pounds ; but dogs of this weight have seldom perfect sym- metry, and one with good shape and color, of eight pounds, is to be preferred to a smaller dog of less perfect symmetry. Beyond twelve pounds the dog is scarcely to be considered a pure Italian, though sometimes exceptions occur, and a puppy of pure blood, with a sire and dam of small size, may grow to such a weight as sixteen pounds. I have never yet seen an Italian greyhound more nearly ap- proaching perfection than Mr. Pirn's Bismark, a considerable prize-winner at Bristol and in Ireland, although he has recently been twice unnoticed, beyond a high commendation at Birming- ham and the Alexandra Park Shows. These defeats were, how-= ever, maiiily owing to the excellence of the bitches amongst which he was classed ; for at Birmingham there were four of that sex only a trifle behind the celebrated Molly in shape and color, while at the Alexandra Park there were nearly as many. Bis- mark is, nevertheless, a very neat dog, and, barring his round head and his color, which has a shade of blue in the fawn, he is rery little behind the first-class bitches of his day. His pedi^ee 54 DOMESTICATED HUNTiNG-t)OGS. is dnknown, so that it is not possible to trace these defects to their cause; but I have little doubt that, at some time more or less remote, a terrier cross in his pedigree would creep out. At all events, he is the best dog exhibited of late years, and as such I have selected him for illustration. Crucifix, his companion in the engravinp;, was, like him, passed over at the above shows, obtain- ing only a second prize at the shows recently held at Birmingham and Alexandra Palace. My own opinion, however, was strongly in her favor at both of these shows ; and, in spite of the high au- thority of Messrs. Hedley and Handley (the respective judges), I have accordingly selected her for portraiture. Her beautiful golden-fawn color Ls even superior to Molly's dove-color, and her general shape and symmetry are nearly equal ; but no doubt in head Molly has the advantage, and if the two were shown to- gether, both in their i)nme, the latter would weigh down the scale considerably. Like Bismark, she has had more lionor in her own country than at Birmingham and London, having been awarded the first prize at Manchester in two dog sho ws,and also at Glasgow in two other years. She is Dy Bruces Prince out of his Beauty; Prince by Old Prmce— Speed ; Beauty by Chief— Tit. THE BLOODHOUKD. 55 Fig. 7. — ^HEAD OF BLOODHOUND. THE BLOODHOUND. The name given to this hound is founded upon his peculiar power of scenting the blood of a wounded animal, so that, if once put on his trail, he could hunt him tlirough any number of his fellows, and would thus single out a wounded deer from a large 56 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. herd, and stick to him through any foils or artifices which he may have recourse to. From this property he has also been used to trace human beings ; and as his nose is remarkably delicate in hunting, even without blood, he has always been selected for that purpose, whether the objects of pursuit were slaves, as in Cuba, or sheep-stcalers, as in England. At present there are, as far as I know; no true bloodhounds in England for this purpose, or indeed for any other, as I believe the breed to be extinct ; but several gentlemen possess hounds commonly called bloodhounds, though only partially resembling the veritable animal, and use them for hunting fallow-deer, espe- cially those which are only wounded with the rifle, and not killed outright. This dog is also kept for his fine noble appearance ; and as his temper is generally less uncertain than the genuine old bloodhound, and his taste for blood not so great, though still sometimes beyond all control, he is not unfitted to be the constant companion of man, but must always be regarded with some degree of suspicion. Bloodhounds, more or less purely bred, are still plentiful in the Southern States, where formerly considerable packs were kept for hunting both deer and fugitive slaves. The following are the distinctive marks of this dog, which should make their appearance even when one only of the parents is thorough-bred :— Hight, from 24 to 25 or even 26 inches ; pecu- liarly long and narrow forehead : ears from 8 to 9, and even 10, inches long ; lips loose and hanging ; throat also loose, and roomy in the skin ; deep in the brisket, round in the ribs, loins broad and muscular, legs and feet straight and good, muscular thighs, and fine tapering and gracefully waving stem ; color black-tan, or deep and reddish f;iwn (no white should be shown but on just the tip of the stem) ; the tongue loud, long, deep, and melodious, and the temper courageous and irascible, but remarkably forgiving, and immensely susceptible of kindness. The illustration is a portrait of the fine head of a dog owned by Mr. Reynold Ray, an old and well-known breeder, and a prize-winner at various shows. THE FOXHOUND. 57 Fig. 8.— FOXHOUND, BLUECAP. THE FOXHOUND. The modern foxliouncl is one of tlie most wonderful animals in treation, which is probably owing to the great pains that have been bestowed upon him for the last two or three centuries. Nu- merous instances have occurred where forty or fifty thousand dol- lars a year have been spent for a long time together upon a fox- hunting establishment, and therefore, when this outlay has been united with the great judgment which has been displayed in the most celebrated kennels of the present century, it can scarcely occasion surprise that the combination has resulted in the most 58 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. complete success. In breeding cattle and sheep, one man has, in more than one instance, during his single life, elfected a complet« ievolution in the animal he was engaged in improving; and there- fore, wlien a number of gentlemen combine for one purpose, and spare neither time, money, nor trouble, we ought to expect the luj.fillment of their wishes. In no department of rural sports has so much been written as on fox-hunting, and this not only of late years, but for the last three centuries, during which Markham, Soraerville, and Beckford may be instanced as examples of truth- ful as well as clever writing on the subject. Beckford, who wrote in the latter part of the last century, his first letter being dated 1779, is, however, the father of the modern school, and, with slight exceptions, the hound described by him is still that selected by our best masters, though perhaps they carry out his principles to a greater extent than he ever expected they would go. Much has been written, it is true, since his time, but I am not aware that any one has deviated from his description without doing wrong, and therefore, as I like to give credit where credit is due, I shall extract his description entire, as contained in his third letter to his friend. ** You desire to know what kind of hound I would recommend. As you mention not for any particular chase or country, I under- stand you generally ; and shall answer that I most approve of hounds of the middle size. I believe all animals of that description are strongest, and best able to endure fatigue. In the hight as well as the color of hounds, most sportsmen have their prejudices ; but in their shape, at least, I think they must all agree. I know sportsmen who boldly affirm that a small hound will oftentimes beat a large one ; that he will climb hills better, and go through cover quicker ; whilst others are not less ready to assert that a large hound will make his way in any country, will get better through the dirt than a small one, and that no fence, however high, can stop him. You have now their opinions : and I advise you to adopt that which suits your country best. There is, however, a certain size best adapted for business, which I take to be that be- Iween the two extremes, and I will venture to say that such hounds THE FOXHOTrNl>. 59 ■will not suffer themselves to be disgraced in any country. Somer- ville 1 find is of the same opinion : ' But here a mean Observe, nor a large hound prefer, of size Gigantic ; he, in the thick-woven covert, Painfully tugs, or in the thorny brake, Torn and embarrass'd, bleeds : but, if too small. The pigmy brood in every furrow swims ; Moil'd in the clogging clay, panting, they lag Behind inglorious; or else shivering creep, Benumb'd and faint, beneath the sheltering thorn. Foxhounds of middle size, active and strong, Will better answer all thy various ends, And crown thy pleasing labors with success.' I perfectly agree vyith you that to look well they should be all nearly of a size ; and I even think that they should all look of the same family, * Facics non omnibus una. Nee di versa tamen, qualem decet esse sororum." "If handsome without they are then perfect. With regard to their being sizeable, what Somerville says, is so much in your own "way that I shall send it you : * As some brave captain, curious and exact. By his fix'd standard, forms in equal ranks His gay battalion : as one man they move, Step after step ; their size the same, their arms. Far gleaming, dart the same united blaze ; Reviewing genends his merit own ; How regular ! how just ! And all his cares Are well repaid if mighty George approve : So model thou thy pack, if honor touch Thy gen'rous soul, and the world's just applause.' " There are necessary points in the shape of a hound which ought always to be attended to by a sportsman, for if he be not of a perfect symmetry, he will neither run fast nor bear much work He has much to undergo, aad should have strength proportioned 50 DOMESTICATED HUNTIXG-DOGS. to it. Let his legs be straight as arrows, his feet round and not too large ; his shoulders back ; his breast rather wide than narrow ; bis chest deep ; his back broad ; his head small ; his neck thin ; his tail thick and brushy ; if he carry it well, so much the better. Such hounds as are out at the elbows, and such as are weak from the knees to the foot, should never be taken into the pack. " I find that I have mentioned a small head as one of the neces- sary requisites of a hound ; but you will understand that it is relative to beauty only, for as to goodness, I believe large-headed hounds are in no wise inferior. The color I think of little mo- ment, and am of opinion with our friend Foote, respecting his negro friend, that a good dog, like a good candidate, cannot be of a bad color. " Men are too apt to be prejudiced by the sort of hound which they themselves have been most accustomed to. Those who have been used to the sharp-nosed foxhound, will hardly allow a large-head- ed hound to be a foxhound ; yet they both equally are ; speed and beauty are the chief exc2lleucies of the one, while stoutness and tenderness of nose in hunting are characteristic of the other. I could tell you that I have seen veiy good sport with very unhand- some packs, consisting of hounds of various sizes, differing from one another as much in shape and look as in their color ; nor could there be traced the least sign of consanguinity amongst them. Considered separately the hounds were good; as a pack of hounds they were not to be commended ; nor would you be satisfied with anything that looked so very incomplete. You will find nothing so essential to your sport as that your hounds should run well together; nor can this end be better attained than by confining yourself, as near as you can, to those of the same sort, size, and shape." Thus then as to points, it will be evident from the above extract that Beckford was fully aware of all which are considered essential to the foxhound, except the depth of the back ribs, in which the modern hound differs from both of his supposed progenitors (the greyhound and old-fashioned hound), and which has been estab- lished by carefully breeding from sires and dams peculiar for this THE FOXHOUND. 61 development. It is upon this formation that stoutness, and the capability of bearing work day after day, mainly depend; and hence all good judges both of the hunter and the hound insist so strongly upon it. Nimrod (Apperley) also remarks that Beckford has omitted to particularize " the length of thigh discernible in fir^t-rate hounds, which, like the well-let-down hock of the horse, gives them much superiority of speed, and is also a great security against laming themselves in leaping fences, which they are more apt to do when they become blown and consequently weak." It may also be remarked, that though Beckford insists upon a middle size, he does not define what he means by the term, but as fox- hounds vary from 25 inches to 20, I should say 23 to 25 inches for doghounds, and 21 to 23 for bitches, would be about the hight meant by him. In open countries, with thin fences or walls, a large hound may perhaps suit best ; but in woodlands, the small size, if not too small and delicate, has many advantao-es and will always beat the larger and heavier hound, who tires himself in driving through the runs, which will readily ad- mit the small dog or bitch. Nimrod fixed the hight at " 21 to 22 inches for bitches, and 23 to 24 for doghounds ;" but I have given a little more latitude in the above estimate. The speed of the foxhound may be estimated from the well known match over the Beacon course, at Newmarket, which is 4 miles 1 furlong and 132 yards, and which was ruD by Mr. Barry's " Bluecap " (the winner) in eight minutes and a few seconds, Mr. Mcynell's hounds being not far behind ; and only twelve out of sixty horsemen who started with them being with them to the end. Colonel Thornton's bitch, " Merkin," is even said to have run the same course in seven minutes and half a second. This speed is ac- counted for by the greyhound descent, if it really exists ; and that it does so I have little doubt, as it is quite clear that the old hound was deficient in those points which the greyhound alone would be able to give; but as this is only conjecture I have not insisted upon it. The small rounded ear of the foxhound is due to the rounding irons of the huntsman, who removes a large portion of the pup'3 62 DOMESTICATED UUNTIXG-DOGS. ears in order to save them from the tears and scratches which they would inevitably encounter in " drawing," if allowed to remam on. The portion left is sufficient to protect the passage to the internal organ, but for which necessity it would be better to crop them closely, as is practised with dogs intended for fighting ; just as the wrestler and the pugilist have their hair cropt as close to their "heads as possible. The prevailing colors of foxhounds in the present day are as fol- lows, placing them in the order of their frequency : — (1.) Black and white with tan ; (2.) The mixed or blended colors, known as " pies," as red pie, blue pie, yellow pie, grey pie, lemon pie, hare pie, and badger pie, the last three very handsome ; (3.) Tan ; (4.) Black ; (5.) White; (6.) Red; (7.) Blue ; each being more or less mixed with white. Foxhounds are often slightly ticked, but rarely mot- tled, the "blue mottled hound," according to Mr. Apperley, being a true harrier or beagle, and most probably descended from the southern hound, which was often of this color. It must be remembered that the foxhound is always to be looked at as part of a pack, and hence it is of no use to breed an excep- tionally high or otherwise well made hound if it will make him run in a different style to his companions. Hence it is necessary to keep to such a model as can be produced in number sufficient to form the pack, which is another argument in favor of a medium size ; and hence, in looking at a pack, together or separately, the lover of the foxhound is always on the look-out for " suitiness," or the resemblance to another in size and shape, which Beckford jilludes to in describing a good-looking pack of hounds as appear- ing " all of one family." In his work the foxhound is peculiar for dash, and for always being inclined to cast forwards, instinctively appearing to be aware that the fox makes his point to some covert different from that in which he was found. On the other hand, the harrier casts back, from a knowledge, instinctive or acquired, that hare has a ten- dency to return to the place from which she started, and will be almost sure to do so if she has time enough given her. THE HARRIER. ©8 THE HARRIEK The true harrier is a dwarf southern hound, with a very slight infusion of the greyhound in him. Hence he is more throaty than the foxhound, and has also more ear, with a broader head, more fully developed flews, and altogether a heavier and less active frame. The hight is usually at present under 20 inches, averag- ing about 18 ; but in the old times, when t .e dwarf foxhound was never used for the purpose, harriers were often 22 and sometimes 23 inches high, because even with that size they dwelt on the scent so long that they were not too fast for sport. But it is in tongue and in style of hunting that true harriers are chiefly re- markable, the former being melodious in the extreme, and a pack in full cry being heard for miles ; while the latter is distinguished by excessive delicacy of nose, and by an amount of patience in working out the doubles of the hare which the old-fashioned hare- hunter considered perfection. Mr. Yeatman has, however, intro- duced a difierent style, and according to his system the hare is driven so fast that she is compelled to abandon her cunning de- vices, and to trust to her speod alone. But as, following his ex- umple, most of the modern packs of harehounds are dwarf fox- hounds, it is unnecessary to dwell upon the old-fashioned animal, *nd the modern harrier may therefore be described as a foxhound In shape, but of a size averaging about 18 or 19 inches, and kept to hare with great care, so that in some instances packs are known to refuse to own the scent of the fox ; but these are rare excep- tions, as most huntsmen will be ready to hunt one whenever they have the opportunity, and many regularly finish their season by shaking down a bag-fox, or by trying for one in some covert where they have permission. The fashion of the day is to demand pace in all kinds of hunting, and for this reason these dwarf foxhounds are selected, taking care to unite with it as fine and delicate a nose as possible, but altogether regardless of the music, which used to be a sine qua non with masters of harriers. One chief beauty in hare-hunting is the proper packing of the hounds, and as this can not be done without having dl nearly of 64 DOMESTICATUD HUNTING-DOGS. the same size, shape, and breed, masters of harriers are very par- ticular in keeping the whole of their kennel of one strain ; and when they cross their hounds it should be with great care, so as to avoid the introduction of blood very different to that which they already possess. Fig. 9.— AMERICAN BEAGLES. THE BEAGLE. The true beagle, like the old harrier, is now almost entirely dis- placed by dwarf specimens of the foxhound, or by crosses with it in varying proportions. Still there are some packs left, and a good many gentlemen also possess one or two couple which they use for covert shooting, though even here this breed is giving way to the spaniel. In external form the beagle resembles the southern hound, but is much more compact and elegant in shape, and far less throaty in proportion to its size, though still possessing a considerable ruff. There are three or four varieties, however, which differ a good de£. THE BEAGLE. 65 among themselves in shape and make, and also to some degree in style of hunting. The medium-sized beagle maybe taken as the type of the others of the same name, and somewhat resembles a small old-fashioned harrier in shape, but with a larger body and shorter legs in propor- tion to it. The head is very wide and round, with a short square nose, very full and soft drooping ears, good feet, and not much hair on the body, but with a slight brush on the tail. Their tongues are most musical, and their noses extremely delicate, being even more so than the harrier, but hunting in the same style, with the s&me tendency to dwell on the scent. In size they may be de- scribed as averaging about 12 or 14 inches. The rough beagle is apparently a cross between the above little hound and the rough terrier, though by many people he is sup- posed to be a distinct breed, and as much so as the Welsh harrier, which he resembles in all but size. His origin is, however, lost in obscurity, and can only be conjectured. One chief reason why I have supposed him to arise from the above cross is, that he has lost in great measure the beagle tongue, and squeaks like the ter- rier, though not quite so much as that dog. The Kerry or Laune (Irish) Beagles are distmguished for speed, strength, size, endurance, and keen nose. These characteristics admirably adapt them for deer hunting. The first of this slram, Towler, was imported to the United States by Dr. Lewis A. Sayre,' of New York City, in 1879. In October, 1881, Towler died. Dr. Sayre, however, still has left Doxey and Lightfoot, which, together with Towler, were presented to hvn by a grandson of John O'Con- nell. The New York " Turf, Field and Farm," of Nov. 18, 1881, contains a detailed and interesting description of this rare strain of dogs, together with engravings of Doxey and Lightfoot. The dwarf or rabbit beagle is a very small and delicate little hound, but with an excellent nose, and much faster than he looks. Some sportsmen have carried their predilection for small dogs to such an extent, as to use a pack of these beagles which might be carried about in the shooting pockets of the men ; and in this way have confined their duties to the hunting alone, so that they were 66 DOMESTICATED OUNTING-DOGS. not tired in trailinEj along the road from the kennel to the huntings^ field and back again. The average hight of these may be taken at 10 inches, but their bodies are disproportionately lengthened. Patience and perseverance are stil' more necessary in these hounds than in their larger brethren, and without them they soon lose their hare, as they must be content to hunt her at a pace with which a man can readily keep up on foot, horses being quite ouf of place with such a diminutive pack. A pack of rabbit-beagles, the property of Mr. Crane, of South- over House, England, we believe to contain the best "patterns" we have ever known. "We have seen them on a cold bad scenting Fig. 10, — RABBIT BEAGLES, GIANT AXD RINGLET. day work up a rabbit and run him in the most extraordinary man- ner, and although the nature of the ground compelled the pack to run almos-t m Indian file, and thus to carry a very nnrrow line of scent, if they tlirew it up, it was but for a moment. Mr. Crane's standard is 9 in., and every little hound is absolutely perfect. TVe saw but one hound at all differina, from his companions, a littk black-tanned one. This one on the flags we should have drafted but when we saw him in liis work we quite forgave him for being of a conspicuous color. Giant (see portnit) was perhaps the very best of the pack, a black-whitc-nnd-tannel dogiiound, always at work, and never wrong. He has a capital tonirne, and plenty of It. The bitch, Ringbt, has the most beautiful points wc Imvc ever seen, and b a fit companion for her mate, Gi.mt. D^unper, Dutch THE OTTEKHOUND. 67 man, and Tyrant, are also all of them beautiful models. We give tlie measurement of Damper: Mglit,9 in. ; round the chest, 16 in. across the ears, 12 in. ; extreme length, 2 ft. 4 in. ; eye to nose, 2i in. THE OTTERHOUND. No hcnnd which is novr kept in Great Britain resembles the southern hound so much as this, the difference being only in the rough, wiry coat, which ha^i been t^btained by careful breeding, to enable them to resist the ill p.ffe^^a of the rough weather which the breed have to encounter, whether in the chase of the hare, for which they were origmally employed in Wales, or for that of the otter, to which they are now almost exclusively restricted. If, therefore, the reader ty/us to the description of the southern hound, and adds to it a rough, wiry coat, with a profusion of rough whisker, he will at once understand the form and nature of the otterhound, alias the Welsh harrier. It is a disputed poini whether this roughness is obtained by crossing, or whether it is attributable to careful selection only. We are inclined to think that as the fall melodious note of the hound is retained, there is no cross of the terrier or of tlie dcer]\onnfl, which two breeds divide between them the credit of bestowing their coats upon the otterhound. An3diow, it is a distinct breed in the present day; and, with the shape I have described, it unites all the characteris- tics of the old southern hound, in dwelling on the scent, in deli- cacy of nose, and in want of dash. Whether the power of swimming has been obtained by any cross with the water-spaniel, Is also a disputed point; but as I do not believe in any pec .liar swimming power inherent in that breed, I nm not inclined to attribute that of the ottcrhonnd to a cross with it, especially as the foxhound swims oqnnlly w"ll. As these hounds have to compete with a very savage and hard- biting animal, t'ney must of necessity be fearless anfl hardy; and as, for their specific purpo.sL's, th;js3 which are not so, have been re* 68 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS, ? jected, it happens that the hreed has become unusuaUy savage^ and that they are constantly fighting in kennel. Indeed, instances are common enough of more than half being destroyed in a sin- gle night, in the bloody fight -which has been commenced by perhaps a single couple, but soon ending in a general scrimmage. No dog bites more savagely ; and, unlike the bulldog, the hold is not firmly retained, but the teeth are torn out with great force the instant the hold is taken. The usual hight of the otterhound is from 22 to 25 inches in the dogs, the bitches being somewhat lower. The points of the otterhound are like those of the bloodhound, except as to the coat, which should be composed of hard and long hair, somewhat rough in its lying, and mixed with a short, wooUy under-coat, which serves to keep the body warm even when wet- ted by long immersion. The color differs also, in not being confined to black-and-tan or tan— the former, however, being often met with. THE TERRIER. The terrier, as used for hunting, is a strong, useful little dog, with great endurance and courage, and with nearl}' as good a nosft as the beagle or harrier. From his superior courage, when crossed with the bulldog, as most vermin-terriers are, he has generally been kept for killing vermin whose bite would deter the spaniel or the beagle, but would only render the terrier more determined in his pursuit of them. Hence he is the constant attendant on the rat-catcher, and is highly useful to the gamekeeper, as well as tc the farmer who is annoyed with rats and mice. Formerly it was the custom to add a couple of terriers to every pack of foxhounds, so as to be ready to aid in bolting the fox when he runs into a drain, or goes to ground in any easily accessible earth ; the stout- ness of the terrier en'ibling him, by steadily following on the track, to reach the scene of operations before it would be possible to obtain any other assistance. This aid, however, in consequence tHE TEBRIEE. 69 of the increased speed of our hounds, is now dispensed with, and the old fox-terrier is out of date, or is only kept for the purpose of destroying ground vermin, such as the rat or the weasel, or aa a companion" to man, for which purpose his fidelity and tracta- bility make him peculiarly fitted. Terriers are now usually di- vided into eight kinds :-lst, the old English Terrier; 2d, the Scotch; 3d, the Dandle Dinmont; 4th, the Skye ; 5th, the Fox Fior. 11. — ^ENGLISH TERRIER, BELCHER. Terrier; Gth, the Bedlington; 7th, the Halifax Blue Tan ; and 8th, the Modern Toy Terriers of various kinds. The English Terrier is a smooth-haired dog, weighing from about 6 to 10 lbs. His nose is very long and tapering neatly off, the jaw being slightly overhung, with a high forehead, narrow flat skull, strong muscular jaw, and small bright eye, well set in the head; ears when entire are short and slightly raised, but not absolutely pricked, turning over soon after they leave the head. When 70 DOMESTICATED IIUNTIXG-DOGS. cropped they stand up in a point, and rise nuicli higher than they naturally would. The neck is stroiig, but of a good length ; boay very symmetrical, with powerful short loins, and chest deep rather than wide. Shoulders generally good, and very powerful, so as to enable the terrier to dig away at an earth for hours together with- out fatigue, but they must not be so wide as to prevent him from *' going to ground." Fore legs straight and strong in muscle, but light in bone, and feet round and hare-like. Hind legs straight but powerful. Tail fine, with a decided down carriage. The color of these dogs should be black and tan, which is the only true color ; many are white, slightly marked with black, red, or some- times, but very rarely, blue. The true fox-terrier was generally chosen with as much white as possible, so that he might be readily seen, either coming up after the pack, or when in the fox's earth, in almost complete darkness ; but these were all crossed with the bull dog. Those which are now kept for general purposes are, however, most prized when of the black and tan color, and the more complete the contrast, that is, the richer the black and tan respectively, the more highly the dog is valued, especially if with- out any white. In all cases there should be a small patch of tan over each eye ; the nose and palate should always be black. The toes should be pencilled with black reaching more or less up the leg. In the first volume of the stud book, which chronicles the principal shows for fourteen years, he was simply and properly described as the black and tan terrier, " English " of course being understood ; hut since 1874 they have added to his title, " or Man- Chester Teri-kr:'' The reason for this change I do not know, as the r3Cords of their own stud book do not disclose many names of eminent Manchester breeders or exhibitors besides Mr. Samuel Handlcy, who bred and exhibited some of the best that have been shown, and who is still generally recognized as one of the best judges of them; and, however great an honor it may be +.0 be " Man- chester," it is a greater honor to be English, and, so far as I can see, the change in name was useless and uncalled for, and deroga- tory to the breed. . In addition to Mr. Handley, there were years ago the following celebrated Lancashire breeders : Mr. James Bar- THE TEERIER. 71 row, Mr. Joseph Kay, and Mr. William Pearson, all now dead ; but the crack dogs now met with at our shows have generally been bred by unknown people, and brought out by astute judges and spirited exhibitors. In the early days of shows Birmingham took the lead in this breed, and Mr. G. Filter, of that town, who had a good strain, held the first posiiiou lor several years with his ex- ceptionally good dog Dandy. Of late years the most successfuj exnibitors have been Mr. George Wilson, Huddersfield ; the late Mr. Martin, Manchester ; and, more so than either, Mr. Henry Lacy, of Hebden Bridge. This breed is not such a general favorite with the public as it deserves to be, for it has many excellent qualities to recommend it to those who like a nice pet that does not need nursing, an affec- tionate, lively, and tractable companion, not given to quarrelling, very active and graceful in his actions, and with pluck enough and a keen zest for hunting and destroying such vermin as rats that infest houses and outbuildings ; for with larger vermin, such as the fox, badger, etc., (with exceptional cases), he has not the hardness to cope with or to stand their bites, nor has he the strength even of other terriers of his own weight, as he is formed more for nimble- ness than work requiring power. His most ardent admirers can- not claim for him the courage and obduracy of attack and defence that characterize less pure terriers. As a house dog he is unex- celled, always on the alert, and quick to give alarm. The Scotch Terrier closely resembles the English dog in all but his coat, which is wiry and rough, and hence he is sometimes called the wire-haired terrier, a name perhaps better suited to a dog which has long been naturalized in England, and whose origin is obscure enough. Beyond this difference in externals, there is little to be said distinctive of the one from the other, the colors being the same, but white being more highly prized in the southern variety, and the black and tan when more or less mixed with grey, so as to give the dog a pepper and salt appearance, being characteristic of the true Scotch terrier ; but tliere are numberless varieties in size, and also in shape and color. This is a very good vermin dog, and will hunt anything from a fox to a mouse ; but while he may be 72 DOilESTICATED HU-N'TING-DOGS. induced to hunt feather, he never takes to it like fur, and prefers vermin to game at all times. The Dandie Dinmont breed of terriers, now so much celebrated, was originally bred by a farmer of the name of James Davidson at Hindalee, in Roxburghshire, who, it is generally believed, got his dogs from the head of Coquet Water. There was also a good strain at Ned Dunn's at Whitclee, near the Carter Bar. Those who have investigated the subject are inclined to think that the Dandie Dinmont is a cross between the Scotch terrier and Fig. 12. — ^DAOTJIE DESTMONTS, DOCTOR AND TIT-MlI\rPS. the otterhound, or, as I believe, the Welsh harrier, which is iden- tical with the latter. The most celebrated strains are those belonging to the Duke of Buccleugh (presented by James Davidson); Stoddart, of Selkirk; Frain, of the Trows; McDougall, of Cessford; F. Somners, of Kelso ; Sir G. Douglass, of Springwood Park ; Dr. Brown, of Mel- rose ; J. Aitken, of Edinburgh ; and Hugh Purves, of Leaderfoot, who is the principal hand in having kept up the breed. So much were the Dandies in vogue some years ago, that Mr. Bradshaw Smith, of Dumfriesshire, bought up every good dog he could lay his hands on, and as a consequence his breed is now well known. d'^ m^'iK\ mv THE TERRIER. if.) The Dandie is represented by two colors of hair, which is some- times rather hard, but not long ; one entirely a reddish brown, and called the " mustard," the other grey or bluish-grey on the back, and Ian or light brown on the legs," and called the " pep- per;" both have the silky hair on the forehead. The legs are short, the body long, shoulder low, back slightly curved, head laro-e, jaws long and tapered to the muzzle, which is not sharp ; ears large and hanging close to the head ; eyes full, bright, and in- telligent ; tail straight and carried erect, with a slight curve over the back (houndlike); the weight, 18 to 24 lbs., var3ring according to the strain, but the original Dandie was a heavy dog. Occasion- ally in a litter there may be some with the short, folding ear of a bull-terrier, and also with some greater length of the legs ; these are not approved of by fanciers, but nevertheless are pure, showing a tendency to cast back. Sir W. Scott, I believe, preferred the small ear. The following letter from Mr. E. Bradshaw Smith to the Editor of the " London Field " is of interest : " SiK — If not trespassing too much on your valuable space 1 may here be allow^ed to show how I first became possessed of this historic breed. " During my residence in Roxburghshire my fancy was greatly taken by several specimens I saw of this game little animal. In 1841, I bought the first Dandie I ever possessed, and since that date I have no hesitation in stating that more Dandie Dinmonts have passed through my hands than through those of any half dozen of fanciers. I feel myself competent, therefore, to give a decided opinion on the article penned by ' Stonehenge,* although it be at variance with his remarks. " In the first place, it seems to me an entire mistake on his part that the Dandie Dinmont of the present day is longer in the body than formerly. My observation tends rather in the opposite di- rection. " Secondly, a strong characteristic of the breed has ever bee tenacity of purpose, and I have only known two of my dogs whic? could be taught at command to leave the trail of either fox or rat 76 DOMESTICATED UUNTIXG-DOGS. bit ; certainly it would be a hopeless task to prevent a DandiftDin- mont from engaging with a fox were an opportunity to offer. I consider the animal as naturally good-tempered, but when once roused, he is ready to seize hold of anything within reach. When I first kept these dogs, I was ignorant of their extremely excitable nature, and had many killed from time to time in fights, either in the kennels or at the entrance of rabbit holes; in short, when once their blood is fairly up they become utterly unmanageable. On this account, for years past (though I keep a number) I do not allow more than one dog and one bitch in a kennel, but sometimes a dog and two bitches if very harmonious. The first I had worried, many years ago, was a beautiful little fellow 14 lb. weight, bred by Mr. Kerss (Bowhill), from a sister of Stoddart's old Dandie and his own old Pepper. lie was killed in the night time by another of my dogs, to my great annoyance. When I mentioned the cir- cumstance to Mr. Kcrss, he informed me that during the time the little animal belonged to him, he had worried some of his, amongst the number a Newfoundland pup six mouths old. Yet it is by no means always the most excitable and pugnacious animal that stands the severe test, viz., to face alone two badgers at once, and fasten upon one of them while the other in turn attacks him, as I have known very many do. For my part, I prefer the dog who encounters his antagonist coolly and without any fuss. "In conclusion, I annex a list of the kennels I purchased, viz., that of Mr. Somncr (including his crack dog Shem), those of Messrs. Purves, Frain, M'Dougakl (including his famous Old May- day), J. Stoddart (who sold to me his celebrated Old Dandie), and many other Dandies from Mr. Milne, of Faldonside, bred from his famous Old Jenny, from Mr. Jas. Kerss (Bowhill), and likewise from the Haining, near Selkirk. From these ancestors my dog3 are purely and lineally descended. "Apologizing for having occupied so much of your columns, " E. Bradshaw Smith. " Zurich, Switzerland." The illustration is a portrait of Mr. Locke's Doctor, which has been established as one of the favorites of the various experts em» THE TEEKIEK. 77 ployed to judge this breed, and, as I think, deservedly, until the last Brighton show, where naturally enough the immediate de- scendants of Shamrock had the best of it under the fiat of his owner. The Skye Terrier is remarkable for his long weasel-shaped body, and for his short, fin-like legs, added to which he has a long rather than a wide head, and also a neck of unusual dimensions, so that when measured from tip to tail the entire length is more than three times his bight. The nose is pointed, but so concealed in the long Fig. 13.— SKYE TEKKIEK. hair which falls over his eyes, that it is scarcely visible without a careful inspection ; eyes keen and expressive, but small as com« pared with the spaniel. The ears, if falling, are large and slightly raised, but turning over; in the prick-eared variety, which Ts by many in the north preferred, the ears stand up like those of the fox; tail long, but small in bone, and standing straight backwards, that is, not curved over the back, but having only a very gentle sweep, to prevent touching the ground. Fore legs slightly bandy, yet this is not to be sought for, but to be avoided as much as pos- 78 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. sible, thou^^b always mor<; or less present. The dew-claws are en- tirely absent, and if present may be considered a mark of impurity. The colors most in request are steel-grey, with black tips ; fawn with brown tips to ears and tail; black, fawn, or blue, especially a dark, slaty blue ; the slightest trace of white is carefully avoided- The hair is long and straight, hard, and not silky, parted down the back, and nearly reaching the ground on each side, without the sli"-htest curl or resemblance to wool. On the legs and on the top of the head it is lighter in cohjr than on the body, and is softer and more silky. This dog is little used as a sporting or vermin dog, beino- chiefly reserved for the companionship of man, but he is sometimes employed as a vermin-killer, and is as game as the rest of the terriers, when employed for that purpose. His weight is from 10 to 18 lbs., averaging about 14. But the variations in this particular, as indeed in almost all the points of the Skye terrier, are numerous beyond description. Thus there are, first of all, two if not three kinds of the pure Skye ; one rather small in size, with long soft hair ; another considerably larger, and with hard, wiry hair; while again, between these two, a third may, by hair-split- ters, be readily made out. Then there is also a cross between the Skye and Dandie, which partakes in nearly equal proportions of the characte; istics of each ; and, lastly, most of the Skye terriers about Loudon are crossed with the spaniel, giving them that silky coat and jet black color which are admired by the ladies, but mark impurity of blood. This cross is detected by the worn-out ap- pearance of the hair on the face, up to the brow. The Skye is a very good vermin dog, and will hunt anything. The portrait of the prick-eared variety given is that of a dog belonging to Mr. H. Martin, of Glasgow. The Fox Terrier was originally kept as an addition to every pack of foxhounds, being always so handy as to be up within a very few- minutes of running to ground. Now hounds are so fast that he would be left many miles behind in a run, and dependence is there- fore placed upon any chance terrier at hand when one is wanted. But in proportion as he has ceased to be used in the hunting-field, he has attained popularity as the most fashionable companion lor THE TERRIER. 79 young men, and of late years the classes of fox-terriers at our dog shows have been the most numerous and generally mteresting. The points are as follows : Head Hut, and narrow between the eyes, but wider between the ears,— these are set rather back but lie close to the cheek, and are small and thin ; jaw strong, mouth level, and teeth strong ; eyes small and keen ; nose black ; shoul- ders straight, not too wide ; chest full and round, but not deep ; neck light and coming beautifully out of the shoulder ; back pow- Fig. 14. — ^FOX TERRIER, BITTERS. r//> /y t/J/^j^y^ erful, and thighs well bent and strong ; legs and feet straight and strong ; color white, with black, or black and tan, or tan markings about the head ; coat fine, but hard and not silky ; weight not ex- ceeding 16 lbs. At the present time the most noted show fox terriers are Mr. Burbidge's Bitters, Nimrod, Royal, Nettle, and Dorcas, Mr. Ab- bott's Moslem, Mr. Hyde's Buffett, Mr. Murchison's Forceps, Olive, Katty, and Whisky, Mr. Gibson's Boxer and Joe, :Mr. Fletcher's 80 D0ME3TICATEi> IIUNTING-DOGS. Rattler, and Mr. Whittle's Yorick. The most successful breeders of these have been Mr. Luke Turner and Mr. Gibson, the former having bred Nettle, Olive, and Joe, besides the first bitch puppy at the Lillie Bridge show, while the latter has bred Dorcas, BufFett, Natty, and Boxer. I have selected for the engraving, as the best specimen, the dog Bitters, he being, I believe, the nearest of any of the dogs to the requirements of a fox terrier. Bitters won his first prize (under the name of Jock) at Epworth in 1872, and has altogether won nine first and nine second prizes. The Bedlington Terrier has long been prized in the north of Eng- land, but until lately it has not been known out of that district It is a very quarrelsome dog, and is said to be of high courage. The body is not very long, the general appearance being somewhat leggy ; head high and narrow, and crowned with a tuft of silky hair like the Dandie ; eyes small, round, and rather sunk ; ears filbert-shaped, long, and hanging close to the cheek ; neck long and slender; legs rather long, but well formed and straight; color liver or sandy, or dark blue,— in the two former cases with a cherry nose, in the latter with a black one. The Yorh'ihire Blue Tan, sillcy coated Terrier, is a modem breed altogether, having been almost unknown beyond the neighborhood of n:\lifax until within the last few years. Excepting in color and coat this dog resembles the old English rough terrier, as well as the Scotch, but the silky texture of his coat and his rich blue tan color are the result of careful selection and probably of crossing with the Malte •e. The ears are generally cropped, but if entire should be fine, tliin, and moderately small. The coat should be long, silky in texture, and well parted down the back. The beard is peculi- arly long and falling, being often several inches in length, and of a rich golden tan color. The color must be entirely blue on the back and down to the elbows and thighs, without any mixture of tan or fawn. The logs and muzzle should be a rich golden tan ; the ears being th? same, but of a darker shade. On the top of the skull it becomes lighter and almost fawn. The weight varies from 10 lbs. to 18 lbs. THE TEKRIEK. 81 Visitors to our dog shows who look out for the beautiful as well as the useful, cannot fail to be attracted by this little exquisite, as he reclines on his cushion of silk or velvet, in the center of his little palace of crystal and mahoiiany, or struts round his mansion, with the consequential airs of the dandy that he is ; yet, with all^ Fig. 15. — YORKSHIRE TERRIER, LADY GIFFARD'S KATIE, his self-assertion of dignity, his beard of approved cut and color, faultless whiskers of Dundreary type, and coat of absolute perfec- tion, without one hair awry, one cannot help feeling that he is but a dandy after all. Although so very modern, it is difficult to trace satisfactorily the pedigree of this breed; indeed, pedigree he maybe said at present to have none, and it is hard to say out of what materials he was manufactured ; but the warp and woof of him appear to have been the common long-coated black and tan, and the lighter- colored specimens of what is known as the Glasgow or Paisley Skye terrier, the former of no certain purity, and the latter an ad- mitted mongrel ; and from which I think the Yorkshire gets the softness and length of coat due to Maltese blood. In shape this 82 DOMESTICATED HUNTING -DOGS. dog is in the proportion of hight to length between the Skye and English terrier — rather nearer to the latter; a long back is objected to. As they are always shown in full dress, little more than out- line of shape is looked for; the eye, except when the hair is tied up, is invisible ; the tail is shortened, and the ear is generally cut ♦, when uncut it must be small, and is preferred when it drops slightly at the tip, but this is a trival point, and sinks into insig- nificance before coat and color ; the coat must be abundant ovei the whole body, head, legs, and tail, and artificial means are used to encourage its growth ; length and straightness, freedom from curl and waviness, being sought for ; the body color should be clear, soft, silvery blue, of course varying in shade ; with this is preferred a golden tan head, with darker tan about the ears, and rich tan legs. The style in which the coat is arranged for exhibition is beautifully shown m the sketch of Katie ; but that stage of perfec- tion is not aWained without much time, trouble, and patience When the pups are bom, they are black in color, as are pepper Bandie Dinmonts and others ; at an early age the tip of the tail is nipped oflf to the desired length, the ears, if cut at all, not until the age of six to eight months , and before this the coat will be changing color, getting gradually lighter. To prevent the hair being scratched and broken, little or no meat is given. THE DACHSHUND, 85 Fig. 16. — ^PAIR OF BACHSHtraDS. THE DACHSHUND, OR GERMAN BADGER DOG. The Dachshund is perhaps one of the most ancient forms of the domesticated dog. The fact is that lie has for centuries repre- sented an isolated class between the hound and the terrier, with- out being more nearly connected with the one than the other. His obstinate, independent character, and his incapacity to be trained or broken to anything beyond his inborn, game-like disposition, are quite unrivalled among all other races of the dog. Regarding his frame, he differs from the hound, not only by his crooked fore legs and small size, but by the most refined modification of all parts of his body, according to his chief task — to work under- ground. It is not possible to imagine a more favorable frame for an " earth dog " than the real dachshund type. Some of our high- bred dachshunds are near perfection, according to German points; they do not want much improvement, but propagation, for they are seldom met with even in northern Germany. The desire for " hound-like type "in dachshunds would never have originated if the natural vocation of this breed (underground work) had not been overlooked. The consequence of this errone- ous idea will be that well-bred dachshunds will be regarded as a " terrier cross," and that it will be next to impossible for many dog fanciers to get a clear idea of the real type of the dachshund. 86 DOMESTICATED HUXTING-DOGS. Havinn: concentrated all varieties of the badger dog to one single cliiss — the crook-legged, short-haired dog, with head neither hound nor terrier-like, weight from 8 lbs. to 20 lbs., color black-tan and its variations — we shall still mejt here many varying forms. With some attention we shall soon distinguish the common breed and the well or high-bred dachshund. The first is a stout, strong-boned, muscularly built dog, with large head and strong teeth ; the back not much arched, sometimes even straight; tail long and heavy; fore legs strong and regularly formed ; the head and tail often ap- pear to be too large in the dog; the hair is rather coarse, thick-set, short, and wiry, lengthened at the uudgrside of the tail, without forming a brush or feather, and covering a good deal of the belly. These dogs are good workmen, and are less affected by weather than high-bred ones ; but they arc very apt to exceed 18 lbs. and even 20 lbs. weight, and soon get fat if not worked frequently. From this common breed originates the well and high-bred dog, which may at any time be produced again from it by careful selec- tion and in-breeding without any cross. The well and high-bred dog is smaller in size, finer in bone, more elegantly built, and seldom exceeds 16 lbs. to 17 lbs. weight ; the thin, slight, tapering tail is onij' of medium length ; the hair is very short, glossy like silk, but not soft ; the under part of the body is very thin-haired, rendering these nervous and high-spirited dogs rather sensitive to wet ground and rain. In hunting above ground tiie dachshund follows more the track than the general scent {wiitcrung) of the game ; therefore he follows rather slowly, but surely, and with the nose pretty close to the ground. His noise in barking is very loud, far sounding, and of surprising depth for a dog of so small a frame ; but, in giving tongue while hunting, he pours forth from time to time short, shrill notes, which are quickened as the scent gets hotter, and, at sight of the game the notes are often resolved into an indescribable screnm,as if the dog were being punished in a most cruel manner. Though not a pack hound, the dachshund will soon learn to run in couples ; and two or tliree of these couples, when acquainted with one another, or forming a little family, will hunt pretty well THE DACTI-'^riU^TD. 87 together. They do not frii^^htcn their game so much as the larger hounds, and, when frequently used, they will learn to stay when arrived at the line of the shooters, not by obedience to their mas- ter, but because they are intelligent enough as to see that it is quite useless to run longer after the game. For tracking wounded deer or a roebuck a dachshund may be used when no bloodhound is to be had ; but they must be accus- tomed to collar and line for this purpose, and then they are rather troublesome to lead in rough ground or coverts. They retrieve better by running free or slipped, but must carry a bell, for they arc apt to keep silence when they find their game dead ; and, be- ginniug to lick at the wound where the ball has gone' into' the body, they will slowly advance to tearing and to eating their prey. Dachshunds are very headstrong and difficult to keep under comma-nd ; and, as they are at the same time very sensitive to chastisement, it is next to impossible to force them to do anything against their will. Many good badger dogs have been made cow- ards for their whole life by one severe whipping. They must be taken as they are— with all their faults, as well as their virtues. When treated always kindly, the dachshund is verj^ faithful to his master, and not only a useful, but a most amusing dog — a very humorist among the canine family. In spite of his small frame, he has always an air of consequence and independence about him ; but, at the same time, he is very inquisitive, and always ready to interfere with things with which he has no concern. He seems to have an antipathy to large dogs, and, if they object to be domi- neered over, the dachshund will certainly quarrel with them. When his blood is up, he will care neither for blows nor fox wounds, and is often bitten dreadfully in such encounters. There- fore dachshunds should not be kept in kennels with larger dogs. When kept in houses and accustomed to children, they will make good pets, for they are clean, intelligent, and watchful, without being noisy, though often snappish with strangers. First in- troduced into the United States about twelve years ago, they are now becoming quite numerous. CHAPTER IV. DOMESTICATED DOGS, FINDING GAME BY SCENT, BUT NOT KILLING IT, BEING CHIEFLY USED IN AID OF THE GUN. THE MODERN ENGLISH POINTER. — THE PORTUGUESE POINTER. — THE FRENCH POINTER. — THE DALMATIAN AND DANISH DOGS. — THB ENGLISH AND IRISH SETTERS.— THE RUSSIAN SETTER.— THE ORDINARY FIELD SPANIEL, INCLUDING THE SPRINGER (CLUMBER, SUSSEX, AND NORFOLK BREEDS), AND THE COCKER (WELSH AND DEVONSHIRE).— THE WATER SPANIEL (ENGLISH AND IRISH).— THE CHESAPEAKE BAT DOG. THE MODERN ENGLISH POINTER. This is now one of the most beautiful of all our sporting dogs, dividing with the setter the admiration of all those who enjoy the pleasures attending on the use of the gun. The points desirable in the pointer are, a moderately large head, wide rather than long, with a high forehead, and an intelligent eye of medium size. Muzzle broad, with its outline square in front, not receding as in the hound. Flews manifestly present, but not pendent. The head should be well set on the neck, with a peculiar form at the junction only seen in the pointer. The neck itself should be long, convex in its upper outline, without any tendency to a dewlap or to a "ruff," as the loose skin covered with long hair round the neck is called. The body is of good length, with a strong loin, wide hips, and rather arched ribs, the chest being well let down, but not in a hatchet shape as in the greyhound, and the depth of the back ribs being proportionately greater than in that dog. The tail, or " stern" as it is technically called, is strong at the root, but suddenly diminishing it becomes very fine, and then continues nearly of the same size to within two inches of the tip, when it goes off to a point looking as sharp as the sting of a wasp, and giv- ing the whole very much the appearance of that part of the insect, but magnified as a matter of course. This peculiar shape of the 88 THE MODERN ENGLISH POINTER. 89 Stem characterizes the breed, and its absence shows a cross with the hound or some other dog. The shoulders are points of great im- portance in the pointer, as unless they are well-formed he cannot last throughout the day, and, moreover, he can neither stop him- self nor turn quickly in his work as he ought to do. Hence, a long, slanting, but muscular blade is of vast importance, united to a long upper arm, which again requires for its existence an elbow well let down below the chest, and a short fore arm. This low posi- tion of the elbow is not generally sufficiently insisted on, but in pointers and setters it is all-important, and it will be seen to be particularly well shown iu the portrait, page 21. Plenty of bone in the leg, well clothed with muscle and tendon, a strong knee, full-sized ankle, and round strong foot, pr.)vided with a thick sole, are also essential to the wear and tear of the fore quarter, while the hind requires muscular haunches and thighs, strong well-bent stifles, large and strong hocks, and the hind feet of the same char- acter as those described for the fore feet. The color should be principally white, in order that the dog may readily be seen either among heather, or in clover or turnip-, as the case may be. Liver- colored or black pointers look very handsome, but it will be found that great inconvenience attaches to them, as they will often be lost si:^ht of when pointing in either of the above kinds of beat. White, with black, liver, j'-ellow, or lemon-colored heads, are the most prized ; and of these my prejudice is in favor of the last from having had and seen so many good dogs of that color. A spot or two on the body, and any number of ticks, are not consid- ered objectionable, particularly tlie latter, which are generally ad- mired. Some breeds are distinguished by having numerous white ticks in tlie color, especially when there are large patches on the body, the marks on the head being usually free from them. Black and white pointers have sometimes also the tanned spots over the eye, and the edges of the black on the cheeks tinged with tan ; but this is supposed to indicate a cross of the foxhound, and no doubt in many cases with truth ; yet I fancy that if a yellow and white pointer is put to a black and white one, the tan will show itself occ-IEL, GEOROE. nor is the general character of the head very distinguishable from that of the Clumber; but in length he is not nearly so remarkable as that dog, though still long and low, the body being very round and full, indicating great power. The coat also is pretty nearly the same in quality, being soft and silky, though thick and free from distinct curls; and this dog is also beautifully feathered The head is not quite so heavy about the muzzle, but very square above the eyes, and with an expression of exceeding gravity and THE FIELD SPANIEL. 115 intelligence. The ears are full in length, lobe-shaped, bnt not very thickly covered with hair. Muzzle broad, with the under jaw re- ceding more than in the Clumber, and the point of the nose of a liver-color. The whole body is also of a decided liver-color but with rather a golden shade, not so puce as that of the Welsh or Devonshire cockers, or the Irish water spaniel. Legs and feet very strong, and well feathered. Tail generally cropped, and well clothed with wavy hair. The bitches are usually smaller than the dogs. All of this breed throw their tongues, and when kept to Fig. 20. — COCKER SPANIEL, BBUSH. cocks or pheasants, they readily indicate their scent by a sharper Dote than usual. The portrait given as a specimen of the breed was bred by the late A. E. Fuller, of Rose Hill, Sussex, England. The Cocker can scarcely be minutely described, inasmuch as there are so many varieties in different parts of Great Britain. He may, however, be said, in general terms, to be a light, active spaniel, of about 14 lbs. weight on the average, sometimes reaching 20 lbs., Vith very elegant shapes, and a lively and spirited carriage. In 116 DOMESTICATED DOGS FOR THE GUN. hunting he keeps his tail down, like the rest of his kind, and works it constantly in a most rapid and merry way, from which alone he may be known from the springer, who also works his, but solemnly and deliberately, and apparently without the same pleasurable sensations which are displayed by the cocker. The head is round and tlie forehead raised ; muzzle more pointed than tlic springer, and the ear less heavy, but of good length, and well clothed with soft wavy hair, which should not be matted in a heavy mass. The eye is of medium size, slightly inclined to water, but not to weep like the toy dog's; body of medium length, and the shape generally resembling that of a small setter. It has long been the custom to crop the tail nearly half off, so as to prevent the constant wearing of it against the bushes, as the dog works his way through them. If left on, it is nearly as long in propor- tion as that of the setter, but more bushy, and not so closely re- sembling a fan. These dogs are well feathered, and the work for their feet and legs requires them to be strong and well formed. The coat should be thick and wavy, but not absolutely curled, which last shows the cross with the water spaniel, and that gives too much obstinacy with it to conduce to success in covert shoot- ing. The color varies from a plain liver or black to black and tan, white and black, white and liver, white and red, or white and lemon ; and different breeds are noted as possessing some one of these in particular, but I am not aware that any one is remarkable as belonging to a superior race. The title " cocker" includes every kind of field spaniel except the Sussex and Clumber, and it is therefore necessary to allude to the Norfolk Spaniel as well as to the Welsh and Devon Cocker. The Norfolk spaniel is still to be found scattered throughout the coun- try, and is generally of a liver and white color, sometimes black and white, and rarely lemon and white; usually a good deal ticked with color in the white. Higher on the leg than the Clumber or the Sussex, he is generally more active than either, sometimes almost rivalling the setter in lightness of frame; his ears are long, lobular and heavily feathered, and he is a very use- ful dog when thoroughly broken, but he is apt to be too wild in THE FIELD SPANIEL. 117 his behavior and too wide in his range until he has had a longer drill than most sportsmen can afford, and in retrieving he is often hard mouthed. When thoroughly broken, however, he is an ex- cellent aid to the gun ; but he is so intermixed with other breeds, that it is impossible to select any particular specimen as the true type. With regard to the Welsh and Devon cocker of former times, they are now scarcely to be met with in a state of purity and of the regulation size (20 lbs. to 25 lbs.) ; most of them have been crossed with the springer, or by improved management have been raised in weight to 30 lbs. at the least, which militates against their use in some coverts ; and in a vast majority of teams, the modern field spaniel must be regarded as more like the springer than the cocker. The Welsh and Devon cockers are both liver- colored, not of the Sussex golden hue, but of a dead true liver color. Their ears are not too large for work, and on the show bench would by many judges be considered too small ; but they are always lobular, without the slightest tendency to a vine shape. Throughout the country there are numberless breeds of cockers of all colors, varying from white, black, or liver to red and white, lemon and white, liver and white, and black and white. Lady- bird is nearly all red, but she comes of strains usually all liver or all black. The illustration is a portrait of Mr. W. Gillett's Brush, an excellent representative dog. The Blenheim and King Charles' Spaniels will be described under the head of toy dogs, to which purpose alone are they really suited, though sometimes used m covert shooting. 118 dome..ti(j..t::i) dogs fou the g0K. Fig. 21. — IRISH WATER SPANIEL, KAKE. THE WATER SPANIEL. WaUr Spaniels are commonly said to have web-feet, and this point is often made a ground of distinction from other dogs, but tlie fact is that all dogs have their toes united by membranes in the same way, the only distinction between the water and land dogs being that the former liave larger feet, and that the membrane between the toes being more lax, they spread more in swimming, and arc thus more useful in the water. Most people would un- derstand, from the stress laid on web-feet in the water dogs, that the toes of the land dogs were nearly as much divided as those of man, but there are none so formed, and, as I before remarked, the toes of all are united throughout by a strong membrane. The coat in all the water dogs is woolly and thickly matted, often curly, and in all more or less oil}-, so as to resist the action of the water. THE WATER SPANIEL. HQ This oil is rank in smell, and hence they are all unfit to be inmates of our houses, which is a strong objection even to the poodle as a toy dog. As, therefore, we have no ground for separating the land from the water dogs by this strong line, I have not attempted to do so, but have grouped them according to the divisions under which they naturally fall. The Old English water Spaniel is particularly fond of the water, and will enter it in almost all weathers by choice, while it never is too cold for him when any game is on it. His powers of swim- ming and diving are immense, and he will continue in it for hours together, after which he gives his coat a shake and is soon dry. Indeed, when he first comes out he does not seem thoroughly wet, his oiled and woolly coat appearing to set at defiance the approach of water. His nose is pretty good, and he is capable of an excel- lent education ; but it takes some time to break him thoroughly, as he is required to be completely under command, and is a very restless dog by nature, whereas his duties demand perfect silence. There are generally said to be two distinct breeds, one larger than the other, but in other respects alike. His points are as follows : — Head long and narrow, eyes small, and ears of medium length, covered with thick curly hair. Body stout, but elegantly formed, with strong loins, and round barrel- like chest, which is broad across the sh(Hildcrs. The legs are rather long, but very strong, the bone being of great size, and well clothed with muscle. Feet large and spreading, tail covered thickly with long curly hair, and slightly curved upwards, but not carried above the level of the back. The Irish icater Spaniel consists of two distinct varieties, peculiar to the north and south of Ireland. The northern dog has short ears, with little feather either on them or on the legs, but with a considerable curl in his coat. In color he is generally liver, but with more or less white which sometimes predominates, so as to make him decidedly white and liver. The south country Irish water spaniel is, on the contrary, invariably of a puce liver color. Ears long and well feathered, being often two feet from point to point, and the whole coat consisting of short crisp curls. Body 120 DOMESTICATED DOGS FOK THE GUN. long, low, and strong, tail round and carried slightly dovcn ; but straight, without any approach to featlier. The celebrated breed known as "M'Carthy's" is thus described by that gentleman in a recent communication. "The present improved and fancy breed, called M'Carthy's breed, should run thus :— Dog from 21 to 22^ inches high (seldom higher when pure bred), head rather capacious, forehead promi- nent, face from eyes down perfectly smooth, ears from 24 to 26 inches from point to point. The head should be crowned with a well-defined top-knot, not straggling across like the common rough water dog, but coming down in a peak on the forehead. The body should be covered with small crisp curls, which often become drag- gled in the moulting season : the tail should be round without feather underneath, of the two rather short, and as stiff as a ram- rod ; the color of a pure puce liver without any white. Though these dogs are generally of very high mettle, I have never found them intractable or difficult to be trained ; they readily keep to heel and down-charge, and will find a dead or wounded bird anywhere, either in the open or in covert, but they are not partial to stiff thorny brakes, as the briers catch the curl and trail after them. It is advisable to give them a little training at night, so that in seeking objects they must rely upon the nose alone. For the gnn, they should be taught to go into the water like a duck ; but when kept for fancy, a good dog of tliis breed will take a flying jump of from 25 to 35 feet, or more, perpendicular hight, into the water. My old dog Boatswain lived to be about eighteen years old, when, although in good health and spirits, I was obliged to destroy bim. When going abroad in 1849, for some years, I gave my breed to Mr. Jolliffe Tuffnell, of Mount-street, Merrion-square, Dublin, son of the late Col. Tuffnell, of Bath. Ilis dog Jack, a son of my dog Boatswain, is known particularly as a sire, to every one in Ire- land, and to very many in England. A good well-trained dog of this breed will not bo obtained under from $50 to $100, and I have known as much as $200 or $000 to be paid for one. They will not stand across with any other breed; the spaniel, setter, Newfoundland dog, and Labrador dog, etc., perfectly destroy coat, CHESAPEAKE BAY DOG. 121 ears, tail, and symmetry ; added to which, the cross-bred dog is rery difficult to dry. If any cross would answer, I should say the bloodhound.— J. M'C." The portrait on page 118 is from a remarkably good photograph of Mr. Lindoe's celebrated Rake. Fig. 22. — CHESAPEAKE BAT DOG. CHESAPEAKE BAT DOG. The earliest accounts that we have of the above mentioned dog date back to the year 1807, when the ship "Canton," of Balti- more, fell in at sea with an English brig in a sinking condition, bound from Newfoundland to England. The crew were rescued and taken aboard of the " Canton," also two Newfoundland pups, a dog and bitch The English crew were landed at Norfolk, and the two pups purchased from the English captain for a guinea apiece, and taken to Baltimore. The dog pup, called " Sailor," 122 DOMESTICATED DOGS FOR THE QUi^. was given to Mr. John Mercer, of West River; the bitch pup, named " Canton," to Dr. James Stewart, of Sparrow Point. The dog was of a dingy-red color, and the bitch black. They were not large, hair short, but very thick-coated, attained great reputation as water dogs, and were very sagacious, particularly so in all duties pertaining to duck shooting. Gov. Lloyd, for a valuable consideration, succeeded in securing the dog, and took him to his estate on the eastern shore of Maryland, where his progeny may still be known as the Sailor breed. The bitch remained at Sparrow Point, and her progeny are well known to the duck shooters of Patapsco Neck, Gunpowder, etc. As there now appears to be three types of this dog, the members of the Maryland Poultry and Fancier's Association, at their first show, held at Baltimore, January, 1877, appointed a committee to draw up a standard of points for judging. On the evening of January 3, 1877, they met the members of the club, and made their report, which was adopted. The committee consisted of the following gentlemen (each representing their respective type): Mr. John Stewart, representing the Otter breed, in color a tawny sedge, with very short hair ; Mr. O. D. Foulks, the long-haired, or Red Winchester, and Mr. J. J. Turner, Jr., the curly-coated, in color a red-brown — the bitches showing the color and approximating to the points of the class to which they belong, a white spot on the breast in either class not being unusual. The measurements were as follows : from fore toe to top of back, 25 inches ; from tip of nose to base of head, 10 inches ; girth of body back of fore leg, 33 inches; breast, 9 inches ; around fore feet, 6 inches ; around fore arm be- low shoulder, 7 inches ; between eyes, 2^- inches ; length of ears, 5 inches; from base of head to root of tail, 35 inches; tail, 16 inches in length ; around muzzle below the eyes, 10 inches. The writer has one crossed with the pure Irish Water Spaniel, which cannot be excelled as a ducking dog. The illustration page 121 is of the dog "Trip," owned by C. H. Tilghman, of Easton, Md., and awarded the first premium at the Bench Show held in New York in 1877. CHAPTER V. iPASTORAL DOGS, AND THOSE USED FOR THE PUIV POSES OF DRAUGHT. THE ENGLISH SHEEP-DOG. — THE COLLET. — THE GERMAN SHEEP-DOG.-» POMERAJ^IAN OR SPITZ DOG. — THE NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR DOGS. — THE ESQUIMAUX DOG. — THE GREENLAND DOG. THE ENGLISH SHEEP-DOG. There are so many different breeds of the English Sheep-dog that it is diflScult to describe him. He has a sharp muzzle, medium- sized head, with small and piercing eyes ; a well- shaped body, formed after the model of a strong low greyhound, bat clothed in thick and somewhat woolly hair, which is particularly strong about the neck and bosom. The tail is naturally long and bushy, but, as it has almost invariably been cut off until of late years, its varia- tions can hardly be known. Under the old excise laws the shep- herd's dog was only exempt from tax when without a tail, and for this reason it was always removed ; from which at last it happened that many puppies of the breed were born without any tails, and to this day some particular breeds are tailless. In almost all sheep- dogs there is a double dew-claw on each hind leg, and very often without any hony attichment. The legs and feet are strong and well formed, an 1 stan 1 road-work well, and the untirin:: nature of the dog is v^ry remarkable. The color varies greatly, but most are grey, or black, or brown, with more or less white. Such is the trie ol I En jlish sheep-dog, but a great proportion of those in actual use are crossed with the various sporting dogs, such as the setter, wkich is very con.mon, or the pointer, or even the hound ; and hence ^c so oaeu find the sheep-dog as good in 133 124 TA STOMAL DOnS, ETC. hunting gnme as in his more rei^ular duties, while a ,Q;reat many- are used as regular poaching dogs by night, and in retired districts by day also. THE COLLET. One of the most beautiful and useful of all dogs is the Scotch sheep-dog or colley, excellent engravings of which .are given, pp. 125-128. With a fine muzzle he combines an intelligent-looking and rather broad head, and a clear but mild eye, a pricked and small car slightly falling at the tip. His body is elegantly formed, and clothed with a thick coat of woolly hair, which stan.ds out evenly from his sides and protects him from all the vicissitudes of the weather, neither wind, rain, nor snow being capable of pene- trating it. The legs are well formed and the feet strong and use- ful. The tail is long, gently curved, and bushy, and the \\liole outline resembles that of the dingo ; but the form is stouter and the limbs stronger. The color is nearly always black and tan, with little or no white; sometimes, however, the whole skin is of one or other of these colors, but then the dog is not considered nearly so valuable. The colley, like the true English sheep-dog, has always one or two dew-claws on each hind leg. A great deal of discussion has lately taken place in regard to the colley's proper color and general appearance, and various de- scriptions have been given of what each writer considers the genuine breed, differing in every respect but the one to which I have drawn attention, which in almost all cases has been admitted to be essential. Some gentlemen, however, who have obtained specimens with beautiful but open coats of a glossy black, pointed with tan, have contended that this is the desideratum ; and so it is for the dog, considered simplj^ as a companion. Hitherto, how- ever, no one has ventured to propound the theory that he is to be so regarded ; and, until I find that a separate class is made at some one or more of our important shows for *' toy collcys," I must THE COLLET. 127 continue to describe the breed from the shepherd's point of view, only — ret^arding any suspicion of a setter cross, and especially if shown in coat, as injuring his value for the reasons before given. Only those who have seen one or more of the public sheep-dog trials (instituted about four years ago by Mr. Lloyd Price, and many of which have of late years been held in Wales as well as in Eng- land), or have privately seen these animals at their usual work, can realize the amount of intelligence displayed by them. In these trials the slightest sign from the shepherd is understood and obeyed, and even the exact amount of driving calculated to make the sheep go quietly forward to the pen without breaking away is regulated to a nicety. But, irrespective of his obedience to his master's orders, the in- dependent intelligence of the colley is very high, and it is interest- ing to watch him or some other sheep-dog manage a wild sheep t^hich is to be driven against his will in a certain direction. Very frequently the sheep turns round and stands facing the dog, and the natural expectation on the part of a spectator is that the latter will try by barking to make the sheep turn round and progress somewhere. Not so, however ; such a proceeding would inevita- bly cause a " break away," and the course pursued is to lie quietly down and face the sheep. By this method in a short time the fac- ing is changed to a quiet retreat, or sometimes to a slight backing, when the dog quietly moves a step or two forward and again lies down, till at lasi, by this kind of coaxing, the weaker animal of the two is quietly managed. In such cases a high degree of intel- ligence and tact is required which is partly innate and partly ac- quired from the shepherd by education. As a consequence there must be a due development of brain in the sheep-dog, and there must be a disposition to learn and obey the orders given. So clever is the colley that he will not be imposed on for any purpose not evidently useful, and it is seldom that he can be taught to exe- cute tricks for the gratification of idle spectators, although there is no difficulty in getting him to perform them once or twice to please his master. If exhibited beyond this extent he is apt to sulk and refuse to show off; but when he is wanted to do really useful 128 PASTOEAL DOGS, ETC. work, such as is required for tlie slieplierd's purposes, be is untir« ing, and will go on until utterly exhausted. No otlier dog in this country is so constantly with his master en- gaged in his proper calling — taking the breed as a whole. Occa- sionally, it is true, pet dogs are as much so, but by no means uni- versally, nor are they even then so frequently employed in carry« ing oat their master's orders. This naturally increases the intelli- gence of each individual and reacts on the whole breed ; so that, independently of the constantly weeding ooit of puppies rendered Fig. 23.— SCOTCH COLLET DOG, TOM BIDLEY. useless from a want of intelligence, the superiority of the whole variety in mental attributes is easily accounted for. For the same reason, when the pet colley gels old and is submitted to the rebuffs of children or strangers, he is apt to become crusty in temper, and sometimes even savage; but he is always most affectionate to his master, and no dog seems to be more sincerely repentant when he has done wrong. Within the last ten years the colley has become very fashionable as a pet, and his market price has risen from $15 to $150, or even THE COLLEY. 129 more for animals good-looldng enough to take a prize at our shows. For this kind of colley, beauty of form and a brilliant black coat are the chief requisites, and these are greatly aided by the cross with the Gordon setter ; that is to s ly, without any consideration for the purposes to whic-i Jvs dog was originally bred, and is stiH extensively used. The pet colley, not being exposed to weather is quite as useful to his master with an open setter coat and feath- ered legs ; while regarded from an artistic point of view he is more handsome from the superior brilliancy of his color, and from the addition of feather. His ears, when thus bred, are, however, seldom good, being neither pricked like the colley's, nor falling close like the setter's ; and this is the chief objection to the cross from the pet dog point of view, though no doubt it is and has been easily bred out by careful selection. Moreover, if a pet is wanted solely as such, the Gordon setter in his purity is a handsomer dog than the colley, with a more pettable disposition, and it would be better to select him accordingly. In Scotland and the north of England, as well as in Wales a great variety of breeds is used for tending sheep, depending- greatly on the locality in which they are employed, and on the kind of sheep adopted in it. The Welsh sheep is so wild that he requires a faster dog than even the Highlander of Scotland, while in the lowlands of the latter country a heavier, tamer, and slower sheep is generally introduced. Hence it follows that a different dog is required to adapt itself to these varying circumstances, and it is no wonder that the strains are as numerous as they are. In Wales there is certainly, so far as I know, no special breed of sheep-dog, and the same may be said of the north of England, where, however, the colley (often improperly called Scotch), more or less pure, is employed by nearly half the shepherds of that dis- trict, the remainder resembling the type known by that name in many respects, but not all. For instance, some show a total absence of " ruff" or " frill ;" others have an open coat of a pied black and white color, with a setter shaped body ; while others, again, resemble the ordinary drover's dog in all respects. But, %ithout doubt, the modern " true and accepted " colley ^hs been ICO PASTOKAL "DOGS, ETC. in existence for at least thirty yenrs, as proved by the engraving published in Youatt's bck on " TJic Dog," nearly thirty years ago, which, by permission of his publisher, was accepted by me as the proper type in 1859, in my first treatise on the varieties of the canine race. That pc-^^iit was, T believe, copied from a specimen in the gardens of ti.e Zoological Society, which for some years after its formation possessed a most interesting collection of dogs, now unfortunately abandoned. The engraving given on page 99 represents some specimens of good American bred Col leys ; that on page 128 is a portrait of Tom Ridley, tlie first prize dog at the N. Y. Bench Show, 1877, and owned by Mr. F. Bronson, of New York City. THE GERMAN SHEEP-DOG Is a small-sized dog, with bushy tail carried over the back, small muzzle, and shaggy coat, which is generally black or light fawn. His manner is brisk and affectionate, and his tractability is great, so that he is most useful in his vocation, and as a companionable dog is not excelled. THE POMERANIAX OK SPITZ DOG. 131 Fig. 24.— A SPITZ DOG. THE POMERANIAN OR SPITZ-DOG. Within the last twenty years this dog has been largely imported from Germany and France into England, in addition to those bred in that country; but, nevertheless, he has not become so general a favorite as was expected, owing in some measure to the fashion of the day tendmg towards the fox terrier and collcy, and also to tlie temper of the Spitz, which is too short and snappish to make liim fit to be trusted with children. It is true that the colley has the same disposition, but not quite to the same extent; and, being a better traveller with horses and carriages, he is more suited to act as a companion in country rides and drives tliaii his more deli- cate rival. In his native country, the Pomeranian dog is employed as a 132 PASTOKAL DOGS, ETC. sheep-dog, for which he is fitted by his peculiarly woolly coat and ample frill, rendering him to a great degree proof against wet and cold. Like the coUey, he is impatient of control in playing tricks, and, indeed, can seldom be taught to display them even for a time, his intelligence not being of a very high order — at all events, if the attempt is made in any direction but that of his peculiar calling, for which, as far as known, he has never been employed anywhere else. But he is always cheerful in the house, generally free from smell either of coat or breath, and readily taught to be cleanly in all his habits. He has not the fondness for game gen- erally exhibited by the colley, and on that account is more suited to be a ladies' pet, nor is he so pugnacious as that dog, being as a rule inclined to run away rather than fight, when the choice lies between those alternatives. From these peculiarities it may be gathered that he is quite up to the average in his fitness to fill the position of companion. The specimen selected for illustration is only of average perfec- ti(m in the shape of body and head, but his coat is highly charac- teristic of the true breed. He took the first prize at the late Isling- ton Show of the Kennel Club. This variety of dog has become very popular as a house dog in America, but of late has fallen into some disrepute on account of his snappish disposition. THE NEWFOUNDLAND. This most valuable animal is of three very different kinds, viz.: 1. The true Newfoundland ; 2. The large, loose-made, and long- haired variety, known as the Large Labrador; and 3. The small, compact, and comparatively short-haired dog, known as the St. John's or Lesser Labrador breed. All were originally natives of Newfoundland, and though many are bred in England, fresh specimens are constantly being imported from the island. Many of the naturalized strams are now more or less crossed with the mastiff or setter. They are chiefly used fcr ornamental purposes THE NEAVFOUNDLAND. 133 and as companions to their masters, the small breed beinn- also crossed with the setter to make tlie retriever ; but in their native country they are used to draw timber over the snow in the winter months, being harnessed to carts and sledges made for the pur- pose. In intelligence the three breeds are about equal, all being celebrated for their faculty of learning to fetch and carry. This is sometimes developed to such an extent that a well-trained dog will go back for anything which his master has pointed out to him, if it has been handled, when it is only necessary to order him back to seek, and he will find it by the scent. Both breeds are good water dogs and bear immersion for a long time, but the large variety having a more woolly coat is superior in endurance of wet and cold. Hundreds of anecdotes are told of extraordinary escapes from drowning by means of these dogs, their tendency to fetch and carry being doubly useful here. Children and light small women may be intrusted to them with safety in the water, if they are not bewildered with fear, when they will sometimes cling round the dog's neck, and frustrate all his efforts to restore them to the land by swimming; generally, however in cases of recovery, the person has fainted, and being then power- less, is towed ashore readily enough. The speed with which the Newfoundland swims is very great, his large legs and feet enabling him to paddle himself with great force. From their great size and strength they are able to beat off most dogs when they are attacked and their thick coats prevent the teeth of their assailants from doing much damage ; but in offensive measures they are of little use, being rather unwieldy, and soon winded in a desperate struggle. Hence they are not useful in hunting the large kinds of game, nor the bear, wolf, or tiger. The nose is delicate enough to hunt any kind of scent, but as they soon tire, they are not used in this way, and it is solely as retrievers on land or water that they are useful to the sportsman, being generally crossed with the setter for the former, and the water spaniel for the latter element. The characteristic points of the Large Newfoundland are, great size, often being from 25 to 30 inches high ; a form proportionally stout and strong, but loosely put together, so that there is a general 134 PASTORAL DOoS, ETC. want of compactness, especially about tlic loins, wbicb are long and very flexible. The head is not large in comparison to the size, but wide across the eyes; muzzle of average length and width, and without any flews, as in the hounds and pointers ; eye and ear both small, the latter falling, and without much hair on it; neck short and clotl.ja with a ruff of hair; tail long, curled on itself slightly, and woolly; legs very strong, but not feathered; feet large and rather flat, bearing the road badly ; coat on the body ^JK ^"^ a^^ Fig. 25. — NEWFOUNDLAND DOG, LEO. long, hairy, shaggy, and shining, without any admixture of wool; the color should be black, but it is sometimes black and white, or white with little black, or liver color, or a reddish dun, or some- times, but rarely, a dark brindle not very well marked. The large black Newfoundland is remarkable for his majestic appearance, combined with a benevolent expression of counte- nance. The latter quality, being really in accordance with his dis- position, and frequently displayed by his life-saving capacities in cases of threatened drowning, has made him for many years a great THE NEWFOUNDLAND. 135 favorite as a companion, especially with those who live near the sea or any great river. With these points in view, judges have naturally made a full size of great importance, since it not only adds to the majestic aspect of the dog, but renders him really more capable of distinguishing himself in the career so beautifully com- memorated by Landscer in one of his most popular pictures. The general opinion now is, that a dog of this breed above 26 inches is almost unknown in Newfoundland ; but it is also allowed that puppies bred and reared in England of the pure strains, which in the island never attain a greater hight than 26 inches, will o-row to 30 or even 32 inches. Such an animal is Mr. Mapplebeck's Leo, who has recently taken the first prize at Islington in the Kennel Club Show, after distinguishing himself previously at Bath, and other places. The Large Labrador is a more loosely-framed animal, and is never entirely black, being more or less mixed with white. The coat also is longer, more woolly, and curly. The St. John's, or Smaller Labrador, or Newfoundland, the three names being used indiscriminately, is seldom more than 25 inches high, and often much less. The head is larger in proportion to his size, and the ear also slightly fuller ; neck longer ; body far more compact, and clothed with shorter hair, shining, and with- out any woolly texture ; tail similar in shape, but the hair less woolly ; legs and feet also better adapted for work ; color almost always a jet black, rarely liver-colored. This dog is now generally more or less crossed with the setter. THE ESQUIMAUX DOGS. These dogs are the only beasts of burden in the northern part of America and the adjacent islands, being sometimes employed to carry materials for hunting or the produce of the chase on their backs. At other times they are harnessed to sledges in teams, vary- ing from 7 to 11, each being capable of drawing a hundred-weight 136 PASTORAL DOGS, ETC. for his share. They are harnessed to a single yoke-line by a breast- strap, and, being without any guide-reins, they are entirely at lib- erty to do what they like, being only restrained by the voice of their master, and urged forwiird by his whip. A single dog of tried intelligence and fidelity is placed as leader, and upon him the driver depends for his oracrs being obeyed. In the summer they arc most of them turned oiF to get theh: own subsistence by hunt- ing, some few being retained to carry weights on their backs. Sledges are then rendered useless by the absence of snow ; and, as Fig. 26.— HEAD OF ESQUIMAUX DOQ. there is a good subsistence for them from the ofFal of the seal and the walrus which are taken by the men, the dogs become fat at this season of the year. The Siberian and Greenland dogs are nearly similar to those of Kamtschatka, but somewhat larger, and also more manageable, all being used in the same way. The Es- quimaux dog is about 22 or 23 inches high, and varies greatly in appearance, having been crossed considerably with the Newfound- land and Labrador species. The illustration, fig. 26, represents a THE ESQUIMAUX DOGS. 137 variety used mostly in the region about York Factory, Rupert's Rivers, and Labrador. It is generally of the Newfoundland type. The dog common to the region of the Saskatchewan River and Lake Winipeg is stone-grey, of large and bony build, with large spreading feet and with prick ears. The hair is Jong and wiry, and lies close to the body. The head of this dog is shown in the engraving, fig. 27, which is from a drawing by Adrian Nelson of Manitoba, who gives the following particulars in a re- cent letter : " The black and the yellow Esquimaux dogs are, I believe, pe- Fig. 27.— HEAD OP ESQmMAUX DOO. culiar to the American Esquimaux. These I consider the best sleigh dogs known, especially the black variety. The other variety is found in all shades of yellow, sometimes almrst white. A portrait of a white dog of this variety is given on page 139. The following are the measurements of this remarkably fine specimen : Hight at shoulder, 2 ft. 6 in.; length from center between shoulder blades to center between ears, 1 foot ; from latter point to end of 138 PASTOIIAL DOGS, ETC. nose, 11 in.; length from shoulders to setting on of tail, 2 ft 7 in.; length of tail, 1 foot 4 in.; nieasuremeat round head just behind ears, 2 ft.; just above eyes, 1 foot 8 in.; at point of nose, 10 in.; his girth measured fairly tight, not outside the hair, 3 ft.; his weight is 120 lbs. Out of a good many hundred of the black I have not seen a single specimen marked with either white or brown. When skinned it is at once noticed that the skull is unusually Hat; this peculiarity is hidden in the live animal by its hair. It has a heavy jaw, very small round ears, which are always erect, and the hair, which is long, hard, and wiry, invariably stands erect off the skin, very similar to that of a bear, to which the whole dog bears a very close re- semblance when lying down. All of this breed ai*e fierce, treacherous, and active. A man would be considered a fool who attempted to harness them without his whip, and that whip must have some little bells, thimbles, or pieces of tm attached, so as to constantly jingle. It would be the essence of folly to touch one of these dogs when out of his harness, except with the whip. Ap- proaching the dog, the driver throws the lash, which is about 10 feet long, round the dog's neck, twists it until it almost chokes him, and then drags him to his collar by main strength, grasps his head between his thighs, and then slips the collar, which is very ti^ht, over the head. From that instant the dog is quiet and sub' missive enough. The whips used are of plaited canbou hide, with from 2 oz. to 8 oz. of small shot woven into them, to give them weight. Besides this, with most strains, it is necessary to carry chains to fasten the dogs at night, and, if travelling on ice, also a spear to picket them to. Mr. Ouyon, of Fort Chippewyan, on Lake Arthabasca, has some splendid dogs of this breed. This post has the reputation of having the finest dogs in the North. A peculiar- ity in these dogs is that they all have bright, clear, yellow eyes, similar to a cat, with great powers of dilating the pupils. These dogs cannot be purchased, except at a very great expense, a good one being sold for $100, or more. CHAPTER VI. WATCH DOGS, HOUSE DOGS, AND TOY DOGS. bULLDOG.— ENGLISH MASTIFF.— MOUNT ST. BERNARD.— TUIBET DOG.^ POODLE.— MALTESE DOG.— LION DOG.— SHOCK DOG.— TOY SPANIELS. —TOT TERRIERS.— THE PUG DOG.— ITALIAN GREYHOUND. Th2 peculiarity of this division is that the dogs composing it are solely useful as the companions or guards of their owners, not being capable of being employed with advantage for hunting, in consequence of their defective noses, and their sizes being either too large and unwieldy, or too small, for that purpose. For the same reason they are not serviceable as pastoral dogs or for draught, their legs and feet, as well as their powers of maintaining long-continued exertion, being comparatively deficient. These dogs nearly all show a great disposition to bark at intruders, and thereby give warning of their approach ; but some, as the bull- dog, are nearly silent, and their bite is far worse than their bark. Others, as, for instance, the little house dogs, generally with more or less of the terrier in them, are only to be used for the purpose of warning by their bark, as their bite would scarcely deter the most timid. The varieties are as follows : — THE BULLDOG. F. Cuvier has asserted that this dog has a brain smaller in pro- portion than any other of his congeners, and in this way accounts for his assumed want of sagacity. But, though this authority is deservedly high, I must beg leave to doubt the fact as well as the inference, for if the brain is weighed with the body of the dog from which it was taken, it will be found to be relatively above the average, the mistake arising from the evident disproportion be- tween the brain and the skull. For the whole head, including the 141 143 WATCH DOGS, HOUSE DOGS, AND TOY DOGS. zygomatic arches and clieek-bones, is so much larger than that of th« spaniel of the same total weight of body, that the brain may well l'.)ok small as il lies in the middle of the various processes in- tended for the attachment of the strong muscles of the jaw and neck. I have never been able to obtain the fresh brain of a pure bulldog for the purpose of comparison, but, from an examination of the skull, I have no doubt of the fact being as above stated. The mental qualities of the bulldog may be highly cultivated, and Fig. 28. — BULLDOGS, SMASHER AND SUGAR. in brute courage and unyielding tenacity of purpose he stands un- rivalled among quadrupeds, and with the single exception of the game-cock, he has perhnps no parallel in those respects in the brute creation. Two re\narkablc features are met with in this breed : First, they always make their attack at tlie head ; and, secondly, they do not bite and let go their hold, but retain it in the most tenacious manner, so that they can with difficulty be removed by any force wliich can be applied. Instances are recorded in which bulldogs have hung on to the lip of the bull (in the old days of bait- THE BULLDOG. 143 ing this animal) after their entrails had been torn out, and while they were in the last agonies of death. Indeed when they do lay hold of an object, it is always necessary to choke them off, with- out which resource they would scarcely ever be persuaded to let go. From confinement to their kennels, they are often deficient in intelligence, and can rarely be brought under good control by education. Owing to the same cause, they show little personal attachment, so that they sometimes attack their friends as well as their enemies when their blood is put up. But, when differently treated, the bulldog is a very different ani- mal, the brutal nature which he so often displays being mainly at- tributable to the savage human beings with whom he associates. Although, therefore, I am ready to admit that the bulldog often deserves the character for ferocity which he has obtained, yet I contend that this is not natural to him, any more than stupidity and want of affection, which may readily be proved to be the re- verse of his character, if any one will take the trouble to treat him in a proper manner. For the following remarks I am mainly in- debted to Mr. Stockdale, who is a celebrated breeder of bulldogs, and has had a long experience of their various attributes. The antiquity of the breed is unquestionable, and it has always been peculiar to the British islands, the Spanish variety having originally been procured from Britain. It is highly probable that the modem bulldog has undergone a change in appearance during the last fifty years, being now decidedly neater in shape than was formerly the case, if we are to judge from the portraits hanided down to us. As now exhibited, he is a remarkably neat and compact animal natur- ally, the deformities sometimes seen being produced principally from the practice of constantly keeping the poor dog tied up with a short chain. The bulldog has been described as stupidly ferocious, and show- ing little preference for his master over strangers ; but this is un- true, he being an excellent watch, and as a guard unequalled, ex- cept, perhaps, by the bull-mastiff, a direct cross from him. Indeed, be is far from being quarrelsome by nature, though the bull- terrier, in many cases undoubtedly is so, and I fancy that 144 WATCH DOGS, HOUSE DOGS, AND TOY DOGS. some writers have taken their description from this clog rat'.ci than from the pure bulldog, which has been at all times rather a scarce animal. If once the pure breed is allowed to drop, the best means of infusing fresh courage into degenerate breeds will be finally lost, except with the addition of extraneous blood, which may not suit them ; for it is believed that every kind of dog possessed of very high courage owes it to a cross with the bulldog, and thus the most plucky greyhounds, foxhounds, mas- tiffs, pointers, etc., may all bo traced to this source. Though bull and badger baiting may not be capable of extenuation, to them we owe the keeping up of this breed in all its purity ; and though we may agree to discontinue these old-fashioned sports, yet sports- men will see the bad taste of running down a dog who, with all his faults, is not only the most courageous dog, but the most cour- ageous animal in the world. The points of a well-bred bulldog are as follows : The head should be round, the skull high, the eye of moderate size, and the forehead well sunk between the eyes, the ears semi-erect and small, well placed on the top of the head, rather close together than otherwise, the muzzle short, truncate, and well furnished .Tith chop ; his back should be short, well arched towards the stern, which should be fine, and of moderate length. Many bull- dogs have what is called a crooked stem, as though the vertebrae of the tail were dislocated or broken. Some authorities attribute this to in-breeding. The coat should be fine, though many supe- rior strains are very woolly coated; the chest should be deep and broad, the legs strong and muscular, and the foot narrow and well split up, like a hare's. Many of the old well-known breeders of the bulldog have dis- appeared from the prize list. In the present day, Mr. G. A. Dawes, of Leamington ; Mr. G. Raper, of Stockton-on-Tees ; Mr. James Taylor of- Rochdale ; Mr. Harding Cox; Mr, Adcock, of Wigan ; Mr. James Berrie (now one of the oldest and most enthusi astic fancier?\ Mr. Lay ton, Mr. T. H. Joyce, and Mr. Vero Shaw, of London, have many good specimens of the type I have en- deavored to describe in the foregoing notes. THE BULLDOG. 145 The engraving given on page 142 is a portrait of a pair of dogs bred by Mr. Shaw, which show the peculiarities of the breed in a marked degree. The fore-shortened stetch o<= the dog exhibits the formation of the chest, shoulders, width of skull, and «' rose " carriage of ears, peculiar to the breed, while the bitch's side view shows her wonderfully short face and " roached" loin, rarely met with to the same extent. Their pedigrees are as follows: The dog, Smasher, by Master Gully, out of Nettle, by Sir Anthony. The bitch, Sugar (formerly Lily), is by the Abbot out of Mr. J. L. Ashburne's Lola, and was bred by the latter gentleman. 146 WATCH DOGS, HOUSE DOGS, AND TOT DOGS, iiiiiiii^^ Fior. 29. — ENGLISH mastiff, governor. THE IVIASTIFF. There is every reason to suppose that this is an indigenous breed, like the bulldog, for though the Cuban mastiff closely re- sembles it, yet the latter is to all appearances crossed with the bloodhound. The English Mastiff is a fine noble-looldug animal, and in tem- per is the most to be depended on of all the large and powerful dogs, being extremely docile and companionable, though possessed of the highest courage. When crossed with the Newfoundland or bloodhound, they answer well as yard-dogs, but the produce is generally of a savage nature, while the pure breed is of so noble and mild a nature that they will not on any provocation hurt a THE MASTIFF. 147 chad or even a small dog, one of their most remarkable attributes being their fondness for affording protection. Mr. Lukey, of Morden, Surrey, has a very fine breed of the pure mastiff. We present an engraving of Governor, the finest of his dogs. Mr. Lukey began to breed mastiffs rather more than forty years ago, taking a brindled bitch bred by the then Duke of Devonshire as his foundation. Putting her to Lord Waldegrave's celebrated do"- Turk, and her puppies to the Marquis of Hertford's Pluto, he obtained a strain with which he stood for some years almost alone as the celebrated mastiff breeder of the day, without any outcross. At length, fearing deterioration by further in-breedmg, he resorted to Capt. Garnier's kennel for a sire, the produce being that mag- nificent dog Governor, by Capt. Garnier's Lion out of his own Countess, a daughter of his Duchess by his Bruce II., who was by his Bruce I. out of his Nell. Of the breeding of his own Lion, and Lord Waldegrave's Turk, Capt. Garnier writes as follows: "Some time ago I bought of Bill George a pair of mastiffs, whose produce, by good luck, afterwards turned out some of the finest specimens cf the breed I ever saw. The dog Adam was one of a pair of Lyme Hall mastiffs, bought by Bill George at Tatter- sail's. He was a different stamp of dog to the present Lyme breed. He stood 30i in. at the shoulder, with length of body and good muscular shoulders and loins, but was just slightly deficient in depth of body and breadth of forehead ; and from the peculiar forward lay of his small ears, and from his produce, I have since suspected a remote dash of boarhound in him. The bitch was ob- tained by Bill George from a dealer in Leadenhall Market. Noth- ing was known of her pedigree, but I am as convinced of its purity as I am doubtful of that of the dog. There was nothing striking about her. She was old, with shoulders a trifle flat. She had a grey muzzle, but withal stood 29 in, at the shoulder, and had a broad round head, good loin, and deep length}"- frame. From crossing these dogs with various strains I was easily able to analyze their produce, and I found in them two distinct types — one due to the dog, very tall, but a little short in the body and high on the leg^ while their heads were slightly deficient in breadth ; the other due 148 WATCH DOGS, HOUSE DOGS, AND TOT DOGS. to the bitch, equally tall, but deep, lengthy and muscular, with broad massive heads and muzzles. Some of these latter stood 33 inches at the shoulder, and by the time they were two years old weighed upwards of 190 lbs. They had invariably a fifth toe on each hind leg, which toe was quite distinct from a dew-claw, and formed an integral portion of their feet. By bad management, I was only able to bring a somewhat indifferent specimen with me on my return to England from America — a badly reared animal, who nevertheless stood 32 in. at the shoulder, and weighed 170 lbs. Fiff. 30.— ROUGH ST. BERNARD, TELL. This dog Lion was the sire of Governor and Harold, by Mr. Lukey's bitch Countess, and so certain was I of the vast size of the breed in him, that I stated beforehand, much to Mr. Lukey's in- credulity, that the produce would be dogs standing 33 in. at the shoulder— the result being that both Grovernor and his brother Harold were fully that hight. In choosing the whelps, Mr. Lukey retained for himself the best marked one, an animal that took after the lighter of the two strains that existed in the sire ; for Governor, grand dog and perfect mastiff as he was, compared to most others of the breed, was nevertheless shorter in the body, higher on the leg, and with less m.uscular development than Har- TETE MASTIFF. 249 old, while his head, large as it was, barely measured as much around as did his brother's. I, who went by the development of the fifth toe (.in this case only a dew-claw), chose Harold, a don- which combined all the best points except color of both strains and was a very perfect reproduction on a larger scale of his dam Countess. This dog was the finest male specimen of the breed I have met with. His breast at ten months old, standing up, meas- ured 13 in. across, with a gkth of 41 in., and he weighed in mod- erate condition 140 lbs., and at twelve months old 160 lbs., while at 13i months old, Governor only weighed m excellent condition 150 lbs. with a girth of 40 in. ; and masmuch as Governor eventually weighed 180 lbs. or even more, the size to which Harold probably attained must have been very great. His head also in size and shape promised to be perfect." The points of the mastiflf are :— A head of large size, between that of the bloodhound and bulldog in shape, having the volume of muscle of the latter, with the flews and muzzle of the former, though, of course, not nearly so deep; the ear being of small size but drooping, like that of the lionud. The teeth generally meet, but if anything there is a slight protuberance of the lower jaw, never being uncovered by the upper lip like those of the bulldog; eye small; in shape there is a considerable similarity to the hound, but much heavier in all its lines; loin compact and powerful, and limbs strong ; tail very slightly rough, and carried high over the back when excited ; voice very deep and sonorous ; coat smooth ; color red or fawn with black muzzle, or brindled, or black ; or black, red, or fawn and white, the latter mixture ob- jected to ; bight about 28 to 31 inches. 150 WATCH DOGS, HOUSE DOGS, AXD TOY DOGS, '*rfi>«'* , Fig. 31. — SMOOTH ST, BERNARD, MONARQUB. 'np^^^ f^^mw THE MOUNT ST. BERNARD DOG. Closely allied to the mastiff, but resembling the Newfoundland in temper and in his disposition to fetch and carry, is the Mount St. Bernard breed, until lately confined to the Alps and the ad- jacent countries, where he is used to recover persons who are lost in the snow-storms of that inclement region. Wonderful stories are told of the intelligence of these dogs and of the recovery of travellers by their means, which are said to extend almost to the act of pouring spirits down the throats of their patients ; but, how- ever, there is no doubt that they have been and still are exceed- ingly useful, and the breed is kept up at the monastery of Mount St. Bernard. The hight is about 28 to 31 inches ; length six feet, including the tail. The coat varies a good deal in length, there being in England two distinct varieties founded upon this point, viz. , the rough and the smooth. Mr. Macdona, who has been at great trouble and expense to import both of the best Swiss strains, THE THIBET DOG. 151 leans to the rough, but there are many who still adhere to the smooth variety. The smooth dog is red and white, or brindled and white, a broad white collar of white of a peculiar shape dis- tinguishmg the true breed. The rough dog is most highly prized when of a deep tawny brindle, still with some white, but not so much as in the smooth kind. Both dogs are remarkably good- tempered, and may be trusted with the care of women or children with great dependence. The absence of dew-claw on the hind leg is considered a defect by some judges, and there is no doubt that many imported specimens of the breed have the double dew- claw. The illustrations of the two varieties mentioned are portraits of dogs owned by Mr. Macdona. THE THIBET DOG. This animal, as before remarked, resembles the English mastiff in general appearance, and, being also put to the same use, the two may be said to be nearly allied. According to Mr. Bennet, he is bred on the Himalaya Mountains, on the borders of Thibet, for the purpose of guarding the flocks and the women who attend them. 152 WATCH DOGS, HOUSE DOGS, AND TOY DOGS. ,..->ii!iii!:iii;'!iii'i' .111: ,, iilSpii^^ ,:,.,;, THE POODLE. The engraving given on this page represents the poodle as he is generally to be seen, shaved in part, so as to resemble Ihe lion in having a mane; the tip of his tail having a tuft left on it. He is by many supposed to be the produce of a cross between the water and land spaniels, but there is no good reason to suppose that the breed is not quite as distinct as either of them. For many years it has been known in France and Germany, particularly the former country, and it is there occasionally used for sporting pur- poses, tliough, as in England, it is chiefly as a companion that tliis dog is kept. With more intelligence than falls to the lot of any other dog, he unites great fidelity to his master, and a strong love of approbation, so that he may readily be induced to attempt any trick which is shown him, and the extent to which he may be taught to carry out the secret orders of his instructor is quite mar- vellous. He fetches and carries very readily, swims well, and has a good nose, but has no particular fondness for hunting game, often preferring a stick or a stone to a hare or pheasant. Two of THE POODLE DOG. 153 these dogs which were exhibited in London astonished every one by their clever performances, sitting up to table gravely, and play- ing a game at cards as quickly as a human being, the cards being placed before them, and the one to be played being selected by the dog's foot. Of course this was all done by preconcerted signal, but nevertheless it was remarkably well managed, and showed a degree of intelligence and discipline worthy of a better purpose. The poodle is characterized by a large wide head, rising sharply at the forehead, long falling ears clothed with thick curly hair, rather small eyes, square muzzle, with a liberal allowance of jowl, and a sedate appearance until roused by any prospect of fun ; a well-formed pointer-like body, but covered with thick closely curl- ing hair, hanging down in ringlets below ; tail usually cropped more or lesp, naturally covered with crisp curls; legs straight, and covered all round with Lair hanging in short ringlets; feet small and round, and moderately hairy; color white or black, or white and black ; hight from 16 to 20 inches. The Barbet is merely a small variety of the poodle, which it re- sembles in all respects but size. 154 WATCH DOr,?;, IJOFSE DOGS, AND TOY DOGS. Fig. 33.— MALTESE DOG, FIDO. MALTESE DOG. This beautiful little dog is a Skye terrier in miniature, with, however, a far more silky coat, a considerably shorter back, and a tail stiffly curved over the hip. Points. — The weight should never exceed 5 or 6 lbs. ; head closely resembling tliat of the Skye, but with more shining and silky hair ; coat as long as that dog's, but more transparent and silky ; actions lively and playful, and altogether rendering it a pleasing pet. The tail is curved over the back, very small and short, with a brush of silky hair; color white, with an occasional patch of fawn on the ear or paw. The breed was so scarce some time ago, as to induce Sir E. Landseer to paint one as the last of his race ; since which several have been imported from Malta, and, though still scarce, tliey are now to be obtained. A strain bred by Mr. Mandeville has kept possession of the show bench since 1862, when the first class of this kind of toy dog was established at the Agricultural Hall Show, in which Mr. Mandeville's Mick and Fido were first and second. In the following year, at Ashbumham, the same kennel again produced the first and second prize holders, Fido being at the head of his class, and a dog called Prince LION DOG, SnOCK rOG, AXD TOY SPANIELS. 155 second. Since then Mr. Mandeville's strain lias held undisputed possession of the prize list. THE LION DOG. This toy dog appears to be crossed between the poodle and the Maltese dog, being curly like the former, but without his long ears and square visage. He is now very seldom seen anywhere, and is not prized among fanciers of the canine species. Like the poodle he was generally shaved to make him resemble the lion. THE SHOCK DOG. This dog also is now almost unknown. But formerly he was very generally kept as a toy dog. He is said to have been a cross between the poodle and small spaniel, both of which varieties he resembled in part. TOT SPANIELS. Two breeds are known and recognized under this head, namely, the King Charles and the Blenheim spaniels, the former being slightly the larger of the two, and by most people considered the more handsome. To an ordinary observer the chief points of dis- tinction in the King Charles are, the color, which is black and tan more or less mixed with white, the less the better; and the length of the ears, which is greater than in the Blenheims ; these being also lighter in frame, and always yellow or red and white. Both are small delicate dogs, and though they have pretty good noses, and will hunt game readily, yet they so soon tire that they are rarely used for the purpose, and are solely kept for their orna- mental properties. They make good watch dogs in-doors, bark- ing at the slightest noise, and thus giving notice of the approach of 156 WATCH DOGS, HOUSE DOGS, AND TOY DOGS. improper persons Though they are somewhat timid they are not readily silenced, as their small size allows of their retreatmg be- neath chairs and sofas^ from which asylum they keep up their sharp and shriVl note of defiance The great objection to these handsome little creatures as pets is that they follow badly out of cloors. and as they are always ready to be fondled by a stranger, they are very liable to be stolen. Hence many people prefer the toy terrier, or the Skye. which is now introduced very extensively Fig. 34:. — ^KING CHARLES SPANIEL, TOUNG JDMBO. as a toy dog, and might with propriety be inserted under this chapter. The King Charles and Blerxheim spaniels are often crossed, and then you may have good specimens of each from the same litter, but if true, their colors never vary. The points of the King Charles spaniel are: extremely short muzzle, which should be slightly turned up; black nose and pal- ate ; full prominent eye, which is continually weeping, leaving a gutter of moisture down the cheek ; a round bullet-shaped head, with a well-marked "stop" between the eyes; very long, full- haired, and silky ears, which should fall close to the cheeks, and TOT SPANIELS. 157 not stand out from tlaem ; the body is covered with wavy hair of a silky texture, without curl; and the legs should be feathered to the toes, the length and silkiness of this being a great point; tail well feathered, but not bushy; it is usually cropped; the color should be a rich black and tan, without a white hair ; but those marked with an unusual amount of white are not to be despised. They sometimes make their appearance in a litter of which both sire and dam have scarcely a white hair ; the weight Fisr. 35.— BLENHEIM SPANIEL. should never exceed 6, or at the utmost 7 lbs. ; and they are valued the more if they are as low as 4^ or 5 lbs. (See portrait.) The points of the Blenheim vary very little from those of the King Charles, except in color, which is always a white ground with red or yellow spots or patches, with well-marked blaze of white between the eyes. The ears should be colored, and also the whole of the head, with the exception of the nose and a white mark up the forehead, as is shown in the cut, which represents the Blenheim pretty accurately. The palate is black, like that of the King Charles ; and there is little difference in shape, though an experienced eye could detect the one from the other even irre 158 WATCH DOGS, HOUSE DOGS, AND TOY DOGS, Bpcctive of color. This dog is generally smaller tlian the King Charles. THE PUG. This curly-tailed and pretty little toy dog was out of fashion in Eno-land for some years, but has recently come again into such vogue that a good pug will fetch from 100 to 200 dollars. The British breed, however, which is one of those known to have exist- ed from the earliest times, was never entirely lost, having been carefully preserved in a few families. The Dutch have always had a fondness for the pug dog, and in Holland the breed is common enough, but the same attention hasjiot been paid to it as in Eng- land, and yellow masks, low foreheads, and pointed noses are con- stantly making their appearance in them, from the impure blood creeping out, and showinge vidences of the crosses which have taken place. The very beautiful pair of these dogs, which is engraved on the next page, have the following history. During the decade 1840-50, several admirers of pugs attempted to breed them from good foreign strains. Foremost among these was the then Lady "Willoughby de Eresby, who, after a great deal of trouble, obtained a dog from Vienna which had belonged to a Hungarian countess, but was of a bad color, being a mixture of the stone-fawn now peculiar to the " Willoughby strain," and black ; but the combina- tion of these colors was to a certain extent in the brindled form. From accounts which are to be relied on, this dog was about twelve inches high, and of good shape, both in body and head, but had a face much longer than would now be approved of by pug fanciers. In 1846 he was mated with a fawn bitch imported from Holland, of the desired color, viz., stone-fawn in body, with black mask and trace, but with no indication of brindle. She had a shorter face and heavier jowl than the dog, and was altogether in accordance with the type now recognized as the correct " Wil- loughby pug." From this pair are descended all the strain named THE PUG. 159 after Lady Willoughby de Eresby, which are marked in color by their peculiar cold stone-fawn, and the excess of black often show- ing itself, not in brindled stripes, but in entirely or nearly entirely black heads, and large *' saddle marks " or wide " traces." But coincidently with this formation of a new strain was the ex- istence of another, showing a richer and more yellow fawn, and no tendency to excess of black. This strain was possessed by the late Mr. Morrison, of Walham Green; the late Mr. H. Gilbert, of Ken- sington: Mr. W. Macdonald, now of Winchmore Hill, but at that -PAIR OF PUG DOGS. time residing in London ; and some other fanciers of less note. According to Mr. Morrison's statement to me (which, however, he did not wish made public during his life), this strain was lineally descended from a stock possessed by Queen Charlotte, one of which is paiiit?d with great care in the well-known portrait of George IIL at Hampton Court ; but I could never get him to reveal the exact source from which it was obtained. 160 WATCH DOGS, HOUSE DOGS, AND TOT DOGS. These dogs are not remarkable for sagacity displayed in any shape, but they are very atlectionate and playful, and bear the confinement of the house better than many other breeds, racing over the carpets in their play as freely as others do over the turf. For this reason, as well as the sweetness of their skins, and their short and soft coats, they are much liked by the ladies as pets. Their points are as follows : — General appearance low and thick- set, the legs being short, and the body as close to the ground as possible, but with an elegant outline ; weight from 6 to 10 lbs ; color fawn, with black mask and vent. The clearer the fawn, and the more distinctly marked the black on the mask, which should extend to the eyes, the better; but there is generally a slightly darker line down the back. Some strains have the hair all over the body tipped with "smut," but on them the mask is sure to shade ofi'too gently, without the clear line which is valued by the fancier ; coat short, thick, and silky ; head round, fore- head high ; nose short, but not turned up ; and level-mouthed ; eai-8, when cut. cropped quite close, naturally rather short but falling ; neck of moderate length, stout, but not throaty ; chest wide, deep, and round ; tail short, and curled closely to the side, not standing up above the back. It is remarkable that the tail in the dog generally falls over the off side, while in the bitch it lies on the near. The legs are straight, vrlth small bone, but well clothed with muscle ; feet like the hare, not cat-footed ; no dew-claws on the hind legs. The bight is from 11 to 15 inches. CHAPTER VII. CROSSED BREEDS. RETBIEVEB.— BULL-TBRBIEB. Although many of the breeds which have been enumerated in the preceding chapters were most probably the produce originally of crosses between distinct varieties, yet at present they are con- tinued by breeding from a sire and dam of the same kind. But with those which we are now about to consider, there is constantly a neces- sity for having recourse to the original breeds. For instance, many breeds of the greyhound are known to be crossed with the bull, and the identical animal with which the cross first commenced is well ascertained, as in the case of Sir James Boswell's "Jason '* Mr. Etwall's " Eurus," etc. ; so also with the foxhound, though here the particular cross is not so well ascertained, but it is ad- mitted to have taken place within the last century. Yet these are not called mongrels, and the breed, instead of being despised as such, is more highly prized than those of the pure strain which formed one side of the parent stock. The term mongrel may more properly be applied to those chance crosses which occur from ac- cident or neglect, the bitch selecting her own mate, and being guided by caprice, without regard to the fitness of the match in reference to the progeny resulting. THE RETRIEVER. In speaking of the retriever, it is generally understood that the dog for recovering game on land is meant, the distinct kind known as the water spaniel being already alluded to on page 118. With 163 164 CROSSED BllEEDS. regard to the propriety of using a separate dog for retrieving in open or covert shooting, there is a great difference of opinion. This part of the subject will be considered under the next division of this book. I now confine myself to a description of the crosses used solely as retrievers, including the ordinary cross be- tween the Newfoundland and setter, and that between the terrier and the water spaniel, which is recommended by Mr. Colquhoun, and which I have found especially serviceable. The qualities which are required in the regular retriever are : Great delicacy of nose, and power of stopping (which latter is of- ten not possessed by the pointer); cleverness to follow out the windings of the wounded bird, which are frequently most intri- cate, and puzzle the intelligence as well as the nose to unravel them ; love of approbation, to induce the dog to attend to the in- structions of the master, and an amount of obedience which will be required to prevent his venturing to break out when game is before bim. All these are doubtless found in the retriever, but they are coupled with a large heavy frame, requiring a consider- able amount of food to keep it, and space in the vehicle when he is to be conveyed from place to place. Hence, if a smaller dog can be found to do the work equally well, he should be preferred, and as some think he can, both shall be described. The Large Black Betriever is known by Lis resemblance to the small Newfoundland, and the Irish water spaniel, or setter, be- tween which two he is bred, and the forms of which he partakes of in nearly equal proportions, according to the cross. Hence the modem retriever is distinguished as either the curly-coated or wavy-coated, separate classes being made for them at most of our shows, and sometimes a third depending on color alone. The Wavy-coated Betrie'cer has a head like that of a heavy setter, but with shorter ears, less clothed with hair. The body is al- together larger and heavier, the limbs stronger, the feet less compact than those of the setter, while the gait more or less resembles in its peculiarities that of the Newfoundland. The color is almost always black, with very little white ; indeed, most people wotUd reject a retriever of this kind, if accidentally THE KETKIEVEB. 167 of any other color. The coat is slightly wavy, but not very long or curly; and the legs are but little feathered. The hight is usually about 23 or 24 inches, sometimes slightly more or less. This doo- can readily be made to set and back ; and he will also hunt as well as a setter, but slowly, and lasting for a short time only. The Curly-coated Retriever is distinguished by having the whole body covered with short crisp curls like those of the Irish water spaniel. The head is quite free from these, a well-marked line being apparent just behind the ears. Like the wavy-coated dog he should have a long deep jaw, and with the exception of the coat the two breeds resemble each other closely. The curly -coated dog is black or of a deep liver color, without white. The Terrier cross is either with the beagle or the pointer, the former being that which I have chiefly used with advantage, and the latter being recommended by Mr. Colquhoun in his "Lochs and Moors." He gives a portrait of one used by himself, which he says was excellent in all respects ; and, from so good a sports- man, the recommendation is deserving of all credit. This dog was about 22 inches high, with a little of the rough coat of the Scotch terrier, combined with the head and general shape of the pointer. The sort I have used is, I believe, descended from the smooth white English terrier and the true old beagle ; the nose and style of hunting proclaiming the hound descent, and the voice and appearance showing the preponderance of the terrier cross. These dogs are small, scarcely ever exceeding 10 lbs. in weight, and with difficulty lifting a har^, so that they are not qualified to retrieve " fur " any great distance. They must, there- fore, be followed when either a hare or pheasant is sought to be recovered. They are mute in *' questing," and very quiet in their movements, readily keeping at heel, and backing the pointers steadily while they are " down charge," for as long a time as may be required ; and when they go to their game they make no noise, as is too often done by the regular retriever. They do not carry so well as the larger dog, but in all other respects they are his equal, or perhaps superior. Owing to their small size they are ad- 168 CROSSED BREEDS. missible to the bouse, and being constant companions are more easily kept under command ; besides which, they live on the scraps of the house, while the large retriever must be kept tied up at the keeper's, and costs a considerable sum to pay for his food. THE BULL-TERRIER. Many of our smooth terriers are slightly crossed with the bull- dog, in order to give courage to bear the bites of the vermin which they are meant to attack. When thus bred, the terrier shows no evidence of pain, even though half a dozen rats are hanging on to his lips, which are extremely tender parts of the body, and where the bite of a mouse even will make a badly bred dog yell with pain. In fact, for all the purposes to which a terrier can be ap- plied, the half or quarter cross with the bull, commonly known as the "bull-terrier" or "half-breed dog," is of more value than either of the purely bred progenitors. Such a dog, however, to be useful, must be more than half terrier, or he will be too heavy and slow, too much under-jawed to hold well with his teeth, and too little under command to obey the orders of his master. Some- times the result of the second cross, which is only one quarter bull, shows a great deal of the shape peculiar to that side; and it is not until the third or fourth cross that the terrier shape comes out predominant. Tiiis is all a matter of chance, and the exact reverse may just as probably happen, although the terrier was quite free from the stain of the bull,which is seldom the case. This may account for the great predominance of that side in most cases, as we shall see in investigating the subject of breeding for the kennel in the next Book. The field fox-terrier, used for bolting the fox when gone to ground, was of this breed. So also is the fighting-dog par excellence, and, indeed, there is scarcely any task to which a dog of his size may be set that he will not execute as well as, or better than, most others. He will learn tricks with the poodle, fetch and carry with the Newfoundland — take water with that dog, though THE BULL TERRIER. 169 his coat will not suffer him to remain in so long, — ^hunt with the spaniel, and fight " till all's blue." For thorough gameness, united with obedience, good temper, and intelligence, be surpasses any breed in existence. The points of the bull-terrier vary in accordance with the de- gree of each strain in the specimen examined. There should not be either the projection of the under jaw, or the crooked fore legs, or the small and weak hind-quarters ; and until these are lost or ifIt"'l''*''l''''''^'''ll'*V''ff5M'v Fig. 38. — BUI>L TEBKIER, TARQUIN. nearly so, the crossing should be continued on the terrier side. The perfect bull-terrier may, therefore, be defined as the terrier with as much bull as can be combined with the absence of the above points, and showing the full head (not of course equal to that of the bull), the strong jaw, the well-developed chest, power- ful shoulders, and thin fine tail of the bull-dog, accompanied by the light neck, active frame, strong loin, and fuller proportions of the hind-quarter of the terrier. A dog of this kind should be ca- 8 170 CROSSSED BREEDS. pable of a fast pace, and will stand any moderate amount of road work. The hight varies from 10 inches to 16, or even 20. The color most admired is white, either pure or patched with black, blue, red, fawn, or brindle, sometimes black and tan, or self-colored red. The dog whose portrait is given, is Tarquin, bred and owned by Mr. Vero Shaw, of England. BOOK II. THE BREEDIlSra, REARING, BREAKIl^G, Al^D MANAGEMENT OF THE DOG, IN-DOORS AND OUT. CHAPTER I. BREEDING. ^KINCIPLES OF BBEEDINQ. — AXIOMS FOR THE BREEDER'S USE. — CROSSINQ AJST> CROSSED BREEDS.— IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH IN BOTH SIRE AND DAM.— BEST AGES TO BREED FROM.— IN-AND-IN BREEDING.— BEST TIME OF TEAR.— DURATION OF HEAT.— MANAGEMENT OF THE BITCH IN SEASON.— THE BITCH IN WHELP.— PREPARATIONS FOR WHELPING. — HEALTHY PARTURITION.— DESTRUCTION OR CHOICE OF WHELPS AT BIBTH. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. The principles upon -which the breeding of the dog should be conducted are generally in accordance with those necessary for the production of other domestic animals of the class Xa.nmcdia^ remembering always that it is not safe to argue from one class of animals to another, because their habits and modes of propaga- tion vary so much as to interfere with the analogy. Thus as the pigeon, in common with other birds, does not rear her young with the produce of her own body to the same comparative size as most of the individuals of the class Mammalia^ the mother has not so much more to do with the process than the father, as is the case with the bitch, mare, and cow, etc., where the quantity and quality are to be taken into the calculation. Hence, in selecting a sire and dam for breeding purposes among dogs, the bitch is most to be con- sidered for many reasons, one being that she usually continues the property of the breeder, while the sire can be changed each time she breeds ; but the chief argument in her favor is founded upon the supposition that she really impresses her formation upon her progeny more than the dog docs. This, however, is a vexed ques- tion in natural history as well as in practical breeding, but from my own experience I think this is true of the bitch. Many horses 173 1T4 BREEDING. and do,::s may be instanced which have got good stock from all sorts of marcs and bitches. Yet in opposition to this may be instanced the numbers which have had great opportunities for snowing their good qualities, but while they have succeeded with one or two i!iey have failed with the larger proportion of their harems. So with mares and bitches, some have produced, every year of their breeding lives, one or more splendid examples of their respective kinds, altogether independent of the horse or dog which may be the other parent, so long as he is of the proper strain. It is usually supposed that the sire impresses his ex- ternal formation upon his stock, while the bitch's nervous tem- perament is handed down; and very probably there is some truth in the hypothesis. Yet it is clearer that not only do the sire and dam, but also the grandsires and grand-dams affect the pro- geny on both sides, and still further than this up to the sixth and perhaps even the seventh generations, but more especially on the dam's side, through the granddam, great granddam, etc. There is a remarkable fact connected with breeding which should be gen- erally known, viz., that there is a tendency in the produce to a separation between the different strains of which it is com- posed ; so that a puppy composed in four equal proportions of breeds represented by a, b, c, and d, will not represent allin equal proportions, but will resemble one much more than the others. And this is still more clear in relation to the next step backwards, when there are eight progenitors ; and the litter which, for argument's sake, we will suppose to be eight in number, may consist of ani- mals each "going back " to one or other of the above eight. This accounts for the fact that a smooth terrier bitch put to a smooth terrier will often " throw " one or more rough puppies, though the breed may be traced as purely smooth for two or three genera- tions, beyond which, however, there must have been a cross of the rough doc:. In the same way color and particular marks will be changed or obliterated for one, two, or even three generations, and will then reappear. In most breeds of the dog this is not easily proved, because a record of the various crosses is not kept with any great care ; but in the greyhound the breed, with the AXIOMS FOR THE BKEEDEIi's USE. 175 colors, etc., for twenty generations, is often known, and then the evidence of the truth of these facts is patent to all. Among these dogs there is a well-known strain descended from a greyhound with a peculiar nose, known as the "Parrot-nosed bitch." About the year 1825 she was put to a celebrated dog called " Streamer," and bred a bitch called " Ruby," none of the litter showing this peculiar nose ; nor did " Ruby " herself breed any in her first two litters; but in her third, by a dog called " Blackbird," belonging to Mr. Hodgkinson, two puppies showed the nose ("Blackbird" and "Starling"). In the same litter was a most celebrated bitch, known as " Old Linnet," from which are descended a great num- ber of first-rate greyhounds. In these, however, this x>eculiarity has never appeared, with two exceptions, namely, once in the third generation, and once in the fifth, in a dog called " Lollypop," bred by Mr. Thomas, of Macclesfield, the possessor of the whole strain. One of the bitches of this breed is also remarkable for having al- ways one blue pu-ppy in each litter, though the color is otherwise absent, never having been seen since the time of the above men- tioned " Ruby," who was a blue bitch. These facts are very re- markable as showing the tendency to " throw back " for genera- tions, but, as they are well known and fully recognized by all breeders, it is unnecessai-y to dilate upon them, and the above instances are only introduced as absolutely proving to the uniniti- ated what would otherwise depend upon dogmatic assertion. AXIOMS FOR THE BREEDER'S USE. But it may be asked,— What then are the principles upon which breeding is to be conducted ? To this, in many of the details, no answer can be given which can be relied on with certainty. Nevertheless, there are certain broad landmarks established which afford some assistance, and these shall be given, taking care to avoid all rules which are not clearly established by general consent. 176 BREEDING. 1. The male and female each furnish their quota towards the original germ of the offspring ; but the female, over and above this, nourishes it until it is born, and consequently may be sup- posed to have more influence upon its formation than the male. 2. Natural conformation is transmitted by both parents as a general law, and likewise any acquired or accidental variation. It may therefore be said that, on both sides, " like produces like." 3. In proportion to the purity of the breed, will it be transmit- ted unchanged to the offspring. Thus a greyhound bitch of pure blood put to a mongrel, will produce puppies more nearly resem- bling her shape than that of the father. 4. Breeding in-and-in is not injurious to the dog, as may be proved both from theory and practice. Indeed it appears, on the contrary, to be very advantageous in many well-marked instances of the greyhound, which have of late years appeared in public. 5. As every dog is a compound animal, made up of a sire and dam, and also their sires and dams, etc. ; so, unless there is much breeding in and-in, it may be said that it is impossible to foretell with absolute certainty what particular result will be elicited. 6. The tirst impregnation appears to produce some effect upon the next and subsequent ones. It is therefore necessary to take care that the effect of the cross in question is not neutralized by a prior and bad impregnation. This fact has been so fully estab- lished by Sir John Sebright and others, that it is needless to go into its proofs. By these general laws on the subject of breeding, we must be guided in the selection of the dog and bitch from which a litter is to be obtained, always taking care that both are as far as possible remarkable, not only for the bodily shape, but for the qualities of the brain and nervous system, which are desired. Thus, in breed- ing the pointer, select a good-looking sire and dam by all means, but also ascertain that tliey w^ere good in the field ; that is, that they possessed good noses, worked well, were stout, and if they were also perfectly broken, so much the better. So, again, in breeding hounds, care must be taken that the animals chosen are shaped as a hound should be ; but they should also have as many AXIOMS FOE THE BliEEDEif S USE. ITT of the good hunting qualities, and as few of the vices of that kind of dog ; and if these points are not attended to, the result is not often good. To secure these several results, the pedigrees of the dog and bitch are carefully scanned by those who are particular in these matters, because then assurance is given that the ancestors, as far as they can be traced, possessed all those qualifications, without which their owners would not in all human probability retain them. Hence a pointer, if proved to be descended from a dog and bitch belonging to Lord Sefton, Lord Lichfield, or any well-known breeder of this dog in the present day, or from Sir H. Goodrich, Mr. Moore or Mr. Edge, so celebrated for their breeds some years ago, would be valued more highly than another without any pedigree at all, though the latter might be superior in shape, and might perform equally well in the field. The impor- 'tance of pedigree is becoming more fully recognized every year, and experienced breeders generally refuse to have any- thing to do with either dog or bitch for this particular pur- pose, unless they can trace the pedigree to ancestors belonging to parties who were known to be themselves careful in their selections. In most cases, this is all that is attempted, especially in pointers, setters, spaniels, etc., but in greyhounds and foxhounds of first- class blood, the genealogy may generally be traced through half a dozen kennels of known and established reputation; and this same attention to breed ought to prevail in all the varieties of the dog whose performances are of importance, and indeed without it the reproduction of a particular shape and make cannot with any- thing like certainty be depended on. Hence the breeders of the valuable toy dogs, such as King Charles spaniels, Italim grey- hounds, etc., are as careful as they need be, having found out by experience that without this attention they are constantly dis- appointed. 178 BKEEDIXG. IMPOrwTANCE OF HEALTH IN BOTH SERE AND DAM. Heal til in both parents should be especially insisted upon, and in the bitch in particular there should be a sufficiently strong con- stitution, to enable her to sustain the growth of her puppies before birth, and to produce milk enough for them afterwards, though Id this lust particular she may of course be assisted by a foster-nurse. BEST AGE TO BREED FROM. The best age to breed from, in almost all breeds, is soon after the sire and dam have reached maturity. When, however, the pro- duce is desired to be very small, the older both animals are, the more likely this result is, excepting in the last litter which the bitch has, for this being composed of only one or two puppies, they are not smaller than the average, and are sometimes even larger. All bitches should be allowed to reach full maturity before they are permitted to breed, and this period varies according to size, small dogs being adult at one year, whereas large ones arc still in their puppyhood at that time, and take fully twice as long to develop their proportions. The mastiff is barely full growm at two years, large hounds at a year and a half, greyhounds at the same time, pointers and setters from a year and a quarter to a year and a half, while terriers and small toy dogs reach maturity at a year old, or even earlier. IN-AND-IN BREEDING. The questions relating to in-and-in breeding and crossing are of the greatest importance, each plan being strongly advocated by some people, and by others as strenuously opposed. Like many other practices essentially good, in-breeding has been grossly abused. Owners of a good kennel having become bigoted to their own strain, and, from keeping to it exclusively, having at length IN-AND-IN BREEDING. 179 reduced their dogs to a state of idiotcy and delicacy of constitu- tion which has rendered them quite useless. Thus I have seen in the course of twenty years a most valuable breed of pointers, by a persistence in avoiding any cross, become so full of excitability that they were perpetually at " a false point," and backing one another at the same time without game near them ; and, what is worse, they could not be stirred from their position. This last was from a want of mental capacity, for it is by their reasoning powers that these dogs find out when they have made a mistake, and without a good knowledge-box the pointer and setter are for this reason quite useless. But the breed I allude to, when once they had become stiff, were like Chinese idols, and must be abso- lutely kicked or whipped up in order to make them start off beat- ing again, Mr. A. Graham, who has had a long experience in in-breeding greyhounds, and was at one time so successful as to obtain the name of the " Emperor of Coursers," has laid down the rule that " once in and twice out " is the proper extent to which breeding in the greyhound should be carried, and probably the same will apply to other breeds. Sometimes a sister may be put to a brother even, when there has been no previous relationship in their sire and dam ; but though this has answered well two or three times, it is not to be generally recommended. A father may in preference be put to a daughter, because there is only half the same blood in them, when the sire and dam of the latter are not related ; or an uncle to a niece ; but the best plan is to obtain a dog which has some considerable portion of the same blood as the bitch, but separated by one or two crosses ; that is to say, to put two animals together whose grandfathers or great-grandfathers were brothers, but whose mothers and grandmothers were not re- lated to each other. This relationship will do equally well on the dam's side, and the grandmother may be sister to the grandsire, quite as well as having the two grandsires brothers. The practice of breeding-in to this extent has been extensively adopted of late years, and has answered well with the greyhound, in which breeds as used for public coursing, the names of "Harriet Wilson," ** Hour-glass," '* Screw," " Sparrowhawk," "Vraye Foy,""Mot. ISO BREEDING. ley," " Miss Hannali," and " Eival " speak ToUinics in its approba* tion, all being in-brcd and all wonderfully successful. The last- named bitch is a remarkable instance, bcinL; bj- a balf-brother out of a balf-sister, and yet continuing honest up to her sixth season, when she broke a toe in running the last course but one in a large stake at Ashdown. In her case, too, the blood of the dam was somewhat notorious for a tendency to run cunning; and, indeed, the same might be said of nearly all the strains of which she was composed ; nevertheless, throughout her career she was entirely free from this vice, and left off without a stain. She has, how- ever, unfortunately refused to breed ; but as I have never known this peculiarity confined to in-bred bitches, I do not allege the fact as arising from her close in-breeding. Thus I have shown that in practice, in-and-in breeding, within certain bounds, is not only not prejudicial, but absolutely advantageous, inasmuch as it does not injure the nervous temperament and mental ciualitics of the pro- duce ; and that the body does not suffer is a well-known fact, easily capable of proof by examining the external forms of the dogs so bred. Theoretically, also, it ought to answer, because we find in nature gregarious wild animals resorting to in-breeding in all cases, the stag adding his daughters to his harem as long as he has strength enough to beat off his younger rivals. In the same way the bull and the stallion fight for supremacy, until at length from age or accident they are beaten off, and a younger and more vigorous animal masters them and their female attend- ants. Yet this appears to be Nature's mode of insuring a superior stock, and preventing the degeneration which occurs among human beings, when a feeble pair take upon themselves the task of producing a family. It would appear that man is an exception to the general rule, for there is a special revelation prohibiting m- termarriages, while we find them constantly going on among brutes, and especially, as above remarked, among gregarious ani- mals. Hence it should not lead us to reason by analogy from one to the other, nor because we find that first cousins among our own race are apt to produce defective children, bodily and mentally, sliould we conclude that the same evil results will occur when we BEST TIME OF YEAR. 181 breed from dogs or horses having the same degree of relationship to their mites. At the same time, vvlicn all that can be desired is obtainable without in-breeding, 1 should be inclined to avoid it; always taking care to resort to it when it is desired to recover a particular strain, which is becoming merged in some other pre- dominant hlooi'.. Then by obtaining an animal bred as purely as possible to the desired strain, and putting him or her to your own, it may be expected that the produce will " go back " to this par- ticular ancestry, and will resemble them more than any other. BEST TIME OF TEAR. The best time of the year for breeding dogs is from April to September, inasmuch as in the cold of winter the puppies are apt to become chilled, whereby their growth is stopped, and some disease very often developed. Among public greyhounds there is a particular reason for selecting an earlier period of the year, because as their age is reckoned from the 1st of January, and as they are wanted to run as saplings or puppies, which are defined by their age, the earlier they are born, (he more chance they have in competition with their fellows of the same year. Plounds and game dogs are wanted to begin work in the autumn, and as they do not come to maturity until after they are a year old, they should be whelped in the spring. This is more especially the case with pointers and setters, which are then old enough to have their education nearly completed at " pairing time," in the spring of the next year, when only their breaking can properly be carried on, as birds then lie like stones, and allow the dog to be reached and properly kept under by his breaker. Toy dogs and all small dogs, whicli are reared in the house, may be bred almost at any time of the year; but even they are stronger and healthier if born in the summer months, because the puppies may then be supposed to get more air and sun than they could do in the winter, when the warmth of the fire is essential to their well-doing. 182 BEEEWNG. DURATION OF HEAT. The duration of the period of heat in the bitch is about three weeks, during the middle week of which she will generally take the dog; but about the eleventh or twelfth dav from the first commencement is, on the average, the best time tc bring her to him. J>uriMg the first three or four days of the middle week the bitch *' bleeds ' considerably from the vulva, and while this is going on she should not have access to the male, nor will she gen- erally, if left to herself. But as soon as it subsides, no time should be lost, as it often happens that very shortly afterwards she will refuse him altogether, and thus a whole year may be lost. Most bitches are " in heat " twice a year, at equal periods ; some every five, or even every four, months ; others every seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, or twelve months; but the far greater proportion of bitches of all breeds are " in season " twice a year pretty regularly. There is, therefore, a necessity for ascertaining the rule in each bitch, as it varies so considerably; for, when it is known, the cal- culation can better be made as to the probability of the heat re- turning at the desired time. The period between the first and second " heats" will generally indicate the length of the succeed- ing ones; but this is not invariable, as the "putting by" of the animal will sometimes throw her out of her regular course. MANAGEMENT OF THE BITCH IN SEASON. When bitches are not intended to breed, they are carefully " put by," that is to say, they are secluded from the dog, and during that time they are in great measure deprived of their usual exer- cise. From this circumstance they arc very apt to get out of health, and some injury is thereby done to their offspring as well as themselves. At this time, from their general feverishness, as veil as from their deprivation of exercise, they ought to be kept rather lower than usual, and very little meat should be given. Slops and vegetables, mixed with biscuit or oatmeal, form the MANAGEMENT OF THE BITCH IN WHELP. 1G3 most suitable diet; but, if the bitch has been accustomed to a great deal of flesh, it will not do to deprive her of it altogether. Bearing in mind then this caution, it is only necessary to remem- ber that she must be lowered m condition, but not so starved as to suffer by the sudden change. After the end of the period, a Uttle cooling medicine will often be requii'ed, consisting of a dose of oil or salts. MANAGEMENT OF THE BITCH IN WHELP. When it is cleai-ly ascertained that the bitch is in whelp, the exercise should be increased and carried on freely untC the sixth week, after which it should be daily given, but with care to avoid strams either in galloping or jumping. A valuable bitch is often led during the last week, but some way or other she should have walking exercise to the last, by which in great measure all neces- sity for opening medicine will be avoided. During the last few weeks her food should be regulated by her condition, which must be raised if she is too low, or the reverse if she is too fat, the de- sired medium being such a state as is compatible with hio-h health and not tending towards exhaustion or inflammation. Exces- sive fat in a bitch not only interferes with the birth of the pups, but also is very liable to interfere with the secretion of milk, and, if this last does occur, it aggravates the attendant or " milk " fever. To know by the eye and hand how to fix upon this proper stan- dard, it is only necessary to feel the ribs, when they should at once be apparent to the hand, rolling loosely under it, but not evi- dent to the eye so as to count them. It is better to separate the bitch from other dogs during the last week or ten days, as she then becomes restless, and is instinctively and constantly looking for a place to whelp in, whereas, if she is prevented from occupy- ing any desirable comer she is uneasy. At this time the food should be of a very sloppy nature, chiefly composed of broth, or milk and bread, adding oatmeal according to the state of the bowels. 184 BREEDING. PREPAEATION FOR WHELPING. The best mode of preparing a place for the bitch to whelp in ia to nail a piece of old carpet over a smooth boarded floor, to a re*nilar " bench," if in a sporting kennel ; or on a door or other Hat piece of board raised a few inches from the ground, if for any other breed. When a regular wooden box or kennel, as these are called in ordinary language, is used for the bitch, she may as well continue to occupy it, as she will be more contented than in a fresh place ; but it is not so easy to get at her there if anything goes wrong with cither mother or whelps, and on that account it IS not a desirable place. A board, large or small, according to the size of the bitch, with a raised edge to prevent the puppies roll- ing off, and supported by bricks a few inches from the ground, is all that is required for the most valuable animal ; and if a piece of carpet, as before mentioned, is tacked upon this, and some straw placed upon all, the hight of comfort is afforded to both mother and offspring. The use of the carpet is to allow the puppies to catch their claws in it as they are working at the mothers teats ; for without it they slip over the board, and they are restless, and unable to fill themselves well ; while at the same time they scratch all the straw away, and are left bare and cold. HEALTHY PARTURITION. During whelping, the only management required is in regard to food and quiet, which last should as far as possible be enjoined, as at this time all bitches are watchful and suspicious, and will de- stroy their young if they are at all interfered with, especially by strangers. While the process of labor is going on no food is re- quired, unless it is delayed in an unnatural manner, when the ne- cessary steps will be found described in the Third Book. After it IS completed, some lukewarm gruel, made with half milk and half water, should be given, and repeated at intervals of two or three hours. Nothing cold is to be allowed for the first two or three HEALTHY PAETURITIOX, ETC. 185 days, unless it is in the hight of summer, when these precautions are unnecessary, as the ordinary temperature is generally between 60" and 70" of Fahrenheit. If milk is not easily had, broth will do nearly as well, thickening it with oatmeal, which should be well boiled in it. This food is continued until the secretion of milk is fuily established, when a more generous diet is gradually to be allowed, consisting of sloppy food, together with an allow- ance of meat somewhat greater than that to which she has been accustomed. This last is the best rule, for it will be found that no other useful one can be given ; those bitches which have been pre- viously accustomed to a flesh diet sinking away if they do not have it at this time, when the demands of the puppies for milk dram the system considerably ; and those which have not been used to it being rendered feverish and dyspeptic if they have an inordinate allowance of it. A bitch in good health, and neither over-reduced by starvation nor made too fat by excessive feeding, will rarely give any trouble at this time ; but, in either of these conditions, it may happen that the secretion fails to be established. (For the proper remedies see Parturition, in Book III.) From the first day the bitch should be encouraged to leave her puppies twice or thnce daily to empty herself, which some, in their excessive fondness for their new charge, are apt to neglect. When the milk is thoroughly established, they should be regularly exercised for an hour a day, which increases the secretion of milk, and indeed will often bring it on. After the second week, bitches will always be delighted to leave their puppies for an hour or two at a time, and will exercise themselves if allowed to escape from them. The best food for a suckling bitch is strong broth, with a fair pro- portion of bread and flesh, or bread and milk, according to their habits. DESTRUCTION OR CHOICE OF WHELPS AT BIRTH. Sometimes it is desirable to destroy all the whelps as soon as possible after birth, but this ought very seldom to be done, as in 186 BEEEDIKG. all cases it is better to keep one or two sucking for a short time, to prevent milk fever, and from motives of humanity also. If, how- ever, it is decided to destroy all at once, take them away as fast as they are born, leaving only one with the mother to engage her at- tention, and when all are bom, remove the last before she has become used to it, by which plan less cruelty is practised than if she is permitted to attach herself to her offspring. Low diet and a dose or two of mild aperient medicine, with moderate exercise, will be required to guard against fever, but at best it is a bad business, and can only be justified under extraordinary circum- stances. CHAPTER II. REARING. MANAGEMENT IN THE NEST.— CHOOSING.— THE FOSTER NURSE.— FEEDING BEFORE WEANING.— CHOICE OF PLACE FOR WHELPING.— REMOVAL OP DEW-CLAWS, ETC.— WEANLNG. — LODGING. — FEEDING. —EXERCISE.— HOME REARING V. WALKING.— FOOD.— GENERAL MANAGEMENT.— CROP- PING^ BRANDING, AND ROUNDING. THE MANAGEMENT OF WHELPS IN THE NEST. Until weaned, the management of dogs does not require much care beyond the feeding of the mother, and the necessity for re- moving a part when the numbers are too great for her strength to support. For the first fortnight, at least, puppies are entirely dependent upon the milk of then- dam or a foster-nurse, unless they are brought up by hand, which is a most troublesome office, and attended also with considerable risk. Sometimes, however, the bitch produces twelve, fourteen, or even sixteen whelps, and these being far beyond her powers to suckle properly, either the weak ones die off, or the whole are impoverished, and rendered small and puny. It is better, therefore, especially when size and strength are objects to the breeder, to destroy a part of the litter, when there are more than five or six in the greyhound, or seven or eight in the hound or other dog of that size. In toy dogs a small size is sometimes a desideratum, and with them, if the strength of the dam is equal to the dram, which it seldom is, almost any num- ber may be kept on her. For the first three or four days, the bitch will be able to suckle her whole litter ; but if there are more pup- pies than she has good teats, that Is, teats with milk m them, the weak ones are starved, unless the strong ones are kept away m order to allow them access, so as to fill themselves in their turn. To manage this, a covered basket, lined with wool if the weather 18T 188 I^EA lllSG. is at all col:l, should be provided; and in this ODe-third or one- half of the puppies should be kept, close to the mother, to prevent either from being uneas}', with the lid fastened down or she will take them out in her mouth. Every two or three hours a fresh lot should be exchanged for those in the basket, first letthig them fill themselves, when they will go to sleep and remam contented for the time fixed above, thus allowing each lot in its turn to fill itself regularly. At the end of ten days, by introducing a little sweetened cow's milk on the end of the finger into their mouths, and dipping their noses in a saucer containing it, they learn to lap. After this there will be little difficulty in rearing even a dozen ; but they will not, however carefully they may be fed, be as large as if only a small number were left on her. Therefore grey- hound breeders limit their litters to five, six, or at most seven ; destroying the remainder, or rearing them with a foster-nurse. CHOICE OF WHELPS. In choosing the whelps in the nest which are to be kept, most people select on different principles, each having some peculiar crotchet to guide himself. Some take the heaviest, some the last born ; others the longest of the litter ; while others again are en- tirely guided by color. In toy dogs, and those whose appearance is an important element, color ought to be allowed all the weight it deserves, and among certain toy dogs, the value is often affected a hundred per cent, by a slight variation in the markings. So also among pointers and setters, a dog with a good deal of white should be preferred, on the score of greater utility in the field, to another self-colored puppy which might otherwise be superior in all re- spects. Hounds and greykounds are however chosen for shape and make, and though this is not the same at birth as in after hfe, still there are certain indications which are not to be despised. Among these the shoulders are more visible than any others, and if on lif tmg up a puppy by the tad, he puts his forelegs back beyond his THE FOSTER NURSE. 189 ears, it may be surmisea that there will be no fault in his shape in reference to his fore quarter, supposing that his legs are well formed and bis feet of the proper shape, which last point can hardly be ascertained at this time. The width of the hips, and shape of the chest, with the formation of the loin, may also bo conjectured, and the length of the neck is in like measure shadow- ed forth, though not with the same certainty as the shoulders and ribs. A very fat puppy will look pudgy to an inexperienced eye, so that it is necessar}'^ to take this into consideration in makino- Uiq selection ; but fat is a sign of strength, both actual and constitu- tional, when it is remarkably permanent in one or two amon«- a litter, for it can only be obtained either by depriving the others of their share of milk by main force, or through such constitutional vigor as to thrive better on the same share of aliment. The navel should be examined to ascertain if there is any rupture, and thia alone is a reason for deferring the choice until nearly the end of the first week, up to which time there is no means of judging as to this defect. Indeed, if possible, it is always better to rear nearly all until after weaning, either on the dam herself or on a foster- nurse, as at that time the future shape is very manifest, and the consequences of weaning are shown, either in a wasting away of the whole body, or in a recovery from its effects in a short time. Sometimes, however, there are not conveniences for either, and then recourse must be had to an early choice on the principles in- dicated above. THE FOSTER-NURSE. The foster nurse need not be of the same breed as the puppies which she is to suckle ; a smooth-skinned bitch is superior for the purpose to one with a rough coat, which is apt to harbor fleas, and in other ways conduces to the increase of dirt. For all large breeds the bull-terrier (which is most commonly kept among the class who alone are likely to sell the services of a nurse) answers as well cs any other, and her milk is generally plentiful 1 90 EEABING. ar.d go«d. For small breeds any little house dog ^vill suffice, tak- ing care that the skin is healthy, and that the constitution is not impaired b}^ confinement or gross feeding. Greyhound puppies are very commonly reared by bull-bitches without any disadvan- tage, clearly proving the propriety of the plan. It may generally be reckoned, in fixing the number which a bitch can suckle will? advantage, that, of greyhound or pointer puppies, for every seven pounds in her own weight the bitch can nurse one ; so that an aver- age bull-terrier will rear three, her weight being about twenty one pounds, and smaller dogs in proportion. When the substitution is to be made, the plan is to proceed as follows : — Get a warm basket, put in it some of the litter in which the bitch and her whelps have been lying, then take away all her own progeny, and put all in the basket, together with the whelps to be fostered, mLx- ing them so that the skins of the fresh ones shall be in contact with the bitch's own pups, and also with the litter. Let them remain in this way for three hours, during which time the bitch should be taken out for an hour's walk, when her teats will have become pain- fully distended with milk. Then put all the pups in her nest, and, carefully watching her, let her go back to them. In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, she will at once allow them all to suck quietly, and if she licks all alike, she may be left with them safely enough ; but if she passes the fresh ones over, pushing them one side, she should be muzzled for twelve hours, leaving all with her, and keeping the muzzle on excepting while she is fed, or watched until she is observed to lick all alike. On the next day, all but one of her own puppies may be withdrawn, with an interval of one hour or two betw'een each two, taking care that she does not see what is done. After two days the last may also be taken away, and then she acts to her foster-puppies in every way the same as to her own. Some people squeeze a little of the bitch's milk out of her teats, and rub this over the puppies, but I have never seen any advantage in the plan, and, as I have never had any difficulty in getting puppies adopted, I do not recommend any other than that I have described. In most cases tlie foster-bitch is strange to those about her, having been brought from her own FEEDING KEFOBE WEANING, ETC. 191 home, and in that case a muzzle is often required for :^e safety of the servants watching her as well as for the whelps ; but if she seems quiet and good-tempered, it may be dispensed with. FEEDING BEFORE WEANING. The food of whelps before weaning should be confined at first to cow's milk, or, if this is very rich, reduced with a little water. It is better to boil it, and sweeten it with a little fine suo-ar as for the human palate. As much of this as the whelps will take may be given them three times a day, or every four hours, if they are a large litter. In the fourth week get a sheep's head, boil it in a quart of water until the meat comes completely to pieces, then carefully take away every particle of bone, and break up the meat into fragments no larger than a small horse-bean ; mix all with the broth, thicken this to the consistence of cream with fine wheat flour, boil for a quarter of an hour, then cool and give alternately with the milk. At this time the milk may also be thickened with flour ; and as the puppies grow, and the milk of the bitch decreases in quantity, the amount of milk and thickened broth must be increased each day, as well as more frequently given. Some art, founded on experience, is required not to satiate the puppies ; but, by carefully increasing the quantity whenever the pups have finished it greedily the last time or two, they will not be overdone. In no case should the pan containing the food be left in the intervals with the puppies, if they have not cleared it out, as they only become disgusted with it, and the next time refuse to feed. A sheep's head will serve a litter of large-sized puppies two days up to weaning, more or less, according to numbers and age. CHOICE OF PLACE FOR WHELPING. The whelping-place, up to the third week, may be confined to a square yard or two, floored with board as already described. 192 BEARING. After the third week, when the puppies he<]i;in to run about, ucuess should be given them to a larger run, and tin inclined plane should be arranged for ihem to get up and down from their boai ;ed stage. If the weather is cold, the best place for a bitch to wiielp is in a saddle-room warmed by a stove, or an empty st:ill, with a two-foot board placed across the bottom, opposite the stall-post, so as to prevent the puppies getting among the horses. In either case there is an amount of artificial heat, which conduces to the growth of the puppies, and allows them to be reared suffi- ciently strong to bear any cold afterwards with impunity. If the weather is not cold, an ordinary horse-box is the best place which can be chosen, fixing the boarded stage at a distance from the door, and either sanding or slightly littering the brick floor, ac- cording to the weather; but the latter is to be preferred, excepting m a very hot summer. In these boxes puppies take a vast am.ount of exercise, which they require for health, and to giv^e that appe- tite without which sufficient food for growth is not taken. REMOVAL OF DEW-CLAWS, ETC. Before weaning, any cropping which is intended, whether of the dew-claw or tail, should be practised, but the ears should be left alone until the third or fourth month, as they are not suffi- ciently developed before. If, however, the operator does not understand his business thoroughly, it is better to leave the latter organs alone, until a later period, as otherwise the proper quantity may not be cropped or rounded, as the case may be. Indeed, even the most skillful hand will hardly ever manage either the one or the other well before the fifth month ; and in hounds it is usual to de- fer it until they are nearly full grown, as they often lose a consider- able quantity of blood, which interferes with their growth. But the tail and dew-claws may always be best done, and with least pain, while with the dam; besides which, her tongue serves to heal the wound better than that of the young puppy, who has hardly learned to use it. Regular do^-fanciers bite off the tail, but a pair? WEANIXG. 193 of scissors answers equally well ; and the same may be said of the dew-claw. If, however, the nail only is to be removed, which always ought to be done, the teeth serve the purpose of a pair of nippers, and by their aid it may be drawn out, leaving the claw itself attached, but rendered less liable to injury, from having lost the part likely to catch hold of any projecting body. WEANING. When weaning is to be commenced, which is usually about the fifth or sixth week, it is better to remove the puppies altogether, than to let the bitch go on suckling them at long intervals. By this time their claws and teeth have become so sharp and so long, that they punish the bitch terribly, and therefore she does not let them fill their bellies. Her milk generally accumulates in her teats, and becomes stale, in which state it is not fit for the whelps, and by many is supposed to encourage worms. The puppies have always learned to lap, and will eat meat, or take broth or tliick- ened milk, as previously described; besides which, when they have no chance of sucking presented to them, they take other food better, whereas, if they are allowed to suck away at empty teats, they only fill themselves with wind, and then lose their appetites for food of any kind. But, having determined to wean them, there are several important particulars which must be attended to, or the result will be a failure, at all events for some time. That is to say, the puppies will fall away in flesh, and will cease to grow at the same rate as before. In almost all cases, what is called the " milk-fat " disappears after weaning, but still it is desirable to keep some flesh on their bones, and this can only be done by attending to the following directions, which apply to dogs of all kinds, but are seldom rigidly carried out, except with the greyhound, whose size and strength are so important as to call for every care to pro- cure them in a high degree. In hounds, as well as pointers and setters, a check in the growth is of just as much consequence ; hut as they are not tested together as to their speed and stoutness so 9 194 EEARING. closely as greyhounds are, the slight defects produced in puppy- hood are not detected, and, as a consequence, the same attention is not paid. Nevertheless, as most of these points require only care, and cost little beyond it, they ought to be carried out almost as strictly in the kennels of the foxhound and pointer as in those de- voted to the longtails. These chief and cardinal elements of suc- cess are, — 1st, a warm, clean, and dry lodging ; 2ndly, suitable food ; 3rdly, regularity in feeding ; and, 4thly, a provision for suf- ficient exercise. NECESSITY FOB WARM AND DRY LODGING. All puppies require a dry lodging, and in the winter season it should also be a warm one. Greyhound whelps, up to their third or fourth month, are sometimes reared in an artificial tempera- ture, either by means of a stove, or by using the heat of a stable, the temperature chosen being 60" of Fahrenheit. Beyond this ao-e, it can never be necessary to adopt artificial heat in rearing puppies, because for public coursing they are required to be whelp- ed after the last day of the year, and four months from that time takes us on to May, when the weather is seldom cold enough to re- quire a stove; then during the summer months they are gradu- ally hardened to the vicissitudes of the weather, and as they be- come older their growth is established, and they are no longer in danger of its being checked. It is true that some few breeders always keep their kennels at 60^; but on the whole, as we shall hereafter find, the plan is not a good one, and need not be consid- ered here. But far beyond the warmth, dryness is essential to suc- cess. Dogs will bear almost any amount of cold if unaccompanied by damp, provided they have plenty of straw to lie in ; but a damp kennel, even if warm, is sure to lead to rickets or rheumatism, if the puppies escape inflammation of some one or more of the inter- nal organs. Take care, therefore, to give a dry bedstead of boards, lined with the same material towards the wall (the cold of which strikes inwardly and gives cold), and raised somewhat from the FEEDING. 195 floor, which will otherwise keep it damp. Puppies soon learn to lie oa this, and avoid the cold stones or bricks, except in the heats of summer, when these do no harm. The stone or brick floor should be so made as to avoid absorption of the urine, etc., which can only be effected by employing glazed tiles or bricks that are not porous, or by covering the whole with a layer of hydraulic cement, or with asphalt, which answers nearly as well. Care should be taken that there are no interstices between the boards, if the kennel is made of them ; and in every way, while ventilation is provided, cold draughts must be prevented. Cleanliness must also be at- tended to rigidly by sweeping out the floor daily, and washing it down at short intervals, and by changing the litter once a week at the least. In the summer time, straw is not desirable, as it harbors fleas, and, if the boarded floor is not considered sufficient, a thick layer of pine sawdust will be the best material, as it is soft enough, without harboring vermin of any kind ; the only objection to it be- ing that the puppies are apt to wet it often, after which it becomes offensive. FEEDING. The feeding of puppies is all important, and, unless they have plenty of food sufl3ciently nourishing to allow of a proper growth, it is impossible that they should become what they might be if fed with the best materials for the purpose. From the time of wean- ing to the end of the third month, when a decision must be arrived at as to their subsequent management, very little deviation is re- quired from the plans described on page 191 ; that is, the pup- pies should be fed every four hours upon the thickened broth made from sheep's bead, and thickened milk alternately. After that time, however, their food must be given them rather stronger and of a somewhat different nature, as we shall find in its proper place. This food will be required for any kind of dog, but a single puppy may very well be reared upon thickened milk, with the scraps of the house m addition, including bones, which it will greedily pick, and any odds and ends which are left on the plates. 196 REARING. : Regularity of feeding in puppies, as in adult animals, is of the utmost importance; and it will always be found that if two pup- pies are equally well reared in other respects, and one fed at regu- lar hours, while the other is only supplied at the caprice of ser- vants, the former will excel the latter in size and health, as well as in the symmetrical development of the body. It is also very neces- sary to avoid leaving any part of one meal in the pans or feeding- troughs until the next, as nothing disgusts the dog more than seeing food left in this way. The moment the puppies fill themselves^ take away the surplus ; and, indeed, it is better still to anticipate them by stopping them before they have quite done. All this re- quires considerable tact and experience, and there are very few servants who are able and willing to carry out these directions fully. EXERCISE. Exercise is necessary at all ages, but the fully developed dog may be confined for some litile time without permanent injury, the formation of his feet and the texture of his bones and muscles being then finally settled. On the other hand, the puppy will grow according to the demand made upon his mechanism, and if the muscles are left idle they do not enlarge; while the feet re- main thin and weak, with the tendons and ligaments relaxed, so that they spread out like a human hand. Growing puppies should be provided with an area sufficiently large for them to play in, according to their size, and under.cover up to the end of the third month ; after which, if they have a sheltered sleeping-place to run into, they will generally avoid heavy rain. Young puppies play sufficiently in a loose box or similar enclosure ; but, after the time specified above, they must either have their entire liberty, or be allowed the run of a larger space, the alternative being bad feet, defective development, and weak joints. HOME REARING VERSUS WALKING. 197 HOME REARING VERSUS WALKING. When one or two puppies only are to be reared, they may be readily brought up at home, excepting in towns or other confined situations, where due liberty and a proper amount of sun and air can not be obtained. But where a larger number are to be reared, as in the case of hounds, greyhounds, pointers, and setters, etc., there is a diflBculty attending upon numbers, as a dozen or two of puppies about the house are not conducive to the neatness and beauty of the garden ; besides which, the collection together in masses of young dogs is prejudicial to their health. To avoid this evil, therefore, it is customary to send puppies out at three or four months of age to be kept by cottagers, butchers, small farm- ers, etc., at a weekly sum for each, which is called " walking '* them. Young greyhounds may be reared in a large enclosure, which should be not less than thirty or forty feet long, with a lodging-house at one end ; but hounds do not take exercise enough in a confined space, and should invariably be sent out. It is only, therefore, in reference to the rearing of greyhounds that the two plans can be compared, or perhaps also with pointers and setters, if they are taken out to exercise after they are four or five months old. The two plans have been extensively tried with the longtails, and in my own opinion the preference should be given to the home rearing if properly carried out, because it has all the advan- tages of the " walk" without those disadvantages attending upon it, in the shape of bad habits acquired in chasing poultry, rabbits, and often hares, during which the puppy learns to run cunning. One of the first symptoms of this vice is the waiting to cut oflT a corner, which is soon learned if there is the necessity for it, and even in mutual play the puppy will often develop it. Hence I have seen a " walked " greyhound, with his very first hare, show as much waiting as any old worn-out runner, evidently acquired in his farm yard education, or possibly from having been tempted after a hare or two by the sheep-dog belonging to the farm, More- Over, the home-reared puppy, being confined in a limited space 198 BEAKING. during the greater pari of his time, is inclined to gallop when first let out, and takes in this way more exercise than those brought up on the other plan ; so that, after considering both methods, I have come to the conclusion that the home rearing is preferable on the whole, though there is no doubt that good dogs may be reared in either way. The best plan is to fence off a long slip of grass ; or, if a small walled enclosure can be procured, fence off about a yard or two all round, by which last plan an excellent gallop is secured, with- out the possibility of cutting corners, and with a very slight loss of ground. An admirable plan is to build four large sleeping rooms in a square block, and then all round this let there be a run two yards wide, which may be separated into four divisions, or thrown into one at will. If the latter, the puppies will exercise themselves well round and round the building, which is a practice they are very fond of; and, even if two or more lots are wanted to occupy the compartments, the whole can be thrown open to each lot in turn. Wiien this plan is adopted, the run should be paved, so that the expense is much greater than in the other mode, in which the natural soil is allow^able, because the puppies are not kept on it long enough to stain it. THE FOOD OF PUPPIES AT HO^fE OR "AT WALK," AND ITS PROPER PREPARATION. Whether at home or out, puppies require the same kind of food, an 1 the more regularly this is given as to quantity and quality, as well as the times of feeding them, the more healthy they will be, and the faster they will grow. Many people consider milk to be by far the best article of food for growing puppies, and undoubtedly it is a good one, but it is not superior to a mixed diet of meal and animal food in proper proportions, and occasionally varied by the addition of green vegetables. Indeed, after three months, or at most four, puppies may be fed like grown dogs as to the quality THE FOOD OF PUrPIES, ETC 199 of their food, requiriui; it however to be given them more fre- quently the younger they are. Up to six months they require it three times a day, at equal intervals, and after that age twice ; for although there is a difference of opinion as to the propriety of feeding the adult once or twice a day, there is none about the puppy demanding a supply morning and evening. In all cases, they should be encouraged to empty themselves (by allowing a run, if they are confined to kennel) just before feeding, and for an hour or two afterwards they are best at rest. If milk is given, it may be thickened by boiling in it oatmeal or wheat-flour, or both together, or biscuits may be scalded and added to it; but no flesh is needed in addition, bones only being required to amuse the dog and to clean his teeth by gnawing them. Witli these any dog may be reared very well, but the plan is an expensive one, if the milk has any thing lilic the ordinary value attached to it, and if it has to be purchased, the cost is generally quite prohibitory of its use. Besides milk, various other articles are employed in feeding doo-s. Of these, Indian meal is by far the best in proportion to its price (being quite equal to anything but the very best wheat-flour, which is perhaps slightly more nourishing), and, being so much cheaper, is, on that account, to be preferred. It requires to be mixed with oatmeal, in about equal proportions, or less of the latter if the bowels are at all relaxed. Oatmeal is considerably dearer, though the grain itself is cheaper; but the quantity of meal obtained, owing to the amount of chaflf, is so small, that when this is got rid of the meal is necessarily sold at a higher price, according to the season. But a much larger bulk of thick stuff, commonly called " puddings," is produced by oatmeal than can be obtained from any other meal in proportion to weight, the absorption of water being greater, and also varying in different quahties of oatmeal itself; so that, after all, this meal is not so expensive as it looks to be, when comparing an equal weight of it with barley or Indian meal. The re.il coarse Scotch oatmeal yields the greatest bulk of puddings, and is to be preferred on that account ; besides which, It appears to agree best with dogs, and altogether is a very superior article ; but in any case it ought to be 200 EEARING. Dearly a year old. It may therefore Ln; considered that mo-1 or oatmeal is the best meal, unless the price of wheat-flour e;ui bo afforded, when the best red wheat should be coarsely ground and not bolted, and in this state made into biscuits or dump- lings, or used to thicken the broth. If corn meal is employed, it must be mixed with the water or broth while cold, and then boiled for at least an hour, stirring it occasionally to prevent burning. If it is intended to mix oatmeal with the com meal, the former may be first mixed with cold water to a paste, and then stirred in after boiling the latter for three quarters of an hour ; then boil another quarter, reckoning from the time that the contents of the copper came to the boiling point a second time. Wheat-flour should be boiled from fifteen to twenty mmutcs, and may be mixed with the oatmeal in the same way as the corn meal. Oatmeal pudding, and porridge, or stirabout, are made as follows : the first name being given to it when so thick as to bear the weight of the body after it is cold, and, the last two to a somewhat thinner composition. In any case the meal is stirred up with cold water to a thick paste, and, when quite smooth, some of the broth should be ladled out and added to it, still stirring it steadily. Then return the whole to the boiler, and stir until it tliickeus, ladle out into coolers, and let it " set," when it can be cut with a spade and is quite solid. The directions as to the length of time for tlie boiling of oatmeal vary a good deal, some preferring at least half an hour's boil, while others are content with ten or fifteen minutes, but for most purposes from a quarter to half an hour is the proper time, remembering that this is to be reckoned from the moment that the water boils. The animal food used should be carefully selected to avoid in- fectious diseases, and the flesh of those creatures which have been loaded with drugs should also be avoided. Horseflesh, if death has been caused by accident, is as good as anything, and in many cases of rapid disease the flesh is little the worse, but though in foxhound kennels there is little choice, yet for greyhounds those THE FOOD OF PUPPIES, ETC. 201 horses which have been much drugged for Imgering diseases, and those also which are much emaciated, are likely to do more harm than good. Slipped calves and lambs, as well as beef and mutton, the result of death from natural causes, make an excellent change, but are seldom better than bad horseflesh. Still, as variety is essential to success in rearing, thoy should not be rejected. Whatever this kind of food is composed of, it should be boiled, with the exception of paunches, which may be given raw, but even they are better boiled, and I think an occasional meal of well- kept horseflesh is rather a good change. The flesh with the bones should be boiled for hours, until the meat is thoroughly done ; then take it out and let it hang ui^til cold ; cut or strip it from the bones and mix with the puddmgs or stirabout according to the quantity required. The broth should always be used, as there are impor- tant elements of nutrition dissolved in it, which are absent in the boiled flesh. It is therefore necessary to make the puddings or stirabout with it, or to soak in it the biscuit, when this is the food selected. The bones should be given for the dogs to gnaw, to- gether with any others from the house which can be obtained, but taking care to remove all fragments small enough for them to swallow whole. Bones should be given on grass or clean flags The comparative value of the various articles of diet enumerated according to the authority of Liebig, is as follows : Materials ^ised Materials used in The proportions in for making 7/ntsde, bone. respiration, or in forming etc. fat. Parts. Parts. Cow's milk are as 10 to 30 Fat mutton "■ 10 27 to 45 Lean mutton " 10 19 Lean beef " 10 17 Lean horseflesh " 10 15 Hare and rabbit " 10 2 to 5 Wheat-flour " 10 46 Oatmeal " 10 50 Barley meal 10 57 Potatoes " 10 86 to 115 Rice 10 153 From this high authority it appears that barley-meal is superior 202 REARING. both to wheat-flour and oatmal in fat-nrsaking materials, but it ig greatly inferior in muscle-making power, and hence, in dogs where fat is not required, it is of inferior vaUie. Science and prnctical experiment here go hand in hand, as they alwa^'s do when the for- mer is based upon true premises. In cow's milk, which is the nai- jral food of the young of the Mammalia, the proportion is 30 to 10, and this seems to be about what is required in mixing the ani- mal and vegetable food. Now by adding equal weights of wheat- meal and lean horseflesh, we obtain exactly the same proportions within the merest trifle ; thus — Wheat-flour 10 46 Horseflesh 10 15 20 61 being equal to 10 of muscle-making to 30| of fat-making matter ; and this is practically the proportion of animal food to meal which best suits the dog's stomach and general system. The reader is not to suppose that a dog is to be fed on equal parts of cooked meat and pudding, but of raw meat and dry meal, which when both are boiled would, by the loss of juice in the flesh and the ab- sorption of water in the meal, become converted into about two quantities by weight of pudding to one of cooked meat. Even this proportion of flesh is a large one for growing dogs which have not much exercise, but those which are "at walk" or which have their liberty in any situation will bear it. Most people prefer a much smaller proportion of meat, especially for hounds, pointers, setters, and spaniels, which depend on their nose, this organ being supposed to be rendered less delicate by high feeding. From long experience in this matter, however, I am satisfied that, while the health is maintained in a perfect stiite, there is no occasion to fear the loss of nose, and that such may be avoided with the above diet I am confident from actual practice. At the same time it must not be forgotten that all dogs so fed require a great supply of green vegetables, which should be given once or twice a week dur- ing the summer, without which they become heated, and throw out an eruption as a proof of it, the nose also being hot ana dry. GENERAL TREATMENT. 203 Green cabbage, turnip tops, turnips, net tic-tops, or carrots, as well as potatoes, may all be given with advantage boiled and mixed with the meal and broth, in which way they are much relished. Scraps, bought at the provision stores, and consisting of the refuse of the fat melted to make tallow, are a very common article for flavoring the meal of sporting dogs of all kinds. Beyond this they have little value, but they certainly aiford some degree of nourishment, and are not altogether to be despised. They are boiled in water first until soft, and then mixed with the meal to form tlie stirabout or pudding. With oatmeal they form a good food enough for pointers and setters, as they are not so heating us flesh. The quantity by weight which is required by the growing puppy daily of such food as the above, is from a twelfth to one-twenlieth of the weight of its body, varying with the rapidity of growth, and a good deal with the breed also. Thus a 12 lb. dog will take from five-eighths of a pound to a pound, and a 36 lb. dog from two pounds to three pounds. When they arrive at full growth, more than the smaller of these weights is very seldom wanted, and it may be taken as the average weight of food of this kind for all dogs in tolerably active exercise. GENERAL TREATMENT. During the whole time of growth, the only general management required is, first, a habit of obedience, the dog 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, secure clean- liness in all respects, the kennel being kept scrupulously clean by washing the floor, and at least once a year lime-washmg 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. 204 REAKIXG. Physic is not needed as a regular practice, if feeding is conducted on the above plan, and the exercise is sufficient ; but if the pup- pies are dull, a dose of castor oil occasionally will do good. CHOICE OF PUPPIES AETER WEANING THEM. Puppies of all kinds vary in form so much between the weaning tii»e 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 animals 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 legs that he no longer looks so. Again, 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 grow alternately, and one month the fore quarter may be low, and the next the hind. None but an experienced eye therefore can pretend to foresee, after the period of weaning, what will be the final shape ; but either soon after that time, or a day or two after birth, a pretty good guess may be given, subject to the continua- tion of health, and to proper rearmg in all respects. Bad feet can soon be detected, but the limbs grow into a good shape after most extraordinary deviations from the line of beauty, particularly in the greyhound, which is often apparently deformed in his joints when half grown. The most unwieldy-looking animals often " fine " down into the best shapes, and should not be carelessly rejected without the fiat being pronounced by a breeder of experience. CROPPING, BRANDING, AND ROUNDING. If terriers are to be cropped, the beginning or end of the fourth month is the best time for this ; and, before sending out to walk, CROPPING, BRANDING, AND HOUNDING. 205 hounds are branded with the initials of the master or of the hunt, a hot iron shaped like the letter itself being used. Both cropping and rounding require practice to perform them well, a large sharp pair of scissors being used, and care bemg necessary to hold the two layers of skin in the ear in their natural position, to prevent the one rolling on the other, and thus leaving one larger than tho other Foxhounds have so much work in covert that rounding is Imperatively called for to prevent the ears from being torn, and it always has been adopted as a universal practice, different hunts- men varying in the quantity removed. Some people after cutting one ear lay the piece removed on the other, and so mark exactly the amount which is to be removed from it ; but this is a clumsy expedient, and, if the eye is not good enough to direct the hand without this measurement, the operation will seldom be effected to the satisfaction of the owner of the dog. It is usual to round fox- hound puppies after they come in from their wallis ; but it would be far better to perform the operation before their return, as it only makes them more sulky and unhappy than they otherwise would be, and is a poor introduction to their new masters. The men could easily go around to the different walks during the sum- mer, and it would uisure a supervision which is often required. CHAPTER III. KENNELS AND KENNEL MANAGEMENT. GBETHOUXD KERNELS. — ^FOXHOUND KENNELS. — ^POINTER KENNELS.— KEN* NELS FOR SINGLE DOGS.— HOUSE DOGS, Between the kennels intended for the various kinds of dogs, and the methods of management therein, some considerable difference exists, though the same principles are adopted throughout. Thus, packs of foxhounds are often kept to the number of 80 or even 100 couples, and these must be managed rather differently from the three or four brace of greyhounds or pointers, which usually constitute the extent of each of these kinds in one man's possession, or at all events in the building. Besides this, foxhounds are much more exposed to the weather than greyhounds, which are usually clothed out of doors, and otherwise protected by dog-carts, etc. The former therefore must be hardened to the duties they have to per. form, while the latter may be brought out in more vigorous health, and with their speed very highly developed, but at the same time in so delicate a condition as to be liable to take cold if allowed to remain in the rain for any length of time. Hence it will be neces- sary to describe the kennels for greyhounds, hounds, pointers, etc., separately. GREYHOUND KENNELS. Every kennel intended for greyhounds should be thoroughly pro- tected from the weather, and should have tlie yard covered in as well as the lodging-house. The plan for the kennel intended to rear puppies in is also best adapted for their future keeping, and this it will be desirable to describe more fully here. The central square, comprised lietween the four angles a b c d^i^ divided into four lodgin^'-l-ous:;:, L.r.iiij .. v;.':i:\lating shaft in the 206 GEEYHOUND KENXELS. 207 middle, with which they all communicate. These are filled with benches separated by low partitions as shown in the diagram, and raised about a foot from the ground. Each opens into a yard, with a door of communication so arranged as to be left partly open without allowing the slightest draught to blow upon tJie beds. These yards, ab, be, cd, da^ are all roofed in, and bounded on the outer side by pickets guarded by coarse wire net, to prevent the teeth of the inmates gnawing them. They are separated by narrow partitions, which slide up to allow of the dogs having the whole a i i r c 1 ■ : FlV. 39.— PLAN OF KENNEL. run; or they may be left down, and the upper part open, so as to encourage the puppies to fence, by the necessity for jumping over them, in pursuing one another. The floors should be of glazed tiles, bricks, or cement, the last being the most clean and free from absorption, which ought always to be entirely prevented. Each sleeping-place and yard should have a trapped drain, so as to carry oflf any wet directly it falls, and the former should be built exteriorly of brick cemented at least a foot from the ground, with board partitions between. A window should be in each, which is capable of being opcncl, and tlie vcntllatior. should be secured 208 KENNELS AND KEXNEL MANAGEMENT. in some satisfactory manner. This always ensures a down- current as well as an up-current, so that there is little or no neces- sity for having the door open except for cleanliness, but in very windy weather the ventilation on the side of the wind should be closed, or the down-draught will be enough to chill the greyhounds. As these kennels are to be paved with a non-porous material, the soil is not of much consequence, but the situation should be dry and healthy, and the shade of a large tree is to be obtained if possible. The kennel management of the greyhound consists in little more Fiir. 40.— ELEVATION OF KENNEL, than the adoption of cleanliness, which should be of the most scrupulous kind, together with regular feeding. Water is by some people constantly left for them to get at, but others object to it for dogs in training, and they then only give it with the food. My own opinion is decidedly in favor of the constant supply, as it i3 impossible to prevent these animals from getting to it when at ex- ercise ; and I am sure that, when they are kept from it indoors, they take too muf;h while they are out. On the contrary, if it is regularly supplied to them, they take very little, and are o^uite care- less about it at all times. ETC. 209 FOXHOUND AND nARRIER KENNELS, ETC. Unlike the greyhound keimel in many respects, that which we are now considering muat be adopted for from thirty to a hundred couples of hounds, aud the accommodation should therefore be more extensive, while a less degree of protection from the weather is desirable, because these hounds must be constantly exposed to long-continued wuid and wet, and should therefore be hardened to them. The kennel should be placed upon some high and dry situation ; the building should face the south, and there should be no large trees near it. Nothing is more prejudicial to hounds than damp lodging, rooms, a sure cause of rheumatism and mange, to which dogs are peculiarly liable. I have seen them affected by rheumatism in various ways, and totally incapacitated from working. Sometimes they are attacked in the loins, but more often in the shoulders, both proceeding either from a damp situation, damp lodging-room, or damp straw, often combined with the abuse of mercury in the shape of physic. In building kennels, therefore, the earth should be removed from the lodging-room floor to the depth of a foot at least, and in its place broken stones, sifted gravel, or cinders, should be substituted, with a layer of fine coal-ashes, upon which the brick floor is to be laid, in cement or hot coai-ash mortar, taking care to use bricks which are not porous, or to cover them with a layer of cement, which last is an admirable plan. Outside and close to the walls, an air-drain about three feet deep should be constructed with a draining pipe of two inch-bore at the bot- tom, and filled with broken stones to within six inches of the surface. This drain is to be carried quite round the building, and should fall into the main drain. For a roof to the building, I pre- fer shingles to tiles as aflfording more warmth in winter and cool- ness in summer ; but as slate or tiles are more agreeable to the eye, a thin layer of paper placed under the tiles will answer the purpose. Over the center of the lodging-rooms should be a sleeping-apart' 210 KENNELS AND KENNEL ilANAGEMENT. ment for the feeder, which being raised above the level of the other roof, will break the monotony of its appearance. At the rear of the kennel there should be the boiling-house, feeding-court, straw-house, and separate lodgings for bitches. In front of the kennels, and extending round to the back door of the feeding- house, there should be a good large green yard enclosed by a wall or pickets. I prefer the former, although more expensive, because hounds, being able to see through the latter, will be excited by passing objects ; and young hounds, for whose service the green yard is more particularly intended, are inclined to become noisy, barking and running round the fence when any strange dog makes his appearance. In the boiling-house two cast-iron boilers will be required, one for the meal, the other for flesh. Pure water must be conducted in some way to the kennels, both for cleanliness and for the preparation of food, and this should be placed at the service of the kennel- man at all parts, so that there may be no excuse on the score of trouble in carrying it. There must also be coolers fixed in pro- portion to the number of hounds, each couple requiring from half a foot to a foot superficial, according as it is intended to make the puddings daily or every other day. Stone or iron feeJ.ing and water-troughs are the best ; the latter should be fixed high enough to keep them clean. To each lodging-room there should be two doors; one at the back with a small sliding panel, and high up, through which the huntsman may observe the hounds without their seeing him ; and another in the front with a large opening cut at the bottom, high enough and wide enough for a hound to pass through easil3% and which should always be left open at night to allow free egress to the court. In addition, there must also be another between each of the rooms, so as to throw two into one in the summer for the purpose of making them more airy. The benches should be of pine or oak spars, and if they are made to turn up according to the following plan several advantages result. This plan is de- scribed by a recent authority as follows : FOXHOUND AND IIATIRIER KENNELS, ETC. 211 KENNEL BENCHES. " My benches are made of inch pine, cut into -widths of three inches, and nailed half an inch apart to two transverse pieces, to which hinges are fixed to connect the bench with a board six inches wide, fastened firmly to the wall about a foot from the ground. In front is a piece of board about three inches in widtli. to keep the straw from drawing off with the hounds. To prevent the hounds from creeping under, I nail two long laths the length of the bench across in front of the legs, which are hun"- with I I \* \ * ""^^-^^ \ \ \ \ \\ I \a \ \ Fig, 41.— BENCH FOR A KENNEL.— a a folds to b b , c c folds to d d^ e, book to fasten bench back. hinges in front of the bench, so that when the bench is hooked back they fall down and hang flat. By having the six-inch board between the hinges and the wall, it prevents the former from being strained when the bench is hooked back with straw upon it." In some establishments there is a separate kennel for the young hounds, with a grass yard attached, for their own use, and it is certainly very advantageous; but with a little management the buildings above recommended will be sufficient, and with a saving 212 KENNELS AND KENNEL MANAGEMENli of considerable expense. The hounds during the hunting season will not require it at all, as they should be walked out several times a day into a paddock or field, and should not be allowed to lie about anywhere but on their benches. In the rear of the kennels there should be a covered passage into which the doors of the middle kennel can open, and leading to th3 feeding-house, which stands under the same roof as the boil- ing-house, only separate i from it by a partition. This passage Fig. 42. -VENTILATING SHAFT,— a, 6, c, d, the four divisions of shaft ; «, /, board for distributing down current. should be so constructed as to make a foot-bath for the hounds as they pass through after hunting, the bricks being gradually sloped from each end to the center, where it should be a foot deep, with a plugged drain in the lowest par^, to let the hot hquor or water POXnOUXD AOT) HARKIEE KENNELS, ETC. 2l>? off into a drain. On each side of this passaf;-e there s^. juld be v paved court with a small lodging-house ai eac'i.^ end; one fo^ lame hounds, and the other for those which are sick. The ventilation of the rooms composing the lodgings of the hounds must be carefully attended to, and for this purpose the shaft shown at fig. 42 is especially well adapted. It resem- bles in external appearance that usually placed above well-con- structed stables, etc. ; but there is this important internal altera- tion, that the square is divided perpendicularly into four triangu- lar tubes, one of which is sure to be presented to the wind from whatever quarter of the compass it is blowing, while the opposite one allows the foul air to escape, to make room for that descend- ing through the first-named tube. When this is once constructed, it only remains to lead a metal tube from each of these four com- partments to every one of the lodging-rooms, which will thus be as efi"ectually ventilated as if each had an apparatus to itself. To carry this out well, the lodging-rooms should be in a block, and then there will be a corner of each meeting in a common cen- ter, above which the ventilator should be placed with the arrange- ment of tubes above described. The kennel management of hounds is a much more difficult and important affair than is generally supposed, as upon its proper performance, in great measure, depends the obedience of the pack in the field. Sometimes it is entirely committed to the care of the feeder, but every huntsman who knows his business will take as much pains with his hounds in kennel as out, and though he will not, of course, prepare the food, yet he will take care to superin- tend it, and will always " draw " his hounds himself, for no one else can possibly know how to feed them. During the season, this duty must of necessity devolve on the feeder or kennel-man on the hunting days, but the huntsman should always carry it out himself whenever he can. Hounds can not be too fond of their huntsman, and though " cupboard love " is not to be encouraged in man, yet it is at the bottom of most of that which is exhibited by the dog, however much it may appear to take a higher range when once it has been properly developed. 27.4 KEXXELS AXD KENXEL MAXAGEiTKNT. The regular daily kennel discipline is as follows: "With the four Jodging-rooms described there should always be two dry and clean in the early morning, having been washed the day before. Into these the general pack should be turned, as soon as the doors are opened, or, if the morning is not wet, directly after a short airing in the paddock. The feeder then sweeps out the room in which they have slept, and afterwards mops it clean, drying the floor as much as possible, so that by ten or eleven o'clock it is fit for the hounds to re-enter. The men then get their breakfast, and directly afterwards the hounds are taken out to exercise, or the hunting hounds to their regular day's work. If the former, they are brought back to kennel at eleven o'clock, fed, and returned to their regular lodging-room, or in some kennels they are still kept in. a separate room during the day and night, always taking care that they are not turned into a room while the floor is damp, and that strict cleanliness is practised nevertheless. The hour of feeding is generally fixed for eleven o'clock, but for the day before hunting it should be an hour or two later, varying with the dis- tance they have to travel. Water should be constantly provided, taking care that the troughs are raised above the hight at which dogs can pass their urine into it, which they will otherwise be constantly doing. As before remarked, iron troughs are the best After feeding, the hounds should remain quiet for the rest of the day. Only stir them in removing them from their day-room to their night-room, if two are allowed, which, I think, is an excellent practice. The food of hounds is composed of meal flavored with broth, to which more or less flesh is added, or with scraps as a substitute when flesh cannot be obtained. The relative value of the various meals is described at page 201, but I may here remark that old oatmeal is the recognized food of hounds, though corn meal is an excellent substitute. After boiling the flesh until the meat readily leaves the bones, take all out with a pitchfork, and put it to cool, skim all the fat off the broth, and fill up with water to the proper quantity; next mix the meal carefully with cold water, and then pour this into the hot broth, keeping it constantly stirred FOXHOUND AND HARKIEK KEX:N-ELS, ETC. 215 until it thickens ; after which it is to be boiled very gently until it has been on the fire for half an hour, continuing the stirring to prevent its burning. Lastly, draw the fiie, and ladle out the stuff into the coolers, where it remains until it has set, when it acquires the name with the solidity of " puddings." There should alwavs be two qualities made, one beUer than the other for the more del- icate hounds, which must be apportioned by the huntsman prop^ erly among them. This may be reduced with cold broth, when wanted, to any degree of thinness ; and the meat, being cut or torn up, is mixed with it. .In feeding the hounds, the huntsman, having the troughs sup- plied with the different qualities of food, orders the door to be thrown open which communicates with the lodging-room ; then having the hounds under proper control, they all wait until each is called by name, the huntsman pronouncing each name in a decided tone, and generally summoning two or three couple at a time, one after the other. When these have had what he considers sufficient, they are dismissed and others called in their lurn ; the gross feed- ers being kept to the last, when the best and most nourishing part has been eaten. By thus accustoming hounds in kennel to wait their proper turn, and to come when called, a control is obtained out of doors which could never be accomplished in any other way. Once a week, on a non-hunting day in the winter, and every three or four days in the summer, some green food, or potatoes or tur- nips, should be boiled with the puddings. They serve to cool the hounds very considerably. If this is attended to, very little physic is required, except from accidental causes. A regular dressing and physicing is practised in some kennels, the former to keep the skin free from vermin and eruptions, and the latter with the same view, but also to cool the blood. This is by no means necessary, if great care is taken with regard to clean- liness, feeding, and exercise ; and in the royal kennels neither one nor the other is practised, excepting when disease actually appears, and not as a preventive measure. When it is considered desirable to adopt either or both, directions for their use will be found given in the next Book. 21 G k:e:s^"els a^td kexmel management. POINTERS AND SETTERS. These dogs do not require a covered yard, and may be treated in all respects like hounds, the only ditfjrence being in regard to numbers. More than three or four brace should not be kept to- gether if it can be avoided, as they are apt to quarrel when not ihoroughly exercised or worked, and then a whole lot will fall upon one and tear him almost to pieces. The rules of cleanliness, feeding, etc., are the same as for hounds. SINGLE DOGS KENNELLED OUT OF DOORS. Where a single dog is kept chained to what is called a kennel, care should be taken to pave the ground on which he lies, unless he can be moved every month, or still more frequently, as in course of time his urine stains the ground so much as to produce disease. It should always be borne in mind that the dog requires more ex- ercise than he can take when chained, and he should therefore be set at liberty for an hour or two daily, or at all events every other day. HOUSE DOGS. The great bane of dogs at liberty to run through the house is that they are constantly receiving bits from their kitchen, as well as from their parlor, friends. The dog's stomach is pecu- iarly unfitted for this increasing demand upon it, and, if the practice is adopted, it is sure to end in disease before many years are passed. The rule should be strictly enforced, to avoid feeding more than once or twice daily, at regular hours, and then the quantity and quality should be proportioned to the size of the dog and to the amount of exercis'^ which he takes. About one-twon- tieth to one-twelfth of the weicrht of the dog is the proper amount of food, and all beyond this is improper in most cases, though of HOUSE DOGS. 217 course there are some exceptions. Dogs are very cleanly animals and often refuse to dirty a carpet or even a clean floor. Tliey should therefore be turned out at proper times to relieve themselves. To neglect to do this is cruel, as well as injurious to the health. J have known dogs retain their excretions for days to^-ether rather than expose themselves to the anger which they think they should incur, and I believe some high couraged animals would almost dia before they would make a mess. Long-haired dogs, when confined to the house, are apt to smell disagreeably if they have much flesh, and they should therefore be chiefly fed upon oatmeal por- ridge, with very little flavoring of broth or meat mixed with it. 10 CHAPTER IV. BREAKING AND ENTERING ^H5 ENTERING OF THE GItEYHOUND AND DEERHOUND.— OF FOXHOUNDS A>D HARRIERS.— BREAKING THE POINTER AND SETTER.— THE RE- TRIEVER (LAND AND WATER).— THE SPANIEL.— THE VERMIN DOG. With the exception of the greyhound, sporting dogs require some considerable education for the sport in which they are to be en- gaged. Unlike the hound and the dogs intended for the gun, grey- hounds have only their instinctive desires to be developed, and as no restraint is at any time placed upon these, except that depend- ing upon mechanical means which they cannot get rid of, nature has uncontrolled sway. Hence their entering is a verj' easy process ; nevertheless, tliere are some precautions to be taken which it is nec- essary to describe. The deerhound, as well as the greyhound, is held in slips, a single one being used for him, and a double slip, or pair of slips as it is called, for the two greyhounds which form the complement for coursing the bare — a greater number being consid- ered unfair, and therefore unsportsmanlike. These slips are so made that by pulling a string the neck-strap is loosed, and the two dogs are let go exactly at the same moment. They are always used in public coursing, but in private the greyhounds are sometimes suffered to run loose, waiting for the moment when the hare is put up by the beaters or by the spaniels, which are occasionally em- ployed. Hounds also are coupled under certain circumstances, but they are never slipped at the moment when game is on foot, and they must therefore be made steady from " riot." THE ENTERING OF THE GREYHOUND AND DEERHOUND. Whether for public or private coursing, the greyhound should not be suffered to course a hare until he is nearly at maturity ; but S18 GREYHOUND AND DEERIIOUN^D. 219 as the bitches come to their growth before the dogs, they may be entered earlier than the latter. About the teuiu inoath is tue best time for forward bitches, and the twelfth or fourteenth for do^^s. If therefore a greyhound is to be allowed to see a hare or two ^t this age, he or she must be bred early in the year, in order to have a brace 'late in the spring, so as to be ready for the next season. Some people invariably prefer keepmg them on to the autumn, and for private coursing there is no reason whatever for beginning so early ; but public coursers begin to run their dogs in puppy stakes in the month of October, prior to which there is so little time after the summer is passed, that they prefer beginning in the spring if their dogs are old enough, and if they are not they will not be fit to bring out in October. Before being entered the dogs must be taught to had quietly, as they cannot be brought on to the ground loose ; if not pre- viously accustomed to it, they knock about and tear themselves dreadfully, and moreover will not go quietly in slips. As soon therefore as the ground is soft, after they arc six or eight months old, they should have a neck-strap put on, and should be led about for a short time daily, until they folio w quietly. Some puppies are very violent, and fight against the strap for a long time, but by a little tact they soon give in, and follow their leader without resis- tance. The coursing-field is the best school for this purpose, as the puppies have something to engage their attention, and until they will bear their straps without pulling against them, their edu- cation in this respect is not complete. A dog pulling in slips will do himself so much harm as often to cause the loss of a course, and therefore every precaution should be taken to avoid this fault. The leader should never pull against the puppy steadily, but the moment he finds him beginning to hang forward, give him a severe check with the strap, and repeat it as often as necessary. It is a very common defect, but never ought to occur with proper man- agement ; though when once established the habit is very difficult to break. Two or three days* leading on the coursing-field will serve to make any puppies handy to lead if properly managed, and they may then be put in slips with perfect safety. 220 BREAKING AND ENTERING. The condition of the puppy at the time of entering, [a tt>o often neglected. It should be known that a fat over-ted pappy with- out previous exercise may be seriously injured even by a short course, which, moreover, can never be assured under any circum- stances, as the hare will sometimes run in a diiierent direction to that which is expected. A sapling, as the young greyhound is called to the end of the first season after he is whelped, should never be trained like an old one, as the work is too severe, and his frame is not calculated to bear it, but he may be reduced in flesh by light feeding, and allow- ed to gallop at liberty for two or three houi-s a day. With these precautions, he will be fit to encounter any hare in a short course, which is all that should ever be permitted. Whether an old assistant or a young one shall be put down with a sapling is a subject which admits of some discussion. If the former, the young dog has small chance of getting to work at all, and if the latter, he may have so little assistance as to be greatly distressed- Few people like to put down an honest old dog with a sapling, and a cunning one soon teaches the tricks which he him- self displays. Sometimes young dogs have great difficulty in kill- ing, and want the encouragement afforded by blood ; in such cases a good killer may be desirable, but with no other object could I ever put down an old dog with a sapling. Before they are going to run in a stake, an old dog of known speed should be put in slips with the puppy, in order to airivc at a knowledge of the powers of the latter; but this is with a view to a trial, and not as part of the entering of the greyhound. When a sapling h-^s run enough hares to know his work, and has killed a hare, or been present at the death of one, he may be put by as properly entered ; and the num^ ber required will average about five or six — more or less according to the capability of the p irticular animal, which will generally de- pend upon his breed. The deerhound is entered nt his game on the same principles as the greyhound. It is always better to slip him with an older companion, but beyond this prv-cantion everything must be left to his natural sagacity. As his nose is to be brought into play, and FOXHOUNDS AND HAKRIERS. 221 aa he ma/ possibly cross the scent of hares or other game, he must be made steady from all "riot," and, if possible, should be taken up, in couples, to the death of a deer once or twice and " blooded " ^M) as to make him understand the nature of the scent. His in- -»tinctive fondness for it will, however, generally serve him with- ■>ut this, but the precaution is a good one, and may save sonit- trouble and risk. He will not do much in aid of his older com- panion in huntmg the animal he is slipped at, but when " at bay » he is soon encouraged by example to go in and afford his help, and this is the tune when a second deerhound is chiefly wanted. THE ENTERING OF FOXHOUNDS AND HAKRIERS. The first thing to be done with hound puppies, when they come into kennel, is to get them used to their new masters and to their names, which ought to have been given them "at walk." For some little time the puppy often refuses to be reconciled to its con- finement in his new home, and sulks by himself in a corner, refus- ing to eat and to follow his feeder or huntsman. This, however soon goes off; but until it does there is no use in attempting to do anything with the dog. When the puppies are quite at home, they may be taken out by the feeder, at first in couples, and then by de- grees removing these and allowing them to run free. For some time it will be prudent to take only six or seven couples at a time, as when any "riot" makes it appearance there is enough to do even with this number, and more would be quite unmanageable. Indeed the huntsman will do well to take out only a couple or two at a time into the paddock with him, until they are thoroughly ac- customed to his voice, and have found out that he must be obeyed. As soon as they are tractable on the road, they may be walked among sheep and deer, where they should at first all be in couples, and then only one or tw^o should be loosed at a time ; but before lonir, the whole pack should be accustomed to resist the temptation, until which time they are unfit to bo entered. It is also highly necessary that foxhounds should in the same way be broken from BREAKING AliH) ENTERING. hare and rabbit; but too much must not be attempte-J with them until they are entered to fox, as their spirit and dash would be dis- coura.:^ed, if the whip or scold were always being used without the counter-cheer in favor of some kind of game. All hounds require daily exercise, without which they cannot be preserved in health, nor can their high spirits be controlled, for, if they are not exercised, they wUl always be requiring the whip. If, • however, the huntsman takes them out daily in the morning oii the road, which hardens their feet, and in the evening in the paddock, they are so orderly that anything may be done with them. For this purpose the men should be mounted in the morning, but in the evening they may be on foot. Cub-huntmg, wbich is the name given to the process by which young hounds are entered, begins in August as soon as the wheat is cut, and the time will therefore vary with the season and the country. In some places it may be carried on at any time, but this month is early enough. It is better to take out the old hounds once or twice, until they have recovered their summer idleness, as a good example is everything to a young hound. When the young entry are to be brought out, it is very desirable to find as quickly as possible, and some cautious huntsmen go so far as to keep them coupled until tlie old hounds have found their fox ; but if they have been made steady from " riot " there is no occasion for this. If, however, they have never been rated for " riot," there is no great harm in their hunting hare or anything else at first, until tliey know what they ought to do ; after which they must be rigidly kept to their game. But cub-hunting is not solely intended to break in and " enter" the hound. It has also for its object to dis- perse the foxes from the large woodlands which form their chief holds in all countries. Independently of the above object cub- hunting is practised in August, September, and October, first, in order to give the young hounds blood, which they can obtain easily from a litter of fat cubs ; secondly, to break them from *' riot," while they are encouraged to hunt their own game ; and, thirdly, to endeavor to break them of sundry faults, such as skirt- ing, etc. ; or, if apparently incurable, to draft them at once POIXTERS AXD SETTERS. 223 These objects are generally attained by the end of October when the regular season begins. Harriers and beagles are entered to hare on the same principle the scent of the fox and deer, as well as that of the rabbit, being "riot "to them, and strictly prohibited. Otterhounds also have exactly the same kind of entry, although the element they work in is of a different character. THE BREAKING OF THE POINTER AND SETTER. The following observations on the breaking of these dogs are believed to embody the general practice of good breakers : As the method is the same for each kind, whenever the word pointer is used, it is to be understood as applying equally to the setter. It is scarcely necessary for me to remark that no single life would suflSce to bring the art of breaking dogs to all the perfection of which it is capable, when the various improvements of succeed- ing generations are handed down from one to the other ; and there- fore I neither pretend to be the inventor of any method here de- tailed, nor do I claim any peculiarity as my own. All the plans of teaching the young dog that will be found described by me are practised by most good breakers ; so that there will be nothing to be met with in my remarks but what is well known to them. Nevertheless, they are not generally known ; and there are many good shots who are now entirely dependent upon dog-dealers for the supply of their kennels, and who yet would infinitely prefer to break their own dogs, if they only knew how to set about it Others, again, cannot afford the large sum which a highly accom- plished brace of pointers or setters are worth in the market ; and these gentlemen would far rather obtain two or three good pup- pies and break them with then- own hands, with expenditure of little more than time, than put up with the wretchedly broken ani- mals which are offered for sale by the dozen at the commencement of cTery shooting season. To make the utmost of any dog requires 224 BREAKING AXD ENTERING. great experience and tact, and therefore the ordinary sportsman, however ardent he may be, can scarcely expect his dogs to attain tl)is amount of perfection ; but by attending to the following in- structions, which will be given in plain language, he may fairly hope to turn out a brace of dogs far above the average of those be- longing to his neighbors. One advantage he will assuredly' ha vi when he begins the actual war against the birds in September; namely, that his dogs will cheerfully work for him, and will be obedient to his orders ; but at the same time he must not expect that they will behave as well then as they did when he considered their education complete in the previous April or May. No one who values " the bag " above the performance of his dogs will take a young pointer into the field at all, until he has been shot over for some time by a man who makes it his business to break dogs, and who is not himself over-excited by the sport. It is astonishing what a difference is seen in the behavior of the young dog when he begins to sec game falling to the gun. He may go out with all the steadiness which he had acquired by two months' drilling in the spring; but more frequently he will have forgotten all about it, unless he is well hunted in the week previous to the opening of the campaign. But no soonor has he found his birds or backed his fellow-pointer, and this good behavior has been followed by the report of the gun, heard now almost for the first time, and by the fall of a bird or two within a short distance, than he becomes wild with excitement, and, trying to rival the gun in dcstructiveness,he runs in to his birds, or plays some other trick almost equally worthy of punishment. For this there is no remedy but patience and plenty of hard work, as we shall presently find. I only men- tion it here, in order that my readers may not undertake the task without knowing all the disagreeable as well as agreeable things attending upon it. Assuming, therefore, that a gentleman has determined to break a brace of pointers for his own use, without assistance from a keeper, let us now consider how he should set about it. In the first place, let him procure his puppies of a breed in which he can have confidence. He will do well to secure a brace POINTERS AND SETTERS. 225 and a half, to guard against accidents or defects in growth. Let these be well reared up to the end of January, or, in fact, until the birds are paired and will lie well, whatever that time may be. They should be fed as has been previously directed. A few bones should be given daily, but little flesh, as the nose is certainly in- juriously affected by this kind of food. Without attention to his health, so as to give the dog every chance of finding his game, it is useless to attempt to break him. The puppies should eitiier be reared at full liberty at a good walk, or they should have an airy yard. They should also be walked out dail}^ taking care to make them know their names at a very early age, and teachino- them instant obedience to every order, without breaking their spirit. Here great patience and tact are requu*ed ; but, when the owner walks them out himself two or three times a week and makes them fond of him, a little severity has no injurious effect In crossing fields the puppies should never be allowed to " break fence," even if the gates are open, and should be called back the moment they attempt to do so. These points are of great impor- tance, and by attending to them, half the difllculty of breaking is gotten over ; for, if the puppy is early taught obedience, you have only to let him know what he is required to do, and he does it as a matter of course. So also the master should accustom his pup- pies from the earliest age to place a restraint upon their appetites when ordered to do so ; and if he will provide himself with pieces of biscuit and will place them within reach of the dog, while he pre- vents his taking them by the voice only, he will greatly further the object he has in view. Many breakers carry this practice so far as to place a dainty morsel on the ground before the dog when hungry, and use the word "Toho'» to restrain him; but this, though perhaps afterward useful when inclined to ran in upon game, is by no means an unmixed good, as the desire for game in a well-bred dog is much greater than the appetite for food, unless the stomach has long been deprived of it. Besides these lessons prior to breaking, it will be well to teach the dog to come to heel, and too keep there, also to run forward at the word of command ; to lie down when ordered, and to remain 226 BEEAsixc; and entering. down. All these several orders should be accompanied by the appropriate words afterwards used in the field, viz. WORDS OP COMMAND USED TO THE POINTER AND SETTER. 1. To avoid breaking fence — "Ware fence.'* 2. To come back from chasing cats, poultry, hares, etc. — " Ware chase." 3. To come to heel, and remain there—" To heel," or " Heel.'* 4 To gallop forward — " Hold up." 5. To lie down — " Down," or " Down charge." 6. To abstain from taking food placed near, equally applied to running in to birds — " Toho." When these orders are cheerfully and instantly complied with by the puppy, it will be time to take him into the field, but not until then. Many breakers during this period accustom their dogs to the report of the gun, by firing a pistol occasionally while they are a short distance off, and in a way so as not to alarm them. This is all very well, and may prevent all danger of a dog becom* ing " shy of the gun ; " but with a well-bred puppy, properly reared, and not confined so much as to make him shy in other respects, such a fault will seldom occur. Nevertheless, as it does sometimes show itself, from some cause or other, the above pre- caution, as it costs little trouble or expense, is not to be objected to. It is also advantageous to accustom the dog to drop when the pistol is discharged, and, if he is of high courage, he may be drilled to this so effectually that he never forgets it. By the aid of a " check cord," wherever the dog be, when the pistol is discharged, he is suddenly brought up and made to drop with the command " Down charge ; " and in process of time he associates one with the other, so that whenever he hears a gun he drops in an instant Timid dogs may however be made shy in this way, and unless the puppy is evidently of high courage, it is a dangerous expedient to resort to ; as, instead of making the dog, it may mar him forever. Next comes the teaching to " range," which is about the most difficult part of breaking. Many sportsmen who have shot all their lives are not aware of the extent to which this may be, and POINTERS AXD SETTEES. 227 Indeed ought to be, carried ; and are quite content if their dogs "potter" about where they like, and find game anyhow. But the real lover of the dog, who understands his capabilities, knows that for perfect ranging the whole field ought to be beaten systematic- ally, and in such a way as to reach all parts in succession—the dog being always as near to the gun as is consistent with the nature of the ground, the walking powers of the man, and the degree of wildness of the game. All these varying points of detail in the management of the dog while beating his ground will, however be considered more in detail hereafter; so that at present taking it for granted that what I have assumed is the real desideratum, we will proceed to inquire how this mode of ranging is best taught. It must be understood that what we want is first, that the puppy should hunt freely, which soon comes if he is well bred ; secondly, that he should range only where he is or- dered, and that he should always be on the look-out for his mas- ter's hand or whistle to direct him. This also is greatly dependent on breed, some dogs being naturally wilful, while others from their birth are dependent upon their master, and readily do what they are desired. Thirdly, great pains must be taken to keep the puppy from depending upon any other dog and following him in his line, and also from "pottering," or dwelling on "the foot-scent,'* which, again, is a great deal owing to defective blood. Now, then, how are these points to be attained? By a reference to the an- nexed diagram, the principle upon which two dogs should beat their ground is laid down ; the dotted line representing the beat of one, and the plain line that of the other dog. But, with a raw puppy, it is useless to expect him to go off to the right while his fellow proceeds to the left, as they afterwards must do if they perform their duty properly. But, taking an old dog into a field with the puppy, the former is started off with the ordinary words "Hold up" in either line laid down, which, being properly broken, he proceeds to follow out, accompanied by the puppy, who does not at all understand what he is about. Presently the old dog " finds," and very probably the young one goes on and puts up the birds, to the intense disgust of his elder companion, 228 BUEAKING AND ENTERING. but to Lis own great delight, as shown bj his appreciation of the scent, and by chasing his game until out of sight. At the present stage of breaking, the puppy should by no means be checked for Fig. 43.— PLAN OF QUARTERING GROUND. this, as he knows no better, and the great object is to give him zest for the work, not to make him dislike it ; so that, even if he runs in to half a dozen pairs of birds, it will do him no harm, however jealous it may make the old dog. As soon, however, as the young one seems decidedly mclined to go to work by himself, take up POINTERS AND SETTERS. 229 the old dog, and hunt the young one until he is thoroughly tired or until he begins to point. At first, when he comes upon a scent, he will stop in a hesitating way, then draw rapidly up and flush his birds, chasing them as before ; but gradually, as he tires, he gains steadiness, and, after a time, he assumes the firm attitude of the true pointer or setter, though this is seldom shown in perfection for the first two or three days. Let it be clearly un- derstood, that the present lesson is solely with a view to teach the range; steadiness in the point, being at first quite subordinate to this quality, although, in well-bred dogs, it may often be taught at the same time. Hundreds of puppies are irretrievably spoiled by attempting, to begin with teaching them to stand, when, by undue hardship and severity, their relish for hunting or beating the ground is destroyed ; and they are never made to do this part of the work well, although their noses are good enough when they come upon game, and they stand for a week if allowed to do so. Keep to the one object until the puppy will beat his ground as shown in the diagram, at first single-handed, and then crossing it with an- other dog. It seldom answers to use two together until steadi- ness at "the point" is attained, as there are few old dogs which will beat their ground properly, together, when they find that they are worked with a young one which is constantly flushing his birds or committing some other faux pas. For these reasons it is better to work the young ones at first singly, that is, as soon as they will work; and then — after they range freely and work to the hand and whistle, turning to the right or left, forwards or backwards, at the slightest wave of the hand, and when they also begin to point — it is time enough to " hunt them double." In order to complete the education of the pointer in ranging or beating his ground, it is not only necessary that he should " quar- ter " it, as it is called, but that he should do it with every advan* tage of the wind, and also without losing time by dwelling on a false scent, and, above all, avoiding such careless work as to put np game without standing to a point at all. I have before ex- plamed the principle upon which a field is to be " quartered," and described the way in which the dog is to be set to do his work, by 230 BREAKING AND ENTERING. the hand and voice, aided by the whistle. As a general rule, pointers find their game by the scent being blown to them from the body, constituting what is called a " body-scent," and not from that left by the foot on the ground, which is called a "foot- scent." Hence it is desirable in all cases to give the dog the wind, 1 Uat is to say, to beat up towards the " wind's eye ; " and, therefore, t,hc breaker will put his dogs to work in that direction, and then, though they do not always beat directly towards the wind, yet they have it blowing from the game towards them in each of their crossings. (See diagram on page 228.) But suppose, as some- times happens, that the sportsman can not well do this, as when birds are likely to be on the edge of a manor, with the wind blow- ing on to it from that over which he has no right of shooting ; here, if he gave his dog the wind in the usual way, he would drive all the birds oflf his own beat ; and, to avoid this, he begins at the edge of it, and makes his pointers (if they are well enough broken) leave him, and go up the other side to the far end of the field (if not too long), and then beat towards him in the usual way. Tt is true that the necessity for this kind of beating does not often occur ; but sometimes a considerable number of shots are lost for want of teachmg it, and the perfect dog should understand it thor- oughly. When, therefore, the puppy has learned to range in the ordinary way, and will work to the hand well, as before described, give him a lesson in this kind of beating ; and, if any difficulty oc- curs, send a boy to lead him until he is far enough away, and then let the biped loose his charge, first catching the dog's eye yourself, so as to make him aware that you are the person he is to range to. In a few lessons, he soon begins to find out the object of this depar- ture from the usual plan, and by a little perseverance he will, of his own accord, when he finds he has not got the wind, work so as to make a circuit, and get it for himself. Nevertheless, a good dog, who has a master as good as himself, should always wait for or- ders, and there is always some excuse for very clever ones becom- ing headstrong when they are constantly misdirected. Let me again repeat what I have observed on the importance of teaching, at first, the correct mode of quartering the ground, and of perse- POIXTEUS AND SETTERS. 231 vering (without rcgird to standing or pointing) in the lessons on this subject alone, until the puppy is tolerably perfect in them. At the same time, it is true that some little attention may be paid to the '* point ;" but this of far less consequence at the early stage which we are now considermg. Indeed, in most well-bred dogs, it comes naturally ; but none beat to the hand without an educa- tion in that particub^ department. But at this stage it will frequently be necessary to correct various faults whicL are apt to show themselves in young dogs, such as (1) "hunting too low," leading to " pottering or dwelling on the foot- Fig. 44.— "puzzle peg. scent ;" (2) hnntmg too wide from the breaker ; and (3) " blinking,'* or leaving the game as soon as found, which last is a fault depend- ing on undue previous severity. With regard to the first of them, there is, unfortunately, no certain remedy for it ; and the puppy which shows it to any great extent after a week or ten days' break- ing will seldom be good for much, in spite of all the skill and training which an experienced breaker can apply. The method of cure most commonly adopted is that called hunting with a " puz- zle-peg," which is shown in the annexed cut. It consists of a 232 BREAKING AND ENTERING. piece of strong wood, such as ash or oak, attached to the neck bj' a leather collar, and to the jaw by a string tied just behind the tusks or canine teeth, so as to constitute a firm projection in continuation of the lower jaw ; and, as it extends from six to nine inches beyond il, the dog cannot put his nose nearer to the ground than that amount of projection will allow of. The young dog should be well accustomed to it in kennel and in the field, before he is hunted in it; for when it is put on for the first time it inevi- tably " cows " him so much as to stop all disposition to range ; but by putting it on him for an hour or two daily while he is at liberty and not expected to hunt, he soon becomes tolerably reconciled to it, and will set off on his range when ordered or allowed. With it on, a foot-scent can seldona be made out, unless pretty strong ; but, at all events, the dog does not stoop to make it out in that spaniel- like style which occasions its adoption. Nevertheless, when it is left off, the old tendency to stoop most frequently reappears, more or less, and the sportsman finds that all his care has been thrown away. Still I have known it to cure this fault, and if it fails I have no other suggestion to offer but sixpenny worth of cord or " a hole in the w^ater." If used at all, it must be kept on for many days together, that is to say, while at work, and when left off it should be occasionally reapplied if the dog shows the slightest tendency to put his nose down, or dwell on the scent where birds have been rising or have " gone away." I may here remark that " false point- ing "is altogether different from this low hunting, though often coupled with ic ; but this we shall come to after describing the nature of, and mode of teaching, that part of the pointer's educa- tion. There is a wonderful faculty in some breeds of discovenng a body-scent at long distances, while they have no perception of the foot-scent, and this is the quality which ought to be mosi highly prized in the pointer or setter, unless he is also wanted to retrievi in which latter case, such a nose will be found to be defective. Bu of this also w^e shall come to a closer understanding in a fu ture part of this volume. In addition to the use of the " puzzle- peg," — which should only be resorted to in extreme cases, and even then, as I before remarked, it is of doubtful utility, — the voice POT^"TERS A>Tt) SETTERS. ^S3 should be used to cheer the dog when he dwells on the scent too long, or carries his nose too low. "Hold up!" may be cried in a cheering way, and the dog encouraged with the hand waved for- ward as well. Colonel Hutchinson recommends the previous in- culcation of the perception of hight, — in fact, to make the dog un- derstand that you mean, when you use the word " Up," that he should raise his head. But this is a refinement in dog-breaking which possibly may be carried out, yet which, I confess, I think practically inoperative. Few of us would like to teach our hacks to lift their knees, by giving them to understand the nature of hight, and then telling them to lift them. We should certainly find it much more simple to select hacks with good action, or to breed them even, rather than to convert our colt-breakers into cir- cus-men. If there is no other method of attaining the object, by all means adopt it; but, when a far easier one is at hand, I should certainly select it in preference. Nevertheless, it may serve to prove the teachableness of the dog ; and, knowing the extent to •which his education may be carried by patience and preseverance, I have no doubt that Colonel Hutchinson's plan is capable of exe- cution, if the time and trouble necessary for it are properly re- munerated. Bat we must now proceed to the second fault, which consists in ranging too far from the breaker. This may readily be cured, cither by compelling attention to the hand and voice, with the aid ("f the whip in bad cases ; or by attaching to the dog's col- lar a long cord, which is then suffered to trail on the ground, or is held in the hand of the breaker, when the dog is very wild. Twenty, thirty, or at most forty, yards of a small box-cord will suilice for this purpose, and will soon tire down the strongest and most unruly dog. Indeed, an application of it for a short time will make many dogs give in entirely ; but some high-couraged ones, and setters especially, will persevere with it on untiJ they are faurly exhausted. This " check-cord," as it is called, is also necessary in some dogs, to perfect their education in other respects, and, indeed, is chiefly wanted at a later period of breakmg, not being often re- quired at this stage. Havmg described the mode of teaching pointers and setters to 234 ^JKEAKrs-G AXD ENrTEni:N"G. beat their ground, I have now to consider the best modes of teach- ing them (1) to point, set, or stand (which are different names for the same act), (2) to back, (3) to down charge, (4) to retrieve, if con- sidered desirable, and (o) how to remedy certain faults, such as blinking, etc. Pointing, setting, or standing can be readily taught. It will, of course, be discovered in practice that, in teaching the range, most dogs begin to pomt, and nmeteen out of twenty, if well-bred, be- come steady enough without the gun, before they are perfect in the proper mode of beating their ground. For these, then, it is unnecessary to describe any other means of teaching their trade ; but there are some few exceptions, in which, even after a fort- night's work, the dog is still deficient m this essential, and, though he beats his ground in ever so perfect a manner and finds his birds wdl enough, yet he invariably runs them up, sometimes with great zest and impudent disregard of his breaker, and at others with evi- dent fear of the consequences. Here, then, something more must be done, and it is effected by taking the young dog out with a steady companion and hunting them together ; then, keeping the old dog within forty yards, let him, if possible, be the one to find, and take care to walk up to him before the young one comes up, which he is sure to do as soon as he catches his eye on the point. Now use your voice in a severe but low tone to stop him ; and, as he has been accustomed to halt with the word " Toho ! " he will at once do so, generally standing in a cautious attitude, at a distance varying witu his fear of his breaker and the amount of courage which he possesses. If the birds lie close, let him draw up and get the scent. The excitement will then be so great, that, if the dog is under siifn.aent command to be held m check by the " Toho ! '* he will be sure to assume the ngid condition, charactenstic of his breed. Now go quietly up to him, pat him, and encourage him, but m such a tone as to prevent his running in, — still using the " Toho ! good dog , toho : " — and keeping him for a few minutes wnere he is, so long as he can scent his birds, which he shows by champing ana frothing ai the mouth. After the lapse of this time, walk quiCtly forward, keeping your eye on him, and sliU restrain- rOlK^TEHS AND SETTERS. 235 ing liim with tlic " Tolio," put up tlie birds, and then, if possible, make him drop with the words " Down charge ! " tae meaning of which he has already been taught. But, if he is very wild and of high courage, do not attempt this at first, as it is better to proceed step by step, and to teach each lesson thoroughly before an- other is commenced. In this way, by perseverance and hard work (which last is the keystone of the breaker's arch), any dog, whether of the special breeds used for the purpose or not, may be made to point when he finds game ; but none but the pointer and setter become rigid or cataleptic, a peculiarity which is confined to them. In very high-couraged dogs, a check-cord, thirty or forty yards in length, is sometimes suffered to trail on the ground, or is held by the breaker, so as to assist the voice in stopping the dog wlven he is wanted to make his stand ; but the cases where this is wanted are so rare as scarcely to require any aUusion to it, if the breaker is sufficiently industrious to give work enough to his charge. This part of the education is generally accomplished in a couple of lessons, without trouble, and, indeed, the young dog often points steadil}'- enough at the first or second scenting of game. Backing. — When a dog has acquired the merely instinctive prop- erty already described, he is said to be " steady before," and may be used alone or single-handed without any further education ; but when he is to be hunted with other dogs he requires to be made *' steady behind," that is to say, he must be taught to " back" an- other dog as the latter stands. In very high-bred dogs, this prop- erty, like the former, is developed Yerj early ; but the more hardy and courageous the breed, the longer they generally are in acquir- ing it, and therefore the young breaker should not be discouraged if he finds tliat his puppies give him some trouble after they have learned to stand perfectly steady. Backing is usually taught in the same way as described for standing, that is to say, by hunting with an old steady dog, taking care that he is one whose find is to be depended on, and then stopping the young one with ths voice and hand, or with the aid of a check-cord if necessary. The great art consists here in managing to get between the two dogs at the moment when the old one stands, and thus to be able to face the BPvEAKIXG AND ENTERING. pu'ppy as he rushes up to share the scent ^ith his rival, -^hich he at first considers his companion to be. Jealousy is a natural feeling in all dogs from their desire to obtain approbation ; but it must be eradicated in the pointer and setter, or they never become steady together, and which ever finds first, the other tries to run up and take the point from him. To avoid this failing, leave the dog which first finds, alone, and -walk up to the one which you have stopped, pat and encourage him with the word " Toho ! " in a low but pleased tone ; let him not on any account creep forward a step, but keep him exactly where he is for some minutes, if the birds lie well. Then walk forward to the old dog, but take no notice of him, and, with your eye still on the puppy, put up the birds, hav- ing stopped him with voice and hand if he moves a limb. Sup- posing the old dog has pointed falsely, the young one is materially injured, inasmuch as he has lost confidence in him, and next time he is with more difficulty restrained from running in to judge for himself ; hence the necessity for a good nose in the old dog, who ought to be very steady and perfect in all respects. It will thus be seen that very little art is required in carrying out this part of the education, which really demands only hard walking, patience, and perseverance to complete it in the most satisfactory manner. It should be pursued day after day, until the young dog not only finds game for himself and stands quite steadily, but also backs his fellows at any distance, and without drawing towards them a single step after he sees them at point. When this desirable consumma- tion is effected to such an extent that the puppy will back even a strange dog, and has already learned to beat his ground properiy, as explained in my previous remarks, he is steady and well broken as he can be without the gun, and may be thrown by, until a fort- night before the shooting season, when he ought to be taken out again for two or three days, as in the interval he will generally have lost some of his steadiness. Still he will only require work to restore it, as he knows what be ought to do ; and with patience, joined if necessary with a little punishment, he soon re-acquires all that he has forgotten. Many masters now fancy that all is done towards " making the pointer; " but, on the contrary, they find that POIXTEHS AND SETTERS. 230 after birds are killed the puppy wliich was previously steady be comes wild and ungovernable, and spoils the day's shootmg by all sorts of bad behavior. Hence it is that breakers so often ar** blamed withocit cause ; but when it is found by experience that such conduct is the rule, and not the exception, young dogs are left by their owners to be shot over by a keeper for a few days, or even longer, before they are taken into the field. Another reason for this wildness may be assigned; namely, the dogs are often hunted in the commencement of the season by almost perfect strangers, two or three guns together ; whereas, if their breaker had the management, they would be under much more control, and especially if he went out quietly by himself. Here again is another reason for gentlemen breaking their own dogs, or, at all events, finishing their education by giving their dogs and them- selves a few lessons together. Down charge, as already described, ought to be taught from a very early period, the dog being made to drop at the word or ele- vation of the hand of his master, without the slightest hesitation. It is not, therefore, necessary to dwell upon this part of his educa- tion, further than to remark that after each point, or, indeed, di- rectly after birds rise under any circumstances, the dog should be made to drop by the voice, using the order " Down charge ! " or by raising the hand, if the eye of the dog can bo caught. When thi?i practice is made habitual, there is little trouble in carrying out the order until the gun is added ; but then it will be found that great patience and forbearance are required to prevent the dog from running to his birds as they drop ; for, if this is allowed, it is sure to make him unsteady in every case, as soon as his eye catches sight of game, whether after the point or not. Il is now that the advan- tage of having made tho dog drop to the gun is manifested, for the first thing he thinks of, when the gun is fired, is the necessity for dropping, and if this is encouraged all goes on well. Too often the shooter himself produces unsteadiness, by disregarding his dog at the moment when he ought to attend to him most particularly, and by running in himself to take care of his " bag," considering that more important than the steadiness of his dog. It is true 240 BREAKING AND ENTERING. that a runner is sometimes lost by the delay of a few seconds whilo the discharged barrel is reloaded ; but in the long rua, the shooter who keeps Ms dog down until he has loaded, will bag the most game. The faults which chiefly require correction at this stage are ; blinking, shying the gun, pottering at the hedges, hunting too wide, and chasing fur. The vice of blinking has been caused by over-severity in punishment for chasing poultry, etc., and takes a gi'cat deal of time to remove. Indeed, until the dog sees game killed, he seldom loses the fear which has jDrodnced it. It is there- fore frequently useless to continue the breaking, in the spring, although such a dog sometimes becomes very useful by careful management in the shooting season. Generally speaking, it ia occasioned by undue severity, either applied for chasing cats or poultry, or for chasing game when first hunted. The former kind of castigation, should be cautiously applied, as the puppy is very apt to associate the punishment given for the chasing of game with that due to the destruction of poultry or cats ; and as he has been compelled to leave the latter by the use of the whip, and has been afterwards kept " at heel," so he thinks he must do so now, and in fear he comes there, and consequently " blinks his birds." This defect is only to be remedied by instilling confidence, and by avoiding punishment ; but it is often one which gives great trouble before it is got over. It is not so bad as the obstinatel}'- refusing lo work at all, but is only next to it. Both occur in dogs which are deficient in courage, and both require the most delicate and en couraging treatment to remove them. Let such dogs run " riot," and commit any fault they like, without fear for a time ; tlien after- wards, that is, when they begin to be quite bold, and are full of zest for game, begin very cautiously to steady tlicm, and some- thing may yet be done. In very bad cases, all attempts at break- ing must be given up at "pairing time," and the gun must be relied on as a last resource, the killing of game having sometimes a wonderful effect in giving courage to a dog winch has been de- pressed by undue correction. Punishment i=! iiot to be condemned altogether, for m some breeds and inilividiinls witliout the whip. POINTERS AND SETTERS. 241 nothing could be done ; but it should be very cautiously applied, and the temper of each dog should be well studied in every case before it is adopted. Kindness will effect wonders, especially where united with firmness, and with a persevering determination to compel obedience somehow ; but, if that " how *' can be effected without the whip, so much the better; still, if it cannot, the rod must not be spared, and, if used at all, it should be used elli caciously. Shyness of the gun will generally also pass off in time ; but, as it seldom occurs, except in very timid and nervous dogs, they do not often become very useful even when they have lost it. The best plan is to lead a shy dog quietly behind the shooters, and not to give him an opportunity of running off, which he generally docs on the first discharge. When game falls, lead him up and let him mouth it ; and thus, in course of time, he connects cause with effect, and loses that fear of the report, which he finds is followed by a result that gives him the pleasure of scenting fresh blood. Pottering at the hedges in partridge-shooting, is the result of using dogs to find rabbits, or of allowing them to look for them which they always are ready to do, especially if permitted to chase or even to retrieve hares. There is no remedy for U, and a potterer of this kind is utterly worthless and irreclaimable. Hunting too wide for close partridge-shooting may be easily remedied by constantly keeping in the dog by the whistle and hand ; and, if he has been properly taught to range at command, little trouble is required in maldng him change from the wide beat, necessary in countries where game is scarce, to the confined and limited range of sixty yards, which is best where it is thick ivn the ground Chasing fur, and also running in to dead birds, are often most unmanageable vices; but either can be generally cured by pa. tience and severe treatment, aided, if necessary, by the check-cord, or in very bad cases by the spike-collar in addition. When these are used, it is only necessary to work the dog with them on, the cord either trailing loosely on the ground or held in an assistants hand. Then, the moment the dog runs in, check him severely 11 242 BREAKING AND ENTEEING. and, if he is not very bold, the plain collar will suflacc, as it may be made \)y a sharp jerk to throw him back, to his great annoy- ance. Pointer Daisy, page 237, took first prize in her class, I^evv YorR Bench Show of 1877< BREAKING TO RETRIEVE. Retrieving, in my opinion, should be invariably committed to a dog, specially kept for that purpose ; but, as this is not the uni- versal practice, it will be necessary to say a few words on this subject. When pointers or setters are broken to retrieve, in addi- tion to those qualities peculiar to them, they should always be so much under command as to wait " down charge," until they are ordered on by the words " seek dead," when they at once go up to the place where they saw their game drop, and, taldng up the scent, foot it until they find it. Some breeds have no nose for a foot-scent, and, if ordered to " seek dead," will beat for the body- scent as they would for a single bird ; and, when they come upon the lost bird, they " peg " it with a steady point in the same way. This 'docs not injure the dog nearly as much as working out a runner by the foot-scent; but a retrieving pointer of this kind, is of little use for any but a badly wounded bird, which has not run far. Few pointers and setters will carry game far, nor indeed is it worth while to spend much time in teaching them to do so ; and when they are set to retrieve, it is better to follow them, and help them in their search, so as to avoid all necessity for developing the " fetch and carry" quality, which in the genuine retriever is so valuable. But it is chiefly for wounded hares or running pheasants that such a retriever is required; and as the former spoil a pointer or setter, and are sure to make him unsteady if he is allowed to hunt them, it is desirable to keep clear of the posi- tion altogether, while pheasants are so rarely killed to these dogs that their retrieval by them need not be considered. The regular land retriever requires much more careful educa- tion, inasmuch as he is wanted tr^ «hst,a«r from hunting, and from BREAKING TO RETRIEVE. 243 his ovm especial duties, except when ordered to commence. The breed generally used is the cross of the Newfoundland with the setter or water-spaniel, but, as I have explained in another place, other breeds are equally useful. In educating these dogs, they should be taken at a very early age, as it is almost impossi- ble to insure perfect obedience at a later period. The disposition to *' fetch and carry," which is the essence of retrieving, is very early developed in these dogs, and without it there is little chance of making a puppy perfect, in his vocation. Young dogs of this breed will be seen carrying sticks about, and watching for their master to throw them, that they may fetch them to him. This fondness for the amusement should be encouraged to a certain ex- tent, almost daily, but not so far as to tire and disgust the dog, and care should always be taken that he does not tear or bite the object which he has in charge. On no account should it be dragged from his mouth, but he should be ordered to drop it on the ground at the feet of his master, or to release it, directly it is laid hold of. The consequence of pulling anything out of the young retriever's mouth is that he becomes " hard bitten," as it is called ; and, when he retrieves a wounded bird, he makes his teeth meet, and mangles it so much, that it is utterly useless. A dog which is not naturally inclined to retrieve, may be made so by en- couraging him to pull at a handkerchief or a stick ; but such ani- mals very seldom turn out well in this Ime, and it is far better to put them to some other task. As soon as the puppy has learned to bring everything to his master when ordered, he may be taught to seek for trifling articles in long grass or other covert, such as bushes, etc. When he succeeds in this, get some young rab- bits which are hardly old enough to run, and hide one at a time at a little distance, after trailing it through the grass so as to imi- tate the natural progress of the animal when wounded. After putting the young retriever on the scent at the commencement of the " run," let him puzzle it out, until he finds the rabbit, and then make him bring it to his master without injuring it in the least. Encouragement should be given for success, and during the search, the dog should have the notice of his master, by the words: 244 BEEAKING AND ENTERING. " Seek ! seek ! seek dead !" etc. A perseverance in this kind of practice will soon make the dog very bright, in tracing out the concealed rabbits, and in process of time he may be intrusted with the task of retrieving a wounded partridge or pheasant in actual shooting. But it is always a long time before the retriever be- comes perfect, practice being all important to him. Many shooters use a slip for the retriever, the keeper leading him in it, until he is wanted, which is a good plan when a keeper is always in attendance. In any case, however, these dogs should be made to drop " down charge,'" as the gun may be used while they are at work, and if they are not broken to drop, they become excited, and often flush other game before it is reloaded. The breaking of the water-spaniel or retriever is also a compli- cated task, and, as he has to hunt in the water and on the banks, his duties are twofold. These dogs are used in the punt as well as on the edge of the water, but when the education is finished in the river, the pupil will generally do what is wanted from the punt. As in the land retriever, so in this variety, the first thing to be done is to get the puppy to " fetch and carry " well ; after which he may be introduced to " flappers " in July and August, when the water is warm, and he does not feel the unpleasantness and ill eff'ects, attendant on a cold winter's day with a wet coat. The young birds are also slow and awkward, in swimming and diving, so that every encouragement is afl'orded to the dog, and he may readily be induced to continue the sport, to which he is naturally inclined, for hours together. The chief difficulty at first is in breaking the water-spaniel from rats, which infest the banks of most streams, and which are apt to engage the attention of most dogs. The dog should be taught to beat to the hand, and, whenever a flapper is shot and falls in the water, then he must be encouraged, to bring it to land without delay. No art must be neglected to induce him to do this, and, every other plan failing, the breaker must himself enter the water ; for, if the dog is once allowed to leave a duck behind him, he is much harder to break afterward. Indeed, perseverance in the breaker is necessary at all times, to insure the same quality in the pupil. THE COVERT SPANIEL. 245 The object in teaching the spaniel the range to hand is, because w'iLhuut tais there will often be difficulty in showing him where a bird lies in the water — the eye of the dog being so little above its level, and the bird very often so much immersed, that when there is the slightest rfflc, he can scarcely see it a yard from his nose. As in all otlier cases, the water-retriever must be strictly " down charge," and he must be thoroughly steady and quiet at heel, or he will be sure to disturb the water-fowl when the shooter is in ambush waiting for them. The slightest whine is fatal, and the dog should, therefore, be taught to be as quiet as a mouse until ordered to move. THE ENTERING AND BREAKING OF THE COVERT SPANIEL. The breaking of all spaniels should be commenced as early as possible, as they are naturally impetuous, and require consider- able restraint to keep them near enough to the shooter, while they are at work. After teaching them the ordinary rules of obedience, such as to " come to heel," to " hold up," to drop " down charge," etc., which may all be done with the pistol and check-cord, aided if necessary by the spiked-collar, the next thing is to enter them to the game, which they are intended to hunt. These dogs are better taken out, first into small coverts or hedgerows (provided there are not too many rabbits in the latter), as they are more under command here than in large woodlands. The dog should not be allowed to hunt by himself nor for himself, but should be taught that he must keep within shot. For this pm'pose spaniels must learn not to press their game until the shooter is within range, which is one of the most difficult things to teach them. "When they arc to be kept exclusively for " feather," they must be stopped and rated as soon as it is discovered that they are speaking to ** fur." This requires a long time, and therefore few spaniels are worth much until they have had one or two seasons* practice, from which circumstance it should not occasion surprise that a thor- oughly broken Clumber spaniel fetches from $150 to $250. When «46 JBIiEAKING AKD EXTERmG. they are too riotous and hunt too freely, these methods of sobering them are adopted: — 1st, put on a collar, and slip one of the fore legs into it, which compels the dog to run on three legs; 2ndly, buckle a small strap, or tie a piece of tape, tightly round the hind leg above the bock, by which that limb is rendered use- Jess, and the dog has to go upon three also; and, 3dly, put on a t'ollar loaded with shot. If either of the legs is fastened up, it must be occasionally changed, especially if the strap is adopted, as it cramps the muscles after a certain time, and, if persisted in too long renders the dog lame for days afterwards. In hunting fence- rows, the young dog should at first be kept on the same side as the shooter, so that his movements may be watched ; but, as soon as he can be trusted, he should be sent through to the other side, and made to drive his game towards the gun — always taking care that the dog does not get out of shot. In first introducing a young dog to a large covert, he must be put down with a couple of old dogs which are very steady; and, at the same time, he should have a shot-collar, or one of his legs tied up. Without this precau- tion, he will be sure to range too wide, and, if he gets on the scent of a hare, he will probably follow her all over the covert, to the entire destruction of the day's sport. With the above precautions, he is prevented from doing this, and by imitating his fellows, he soon learns to keep within the pioper distance. In working span- iels in covert, stillness is desirable, as game will never come within distance of the shooter, if they hear a noise proceeding from him; hence the constant encouragement to the dogs, which some sportsmen indulge in, is by no means necessary. If the spaniel is properly broken, he can hear his master as he passes through the un^lerwood, and will take care to drive the game towards him, while, if he is slack and idle, the voice does him little good, and pre- vents the only chance of getting a shot, which might otherwise occur. THE ENTERING AND BREAKING OF VERMIN DOGS. Terriers are entered to vermin with great facility, and require very little breaking, unless they are intended to be used with fer- VEBMTN DOGS. 247 rets. Then they must be broken to let these animals alone, as they are apt to make their appearance occasionally in passing from one hole to another. It is only necessary to let the ferret and the ter- rier be together in a yard or stable for a few times, cautioning the latter not to touch the former, and the young dog soon learns to distinguish his friends from his foes. Some terriers are not hardy enough to brave the bites which they are liable to in rat- ting, etc., and, indeed, the true terrier without any cross of the bull-dog is a great coward, so that he is quite useless for the pur- pose. In such a case, he must be encouraged by letting him kill young rats at first, and as he gams confidence, he will perhaps also increase in courage. If, however, the terrier is well bred, he will rarely require anything more than practice. CHAPTER V. THE USE OF THE DOG IN SHOOTING. GROUSE AND PARTRIDGB (QUAIL) SHOOTING.— SNIPE AND WOODCOCK SHOOTING. — WliD-FOWL SHOOTING. — SHOAL-WATER FOWL. — DBEP- WATER FOWL. — HARE HUNTING.— DEER HUNTING. The dogs used in aid of the gun are: the pointer, the setter, in p:rouse and quail shooting; the spaniel, the beagle, and terrier in covert or timber shooting ; either of the above in snipe and wood- cock shooting ; the water spaniel or retriever in wild fowl shoot- ing ; and the hound or dachshund in deer shooting. GROUSE AND PARTRIDGE (QUAIL) SHOOTING. North America is exceeded by no other country in the world in the number and varieties of its game birds, and among these the grouse of different species and the true partridge— the so-called quail — furnish more recreation to the sportsmen and more food for domestic uses, than any other of our birds. Curiously the partridge, so-called in common parlance, is not the true one, but belongs to the grouse family, of which we have ten species, the ruffed grouse, {Tetrao umbellus), the prairie hen, {Tetrao cupido\ the spruce grouse {Tetrao Canadensis) of the East and West, and the dusky grouse {Tetrao ohscurus) of the Pacific Coast, being the most com- monly known of these birds. The true partridge, of which we have at least seven species, are commonly called quail. The best known species is the Virginia partridge, {Ortyx Virginianus), whose cry, at the brooding season, so nearly like " bob-white," with a slowly drawn lengthening of the first syllable and a quick sharply accented rising inflection of the latter one — is so well known to every rural dweller. 248 GBOFSE A>rD PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. 249 Tlie Ruffed Grouse is scattered all over the country east of the Mississippi, where woods now exist, or have previously existed. It is found in cultivated fields, patches of woods, and in the deep forests. Under the influence of moderate protection at the breeding season, it is sufficiently plentiful to afford recompense for the time occupied in pursuing it. It is too well known to need any description, indeed it is so well known and so constantly and persistently hunted, that were it not an exceedingly shy and wary bird, strong of wing, and direct and swift in its flight, it would soon be exterminated. It is a difficult bird to shoot on the wing, especially in woods and thickets, and it requires a practised hand and a quick eye to bring it to bag, except when started by a snapping cur, often trained to " tree" these birds, it takes refuge upon the nearest tree, and giving sole attention to the dog is easily shot by a sharp-eyed hunter, who can distinguish its speckled brown plumage from the similarly colored bark against which it crouches. In the open, it is more easily shot over a setter or a pointer, and in open woods with a good dog, its chase is by no means so unsuccessful as to discourage the sportsman. It must be hit hard, to kill ; and will frequently carry off a load of shot to a considerable distance before it drops. As it rises before the dog it flies off with a loud, sharp whhr, which greatly confuses a novice until he becomes accustomed to it. 2?ie Pinnated Orouse, or Prairie hen, is abundant from Texaa through all the prairie country northward to Canada, but it has been driven out of the Middle States where it was formerly abundant, in the openings among the timber. Thirty years' slaugh- ter have been sufficient to exterminate this game bird from the Atlantic Coast to the Mississippi River, except in a few localities where now it is gradually disappearing ; when it was formerly so abundant as to feed in the farm yards and appear in the streets of villages. This confiding habit has perhaps led to its general de- struction. The attitude of this bird is not so graceful as that of the ruffed grouse, but its walk is bold and erect. When startled it runs with swiftness until taking wing, or squats until it is flushed. In August and September they lie well to a dog, and can be shot 250 USE OF THE DOG IN SnOOTING. with ease. Later they gather in flocks, and become wild, rising ont of gun shot and fl}'ing away for a long distance; but if followed and again started they scatter, and, lying close, may be flushed singly and bagged. In the fall they frequent the corn fields and pick up the scattered corn, but are difficult to shoot in such places, from the joisemadein passing through tlie rustling leaves which startles them before the hunter can get within shot. Sport under such circumstances is weary and unprofitiible work. Tlie Dnsky Grouse, is the finest of the whole family, exceeding all others in size, and being equal to any in delicacy of flesh. The male has been found to weigh 3^ lbs., while 3 lbs. is a common weight. In color it is generally greyish brown, mottled with red- dish brown and black; the throat is white, crossed with black ; the breast and belly are lead color ; the tail feathers are black with the terminal cross band of grey usual in the grouse family. The young birds when half grown in August are easily killed, and are much sought for on account of the tenderness and delicacy of their flesh. The mature birds have the same habit which the re« lated species of the east possess of taking refuge in the nearest tree, and remaining crouched against the trunk on a limb. They lie very close to dogs, and are easily killed when found away from the thick pine forest in which they usually harbor. Ths Virginia Partridge or Qutil, is known by its right name in Pennsylvania and further South, although the residents there make up for this accuracy by wrongly calling the grouse a pheasant. As a quail, it is wrongly known in Kew England and the Northern States. No more familiar srvand is heard in the spring, when the bird is mating or brooding, than the cheery "bob-white" which at morning, noon, and night, is sung by the male and answered by the female. The nest is made on the ground, of grass, and is sheltered by some tall tuft. The young birds run as soon as hatched, and the brood roost together at night upon the ground, in a circle with their heads outwards. If disturbed they take flight, each in a direct line, and thus spread in separate courses. The note of alarm is a low twittering sound, not unlike thai made by young chickens ; the note of recall, after a scattering, is loud and frequent, with a QROtrSE AND PARTRIDGE SHOOTINa. 251 tone of tenderness and anxiety expressed in it. At the hunting season in September and October, the grain fields furaish a harbor for feeding places, and beveys of four or five, up to thirty, afford sport to the sportsman. The pointer or setter is used to find the game and its dkect, steady flight, makes it an easy mark for a fair shot. The partridge abound from Canada to Texas and Florida, and are numerous in the great Western States. Their flesh is white, tender and delicious, and a supper of broiled " quail " is a sufl5cient reward to the sportman with appetite sharpened by healthful ex- ercise over the stubble fields. Quail shootmg is the most frequent and convenient sport both for the country dweller, and those who are condemned by thfc pursuits of business to inhabit the cities, from which they can only occa- sionally steal away to the field. When in pursuit of quail, as the main object, all other kinds of game are taken as they come. Grouse and hares may be picked up occasionally, and the expectation of finding these add to the zest of the sport. The sportsman is there- fore required to be constantly on the lookout, and ready to take what it may happen to be. It is not wise to be too early afield after quail. The dew should be off the ground, and the birds should have left their roosting places, else they may lay up for the^ day out of reach, or they will not lie to the dog. From eight to nine depending upon the weather somewhat, is early enough. In beat- ing the ground, the first thing, is to drive the whole range up to the wind, so as to give the dogs a chance to scent and to get the best shots, as quail prefer to fly with the wind rather than against it. When birds are flushed and marked down, they should be ap- proached so as to let the dogs face the wind. The best ground for quail, early in the morning, is grain stubbles and cornfields, and meadows adjacent to dry boggy swamps, and rank places where briers, low bushes, and cranberries grow. The boundaries of fields, especially where coarse weeds and brush is growing, and on the bushy borders of woods, are likely places to find bevys. After these have been beaten, the middles of the fields may be tried. When the dog stands still, with stem out- fttretched and rigid, his frame quivering with excitement, the 252 USK OF THE DOG IN SHOOTHTG. game is close before him. When he wavers, wags his tale wist- fully, and looks back, the game is gone, or is at some distance. If he crouches low, and evinces a desire to crawl on the ground, he has a ranniDg bevy before him. In the first case, it will be neces- sary to take such a direction in coming up as will command a good shot when the birds rise, and will drive them to ground which you propose to beat by and by. This, of course, has been previously laid out in the mind in planning the day's sport. When the birds rise, if a single one leads, he is the old cock, and should be killed by all means, if pos- sible. When he is bagged, the rest of the bevy will alight sooner. When the old pair has been shot, the rest may be counted as already in bag, for, deprived of their leaders, the young birds are bewildered. If all the bevy rise at once, do not shoot into the body of it, but select the outer bird on your own hand, the right if you are at the right, and the left if your companion has the right. When the outer bird has been dropped, the next should be covered and shot as quickly as possible. At least twelve or fifteen yards should be given before the gun is fired, otherwise the birds will be torn by the shot. As they light, they should be marked down carefully ; if they are going down hill, and before the wind, they will go some distance, beyond where they were last seen. If they enter a wood or a field of standing corn, they will rarely go through to the other side, but on alighting will run a few yards, and then squat. If the birds are seen to drop, they may be marked with certainty, otherwise the nature of the ground, the wind, and their flight, must be considered before one can be certain of their where- abouts. After quail have dropped and squatted, they sometimes give no scent, and the best dog may fail to point them. This habit of withholding scent, is supposed to be voluntary and in- stinctive; or it may be a physiological peculiarity, consequent upon their state of alarm, and involuntary ; this is obviously, however, a matter which cannot easily be investigated. But the fact should be known and noted, because it is useless to follow birds to their hiding places immediately, and the time would be SNIPE AND WOODCOCK SHOOTING. 255 thrown away in doing so. To secure sport, therefore, in the af- ternoon, the best way is to continue beating the stubbles, feeding grounds, and edges of woods and dry swamps, and to secure what birds are found, until the scattered birds shall begin to call ; then to follow up those which have been flushed in the morning and marked down, into the precise spots or as near as may be, and beat up for them with patience, turning and returning until every bird has been accounted for. The quail is a difficult bird to shoot in a covert ; it flies rapidly, as fast in a thick cover as in the open, carries shot a long dis- tance, and falls suddenly in the midst of its flight. It is necessary for the sportsman to keep close up to his dogs when in covert and not to lag behind on any account whatever, lest he have only his labor and an empty bag for his pains. When rufied grouse have been flushed while hunting quail, it is not difficult to bag them if the precaution is taken to shoot fully three feet ahead of him if he be sailing down on the wind with the wings set ; otherwise, when he rises within range, he hangs at first, and if one is cool and shoots quickly, it is not so hard a matter to drop him. SNIPE AND WOODCOCK SHOOTING. The first game shooting after the winter is over, is that of the English or Wilson's snipe As soon as the frost is out of the ground, snipe may be hunted in low wet places and meadow swamps. Here they may be found resting for a time before going further north to their breeding places. When first arrived, they are wild and shift constantly from place to place ; sometimes they fly in knots of 10 or 20 birds, and rise high, soaring and de- parting out of sight. No other sport depends more upon the state of the weather than this; nor is any other more uncertain, on ac- count of the errratic and capricious nature of these birds. The most promising conditions for sport are the clearing of a violent 256 USE OF THE DOG IN SHOOTING. K. E. Storm into soft, warm weather, the partial drying up of the early sprini; floods, and the blowing of a warm, south-westerly Lrecze, Rough weather disturbs the conditions, and shooting then will be a matter of great uncertainty. At times, snipe will lie in uplands, fallow fields, grassy meadows, and even in woodlands ; while in the marshes one may find plenty of borings and drop- pings, but not a bird. Sometimes one cannot choose, and having come to shoot, must do the best he can. Then, even in rough squally weather, birds may be found about springs and muddy pools, surrounded by brakes and briers, or tall alders, or high bunches of marsh grass or reeds. Thus the sportsman who is after snipe, to succeed in his aims, must know the character of his game and the ins and outs of its curious disposition. A dark day, a drizzly day, or a windy, is not favorable to sport, unless the wind is from the south or west and not too high. A mild, soft, hazy, sunshiny day, with a gentle south breeze, is jus^». the day for snipe. It may be hot, and if the air is damp, and thb breeze gentle, the birds will lie the closer for it, and on such a day their flight is lazy and they will drop often within a few yards of the dog that has flushed them. Then there are no easier birds to kill ; all that has to be done is to let them get away a fair dis- tance, so as to allow for the shot to spread, then cover the bird well before the trigger is touched, all the time taking things coolly and deliberately. Snipe nearly always rise against and go away up-wind, as closely as possible; consequently the mode of beating for this game is different from that used for any other. It is generally the practice to beat down-wind, and the ground is to be entered from the windward instead of from the leeward as for all other game. If this is not possible, the ground must be beaten diagonally, and all the most likely spots, approached by a circuit so as to come on the windward side of it. If the dog points, the sportsman must make a circuit around so as to get the bird, do^Ti-wind of him, and for this reason it is very necessary to have a steady dog. For young sportsmen, a pointer is recommended, but for old and practised sportsmen, a setter is preferred. "When the birds WOODCOCK SHOOTING. 257 are plentiful, a dog is not necessary, as they lie to a man alone, as ■well as to a man with a dog ; but if the ground to be beaten is wide, and the birds few, the help of a dog is needed. A dog must be stanch as well as steady, and sliould be immovable on his point • he must not crawl in or approach the bird, but must remain stiff even though the shooter may have to make a circuit and come round facing him. He must be trained to obey the hand. He must follow at heel when called in, without attempting to beat until ordered. This is a great point in snipc-sbooting, for a bird will lie close to a man after having been marked down, when it would flush wide of a dog ; and when marked down, a snipe can always be found because it never runs more than a few feet from the spot where it alighted. By going down- wind on the game, the sportsman forces the bird to go away to the right or left hand, as it tries to fly up- wind and thus afibrd a side shot. The moment to deliver the shot is when the snipe poises itself after first rising, and before it gets under way. It is then almost motionless for an instant, and if it rises 15 yards from the gun — and it seldom rises nearer — this is the time to shoot. As the snipe flies quickly, it is necessary to aim the gun a foot ahead of him at 20 yards, and at 40 yards three feet space should be allowed. In the fall of the year their is less uncertainty in the habits of the birds, and they are neither so wild nor unsteady as in the spring. WOODCOCK SHOOTING. Custom or law has authorized the beginning of cock shooting on the 1st day of July in most of our States, but it is too early, both on account of the heat of the weather and the condition of the birds. At this period many broods of woodcock are but recently hatched, so that the killing of the hen bird, is the destruction of the young brood. This may perhaps account for the fact that these birds are rapidly diminishing in numbers, and in many places have been exterminated. 258 USE OF THE DOG IN SHOOTING. Woodcock return year after year to the same wood to breed, and if owners of grounds could or would prevent shooting birds too early in the season, their care would be for their own benefit, as well as for that of the public. Early morning and late afternoon are the times to be preferred for summer shooting, though, as this bird feeds and lies upon the same ground all day long, it may be pursued at any time. The only difficulty in shooting woodcock is in the thickness of the covert in which they lie. In the summer the old birds rise heavily and often drop close to the gun in the effort to cover their young broods ; the young ones rise stupidly, and can be found again within a score or two yards. In shooting in a thick covert, one of the guns should be placed in an open spot where the bird can be seen, as it rises, because the one whose point is made can scarcely get a sight of the bird, at times unless he is very quick. Under these circumstances it is best for the shooter to flush his birds and not suffer the dog to do it ; in no case should he permit his dog to go out of sight. The choice of ground, depends upon the season and various other circumstances. In some places the birds lie in open meadows among rushes, bogs, and water-plants,where there is no brush. They are rarely found in woods. In other places they will be found in brakes of alders where there is a muddy bottom, or in grassy- meadows where slow running brooks and swales exist, with patches of willow and tall weeds about them. In the valleys of the mountain ranges they haunt the sides of low meadows at the foot of hills, and spots where streams emerge into the lowlands upon beds of black oozy vegetable matter, covered with water plants. A favorite feeding ground is in open woods, upon rich, black allu- vial soil, covered with short bunchy grass with soft spots inter- mingled, and where there is no undergrowth ; also in thick, red maple swamps on flat lands adjacent to river banks which are overflowed. In dry, hot weather, the cool, shady, moist ground is most attractive to them. When woodcock are not to be found i-n one favorable place, they may often be found in others which might be supposed to be unat- WOODCOCK SHOOTING. 261 tractive, so that not only must the sportsman be patient and perse- vering, but be must also be observing, and make use of his well earned experience. Later in the season cock are to be found not only in such places as have been indicated, but upon damp, springy hill sides, where chestnuts are mixed with laurels and low ever* greens. Indeed as the season lengthens out to November, such hill sides supply these birds, with the most of their favorite food, which they find hidden under fallen leaves. They are always apt to be found where their food is most abundant. After this month the annual migration occurs, and the birds silently steal away singly, and in the night, to their winter quarters. The difference in the size of the male and female woodcock is decidedly marked ; so much is this the case that warm contro- versies have occurred between experienced sportsmen upon this subject ; some maintaining that there are two distinct species of the bird in this country. It was finally settled that the greater size of the female had misled many observant sportsmen. Woodcock make annual migrations in the spring and autumn, arriving in the Middle States from the latter part of February or first week of March, according as the season may be open or severe, and depart- ing in the months of November and December. In the autumn, migration, the birds that have recently arrived, are called " Flight'* birds, and are distinguished by the feathers on the breast being brighter in color than of those that have been lying in the feeding ground for some time; the latter's breast color being decidedly duller in hue. Many young cock are lost during the early freshets. Sometimes the weather is dry and mild in the early part of spring, and the woodcock hatching her brood is overtaken by rainy weath- er, when the young are drowned, or, if unhatched, the eggs are destroyed. Consequently, the sportsmen always desire a c(mtinued dry spring, as it is especially favorable to the increase of all species of game. The woodcock often feeds in the night, and persons but slightly acquainted with their habits are astonished at discov- ering in the morning, the amount of borings, covering the soft ground in a favorite feeding place. In very dry weather woodcock gather in the low wet swamps, while after a rain of a day or two's £G2 USE o:^' THE DOG IN SHOOTING. duration, tbej^ scatter through the woods, and may be found on hill sides, and, in fact, on much the same ground as in the fall. They are a most devoted and fearless bird. While on the nest a person may stand quietly within a very short distance of one, and if no unusual motion or noise is made, the hen-bird will gaze without fear upon the intruder. WILD-FOWL SHOOTING. The shooting of water-fowl is a sport attended with too much labor, fatigue and exposure to render it very attractive to any but experienced and eager sportsmen, who have perhaps become sated with the commoner recreations of grouse, snipe, quail, or wood- cock shooting. Familiarity with this sport is only arrived at through many hardships, if not risks, and exposures in all sorts of weather. Consequently, there are few persons besides those who hunt for a living, who have acquired the necessary knowledge of the habits and natural history of the birds, and the proper methods of circumventing the instinctive wariness of water-fowl, and tak- ing advantage of their peculiar ways, to shoot them successfully. Yet when a taste for the sport has been once acquired, or the first experience of it has been agreeable, there is no other that becomes more fascinating. Water-fowl may be divided into two classes, those which are found in shoal water, and those which inhabit the deep waters of the sounds and inlets of the sea-coast. The mallard and the dif- ferent teals are examples of tlie former, and the canvas-back is the type of the latter. The shoal water birds rarely go under water when feeding, although they will dive and swim long dis- tances under water, when wounded or alarmed. This class of birds includes the mallard, the blue acd green winged teal, the summer or wood duck, the pintail, the grey duck, shoveler, wid- geon, and the black or dusky duck, together with the wild goose. The deep water varieties include the canvas-back, the broad bill, tufted duck, and the buffle head. WILD-FOWL SHOOTING. 263 The methods of hunting wild fowl in general nse require the exercise of considerable ingenuity and knowledge of the habits of the different species, their feeding places, and favorite food. Their extreme wariness and the necessity of finding the game without the help of dogs, retrieving being the only help afforded by them, add much to the labor and excitement of the sport. The ground, or rather the water, where the fowl abound, is generally inland rivers and ponds, bordered by reedy marshes and the tidal flats of estuaries. There is scarcely a river or marsh in the country East or West, or North or South, where ducks of some variety or other are not found at some season of the year, and sometimes in fabu- lous numbers. The opening of the spring and the fall are the sporting seasons The birds are taken either by means of decoys, or by awaiting their passage over a place of ambush in which the hunter is concealed. A boat is generally used, else the labor of wading through the marshes and picking roundabout paths to avoid deep sloughs is intolerable. Sometimes two persons hunt in company, yet at a distance from each other, one driving the birds towards the other, and the latter driving them back again. In this way many heavy bags are pro- cured. Blinds or screens are provided, behind which the hunter keeps himself concealed until the moment when the game are within range of his gun. These blinds are made in various ways. Full information for their construction is given in the volume by J. W. Long, entitled " American Wild-fowl Shooting." Decoys are employed to allure the passing flocks or stragglers to alight, being placed in such positions as are habitually chosen by the fowl. These decoys are mostly selected for the deep-water vari- ties, which can not be so well approached as those which haunt the ponds, rivers, and marshes, from the banks of which, screened from observation behind his blind, the hunter can easily reach the approaching game. Decoys of various kinds are used. Those made of pine, and thoroughly coated with priming of raw oil, are to be preferred, as they are light and durable. The main thing in the decoy is to have it as natural as possible in form and color, and so built up and weighted that it will sit steadily in the water .^64 USE OF THE DOG IX SHOOTING. without rolling; or losin^^ an upright position. A finishing coat of vaniish will spoil the best made decoy, on account of its glaring and glistening in the sun. A dead surface is the best. The weight needed to steady the decoy should be made of a strip of sheet lead, placed in a groove at the bottom, and formed like the keel of a boat. Where smooth water only is to be met with, flat- bottomed decoys can be used. These may be carved out of a piece of soft pine plank, but for rough water use, two pieces are needed ; one for the top and another for the bottom, which are hollowed out, then put together and painted. Decoys are pro- vided with a line suited to the depth of the water, and a weight of not less than four ounces, made of a quarter length of a pound bar of lead of the kind used for bullets. The line is wound around the body of the duck, towards the tail, from which it unwinds easily as the weight is thrown out, when the decoys are set. A long string is usually tied to one of the decoys by which it may be shaken so as to ripple the water, and cause the whole flock of them to move. A " duck call " being used at the same time when birds are passing will almost surely attract their notice. The de- coys are best placed, so that the sun shines on the side towards which the ducks are expected. A Water Retriever, or a dog that will take to water readily and is furnished with a coat of a nature that resists water, is used in duck shooting. Whatever kind is selected, whether a well-bred curly-coated rctreiver, a water spaniel, or a Chesapeake Bay dog, he must be well trained for his work, and not averse to taking to the water however cold it may be. The only native dog of the right kind we have, is known as the Chesapeake Bay dog. Though a descendent of the curly-^^oated Irish retriever without doubt, he has been educated to his work by breeding and training for some years. There is no better hunting ground in America for wild fowl, than the Chesapeake Bay and its inlets and the sounds along the North Carolina Coast, and here this useful dog has his home and vocation. The dog used for this sport is trained first to know his name; then to instantly drop, wherever he may be, at a word or a signal of the hand, and to lie quietly until WILD-FOWL SHOorrN-G. 265 ordered or signalled to rise. He should be taught to remain quiet after the discharge of the gun, until ordered to work. This is the most important part of his education, and if not well trained in this, he may easily spoil good sport and lose game by rushing out and spoiling the effect of a second shot. Dead birds need not be gathered until the shooting slackens or good opportunity occurs; otherwise, the dog may alarm the game and prevent birds alighting by his frequent appearance. It is best, however, to secure the cripples as soon as possible, and tliis a well trained dog will do of his own motion and without waiting for orders; while he will leave dead ducks until ordered to retrieve them. A dog when taught to fetch should never be permitted to drop the game at his master's feet, lest by doing this, when at work, some wounded birds may flutter away and be lost or give much trouble to recapture them. He should be made to deliver only to the hand. Water-Fowl retrievers naturally grip their birds tightly and should be taught to hold them tenderly yet safely. The season for training is the summer when the water is warm ; some dogs will refuse to enter water that is very cold after having experi- enced the discomforts of it in training. When being trained, he should be taught to search for tlie object he is ordered to retrieve, and to do this, the trainer should secretly throw the object to a distance and then bi:l the dog search and find it, or motion him with a wave of the arm in the direction he should go. Short and easy lessons will be found the most useful. When punishing a dog for a fault, the castigation should never be so severe as to overbear in his mind the memory of the offence for which it was given. Punishment ought to be administered gently but firmly and instantly. ISTever delay punishment until it is necessarily dis- connected with the fault, and do not be chary of praise for good conduct. A ducking expedition can hardly be worth much, without the necessity for camping out for a longer or shorter interval. The sportsman should therefore not only know how to make camp, but also be provided with the means for making and furnishing it. In the spring when bark of nearly all kinds peels very easily, a com- 12 266 USE OP THE DOG IN SHOOTINO. fortable camp is soon made. Two forked poles set up for tho front, a cross bar resting upon these, form the opening and a sup- port for the roof ; two saplings reaching from the forks to the ground giving slope for the roof, and a few poles resting on these, and fastened with some withes, finish the frame. Slabs of bark laid upon the top form the roof, and the ends are closed up in the same way ; the front is left open. In place of bark, pine or hem- lock brush, or coarse grass, will furnish substitutes. Otherwise a pair of gum blankets, or when one has plenty of means, a A tent complete, can be provided. Cooking apparatus and comfortable furniture and folding boats or canoes are supplied by the dealers in sporting commodities. A genuine sportsman will always be independent of these appliances, an ax and a box of matches serv- ing to supply all his wants in the way of furnishing camp and cooking materials. As to supplies for camping, it is hardly neces- sary to mention these, further than to caution the young sports- man never to forget to provide salt, pepper, and sugar; everything else will follow. These are most frequently forgotten, to the great disappointment of those of the party who never trouble themselves about the arrangements. The camp should never be set in a hollow ; a round knoll being safe in case of a sudden heavy rain which might overflow a hol- low and make matters very uncomfortable. A shelter for the camp should be chosen where there are no tall trees. Low brush will protect the camp from heavy winds without such danger as would exist among heavy trees in case of sudden gusts. The camp should always face southward. The color of the dress is an important consideration. This should always be of a neutral tint, matching the surroundings. The light brown waterproof hunting suits made for this special purpose, offer very little contrast with the color of the ground or with faded weeds, grass, leaves, and trunks of trees and brush. Ducks are more suspicious of dark colors than of light, and next to the yellowish-brown clothing, a light grey will be found desir- able. A waterproof coat and rubber boots covering the thighs are indispensable; SHOAL- WATER FOWL, 26? As to tlie supply of ammunition that " goes without saying," and as no one would make a secondary matter of this, it may be safely left for each one to please his fancy in this respect. A pocket compass is indispensable to avoid trouble, for in ihick marshes upon cloudy days the direction of the camp is other- wise difficult to find. A man used to the woods is not easily lost ; there are many signs which guide him in his course, but so many accidents may occur that it is prudent to have a compass on all occasions. A " pocket pistol" charged with the best quality of any good spirit may be needed in case of sickness. As a safe- guard against chills, there should likewise be a supply of quinine on hand. Little hunting should be done before breakfast, and the coffee sliould be made hot and strong. The drinking of impure water is to be carefully avoided. Lastly, woollen flannel under- clothing will be found a great protection in warding off ague. SHOAL-WATER FOWL. The species of fowl which frequent shoal water have been already mentioned ; but a short description of the principal varie- ties may be of interest. Th^ Mallard,— This is a handsome bird, 24 inches in length to the end of the tail when full grown ; the extent of the wings is 36 inches, and the weight is about 3 pounds. The male is marked ^s follows: The bill, greenish-yellow; iris, dark brown; feet, 3range-red ; head and neck, deep green, with a ring of white about the middle of the neck ; fore part of the chest, chestnut brown ; fore part of back, yellowish-brown and grey ; the rest of the back, brownish-black ; the rump, black, with purplish and green shad- ing ; the wings are greyish brown, with a " beauty spot" of purple and green, edged with black and white on ten or more of the secondaries; breasts, sides, and belly, pale grey, shaded with dark 268 TTSE OF THE BOG IN SHOOTING. The female has the bill black and orange ; the iris and feet as in the male; the upper pans generally pale brown, spotted -with dusky brown; the head striped or narrowly streaked ; the wings and beauty spots nearly as in the male; the under parts dull olive, spotted with brown ; length, 22 inches ; weight, Lbout 2i lbs. Mallards breed mostly in the far north and begin to come south in August, staying for a month or more in the Northwestern States and Canada, where vast numbers are sometimes taken. On one occasion l,o65 ducks were killed in 17 days' shooting by one man, with a single barrel, muzzle-loading gun. The rivers and lakes of the Northwestern States furnish unlimited sport in the spring when the birds are on the way to their breeding places, and in the fall when they are returning south. During the winter the open overflowed timber lands of the Southern and Southwestern States are fairly alive with these birds. A great number of them are sb'^t at this season in the large corn fields of the more southern of the Western States, where they stay to feed upon the scattered corn. While shooting ducks in the com fields, the sportsman will pick up occasionally a few quail or prahie chickens, and should be accompanied by a good dog. The Blue- Winged 7^ where they find acceptable food, such as wild rice, oats, and pond weeds. They congregate about small, muddy streams, where pond lilies and wild rice abound, and also in shallow sloughs. Gravelly streams or ponds are rarely frequented by them. This bird weighs less than one pound, and is about 16 inches in length. The head of the male is black on the upper part, with a half-moon shaped patch of white in front of each eye ; the neck is purplish blue ; the back brownish black, with green gloss ; the lower parts pale reddish orange ; the breast purplish red, and spotted with black. The wings are marked with rich lustroua blue. The female's head is pale buff, striped with dark lines. The upper parts are dark brown, the lower parts are dusky brown and grey. WILD-FOWL SHOOTING. 269 TJie Green Winged Teal is smaller than the previous variety, and among other dtSerences in color has the wings and back of the neck marked with deep bright green. This bird remains later in the season than the blue teal, but while it remains it associates ■with the latter, feeding and flying promiscuously with them. The Pintail Duck is a bird of about 3 pounds weight, and measures full-grown 29 inches from bill to end of tail. The female is smaller and lighter than the male. In color this duck is greenish brown on the head, throat, and upper part of the neck; part of the neck is barred with brownish black and a yellowish white. The spots on the wings are coppery red with green reflections. On each side of the neck is a white band, and the upper parts in general are whitish. The Sprigtail is the most handsomely formed of the whole duck tribe, and abounds in all parts of the country except in the New England Stales. Its food consists of the small acorns of the pin oak, the seeds of smartweed, cockle-burr, wild oats, and com, and beech-nuts. This species is found in immense numbers at the opening of spring, occupying the overflowed fields and prairies, and feeding upon the drifting masses of grass seeds, com, and waste grain. They soon become fat and in fine condition, and offer the best of sport, flying closely and irregularly, and are thus easily killed ; several often dropping at one shot. Decoys are not used for hunting them. When wounded, and on land, they are diffi- cult to retrieve without a good dog, as they can run rapidly and are apt to crouch and hide very closely, and so escape observation. The Wood Duck is the most beautifully feathered of all the wild fowl, and are common to all parts of the Union except the sea- coast. Their nesting places are in stumps and hollow trees, whence they derive their name. They never dive for food, and are gener- ally found about old musk-rat houses, logs, and banks, on the edges of patches of reeds. In the middle of the day they may nearly always be found in these spots sunning themselves and trimming their feathers. They are in season in August and Sep- tember. The American Widgeon is abundant in the waters of some of the 270 USE OP THB DOG IN SHOOTIKQ. Southern States, more particularly Missouri and Tennessee, and on the Chesapeake Bay, where they feed on the roots of wild celery, which they rarely find by diving for them, but most frequently procure by robbing the canvas-backs of the fruits of their sub- aqueous labors. They are distinguished from others of their tribe by their length of wing. They are easily brought down, as they fly clustered together, and several may be killed at a shot. Spoonbills, seldom furnish sport themselves alone, but associat- ing with mallards are often taken with them. They are easily decoyed and are killed by a slight blow ; it is not unusual for a flock of 6 or 8 to fall before the discharge of both barrels. They are easily approached from the shore, and their habit of springing up directly in the air several feet before flying off on a course, gives an opportunity for using the second barrel with eSect, The Dusky or Black Duck, weighs 3 pounds. The general color is blackish brown. It is frequently found in the West with the mallard, having the same food and general habits. In the East it is very numerous, and is eagerly pursued by sportsmen. It is very wary and must be approached with caution. DEEP-WATER FOWL. TJie Canvas-Back Duck. — This species is the finest flavored of all wild fowl. Its food in those localities where it is taken in per- fection, consists of the roots of the wild celery, which give to its flesh the peculiar flavor for which it is so attractive. Its habits of frequenting open water entail much labor and sometimes exposure and risk to the sportsman ; and the uninitiated gunner is foiled in his attempts, time after time, to secure the gamy and highly prized bird, disappointment however only whetting desire and add- ing to his eagerness. To approach these wary fowl, or to induce them to approach the hunter is the secret of the sportsman's art, and by the help of various stratagems the game is generally brought to bag by the experienced. The system pursued on the DEEP-WATER FOWL. 271 Chesapeake Bay and the North Carolma Sounds, and known as " toling," is the most successful. It is as follows : A small dog, an ordinary poodle, or one very much similar to that, white or brown in color, and called the toler breed, is kept for the purpose. It is trained to run up and down on the shore in the sight of the ducks, directed by the motion of his owner's hand. The curiosity of the ducks is excited, and they approach the shore to discover the nature of the object which has attracted their attention. They raise their heads, look intently, and then start in a body for the shore. When within 40 yards or less, they stop and swkn back and forth for a moment before they return. The dog lies low when the ducks are approaching, and at the time when they pre- sent their sides is the opportunity to rake the flock. Many ducks then often fall before one gun. To prevent the dogs from disturb- ing the ducks while they are toling, they are not allowed to go in for the game, but the retrievers known as the Chesapeake Bay dogs are used for this purpose. When the ducks become bedded, that is, gather in large bodies in one place in open water, for feeding or resting, boats covered with brush and weeds, and propelled silently by paddles, are used by hunters to approach within shooting distance. The sportsman rests upon his knees, in the boat, bending forward to conceal him- self, when ducks are approaching. The arrangement of decoys, and taking up the dead ducks, are matters of experience about which no suggestions are needed. Canvas-backs do not drop as mallards do, when alighting on the water, but sweep over the de- coys, and circle round again, to alight, if their suspicions are not aroused. The novice may lose his game by haste in firing as they first approach, when by reserving his fire until they come the second time, his chances are greatly improved. The moment of bunching or crossing of the flock as it prepares to alight is the time for the hunter to rise slowly and deliberately so as to create no alarm. A second shot may often be made by taking things coolly, as the ducks, seeing the decoys quiet, are reassured, and often do not leave at the first shot. The big bags are made on rainy days when the ducks are restless and are easily decoyed. Wounded ducks 273 USE OF THE DOG IN SHOOTING, must be shot again at once before the shooter is discovered, othe^ wise a long and weary chase may be needed before they are secur- ed, as they are expert divers and can swin under water for very long distances. Retrievers cannot be used for picking up crippleci canvas-backs, as catching one ui this way is out of the question. Canvas backs are found in the spring along the back waters of the Mississippi, in great numbers, when the winter has been severe in the East, as they then make their way up from Galveston Bay an^ from the mouths and bayous of the river. The Bed-headed Buck is distinguished by the color of its head, which, with more than half the neck, is of a brown-red, glossed with bright red above. Its weight is about 2^ pounds. Its habits are similar to those of the canvas-back, and it subsists upon the same kind of food, chiefly roots of grasses and other aquatic plants. They are found in large flocks, always fly together, but feed along with canvas-backs, and some kinds of shoal- water fowl. They cluster well together and decoy easily. Sometimes they are taken plentifully, foolishly returning to the decoys after a shot, and rising so close together that several are dropped at one dis- charge, as they rise against the wind, or huddle up before rising. This duck is second only to the canvas-back, as a delicate article of food. The Scaup-Duck or Blue-Bill^ furnishes more sport than many of the more valuable ducks. They settle down to decoys so readily, return so quickly, and pack so closely together, the hunter can hardly fail of being satisfied either with his sport or his bag. They approach shore so carelessly, that with decoys well placed, they may be shot from a blind, built in the bushes, if care is taken to avoid sudden or needless movements. Ring-necked and Ruffle-fieaded Bucks, are small, and although furnishing some good sport, are not often hunted. They are found in nearly every part of the country, in both fresh and salt water. The former is a vegetable feeder and its flesh is well flavored ; the latter subsists on fish, snails, and other animal foods, and the flesh is ill flavored although it is always fat. It is neglectod by the pot hunter as too insignificant for his professional attention. -■^ g HAKB HUNTING. 275 HARE HUNTING. We have no rabbits in America, although the animals called rab- bits — but really hares — are sufficiently plentiful to afford gooci sport with dogs, in the fall and early winter. It may be of interest to note here that the principal specific differences between hares and rabbits, are that the former breed twice a year only, and make their forms upon the ground under the shelter of bushes or tufts of grass, weeds, or brakes, while the latter breed once a month and are burrowing animals, making their hiding-places underground and in company on the sides of dry banks, the places being called " warrens." The larger hare, which changes its color in the winter, is abun- dant in the Eastern States, Northern New York, Canada, and the wooded portions of the North-western States. The writer has had excellent sport in the wooded regions of the northern peninsula of Michigan and the adjoining part of Wisconsin, in the early fall, when a few sharp frosts have caused the woods previously dressed in their gorgeous habits of crimson and gold, to drop their foliage and admit the light of day without interference. The most useful dog in such a case, is a setter trained for this especial work, taught to beat the ground properly, pomt his game, to range low and to retrieve well. The Small Hare, which does not change color in the winter, af- fords good sport in the fall, m the cultivated country further south, in open woods, stubble fields, and meadows. For hare shooting alone, a pair of small beagles are to be preferred. The pace of these little hounds is comparatively slow, but they will follow up their game tirelessly through all their doublings and twistings, and will always bring them back to the starting point. Here, covered by a stump, a tree, or a bush, the sportsman stands stUl, waiting for the return of the game, and listening, meanwhile, to the smaU music of these melodious little animals during the few minutes the circuit is making. The cry of the hounds will inform the hunter of the direction in which to look for the game, and unless he remains perfectly motionless, without doing more 276 USE OF THE DOG IN SHOOTING, than breathing quietly, and even scarcely winking, he will find the wary and suspicious animal to dart away suddenly, or to steal off unobserved within a few paces under cover of the smallest possible shelter. Sometimes a spoken word, an ejaculation, or a whistle will arrest the fugitive, and give time for an effective shot, almost at point-blank range. With a number of guns in a well furnished covert, and a few couple of beagles, lively sport can be had. The ground best adapted for this sport, and where plenty of game is to be found, is in ranges of scrub oaks, pine barrens, and low bushy thickets, such as occur in many places on Long Island, Southern New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, and the " old fields " of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. DEER HUNTING. The finest of all American hunting consists, perhaps with- out exception, in taking deer, either on the run followed by hounds, by stalking or still hunting, or by hunting the game with packs of well trained hounds regularly maintained and fol- lowed by fleet high bred hunters, mounted by the keenest sports- men. The first method is that which is mostly followed in the West and Northern States. It is in this way that a welcome ad- dition to the larder of the enterprising settler or backwoodsman is procured, while his instinctive love of hunting is gratified. This kind of sport is considered slow by those who have once enjoyed the hunt^ar excellence in the open fields or free woods of the South, in which horse and hound are pitted against each other in conflict ^ith the game. But it is by no means to be despised, and the hunter who is not able to join the mounted hunt with a regular pack, may well feel satisfied when he bears to his camp the well- earned game, secured after many miles of exciting tramp or patient eager waiting. The American deer is found more or less abundantly wherever there are large tracts of woodland, from the central and northern part of New York and Maine, to Texas. The mountains of Centrai DEER HUNTIN^G. 279 New York, the great forests of Pennsylvania and of Western Virginia, with the mountain region of the Carolinas and Alabama, and the hummocks of Florida in the East, and the extensive wooded regions of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Canada in the West, furnish the great field for deer hunting of this kind. There the frequent deer paths mtersect the woods and fresh scent can always be found upon which to start the dogs. The dogs used are generally cross-bred hounds or deerhounds of impure blood, although the pure, but rarer dachshund, is now being employed m this sport. Speed is not so much a requisite as stanch- ness and excellent scent ; the tireless, unerring following up of the trail, with plenty of tongue to signify the whereabouts of the game, being the chief requisites for this sport. Some hunters who desire great activity are fond of objecting to this as dull plodding amusement; this may be when a party of "tender feet" are stationed at run ways to spend hour after hour and while away the day in the vain hope of seemg game, or even hearing the music of the hounds. But when a lone hunter, or a well-mated party, join in the sport, with a couple of good dogs, and shift their places, as the baying of the dogs gives notice of 'the course the game is taking, and when the hunter, now following the course over logs and rocks, through brush and swamps, cutting off the game as it sweeps around, and with true woodcraft, meets it at a turn, without giving sight or scent of his presence, and with un- erring aim speeds his deadly bullet through the head or heart of bis prey — then the most thorough sportsman may find sufficient pleasure and excitement in which to forget the sometimes too vigorous and enduring exercise. Deerhounds well trained for this sport wif. bring the game around to their starting point, where a a cover of brush may be provided to screen the hunter from ob- servation until the deer is brought within easy distance for a safe shot. Beer Stalking.— Perhaps the true woodsman will choose to still hunt his game. In this sport there are required : a wonderful acute- ness to distinguish "sign "to follow the trail; excessive stealth, yet swiftness of tread, to cover the ground quickly; a rare keej 280 USE OF THE DOG IN SnOOTING. ness of vision and of hearing, to detect and discover the game ; an accurate sight, and rapid yet steady shooting from tlie shoulder, and, lastly, the capability of dressing the game and packing it to camp or out of the -woods. JDcer Licks. — A safe and sure method of hunting deer is to make what are known as deer licks. The well known appetite of the icer for salt famishes an opportunity for this sport. A stump or fallen log is chosen near where deer paths cross or are abundant, and in a somewhat open place, such as a windfall, where fallen trees and roots furnish a good blind, to screen the hunter. The blind is chosen on the windward side of the lick, so as to prevent the game from scenting the hunter. The deer frequent the licks in the early morning and about sun-down. At these times the hunter is at his stand prepared for work, and he is generally re- warded by a successful sliot for his patient waiting. The engrav- ing on page 277 represents the usual manner of hunting by means of a "lick," aAMB IN THB FAR WEST. 283 GAME IN THE FAR WEST. While Buffalo have almost wholly disappeared from the regions traversed by the great public thoroughfares, and other kinds of game have perceptibly diminished in some quarters, there is no im- mediate danger of their becoming extinct, as has been argued by some writers. There will be some hunting for several more years to come in many localities in the yet unoccupied regions of West. ern Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Dakota. You can leave New York, and in about a week's time reach the hunting centers where one who has a passion for the rod or gun can be fully gratified. Within ten years' time, buffalo were seen in droves from the cars of the passing railway trains in Kan- sas, Nebraska, and Colorado. Now they have disappeared from Middle and Southern Kansas, and the present range of what is known as the " southern herd " of buffalo, lies in the region of country south of the Arkansas River and extends to the Texas line. Here large numbers of buffalo have been killed during the past six or eight years. Between the scant herbage of the plains, and the merciless destruction of Remington, Winchester, and Sharpens rifles, the animals have mostly disappeared from this re^on. The range is reached by going out on the Atchison, To- peka, and Santa F6 road as far as Lakin, and then striking due south. There are a few buffalo left in North Park, Colorado, and the country west of it. They are, however, very wary and di^'fi- cult to find. A party of us rode over 130 miles in a fruitless efl >rt to discover this drove. There are likewise a few buffalo in North- ern Nebraska in the Niobrara region. The great northern herd, ho we ver,has pushed far northward beyond the Yellowstone country. During November, 1881, we found large numbers of Buffalo be- tween tbe Little Missouri River and the Yellowstone. The drove was estimated at luUy eighty thousand. At Glendive, Montana, we met hunters killing them for their hides. A few years ago, passengers on the Kansas Pacific Road constantly saM( A.nte- Jope from the windows. Now, however, they are rarely se^^n ex- cept in the western portion of Kansas and along the Colorado bouu- 284 USE OF THE DOG IN SHOOTING. dary. They are likewise diminishing in Colorado and Nebraska. In Wyoming, however, and Northern Colorado, there were more antelope after 1878 than there had been for several seasons, and the hunting has since been good. I know no better locality for hunting antelope than North Park. We found countless numbers here during Nov. 1878, and so tame, that they would occasionally run tiirough our camp before sunrise. After the genuine sportsman has shot one or two of these beautiful creatures, he desists from th-.ir further destruction unless it be i.n food. There are parties, how- ever, calling themselves sportsmen, who shoot down antelope ri^ht and left for the mere brutal gratification of being able to tell on their return home of their achievements, and to add to the number of their horns and other tropnics. Day after day I have marked the trail of these spurious sportsmen by the carcasses of animals, un- necessarily and inhumanly slaughtered. There is naturally much feeling in Wyoming and Colorado against these butchers, and the frontiersman is often so incensed as to threaten summary vengeance. Deer and elk are to be found during the summer months in the snowy ranges of Colorado, and likewise on the southern borders of North Park. In October and November they begin to come out of the snow-covered mountains, among the foot-hills, and on the plains, where they are found in considerable numbers. One day, not long ago, while we were riding on the Uts^h Northern Road, the engineer w^as compelled to slack up the tram for fear of running over a band of deer which were crossing the track in their descent from the mountain regions to the plains. During tlie winter months, the best country for hunting elk, deer, or antelope, is in Northern Wyoming, due north from Rawlms, in the Sweet Water and Wind River regions. Here appears to be a kind of winter rendezvous for wild game, and if a hunting part^ secures the right kind of a guide, they can have their fill of enjoy- ment in this country. If you can afford the time and expenditure, one of the most adventurous of western trips is to proceed to Bis- marck, then to the Yellow Stone River, visit the Parks, and then, pushing down through Wyoming, reach the Union Pacific at Raw- lins, Laramie, or some adjacent point BOOK III THE DISEASES OF THE DOG AND THEIB TREATMENT. CHAPTER I. PECULIARITIES IN THE ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DOG. r THE SKELETON, INCLUDING THE TEETH. — THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM.— THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. — THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. — THE HEART AND LUNGS.— THE SKIN. THE SKELETON, INCLUDING THE TEETH. In the skeleton of the dog and in that of the horse, as well as of all other animals remarkable for their speed, there is a peculiar char- acteristic of the chest which deserves to be noticed. A narrow- chested horse or dog may have better wind than another with a round barrel, because he is able to alter the cubic contents of his chest more rapidly, and thus inspire and expire a larger volume of air. A medium transverse diameter is therefore to be desired and is practically found to be advantageous, in allowing a better action of the shoulder-blades rolling upon the surface on eacb side. These facts ought to be taken into consideration in selecting the best kind of frame for the purposes of speed and endurance. Large size of bone contributes to the strength of the limbs, and foxhounds especially, which have continual blows and strains in their scrambling over or through fences of all kinds, require big limbs and joints. When, however, extreme speed is desired, as in the greyhound, there may be an excess of bone, which then acts as an incumbrance, and impedes the activity. Still, even in this dog, the bones and joints must be strong enough to resist the shocks of the course, without which we constantly find them liable to frac- ture or dislocation. If, however, a dog is brought up at liberty, and from his earliest years is encouraged in his play, the bones, though small, are strong, and the joints are united by firm ligaments which will seldom give way. 2S7 288 ANATOMY OF THE DOG. The dog has no collar-bone, so that his fore quarter is only at- tached to the body by muscular tissue. This is effected chiefly by a broad sling of muscle, which is attached above to the edge of the shoulder-blade, and below to the ribs near their lower ends. It is also moved backwards by muscles attached to the spine, and for- wards by others connected in front to the neck and head, so that at the will of the animal it plays freely in all directions. The teeth are 42 in number, arranged as follows : 3 3 1 1 8 6 Incisors 3^3 Canines j^^ Molars j^^ TEETH OF THE DOG AT VARIOUS AGES. The incisors are somewhat remarkable in shape, having three lobules at their edges resembling a fleur-de-lis (Figs. 43-44). Next to these come the canine teeth or tusks, and then the molars, which vary in form considerably. In the upper jaw, in front, are three sharp and cutting teeth, which Cuvier calls false molars; then a tooth with two cutting lobes ; and lastly two flat teeth, or true molars. In the under jaw, the first four molars on each side arc false, or cutters ; then an intermediate one, with the posterior part flat; and lastly two tubercular teeth, or true molars. As the inci- sors are worn away and the dog becomes old, the lobules on the edges wear away and are flattened (see Figs. 45 and 46). The teeth are developed in two sets; the first, called milk-teeth, showing themselves through the gums about a fortnight or three weeks after birth, and lasting until the fifth or sixth month, when they arc displaced by the permanent set, the growth of which is accom- panied by a degree of feverishness, which is often mistaken for dis- temper. The dog's teeth should he beautifully white, if he is healthy and well reared, and until the third year there should be no deposit of tartar upon them, but after that time they are always coated with this substance at the roots, more or less, according to the feeding and state of health. TEETH OP THE DOG. 289 The fore feet are generally provided with five toes, and the hind with four, all furnished with strong nails that are not retractile. The inner toe on the fore feet is more or less rudimental, and is called the dew-claw ; while there is also sometimes present in the hind foot a claw in the same situation still more rudimental, inas- Fig. 43. Fig. 44. Fig. 45. Fig. 46. much as there is often no bony connexion with the metatarsal bone. This also is called the dew-claw, when present. THE MUSCULAK SYSTEM. The muscles of the dog have nothing remarkable about them, except that they are renewed and wasted faster than in most 13 290 ~ ANATOMY OF THE DOG. animals. This has passed into a proverb, and should be known as influencing the time which dogs take to recruit their strength. THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. The nervous system is highly developed in those breeds whici have been carefully attended to, that is, where individuals of high nervous sensibility have been selected to breed from. This is therefore remarkable in the bulldog, selected for generations for courage ; in the pointer, where steadiness in pointing has been the prominent cause of choice ; and in the greyhound, whose charac- teristic is speed ; all requiring a high development of the nervous system, and all particularly liable to nervous diseases, such as fits, chorea, etc. On the other hand, the cur, the common sheep-dog, etc., seldom suffer from any disease whatever. THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. The stomach of this animal is extremely powerful in dissolving bones, but it is also very liable to sickness, and on the slightest dis- turbance rejects its contents. This appears to be almost a natural effect, and not a diseased or disordered condition, as there is scarcely a dog which does not wilfully produce vomiting occasionally by swallowing grass. Few medij[;ines which are at all irritating will remain down, and a vast number which are supposed to be given are not retained on the stomach, while others are only partially so. The bowels are extremely liable to become costive, which is in great measure owing to the want of proper exercise, and this also is very apt to produce torpidity of the liver. It may, however, be observed that in almost all particulars, except the tendency to vomit, the digestive organs of the dog resemble those of man. SBABT, JLUNGS, AND SKIN. 291 THE HEART AND LUNGS. There is nothing whatever remarkable in the heart and lungs ; but the blood-vessels, like those of most of the lower animals, are BO elastic in their coats that they quickly contract when divided, and a fatal bleeding rarely results. THE SKIN. The skin of the dog is said to be quite free from perspiration, but this is a mistake, as I have often seen the short hairs of a smooth-coated dog glistening with fine beads of liquid, poured out on a hot day, when strong exercise was taken. The tongue, however, is the grand means of carrying off heat by evaporation, and its extensive surface, when hanging out of the mouth, is suf- ficient for the purpose, as the fluid is carried off more rapidly from the air passing over it in expiration. I am persuaded that a considerable amount of insensible perspiration is constantly going on from the surface of the skin, and that nothing ought to be done which is likely to check it. This, however, is contrary to the generally received opinion, which is thai nothing of the kind takes place in this animal. CHAPTER IL THE REMEDIES SUITED TO THE DOG, AND THE BEST MEANS OF ADMINISTERING THEJVI. ALTERATIVES. — ANODT^TES. — ANTISPASMODICS. — APERIEJITS. — ASTRIN- GENTS.— BLISTERS.— CAUSTICS.— CHARGES.— CORDIALS. — DIUBETIC3. — EMBROCATIONS. — EMETICS. — EXPECTORANTS. — FBVER MEDICINES. — CLYSTERS. — LOTIONS. — OINTMENTS.— STOMACHICS. — STTPTI03. — TON- ICS. — ^WORM MEDICINES.— ADMINISTRATION OF REMEDIES. ALTERATIVES. These are medicines which are given with a view of changing an unhealthy into a healthy action. We know nothing of the mode in which the change is produced, and we can only judge of them by the results. The most powerful are mercury, iodine, hemlock, hellebore, and cod-liver oil, which are given in the fol- lowing formulas : 1.— ^thiop's mineral, ly to 5 grains. Powdered rhubarb, 1 to 4 grains. " ginger, i to li grain. Mix and make Into a pill, to be given every evening. 2. — Hemlock extract, or fresh-bruised leaves, 2 to 4 grains. Plummer's pill, 14 to 5 grains. Mix, and give every night, or every other night. 3.— Iodide of potassium, 2 to 4 grains. Liquid extract of sarsaparilla, 1 drachm. Mix, and give in a little water, once or twice a day. 4- — Stinking hellebore, 5 to 10 grains. Powdered jalap, 2 to 4 g:rains. Mix mto a bolus, and give every other night. 5. — Cod-liver oil, from a teaspoonful to a tablespoonfoL To be given twice a day. 292 ANODYNES AND ANTISPASMODICS. 293 ANODYNES. Anodynes are required in the dog chiefly to stop diarrhoea, which is a very common disease with him. Sometimes also they are used for the purpose of relieving spasm. Opium is so little objec- tionable in the dog that it is almost the only anodyne used ; but the dose must be far larger than for human beings, and less than a teaspoonful of laudanum for an average dog will be found to be wholly ineffectual. For slight purging : 6.— Prepared chalk, 2 to 3 drachms. Aromatic confection, 1 drachm. Laudanum, 3 to 8 drachms. Powder of gum arable, 2 drachms. Water, 7 ounces. Miij^and give two tablespoonfuls every time the bowels are relaxed, or, 7. — Castor oil, from a dessert to a tablespoonful. Laudanum, 1 to 2 drachms. Mix, and give as a drench, repeating it in a day or two if necessary. For long standing and severe purgation : 8. — Creosote, 2 drachms. Laudanum, 6 to 8 drachms. Prepared chalk, 2 drachms. Powdered gum arabic, 2 drachms. Tincture of ginger, 2 drachms. Peppermint water, 6 ounces. Mix, and give two tablespoonfuls every time the bowels are relaxed, but not more often than every four hours. ANTISPASMODICS. Antispasmodics are useful in allaying cramp or spasm, but, as in the case of Alteratives, we do not know how they act. The chief ones are opium, ether, spirits of turpentine, and camphor, pre- scribed according to the following formulas : 9. — Laudanum. Sulphuric ether, of each i to 1 drachm. Camphor mixture, 1 ounce. Mix, and give in any ordinary spasm, as colic, etc. 294 REMEDIES SUITED TO THE DOG. An antispasmodic injection : 10. — Laudanum, Sulphuric ether, Spirits of turpentine, of each 1 to 2 drachm*. Gruel, 3 to 8 ounces. Mix, and inject with a commoa clyster syringe. APERIENTS. Aperients, opening medicines, or purges, by which several names this class of medicines is known, are constantly required by the dog, though it is a great mistake to give them when they are not absolutely demanded by the necessity of the case. All act by quickening the ordinary muscular action of the bowels, but some also stimulate the lining membrane to pour out large quantities of watery fluid, and others either directly or indirectly compel the liver to increase its secretion of bile. Hence they are often classed in corresponding divisions, as laxatives, drastic purgatives, etc. The chief of these drugs used in the dog-kennel are aloes, colo- cynth, rhubarb, jalap, ipecacuanha, senna, calomel, and blue pill, all of which act more or less on the liver ; while Epsom salts, cas- tor oil, and croton oil open the bowels without any such effect. Syrup of buckthorn is commonly given, but has little effect ; and, indeed, the syrup of red poppies is generally substituted for it by the druggist, who seldom keeps the genuine article, from the belief that it is ineffectual. A mild bolus : 11.— Barbadoes aloes, 10 to 15 grains. Powdered jalap, 5 to 8 grains. Ginger, 2 or 3 grains. Soap, 10 grains. Mix into one bolus for a large dog, or divide into two or three for Bmall ones, and give as required. Strong bolus : 12.— Calomel, 3 to 5 grains. Jalap, 10 to 20 grains. Mix with syrup, and give as a bolus. ASTRINGENTS. 295 A good common aperient, when the liver is sluggish : 13.— PodophyJIin, t grain. Compound extract of colocynth, 12 to 18 grains. Powdered rhubarb, 3 to 5 grains. Oil of cloves, 2 drops. Mix, and give as a bolus to a large strong dog, or divide into two or three for smaller dogs. Very strong purgative when there is an obstruction : 14.— Croton oil, 1 to 2 drops. Purified opium, 1 to 2 grains. Linseed meal, 10 grains. Mix the raeal with boihng water into a thick paste, then add the oil and spices, and give as a bolus. Ordinary castor oil mixture : 15. — Castor oil, 3 ounces. Syrup of buckthorn, 2 ounces. Syrup of poppies, 1 ounce. Mix, and give a tablespoonful to a medium-sized dog. Very strong purgative mixture : 16. — Jalap, 10 grains. Epsom salts, 2 drachms. Subcarbonate of soda, 10 grains. Infusion of senna, 1 ounce. Tincture of senna, 2 drachms. Tincture of ginger, 15 drops. Mix, and give as a drench. For a small dog, give one half, one third, or one quarter, according to size. A purgative clyster : 17. — Castor oil, i ounce. Spirits of turpentine, 2 to 3 drachmae Common salt, i ounce. Gruel, 6 to 8 ounces. Mix all together, and inject carefully per anum. ASTRINGENTS. Astringents produce contraction in all living tissues with which they are placed in apposition, either directly or by means of ab- sorption in the circulation. Of these, opium, gallic acid, alum, 296 REMEDIES SUITED TO THE DOG. bark, catechu, sulphate of zinc, nitrate of silver, and chloride of zinc are the most commonly used. An astringent bolus for diabetes or internal hemorrhage : 18.— Gallic acid, 3 to 6 grains. Alum, 4 to 7 grains. Purified opium, 1 to 2 grains. Mix with syrup, and give two or three times a day to a large dog. or, 19.— Nitrate of silver, i grain. Crumb of bread, enough to make a small pilL To be given twice a day. Astringent wash for the eyes : 20.— Sulphate of zinc, 5 to 8 grains. Water, 2 ounces, — Mix. or, 21.— Extract of goulard, 1 drachm. Water, 1 ounce.— Mix. or, 22.— Nitrate of silver, 2 to 6 grains. Distilled water, 1 ounce.— Mix. Wash for the organ : 23.— Chloride of zinc, i 2 to grains. Water, 1 ounce.— Mix. Astringent application for piles: 24. — Gallic acid, 10 grains. Extract of goulard, 15 drops. Powdered opium, 15 grains. Lard, 1 ounce. Mix, and apply night and moming. BLISTERS. Blisters are rarely used for the dog, because unless he has a proper muzzle on he will lick them off, injuring himself very materi- ally. Sometimes, however, as in inflammation of the lungs, they are absolutely necessary. Iodine blisters to reduce local swellings may often be applied with a bandage over them, but even then, CAUSTICS. 297 unless there is a muzzle on, the dog soon gets the bandage off, and uses his tongue. The chief are cantharides, turpentine, sulphuric acid, mustard, ammonia, tincture of iodine, and biniodide of mer- cury ; the last two having some peculiar effect in producing ab- sorption of any diseased substance lying beneath. In all cases the hair ought to be cut off as closely as possible. A mild blister : 25. — Powdered cantharides, 5 or 6 drachms. Venice turpentine, 1 ounce. Lard, 4 ounces. — Mix, and rub in. Strong blister : 26.— Strong mercurial ointment, 4 ounces. Oil of origanum, i ounce. Finely powdered euphorbium, 3 drachms. Powdered cantharides, i ounce. — ^Mts. Very quick blister : 27. — Flour of mustard, 4 ounces. Spirit of turpentine, 1 ounce. Strong liquor of ammonia, i ounce. Mix the mustard with water into a paste, then add the other ingredients and rub in. For bony growths or other tumors : 28. — Tincture of Iodine. Painted on every day, by means of a common painter*8 brush, or, 29. — Biniodide of mercury, 1 to li drachms. Lard, 1 ounce. Mix, and rub in a piece the size of a nutmeg every day, keeping the part wet with tincture of arnica, i ounce, mixed with half a pint of water. CAUSTICS. This name is given to substances which either actually or po- tentially destroy the living tissue. The actual cautery is an iron heated in the fire, the potential of some chemical substance, such as corrosive sublimate, lunar caustic, caustic potash, a mineral acid, or the like. The actual cautery, or firing, is not often used 298 REMEDIES SUITED TO THE DOG. for the dog-, but in some cases it is of great service. Both kinds are used for two purposes : one to relieve the effects of strains and other injuries of the limbs, by which the ligaments are inflamed, and the other to remove diseased growth, such as warts, fun- gus, etc. 30.— Firing, when adopted for the dog, should be carried out with a very small thin-edged iron, as the dog's skin is thin, and very li- able to slough. No one should attempt this without experience or previously watching others. 31. — Lunar caustic, or nitrate of silver, is constantly required, being very manageable in the hands of any person accustomed to wounds, etc. 32,— Sulphate of copper, or bluestone, is much milder than the lunar caustic, and may be freely rubbed into the surface of fungus or proud flesh. It is very useful in ulcerations about the toes. 33.— Fused potass is not fit for any one but the experienced surgeon. 34, — Corrosive sublimate in powder may be applied, carefully and in very small quantities, to warts, and then washed otf. It is apt to extend its effects to the surrounding tissues, 35, — Yellow orpiment is not so strong as corrosive sublimate, and may be used in the same way. 36.— Burned alum and white sugar, in powder, act as mild caustics. CHARGES. Charges are plasters which act chiefly by mechanical pressure, being spread on while hot, and then covered with tow. They are not much used among dogs, but in strains they are sometimes beneficial, as they allow the limb to be exercised •without injury. The best for the dog is composed as follows : 37.— Canada balsam, 2 ounces. Powdered arnica leaves, i ounce. Melt the balsam, and mix up with the powder, with the addition of a little turpentine, if necessary. Then smear over the part, and cover with tow, which is to be well matted in with the hand ; or use thin leather. CORDIALS, DIRUETIC5, AKD EMBROCATIONS. 299 CORDIALS. Warm stimulating stomachics are so called. They may be given either as a ball or a drench. Cordial ball : 38. — Powdered caraway seeds, 10 to 15 grains. Ginger, 3 to 5 grains. Oil of cloves, 2 drops. Linseed meal, enough to make a ball, first mixing it with boiling water. Cordial drench : 39. — Tincture of cardamoms, i to 1 drachm. Sal volatile, 15 to 30 drops. Tincture of cascarilla, i to 1 drachm. Camphor mixture. 1 oz. — Mix. DIURETICS. Medicines which act on the secretion of urine are called diuret- ics. They are either employed when the kidneys are sluggish, to restore the proper quantity, or to increase it beyond the natural standard, when it is desired to lower the system. Diuretic bolus : 40.— Nitre, 5 to 8 grains. Digitalis, i grain. Ginger, 2 or 3 grains. Mix with linseed meal and water, and give all or part, according to the size of the dog. Diuretic and alterative bolus : 41. — Iodide of potassium, 2 to 4 grains. Nitre, 3 to 6 grains. Digitalis, i grain. Extract of camomile, 5 grains. Mix, and give all or part. EMBROCATIONS. These external applications, otherwise called liniments, are ex- tremely useful in the dog, for strains, or sometimes to relieve 300 REMEDIES SUITED TO THE DOG. muscular inflammation, or chronic rheumatism of the joints Mustard, ammonia, laudanum, and turpentine, are the chief agents employed. Mustard embrocation : 42.— Best mustard, 3 to 5 oances. Liquor of ammonia, 1 ounce. • Spirit of turpentine, 1 ounce. Mix into a thin paste, and rub into the part affected. Embrocation for strains or rheumatism : 43. — Spirit of turpentine. Liquor of ammonia, Laudanum, of each i ounce. Mix, and shake well before using, then rub In. EMETICS. Emetics are very commonly used in the diseases of the dog, and sometimes act very beneficially; but they have a tendency to ■weaken the stomach, and should therefore be used with caution. If not frequently resorted to no harm is likely to accrue, as vom- iting is almost a natural process in the dog. Common salt emetic : 44.— Dissolve a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of mus- tard in half a pint of tepid water, and give it as a drench. Strong emetic : 45. — Tartar emetic, 1 to 3 grains. Dissolve in a tablespoonful of warm water, and give as a drench ; fol- lowing it up in a quarter of an hour, by pouring down as much thin gruel as the dog can be made to swallow. EXPECTORANTS, OR COUGH MEDICINES. The action of these remedies is to promote the flow of mucus, 80 as to relieve the congestion of the air passages. FEVER MEDICINES. 301 Common cough bolus : 46.— Ipecacuanha in powder, i to li grain. Powdered rhubarb, 1 to 2 grains. Purified opium, i to U grain. Compound squill pill, 1 to 2 grains. Mix, and give night and morning. Expectorant draught, useful in recent cough : 47. — Ipecacuanha wine, 5 to 10 drops. Common mucilage, 2 drachms. Sweet spirit of nitre, 20 to 30 drops. Paregoric, 1 drachm. Camphor mixture, ^ ounce. Mix, and give two or thiee times a day. Expectorant draught for chronic cough : 48. — Compound tincture of benzoin, 8 to 12 drops. Syrup of poppies, 1 drachm. Diluted sulphuric acid, 3 to 8 drops. Mucilage, 2 drachms. Paregoric, 1 drachm. Camphor mixture, i ounce. Mix, and give twice a day. FEVER MEDICINES. Fever medicines reduce fever by increasing the secretions of urine and perspiration, and by reducing the action of the heart to some extent. Common fever powder : 49. — Nitre in powder, 3 to 5 grains. Tartar emetic, x grain. Mix, and put dry on the dog's tongue every night and morning. More active pov^der : 50.— Calomel, i to li grain. Nitre, 3 to 5 grains. Digitalis, i to 1 grain. Mix, and give once or twice a day, in the same way ; or made Into a pill with confection. 302 REMEDIES SUITED TO THE DOG. Fever mixture : 51.— Nitre, 1 drachm. Sweet spirit of nitre, 3 drachmB. Mindererus' spirit, 1 ounce. Camphor mixture, 6i ounces. Mix, and give two tablespoonf uls every six hours. CLYSTERS. Clysters are extremely useful in the dog, which is liable to con- stipation from want of exercise, and in that case is mechanically bound. A pint of warm water, in which some yellow soap has been dissolved, will generally have the desired effect. Turpentine clyster in colic : 53.— Spirit of turpentiue, I ounce. Castor oil, 1 ounce. Laudanum, 2 to 3 drachms. Gruel, 1 pint. Mix, and throw up, using only half or one third for a small dog. LOTIONS. Lotions, called Washes, are intended either to reduce the tem- perature in inflammation of the surface to which they are applied, or to brace the vessels of the part. Cooling lotion for bruises: 53.— Extract of lead, 1 drachm. Tincture of arnica, i to 1 drachm. Water, i pint. Mix, and apply by means of a bandage or sponge. For severe stiffness from over-exercise : 54.— Tmcture of arnica, i drachm. Strong spirit of wine, whiskey, or brandy, 7i drachms. Mix, and rub well into the back and limbs, before the fire. Lotion for the eyes : 55._Sulphate of zinc, 20 to 25 grams. Water, ¥ pint. Mix, and wash the eyes night and morning. OINTMENTS, STIMULANTS, AND STOMACHICS. 303 Strong drops for the eyes : 56. — Nitrate of silver, 3 to 8 grains. Distilled water, 1 ounce. Mix, and drop in with a quill. OINTMENTS. .- By means of lard, wax, etc., various substances are mixed up so s to be applied to wounds, chiefly to keep out the air. A good ointment for old sores : 57. — Yellow basilicou, Ointment of nitric-oxide of mercury, equal parts. Digestive ointment : 58.— Red precipitate, 2 ounces. Venice turpentine, 3 ounces. Beeswax, H ounce. Lard, 4 ounces. — Mix. Mange ointment: 58a. — Green iodide of mercury, 1 drachm. Lard, 8 drachms. Mix, and rub in carefully every 2nd or 3rd day. STIMULANTS— s^e CORDLiLS. STOMACHICS. The name describes the use of the remedies, which are intended to give tone to the stomach. Stomachic bolus: 59.— Extract of gentian, 6 to 8 grains. Powdered rhubarb, 2 to 3 grains. Mix, and give twice a day. 304 REMEDIES SUITED TO THE DOG. Stomachic draught : 60. — Tincture of cardamoms, 1 to 1 drachm. Corapound infusion of gentian, 1 ounce. Carbonate of soda, 3 grains. Powdered ginger, 2 grains. Mix, and give twice a day. STYPTICS. Styptics are remedies to stop bleeding. In the dog the vessels seldom give way externally, but internally the disease is very fre- quent, either in the form of a bloody flux, or bloody urine, or bleeding from the lungs, for which the following may be tried : 61— Superacetate of lead, 2 to 3 grains. Tincture of matico, 30 to 50 drops. Vinegar, 10 drops. Water, 1 ounce. Mix, and give two or three times a day. TONICS. Tonics permanently increase the tone or vigor of the system, be- ing particularly useful in the recovery from low fever. Tonic pill : 62 — Sulphate of quinine, 1 to 3 grains. Extract of hemlock, 2 grains. Ginger, 2 grains. Mix, and give twice a day. Tonic mixture : 63 — Compound tincture of bark, 2 ounces. Decoction of yellow bark, 14 ounces. Mix, and give three tablespoonsf uls twice or thrice daily to a large dog. WORM MEDICINES. By this term we are to understand such substances as will expel worms from the intestines of the dog, their action being either poi- WORM MEDICINES. 305 sonous to the worm itself, or so irritating as to cause them to evacu- ate. All ought either to be in themselves purgative, or to be fol- lowed by a medicine of that class, in order to insure the removal of the eggs, as well as the worms themselves. More detailed directions will be found in the chapter of Worms. Aperient-worm bolus. 64 — Calomel, 2 to 5 grains. Jalap, 10 to 20 grains. Mix into a bolus, with molasses. For general worms. Not aperient, and therefore to be followed by castor oil : 65 — Recently powdered areea nut, 1 to 2 drachms. Mix with broth, and give to the dog directly, as there is no taste in it until it has been soaked some time, when the broth becomes bitter. It the dog refuses it he must be drenched. Four hours after, give a dose of castor oil. N. B. — The exact dose is 2 grains for each pound the dog weighs. For round- worms, or maw- worms : 66 — Indian pink, i ounce. Boiling water, 8 ounces. Let it stand for an hour, then strain, and give half to a large dog, a quarter to a middle-sized dog, or an eighth to a very small one. This, however, is a severe remedy, and is not unattended with danger. It should be followed by castor oil in six hours. Mild remedy, unattended with any danger : 67.— Powdered glass, as much as will lie on a twenty-five cent piece, heaped up. To be mixed with butter, and given as a bolus, following it up with cas- tor oil after six hours. For tape- worm : 68 — Kousso, J to 3 ounce. Lemon juice, 1 tablespoonful. Boiling water, i pint. Pour the water on the kousso, and when nearly cold add the lemon luice. Stir ali up together, and give as a drench. It should be fol- lowed up m six or eight hours by a dose of od. Another remedy for tape-worm : 69— Sp.rit of turpentine, 1 to 4 drachms. Tie this up Crmxy in apiece of bladder, *.ben give as a bolus, taking care 306 EKMEDIES SUITED TO THE DOG. not to burst the bladder. This also requires a dose of oil to follow. (X mix the turpentine with suet into a bolus. Another : 70— « Fresh root of male fern, 1 to 4 drachms. Powdered jalap, 15 grains. Liqaorice powder and water, enough to make a bolus. S. B.— The oil of male fern is better than the dry root, the dose being i«u CO thirty drops. AD^fTNISTRATION OF REMEDIES. Some considerable tact and knowledge of the animal are re- quired, in order to give medicines to the dog to the best advantage. In the first place, his stomach is peculiarly irritable, and so much under the control of the will, that most dogs can vomit whenever they like. Hence it is not only necessary to give the medicine, but also to insure its being kept down. For this purpose, however, it is generally only oecessary to keep up the dog's head, as he will not readily vomit without bringing his nose to the ground, and so it is the regular practice in large kennels, in giving a dose of phvsic, to put tlifi couples on, and fasten them up to a hook, at such a bight that the dog cannot lower his head, maintaining this position for two or three hours. A single dog may be watched, if such is preferred, but a lot of hounds in physic must be treated with less ceremony. THE DOG'S SYSTEM RESEMBLES THAT OF MAN. The effects of remedies on the dog are nearly the same as on man, so that any one who understands how to manage himself may readily extend his sphere of usefulness to the dog. On the other hand, horses require a very different treatment, which ac- counts for the ignorance of the diseases of the dog so often dis- played by otherwise clever veterinary surgeons, who have confined MODE OF GIVING A BOLUS OB PILL. 307 their attention to tlie more valuable animal. Some remedies affect the dog differently, however; thus laudanum, which is a veiy dangerous drug in human medicine, rarely does harm to the canine species, and treble the dose for a man will be required for the dog. On the other hand, calomel is quite the reverse, being extremely liable to produce great irritation on the lining mem- brane of the dog's stomach and bowels. MODE OF GIVING A BOLUS OR PILL. If the dog is small, take him on the lap, without harshness, and if inclined to use his claws, tie a coarse towel round his neck, let- ting it fall down in front, which will muffle them eflPectually ; then with the finger and thumb of the left hand press open the mouth by inserting them between the teeth, far enough back to take in the cheeks. This compels the mouth to open from the pain given by the pressure against the teeth, while it also prevents the dog from biting the fingers. Then raising the nose, drop the pill as far back as possible, and push it well down the throat with the forefinger of the right hand. Let go with the left hand, still hold up the nose, keeping the mouth shut, and the pill is sure to go down. Two persons are required in administering a pill to a large dog, if he is at all inclined to resist. First, back him into a corner, then stride over hira, and putting a thick cloth into his mouth, bring it together over the nose, where it is held by the left hand ; the right can then generally lay hold of the lower jaw. But if the dog is very obstinate, another cloth must also be placed over the first, and then as they are drawn apart, an assistant can push the pill down. Yery often a piece of meat may be used to wrap the pill in, and the dog will readily bolt it ; but sometimes it is de- sirable to avoid this, as it may be necessary to give the medicine by itself. Even large dogs, however, are seldom so troublesome as to require the above precautions in giving pills, though they, as a general thing, obstinately refuse hquid medicine when they have tasted it once or twice. 308 BEMEDIES SUITED TO THE TOGU MODE OF DRENCHING THE DOG. If a small quantity only is to be given, the dog's head being held, the liquid may be poured tliroui^b the closed teeth by mak- ing a little pouch of the cheek. This, however, is a tedious pro- cess as the animdl often refuses to swallow the medicine for a long time, and then struggles mUil half is wasted. A spoon an swers for small quantities; for laige quantities a soda-water bot- tles is the best instrument. Having the dog held on either of the plans recommended in the last paragraph, pour a little of the fluid down his throat, and shut the mouth. This is necessary, inasmuch as the act of swallowing can not be performed with the mouth open. Repeat this, until all the medicine is swallowed. Then watch the dog, or tie up his head until it is certain that the medi- cine will be retained on the stomach. CLYSTERS OR INJECTIONS. "When the bowels are very much confined, a pint or two of warm gruel will, if thrown up into the rectum, often be of great service. The dog should be placed on his side, and held in this position on a table by an assistant, while the operator passes the pipe carefully into the rectum, and pumps up the fluid. CHAPTER III. FEVERS AND THEIR TREATMEIH'. •SIMPLE EPHEMBKAL FEVER, OR COLD.— EPIDEMIC FEVER, OB INPLTJ* ENZA. — TYPUUS FiiVEK, OR DISTEMPER. — RHEUMATIC FEVER. — 9MALa> POX. — SYMPATHETIC FEVER. The dog is peculiarly liable to febrile attacks, which have always a tendency to put oii a low fonn, very similar in its nature to that known as typhus in human diseases. This is so generally the case, that every dog is said to have the distemper at some time of Lis life, that name being given to this low form of fever. An at- tack may commence with a common coll, or any inflammatory affection of the lungs, bowels, etc.; and on assuming the low form, is followed by a genuine case of typhus fever or distemper. Nevertheless, it docs not follow that the one must neccssarUy end in the other ; the dog may hive simple fever, known as " a cold,** or various other com^plaints, without being subjected to the true distemper. Tlie fevers occurring in the dog are: 1st, Simple ephemeral fever, commonly called " a cold ; " 2d, Simple epidemic fever, or influenza ; 3d, Typhus fever, knowm as Distemper; 4th, Rheumatic fever, attacking the muscular and fibrous systems; and, 5th, Small-pox. SIMPLE EPHEMERAL FEVER. Simple Ephemeral Fever, known as '' a common cold," ia ushered in by chillinops, with increased heat of surface, a quick puise, and slightly hurrie 1 breathing. The appetite is not as good as usual ; the eyes look dull ; the bowels are costive; tlie urine is scantv and high-colored There are often cough and slight rua 309 510 FEVERS AND THElB TREATMENT. ning at the nose and eyes, and sometimes other internal organs are attacked ; or the disease goes on until a different form of lever is established, known as typhus. This often occurs wiica many doirs are collected together, or when one or two are kept in a close ken nol, where there is neither proper ventilation nor cleanliness. Cause. — Exposure to wet or cold. Treatment. —Complete rest; a gentle dose of opening medicine: (12) or (13) if the liver is torpid, (15) if acting. After this has acted, give slops, and if there is still much fever, one of the remedies (45) or (51). If there is much cough, give the draught (47) or the bolus (46). INFLUENZA. The symptoms of influenza at first closely resemble those of ephemeral fever, but as they depend upon some peculiar condition of the air which prevails at the time, and as they are more per- Bistent, the name influenza is given to the disease. After the first few days, the running at the eyes and nose increases, and a cough is almost always present. These symptoms often continue for two or three weeks, and are followed with great prostration of strength and often a chronic cough, which requires careful treatment. The cause is to be looked for in some peculiar state of the air, concerning the nature of which nothing is known at present. Treatment.— In the early stage, the remedies should be the same as for ordinary or simple "cold." Towards the second week, a cough-bolus (46) or draught (47) will generally be required. When the stren^^h is much reduced after the seconu week, and the cough is nearly gone, give a tonic pill (62) nr mixture (63). Great care should be taken not to bring on a relapse by improper food, or by too early an allowance of exercise. Fresh air is of the utmost im- portance, but it must be taken at a slow pace, as a gallop will often undo all that has been effected in the way of a cure. TYPHUS PEVEK, OR DISTEMPEE. 311 TYPHUS FEVER, OR DISTEMPER. It is now generally admitted that this disease is similar to typhus fever in man, and should be treated in much the same manner. The essence of the disease is some poison admitted from with- out, or developed within the blood, by which the various secretions are either totally checked, or so altered as no longer to purify the system. The exact nature of this poison is beyond our present state of knowledge, but from analogy there is little doubt that it resides in the blood. As in all cases of poison absorbed in the system, there is a most rapidly depressing effect upon the muscular powers, which is to he. expected, inasmuch as their action requires a constant formation of new material from the blood. As this is retarded in common with all other functions, the muscles waste away rapidly, and their contractions are not performed with any strength. The diseas3 is sometimes conveyed by infection. At others it is developed in the body ; just as in the case of fermen- tation in vegetable substances, there may be a ferment added to a saccharine solution, by whicii the process is hastened, although if left to itself, it will come on in due course. The symptoms are various ; they may be divided into two classes one of which comprises those always attending upon distemper ; the other may or may not be present in any individual attack. The invariable symptoms arc, a low insidious fever, with prostration of strength to a remarkable degree, in proportion to the duration and strength of tne attack, and rapid emaciation, so that a thick mus- cular dog often becomes quite thin and lanky in three days. As a part of the fever, there is shivering, attended by quick pulse, hur- ried respiration, loss of appetite, and impaired secretions. Beyond these, there are no signs which can be called positively invariable, though the running at the eyes and nose, and the short husky cough, especially after exercise, are very nearly always present. The accidental symptoms depend upon the particular complication which may exist ; for one of the most remarkable features in dis- temper is, that, coupled with the above invariable symptoms, there may be congestion, or inflammation of the head, chest, bowels, or 312 FEVERS AXD TOEIR TREATMENT. skin. In one case the disease may appear to be entirely confined to the head, in another to the chest, and in a third to the bowels ; yet it results from the same cause in each case, and requires the same general plan of treatment, moJiiieJ according to the seat of the complication. When distemper is the result of neglect, it generally succeeds some other disease which may have existed for an indefinite period. The ordinary course of an attack of distemper, wlien epidemic, or the result of contagion, is as follows : ganeral dullness or lassitude, together with loss of appetite are first observed. A peculiar husky cough generally follows in a day or two, with sounds as if the dog were trying to discharge a piece of straw from his throat. It al- ways comes on at exercise after a gallop. Witli this there is also a tendency to sneeze, but not so marked as the '' husk" or " tissuck" which may occur in common "cold" or influenza, and is then usu- ally more severe, and also more variable in its severity ; soon going on to inflammation, or else entirely ceasing in a few days. In distemper, the strength and flesh rapidly fail and waste, while in common '* cold," the cough may continue for days without much alteration in either; this is one of the chief characteristics of the true dis3ase. There is, also, generally a black pitchy condition of the foeccs, and the urine is scanty and high-colored. The white of the eyes is always more or less reddened, the color being of a bluish red cast, and the vessels being evidently gorged with blood. When the brain is attacked, the eyes are more injected than when the bowels or lungs is the seat of complication. The corners of the eyes have a smnll drop of mucus, and the nose runs more or less, which symptoms, as the disease goes on, are much aggravated, both eyes being glued by brownish matter. The teeth are also cov- ered with a blackish brown fur. These are the rogular symptoms of a severe attack of distemper, which gradually increases in sever- ity to the third, fourth, or fifth week, when the dog dies from ex- haustion, or from disease of the brain, lungs, or bowels, marked by peculiar signs in each case. In this course the disease may be de- scribed as passing throug'i four stages or periods : 1st, tliat in which the poison is spreading through the system, called the period of in- TYPHITS FEVER, OR DISTEMPER. 313 cubation ; 2nd, that in which nature rouses her powers to expel it called the period of reaction ; 3rd, the period of prostration, dur- ing which the powers of nature are exhausted, or nearly so, by the efforts which have been made; and 4tb, the period of convales- cence. On the average, each of these will occupy a week or ten days, varying with the mildness or severity of the attack. When the head is attacked, there may or may not be a running from the nose and eyes; but more usually there is some evidence of congestion in these organs, the eyes being weak and glued up with the mucus, and the nose running more or less. A fit is, how- ever, the clearest evidence of brain affection, and, to a common observer, the only reliable one. Sometimes there is stupor with- out a fit, gradually increasing until the dog becomes insensible, and dies. At other times, a raving delirium comes on, easily mistaken for hydrophobia, but distinguished from it by the presence of the premonitory symptoms, peculiar to distemper. This is the most fatal complication of all, and, if the dog recovers, he is often a vie- tim to palsy or chorea for the rest of his life. If the lungs are attacked, there is very rapid breathing, with cough, and generally a considerable running from the eye's and nose, accompanied with expectoration of thick frothy mucus. If inflammation of the lungs is established, the danger is as great as when the head is the seat of the malady. The bowels may be known to be seized when there is a violent purging of black offensive matter, often tinged with blood, and sometimes mixed with patches or shreds of a white leathery sub- stance, which is coagulable lymph. The discharge of blood is, in some cases, excessive, and quickly carries off the dog. If the skin is attacked, which is a favorable sign, there is a breaking out of pustules on the inside of the thighs and belly, which fill with matter, often tinged with dark blood, and some- times with blood itself of a dark purple color. It is not an easy matter for an inexperienced observer to dis- tinguish distemper from similar affections, but the practised eye readily detects the difference. The chief diseases which are likely to be confounded with distemper are, the true canine madness 14 ' 314 PEVERS AND THEIR TREATMENT. common cold or influenza, inflammation of the lungs, and diar- rhoea. The first of these runs a rapid course, and is ushered in by peculiar changes in the temper, which wOl be described under the head of hydrophobia. Cold and influenza cause no great prostration of strength. The former comes on after exposure to the weather, while the latter is sure to be prevalent at the time. Inflammation of the lungs must be studied to be known ; simple diarrhoea has no fever attending upon it. The treatment of distemper is twofold ; care first, bemg directed to the safe conduct through the lowering efifects of the complaint, and second to the warding ofl" of the fatal results which are likeiy to be occasioned by the local complications in the brain, lungs, or bowels. It must be remembered that the disease is an eff'ort of nature to rid itself of a poison ; and, consequently, the powers of the system must be aided throughout, or they will be incompetent to their task. One great means of carrying ofl" this poison, is to be looked for in the bowels and kidneys. These organs must be restored as far as possible to their natural condition, care being ex- ercised that they are not injured by the remedies used. It is well known, for instance, that aperients, and especially calomel, have the property of restoring the suspended action of the liver. But they also have an injurious efiect upon the strength of the general system, and therefore must be used with great caution. The best formulae is, (13) or (15) given only once or twice, at mtervals of two or three days. After the secretions are restored, the next thing is to look out for the complications in the brain, lungs, and bowels, which are to be expected ; and, if present, to counteract them by appropriate remedies. A seton placed on the back of the neck, covering the tape with blister ointment, will be likely to relieve the head, together with cold applications of vinegar and water by means of a sponge. At the same time the fever mixture (51) may be regularly administered. For any trifling complication in the lungs the fever powder (49) will generally suffice ; but, if severe, blood must be taken from the neck vein ; though this, if possible, should be avoided, and the cough bolus or draught (46) or (47) be administered. Diarrhoea must be at once checked by one of the TYPHUS FEVER, OR DISTEMPER. 315 mixtures (6) or (8) ; or, if very severe, by the pill (19). At the same time, rice-water should be given as the only drink ; and beef- tea, thickened with arrow-root or rice, as the sole article of diet, changing it occasionally for port wine and arrow-root. When the stage of exhaustion has commenced, the tonic mixture (63) will gen- erally be requii-ed ; and it is astonishing what may be done by a per- severance in its use. Dogs which appear to be dying will often re- cover. No case should be given up as long as there is any life remaining. The diet should be carefully attended to, little or no food being required on the first four or six days, beyond weak broth or gruel, no solid food from the first being permitted. This restriction must be maintained until the dog is quite recovered. When the state of exhaustion or prostration comes on, good strong beef-tea should be given every three or four hours, and, if the dog will not swallow it, force should be used ; a spoonful at a time being given in the manner described elsewhere for drenching. Port wine is often of service at such times, being thickened with arrow-root, and given alternately with beef-tea. For a dog of average size, the plan is to give a teacupful of beef -tea, then, after two hours, the same quantity of arrow-root and wine ; then, again, after two hours, a dose of the tonic mixture, and so on through the twenty-four hours. Perseverance in this troublesome plan will generally be rewarded with success, but, of course, it is only a valuable dog which will reward it properly. In less important animals, the beef-tea may be provided, and if it is not voluntarily swallowed, the poor patient often dies for want of the compulsion, so that humanity as well as self-interest counsel the adoption of what often appears a harsh proceeding. No exercise, even of the most gentle kind, should be allowed, as it invariably tends to bring on a return of the disease. Many a young dog has been sacrificed to the mistaken kindness of his master, who has thought that a " breath of fresh air" would do him good. And so it would, if taken in an easy carriage, at rest; but the muscular exertion necessary to procure it is highly injuri- ous, and should be delayed until the strength is restored. This is 316 FEVEKS AND THEIE TREATMENT. one reason why dogs in the country bear distemper so much better than in towns ; for, as it is known that they are in the fresh air no attempt is made to take them to it, and so they are left alone, and are not induced to exert their strength prematurely. Even when the dog appears nearly well, it is better to lead him out to excercise for the first day or two. Otherwise he is almost sure to over-exert himself. Ventilation should not be neglected ; moderate warmth is essen- tial to a cure, and a delicate dog like the greyhound should have a cloth on him in cold weather. The gi-eatest cleanliness should be observed, and as far as possible without making the kennel damp with water. Clean straw must be liberally provided, and all offensive matters removed as often as they are voided. Summary of treatment.— In the early stage of disease, get the bowels into good order by mild doses of aperient medicine : (11), (13), or (15). Attend to any complications which may come on, using a seton for the head and appropriate remedies for the chest, or mixture for the bowels (6) if there is diarrhoea. For the exhaus- tion, when the violent symptoms are abated, give the tonic (63) ; and during the whole period attend to the diet, ventilation, cleanli- ness, and rest, as previously described. Vaccination has been recommended as a remedy for distemper, and has been largely tried both in foxhound and greyhound ken- nels, as well as among pointers and setters. Some people think it a sure preventive, and there is evidence that for years after it has been adopted in certain kennels, distemper, which was previously rife among them, has been held in check. On the other hand, a still more numerous party have found no change produced in the mortality among their dogs, and they have come as a natural con- sequence to the opposite conclusion. Reasoning from analogy, there is no ground for supposing that small-pox or cow-pox should prevent the access of a disease totally dissimilar to these com- plaints ; inasmuch as experience is the best guide, the appeal must be made to it in order to settle the question. Judging from this test, I can see no reason whatever for the faith which is placed in vaccination, because there are at least as many recorded failures BHKITMATIC FEVER. 31? as successes ; and as we know that after any remedy there will always be a certain number of assumed cures held out by sanguine individuals, so we must allow for a great many in this particular case. Distemper is well known to be most irrregular in its attacks, and to hit or miss particular kennels, as the case may be, for years together, and as vaccination is used at any of these various periods of change, so it gains credit or discredit which it does not deserve. After trying it myself and seeing it tried, and after also comparing the experience of others, my own belief is, that vaccination is wholly inoperative ; but, as others may like to test it for them- selves, I here append directions for the operation ; To vaccinate the dog, select the thin skin on the inside of the ear, then with a lancet charged with fresh vaccine lymph, make three or four oblique punctures in the skin, to such a depth as barely to draw blood, chargiig the lancet afresh each time. If the lymph cannot be procured fresh, the punctures must be made as above described, and then the points charged with dry lymph must be introduced, one in each puncture, and well rubbed into the cut surface so as to insure the removal of the lymph from the points. In four or five days an imperfect vesicle is formed, which, if not rubbed, goes on to maturity and scabs at the end of ten days or thereabout. There are various other methods suggested, such as introducing a piece of thread dipped in the vims, etc., but the above is the proper plan, if any is likely to be e-^ectual. The treatment of the various sequels of distemper, including fits, palsy, etc., will be given under those heads respectively RHEUMATIC FEVER. One of the most common diseases in the dog, is rheumatism *% some form, generally showing itself with very little fever, hu* sometimes being accompanied with a high degree of fever. The frequency of this disease is owing to the constant exposure of the dog to cold and wet, and very often to his kennel being damp, 318 FEVEKS AND THEIK TEEATMENT. which is the fertile source of kennel lameness, or chest-founder, the latter being nothing more than rheumatism of the muscles of the shoulders. Again, those which spend half their time before a roasting fire, and the other half in the wet and cold, are very liable to contract this kind of fever, but not in so intractable a form as the denizen of the damp kennel. By some writers this affection Is classed among inflammations, and it is a debatable point to which of these divisions it should be assigned. But this is of little con- sequence, so that the fever is properly known and easily recog- nized by the symptoms. I shall therefore include here, rheumatic fever, which is a general affection, and also the partial attacks known as kennel lameness or chest-founder, and rheumatism of the loins, commonly called palsy of the back. Rheumatic fever is known by the following signs : — There is considerable evidence of fever, but not of a very high character, th3 pulse being full but not very quick, with shivering and dull- ness, except when touched or threatened — the slightest approach causing a shriek, evidently from the fear of pain. The dog gen- erally retires into a corner, and is very reluctant to come out. On bein"- forcibly brought out, he snarls at the hand even of his best friend, and stands with his back up, evidently prepared to defend himself from the pat of the hand, which to him is anguish. The bowels are confined, and the urine highly colored and scanty. The treatment consists in bleeding from the neck, to a moderate extent, if the dog is very gross and full of condition, followed with a smart dose of opening physic ; (12) or (13). After this has acted give the following pills : Calomel. Purified opium, of each 1 grain. Powdered root of colchicum, 2 to 3 grains. Syrup, enough to make a pill. This is the dose for an average-sized dog. A hot bath is often of service, care being taken to diy the skin before the fire. Then follow up with a liberal friction by the aid of the liniment (43). Kennel lameness, or chest-founder, manifests itself in a stiffness or soreness of the shoulders, so that the dog is unable to gallop EHEUMATIC FEVEE. 319 freely down hill, and is often reluctant to jump off his bench to the ground, the shock giving pain to the muscles. It is very com- mon in the kennels of foxhounds, for these dogs, being exposed to viret and cold for hours together, and then brought home to a damp lodging-room, contract the disease with great frequency. Pampered house pets are also very liable to chest-founder, over- feeding being quite as likely to produce rheumatism as exposure to cold, and when both are united this condition is almost sure to follow. When it becomes chronic there is little or no fever. After it has existed for some months it is generally regarded as incurable, but instances are known in which the stiffness has entirely disap- peared. Chest-founder also arises from a sprain of the muscles which suspend the chest between the shoulders. The remedies for kennel lameness are nearly the same as for genera] rheumatism, care being taken to remove the cause if it has existed in the shape of a damp cold lodging-room. The food should be light, and composed chiefly of vegetable materials; strong animal food tends to increase the rheumatic affection. The liniment (43) is very likely to be of service, especially if used after the hot bath, as previously described. It has been asserted, by persons of experience, that a red herring given two or three times a week will cure this disease. I have no personal experience of the merits of this remedy, but, according to Col. Whyte, it has recently been discovered that in the herring there is a specific for human rheumatism. It is worth a trial in dogs. It is given with two drachms of nitre and one of camphor. Most dogs readily eat the herring and camphor, and the nitre is added in a little water as a drench. Cod liver oil is also said to be of great service (5). Iodine with sarsaparilla (3) is a preparation which I have known to be of more service than any internal medicines. A draggmg of the hmd limbs is common enough in the dog^ though often called palsy, it really is, m most cases, of a rheumatic nature. It closely resembles chest-founder in all its symptoms, excepting that the muscles affected are situated in the loins and hips. The causes and treatment are the same as those for kennel lameness. 320 FBVEKS AND THEIR TEKATMENT. SMALL-POX. I reproduce Mr. Youatfs description of small-pox in dogs : In 1809, there was observed, at the Royal Veterinary School a2 Lyons, an eruptive malady among the dogs, to which they gave the name of small-pox. It appeared to be propagated from dog to dog by contagion. It was not difficult of cure ; and it quickly disap- peared when no other remedies than mild aperients and diaphoret- ics were employed. A sheep was inoculated from one of these dogs. There was a slight eruption of pustules around the place of inoculation, but nowhere else ; nor was there the least fever. At another time, also, at the school at Lyons, a sheep died of the regular sheep-pox. A part of the skin was fastened, during four and twenty hours, on a healthy sheep, and the other part of it on a dog, both of them being in apparent good health. No effect was produced on the dog, but the sheep died of confluent sheep-pox. The essential symptoms of small-pox in dogs succeed each other in the following order : the skin of the belly, the groin, and the in- side of the fore arm becomes of a redder color than in its natural state, and is sprinkled with small red spots irregularly rounded. They are sometimes isolated, sometimes clustered together. The near approach of this eruption is announced by an increase of fever. On the second day, the spots are larger, and the integument is slightly tumefied at the center of each. On the third day, the spots are generally enlarged, and the skin is still more prominent at the center. On the fourth day, the summit of the tumor is yet more prominent. Towards the ends of that day the redness of the center begins to assume a somewhat grey color. On succeed- ing days, the pustules take on their peculiar characteristic appear- ance, and cannot be confounded with any other eruption. On the summit, is a white circular point, corresponding with a certain quantity of nearly transparent fluid which It contains, and covered by a thin and transparent pellicle. This fluid becomes less and less transparent, until it acquires the color and consistence of pua. SMAXL-POX. 321 The pustule, during its serous state, is of a rounded form. It is flattened when the fluid acquires a purulent character, and even slightly depressed towards the close of the period of suppuration. The desiccation and the desquamation occupy an exceedingly vari- able length of time ; and so, indeed, do all the different periods of the disease. What is the least inconstant, is the duration of the serous eruption, which is about four days, if it has been distinctly produced and guarded from all friction. If the general character of the pustules is considered, it will be observed, that while some of them are in a state of serous secretion, others will only have begun to appear. The eruption terminates when desiccation com- mences in the first pustules ; and, if some red spots show them- selves at that period of the malady, they disappear without bemg followed by the development of pustules. They are a species of abortive pustules. After the desiccation, the skin remains covered by brown spots, which, by degrees, die away. There remains no trace of the disease, except a few superficial cicatrices on which the hair does not grow. The causes which produce the greatest variation in the periods of the eruption are, the age of the dog, and the temperature of the situation and of the season. The eruption runs through its differ- ent stages with much more rapidity in dogs from one to five months old than in those of more advanced age. I have never seen it in dogs more than eighteen months old. An elevated tem- perature singularly favors the eruption, and also renders it conflu- ent and of a serous character. A cold atmosphere is unfavorable to the eruption, or even prevents it altogether. Death is almost constantly the result of the exposure of dogs, having small-pox, to any considerable degree of cold. A moderate temperature is most favorable to the recovery of the animal. A frequent renewal or change of air, the temperature remaining nearly the same, is highly favorable to the patient, consequently close boxes or ken- nels should be altogether avoided. I have often observed that tho perspiration or breath of dogs laboring under variola, emits a very unpleasant odor. This smell is particularly observed at the com. mencement of the desiccation of the pustules, and when the am 322 FEVERS AND THEIR TREAT:srENT. mals are lying upoo dry straw. The friction of the bed against the pustules destroys their pellicles, and permits the purulent matter to escape ; and the influence of this purulent mat- ter is most pernicious. The fever is increased, as also the un- pleasant smell from the moutb, and generally the fccces. In this state there is a disposition which is rapidly developed in the lungs, to assume the character of pneumonia. This last complication is a most serious one, and always terminates fatally. SYMPATHETIC FEVER. This term is applied to the fever which comes on either before or after some severe local affection, and is, as it were, eclipsed by it. Thus in all severe inflammations there is an accompanying fever, which generally shows itself before the exact nature of the attack is made manifest, and though it runs high, yet it has no tendency in itself to produce fatal results, subsiding, as a matter of course, with the inflammation which attends it. The same oc. curs in severe injuries ; but here also, if there is no inflammation, there is no fever ; so that the same rule applies as where there is an external cause. CHAPTER IV. mFLAMMATIONS. DEFINITION OP INFLAMMATION. — SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF RABIES, TETANUS, AND TURNSIDE.— INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE, EAR, MOUTH, AND NOSE.— LUNGS.— STOMACH.— BOWELS.— LIVER.— KIDNEYS, BLAD- DER, AND SKIN. DEFINITION OF INFLAMMATION. Inflammation consists in a retardation of the flow of blood through the small vessels; an increased action of the large ones is required to overcome it. When external and visible, it is charac- terized by increased heat, swelling, pain, and redness ; when inter- nally, by the first three, the last not being discerned, though ex- isting. It may be acute when coming on rapidly, or chronic when slow, and v/ithout very active symptoms. In the acute form there is always an increased rapidity of the pulse, with a greater reac- tion of the heart's pulsations, known as hardness of the pulse. In the dog, the healthy pulsations are from 90 to 100 to the minute. This may be taken as the standard of health. The arterial pulse may be felt on the inside of the arm above the knee ; by placing the hand against the lower part of the chest, the contractions of the heart may be readily felt. In different breeds there is, how- ever, considerable variation in the pulsations of the heart. HYDROPHOBIA, RABIES, OR MADNESS. This diser.se h.is been classed among the inflammations. The symptoms are chiefly as follows : The first is a marked change of temper; the naturally cheerful dog becoming waspish and mo- rose, and the bold fondling pet retreating from his master's hand 323 824 rSTLAMMATIONS. as if it was that of a stranger. On the other hand, the shy dog becomes bold ; in almost every instance there is a total change of manner for several days before the absolute outbreak of the attack, which is indicated by a kind of delirious watching of imaginary objects, the dog snapping at the wall, or if anything comes in his way, tearing it to pieces with savage fury. With this there is constant watchfulness, and sometimes a peculiarly hollow howL At other times no sound whatever is given, the case being then described as " dumb madness." Fever is always present, but it is difficult to ascertain to what extent on account of the danger of approaching the patient. Urgent thirst accompanies the fever. Mr. Grantley Berkeley strongly maintains that no dog really at- tacked with rabies will touch water, and that the presence of thirst is a clear sign of the absence of this disease. This theory is so entirely in opposition to the careful accounts given by all those who have witnessed the disease, when it had unquestionably been communicated either to man or to some of the lower animals, that no credence need be given it. Mr. Youatt witnessed more cases of rabies than perhaps any equally good observer, and he strongly insists upon the presence of thirst, as may be gathered from the concluding portion of the following extract: " Some very important conclusions may be drawn from the ap- pearance and character of the urine. The dog, at particular times when he is more than usually salacious, may, and does diligently search the urining places ; he may even at those periods be seen to lick the spot which another animal has just wetted. If a peculiar eagerness accompanies this strange employment, if in the parlor, which is rarely disgraced by this evacuation, every comer is perse- vcringly examined, and licked with unwearied and unceasing indus- try, the dog cannot be too carefully watched ; there is great dan- ger about him ; he may, without any other symptom, be pronoun- ced to be decidedly rabid. I never knew a single mistake about this. Much has been said of the profuse discharge of saliva from the month of the rabid dog. It is an undoubted fact that, in this disease, all the glands concerned in the secretion of saliva become increased in bulk and vascularity. The sublingual glands wear HYDEOPHOBIA, E ABIES, OE MADNESS. 325 an evident character of inflammation ; but it never equals the in- creased discharge that accompanies epilepsy or nausea. The frothy spume, at the corners of the mouth, is not for a moment to be compared with that which is evident enough in both of these affections. It is a symptom of short duration, and seldom lasts longer than twelve hours. The stories that are told of the mad dog, covered with froth, are altogether fabulous. The dog recov- ering from, or attacked by a fit may be seen in this state, but not the rabid dog. Fits are often mistaken for rabies, and hence the delusion. " The increased secretion of saliva soon passes away. It lessens in quantity and becomes thick, viscid, adhesive, and glutinous. It clings to the corners of the mouth, and probably more annoyingly so to the membrane of the fauces. The human being is sadly distressed by it. He forces it out with the greatest violence, or utters the falsely supposed bark of a dog, in his attempts to eject it from his mouth. This symptom occurs in the human being "when the disease is fully established, or at a late period of it. The dog furiously attempts to brush away the secretion with his paws. It is an early symptomin the dog, and it can scarcely be mistaken in him. When he is fighting with his paws at the corners of his mouth, let no one suppose that a bone is sticking between the poor fellow's teeth ; nor should any useless and dangerous effort be made to relieve him. If all this uneasiness arose from a bone in the mouth, the mouth would continue permanently open, instead of closing when the animal for a moment discontinues his efforts. If after a while he loses his balance and tumbles over, there can be no longer any mistake. It is the saliva becoming more and more glutinous, irritating the fauces and threatening suffocation. To this naturally and rapidly succeeds an insatiable thirst* The dog that still has ful\ power over the muscles of his jaws con- tinues to lap. He knows not when to cease, and the poor fellow whose jaw and tongue are paralyzed, plunges his muzzle into the water-dish to his very eyes, in order that he may get one drop of water into the back part of his mouth to moisten and to cool his dry and parched fauces. Hence, instead of this disease being always 326 INFLAMMATIONS. characterized by the dread of water in the dog, it is marked by a thii-st often perfectly unquenchable. Twenty years ago, this asser- tion would have been peremptorily denied. Even at the present day we occasionally meet with those who ought to know better, and who will not believe that the dog which fairly, or perhaps eagerly, drinks, can be rabid." My own experience fully confirms the above account, having seen, as I have, seven cases of genuine rabies, in all of which thirst was present in a greater or less degree ; in five of the cases the dis- ease was communicated to other dogs. If the rabid dog is not molested he will seldom attack any living object ; but the slightest obstruction in his path is sufficient to rouse his fury, he then bites savagely, and in the most unreasoning manner, wholly regardless of the consequences. The gait, when at liberty, is a long trot in a straight line. The average time of the occurrence of rabies after the bite is, in the dog, from three weeks to six months, or possibly even longer ; a suspected case therefore requires careful watching for at least that time ; after three months, the animal supposed to have been bitten may be considered tolerably safe, if no unfavorable symp- toms have in the meantime shown themselves. The duration of the disease is about four or five days, but I have myself known a case to be fatal in forty-eight hours. No remedy having yet been discovered for rabies, nothing remains but to kill the dog suffer- ing therefrom. TETANUS. Resemblmg rabies in some degree, tetanus differs from it in the absence of any affection of the brain, the senses remaining perfect to the last. It is not common with the dog. It is generally pro- duced by a severe injury, and shows itself in the form known as ** lock-jaw." It consists in spasmodic rigidity of certain muscles, alternating with relaxation. The stiffness continues for some length of time, not appearing and disappearing as quickly as in cramp. TURNSIDE. 327 If the tetanic spasm affects the muscles of the jaw, the state is called " lock-jaw." When it seizes on all muscles of the back the body is drawn into a bow, the head being brought in close prox- imity to the tail. Sometimes the contraction is of one side onlv and at others of the muscles of the belly, producmg a bow in the opposite direction to that alluded to above. These various condi- tions exactly resemble the contractions produced by the poison of strychnine. When, therefore, they occur, as the disease is extremely rare, it is fair to suspect that poison has been used. Nevertheless it should be known that they were witnessed long before this poi- son was in use ; and, therefore, they may arise independently of it. The successful treatment of tetanus is hopeless, if the case is clearly established. Purgatives and bleeding may be tried, folv lowed by chloroform, which will always relieve the spasm for the time ; but, as it returns soon after the withdrawal of the remedy, no permanent good is likely to accrue from its use. Except in the case of highly valued dogs, I should never advise any remedies be- ing tried ; the humane course is to at once put the poor animal out of misery, the spasms being evidently of the most painful nature. TUENSIDE. Turnside is more frequently seen in the dog than tetanus, still it is by no means common. It consists in some obscure affectioA of the brain, resemblins: the '* gid " of sheep, and probably results from the same cause. The dog has no fits, but keeps continually turning round and round, until death ensues from exhaustion. Tetanus is more commonly met with in high-bred puppies, whose constitutions are delicate ; I have known a whole litter carried off, '^ne after the other by the malady. No remedy to my knowledge is of any avail ; bleeding, blistering, and purgatives are said to have restored some few cases. The seton, also, has been recom- mended, and is, in my opinion, more likely than any other remedy 328 INFLA:^rMA'^ONS. to produce a cure, care being taken to maintain and support the strength of the animal against the lowering effects of this remedy. INFLAMMATIONS OF THE EYE. Ophthalmia, or simple inflammation of the eyes, is very com- mon in dogs, especially during the latter stages of distemper, when tlie condition of this organ is often seemingly, though not really, hopeless. On more tiian one occasion I have saved puppies from a watery grave, whose eyes were said to be beyond cure. Apply- ing no remedy locally, but simply attending to the general health of the dog, I have secured the recovery of the affected eye to its normal condition. The indications are, an unnatural bluish red- ness of "the white" of the eye, together with a film over the transparent part, which may or may not show red vessels spread- in"- over it. Tliere is great intolerance of light, with a constant watering. If the eye be opened by force, the dog most strenuously resists, giving evidence of pain from exposure to the rays of the sun. This state resembles the " strumous ophthalmia" of children, and may be treated in the same way, by tue uitemal use of tonics, the pills (62) being especially serviceable. In the ordinary ophthal- mia, the •' white" of the eye is of a brighter red, and the lids are more swollen, while the discharge is thicker, and the intolerance of light is not so great. The treatment here which is most likely to be of service is of the ordinary lowering kind, exactly the reverse of that indicated above. Purgatives, low diet, and sometimes bleeding, will be required, together with local washes, such as (55) or (56). If the eyes still remain covered with a film, a seton maj be inserted in the back of the neck with advantage, and kept opet> for two or three months. Cataract may be known by a whiteness, more or less marked in the pupil, and evidently beneath the surface of the eye, the disease consisting in an opacity of the lens, which is situated behind the pupil. It may occur from a blow, or from inflammation, or result from hereditary tendency. No treatment is of avaiL CANKER, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE EAR. 329 In amaurosis the eye looks clear, and there is no inflammation; the nerve however is destroyed, and there is partial or total blin* ness. It may be known by the great size of the pupiL CANKER, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE EAR. Many dogs, especially of sporting breeds, contract an inflamma- tion of the membrane or skin lining of the ear, from high feeding generally, and exposure to the weather. This causes irritation, and tlie dog shakes his head continually. This, together with the tendency to spread externally, causes an ulceration of the tips of the ears of those dogs, such as the hound, pointer, setter, spaniel, etc., which have these organs long and pendulous. Hence, the superficial observer is apt to confine his observations to this exter- nal ulceration, and I have even known the tips of the ears cut off in the hope of getting rid of the mischief. This heroic treatment, however, only aggravated the malady, because, while the incessant shaking caused' the wound to extent, the internal inflammation was not in the slightest degree relieved. The pointer is specially liable to ** canker," as shown at the tips of the ears, inasmuch as there is little hair to break the acuteness of the "smack" which is given in the shake of the head. Long-haired dogs, on the other hand, are quite as liable to the real disease, as shown by an exami- nation of the internal surface, owing hoAvever to the protection affbrded by the hair, the pendulous ear is less ulcerated or in- flamed. Whenever, therefore, a dog is seen to continually shake his head, and ineflectually endeavor to rub or scratch his ear, not being able to succeed, because he cannot reach the interior, an ex- amination should at once be made of the passage leading into the head. If the lining be red and inflamed, there is clenr evidence of the disease, even though the external ear be altogether free from it. On the other hand, the mere existence of an ulceration on the tips of the ears is no absolute proof of " canker," inasmuch as it may have been caused by the briars and thorns which a spaniel or 330 rSTLAMMATIONS. hound encounters in hunting for his game. Still it should lead to a careful inspection, and, if it continues for any length of time, it may be generally concluded that there is an internal cause for it. The treatment should in every case be chiefly directed to the inter- nal passage ; the cap which is sometimes ordered to be applied to the head, with a view of keeping the ears quiet, has a tendency to increase the internal inflammation, and should not therefore be em-^ ployed. The first thing to be done, is to lower the system by pur- gatives (11), (12), (15). or (16), with low diet, mcludmg no animal food. As soon as this has produced a decided effect, the nitrate of silver wash (22), the ointment (58a), melted, or the sulphate of zinc (20), should be dropped into the ear-passage, changmg one for the other every second or third day. At the same time the sores on the edges of the ears may be daily touched with bluestone, which will dry them up. In slight cases, this treatment will suffice for a cure, if carried on for three weeks or a month. In long-standing attacks, however, a seton must be put into the back of the neck ; this seldom fails to afford relief. If the inflammation in the exter- nal ear has been so great as to produce abscesses, they must be slit open with the knife to the very lowest point, as wherever mat- ter is confined in a pouch there can be no tendency to heal. The dog should be muzzled and the head held firmly on a table, when- ever any remedial fluid is applied internally to the ear. Deafness may result from canker, or from rheumatic or other inflammation of the internal ear. As no treatment is likely to be beneficial, there is no necessity for enlarging on the subject ; the only remedy at all to be relied on, in recent cases, is the seton in the back of the neck. INFLAMMATION OF THE MOUTH AND TEETH. Dogs fed on strongly stimulating food, are very apt to lose their teeth by decay, and also to suffer from a spongy state of the gums, attended with a collection of tartar about the roots of the teeth. Decayed teeth are better extracted, but the tartar, when it pro* OZ^NA, LARYNGITIS AND BRONCHOCELE. 331 duces inflammation, may be removed by instruments. By care- fully scraping the teeth there is little or no diflaculty in removing- it if the dog's head is held steadily. If the animal be highly prized, he should be taken to a veterinary sui-geon for the opera- tion. Afterwards brush the teeth occasionally with a lotion com- posed of 1 part of a solution of chlorinated soda, 1 part of tinc- ture of myrrh, and 6 parts of water. When puppies are shedding their milk teeth, frequent soreness in the mouth prevents them from eating. In such cases the old teeth are better removed with a pair of forceps. Blain is a watery swelling beneath the tongue, showing itself in several large vesicles containing straw-colored lymph, sometimes stained with blood. The treatment consists in lancing them, after which, the lotion, given above, may be effectually applied to the sores. OZ^NA. Ozaena is an inflamed condition of the lining membrane of the nose, producing an offensive discharge from the nostrils. This is very common in the pug dog, and also more or less in toy spaniels. There is little to be done in the way of treatment; a solution of chloride of zinc (3 grains to the ounce of water), may be thrown into the nostrils with a syringe. LARYNGITIS AND BRONCHOCELE. Laryngitis is mflammation of the top of the wind-pipe, where there is a very narrow passage for the air, and consequently where a slight extra contraction caused by swelling is necessarily fatal. When acute, it is very dangerous, and characterized by quick laborious breathing, accompanied with a snoring kind of noise. There is also a hoarse and evidently painful cough. The pulse is quick and sharp, attended with some fever. The treatment must 332 infla:mm:atioxs. be active, or it will be of no avail. Large bleedings, followed by a calomel purge (12), and the fever powder (50), will be necessary ; but no time should be lost in calling in skilful aid, if the dog's life is valued. Chronic laryngitis attacks the same part, comes on insidiously, and manifests itself chiefly in a hoarse cough and stridulous bark. It is best treated by a scton in the throat, together with low diet and the alterative pill (1). Bronchocele is known by an enlargement, often to the size of the fist, of the thyroid body placed on each side of the wind pipe. If this does not press upon the air-passage, there is no inconvenience ; but in course of time it generally does this, and the dog becomes wheezy and short-winded. It is chiefly seen in house pets, and may be relieved by the internal use of iodine (3), given for weeks in succession. INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS. The organs of respiration consist of an external serous and an internal mucous membrane, united together by cellular tissue. Each of these is the seat of a peculiar inflammation (pleurisy, pneumonia, and bronchitis), attended by different symptoms and requiring a variation in treatment. There is likewise, as in all other inflammations, an acute and a chronic kind, so that here we have six different inflammatory disorders of the organs of the chest, besides heart disease and phthisis or consumption. All the acute forms are attended with severe sympathetic fever, and quick pulse ; but the character of the latter varies a good deal. The chronic forms have also some slight febrile symptoms; but gener- ally in proportion to the acuteness is the amount of this attendant or sympathetic fever. As these three forms are liable to be easily mistaken for each other, I place the symptoms of each in juxtapo- sition in the following Table : INFLAMMATION" OF THE LUNGS. 333 COMPARATIVE TABLE OF SYMPTOMS. Early symp- toms. Stetho- scopic sounds. Percus- sion. Termina- tion. Treat- ment. Acute Pleurisy. Shivering, with slight spasms of the muscles of the chest; inspiratiou short and unequal in Its depth, expiration full, air expired not hotter than usual; cou.;h slight and dry ; pulse quick, small, and wiry. Acute Pneumonia. Strong shivering, but no spasms; in- spiration to.erably full, expiration short, air expired perceptibly hotter than natural; nos- trils red inside; cough violent and sonorous, with ex- ; pectoration of rusty colored mucus; pulse quick, full, and soft. Acute Bronchitis. No very readily A crackling sound, distinguishable audible in the early sound. A practised | stage, followed by ear discovers a fric- j crepitating wheez- tion sound or rub- ing. bing. Produces at first no result difi"erent! from a slate of health. After a time, when serum is thrown out, there is increased dullness. The symptoms either gradually dis- appear, or lymph is thrown out, or there is an effusion of se- rum or matter, with a frequently fatal re- sult. Bleeding in the early stages, in de- gree according to the severity of the at- tack. Relieve the bowel8by(l2)or(13). No blistering, which is actually prejudi- cial. Try the fever powder (49) or (50). and if not active enough, give calomel and opium, of each 1 ^ain, in a pill, 3 times a day. Low diet of slops only. Dullness after the early stage is pro- duced by the thick- ening of the tissue, approaching to the substance of liver, hence called "• hepa- tization." If the symptoms do not disappear, there is a solidifica- tion of the lung, by which it is rendered impervious to air, and in bad cases suf- focation takes place, or matter is formed, producing abscess. Bleeding in the early stages, in amount according to the severity of the attack. Give an ai>e- rient, (12) or (13>. Blisters to the chest of service, or the mustard embroca- I tion i42). Give the cough bolus '4t)) or the draught (47-. If the inflammation is very high, give calo- mel and opium, of eacli 1 grain, digita- lis, \ gniin, tartar emetic, \ grain, in a pill, 3 times daily. Low diet of slops. Shivering, soon fol- lowed by continual hard cough ; inspira- tion and expiration equally full ; air ex- pired warm, but not so hot as in pneu- monia ; cou^h soon becomes moist, the mucus expectorated being frothy, scanty at firs*:, but after- wards profuse; pulse full and hard. The sound in this form varies from that of soap bubbles to a hissing or wheezing sound. No change. The inflammation fenerally subsides y a discharge of mucus, which re- lieves the inflamma- tion; or it may go on to the extent of caus- ing suffocation by the swelling of the liningmembrane fill- ing up the area of the tubes. No bleeding is re- quired. In the early stage give an emetic (44). Follow this up with a mild ape- rient, (11) or (15). Apidy the emTaro- cation (42> to the chest, and give the cough bolus (46) or the draught (47). Low diet in the early stages ; afterwards, a little solid food, not meat, may be given. 334 INFLAMMATIONS. COMPARATIVE TABLE OF CimONIC SYMPTOMS. Chronic Pleurisy. Chronic Pneumonia. Chronic Bronchitis. Early symp- toms. I Inspiration slower than Termina- tion. ! Respiration quick expiraciun ; ! and painful; cough cough dry ; pulse | troublesome but re- quicker tban uatu- strained; expectora- ral, small and wiry. \ tion trittin!:,'; pulse i quick and full. Respiration quick but free; cougli t.on- stant and severe, but without pain; pulse scarcely aliectea. Treat- ment, Either in a cure, or else there is an effu- sion of serum into tlie chest, and gen- erally also into the belly and limbs, causing suffocation by pressure. The same as for acute pleurisy, but milder in degree, and the diet is not required to be so strictly confined to slops. If not ending in a Ends in a cure, or cure, tbere is great in a permanently difficulty of breath- I chronic state of iu- iu". often ending flammation. Or. if suffocation. Tne aniaial does not lie down, but sits up on his hind legs, supporting himself on his fore legs. Bleeding will sel- dom be required. Give the calomel, opium, and tartar emetic, withoui the di siitali s, in the doses ordered for acute pneumonia. After a few days, have recourse to the bolus (46). Diet nourishing, but strictly confined to farinaceous articles. The embrocation is of great service. fatal, there is sutfo- cation trom effusion, hut this IS very rare in chronic bronchi- tis. Dispense with the emetic, and at once try the cough bolus (46). In very mild cases, give ipecacu- anha \ grain, rhu- bai b 2 grains, opium i grain, in a pill, 3 times a day. Apply the mustard embro- cation (43 1. Milk diet, with nourish- ing slops. These various forms constantly run into one another, so that we rarely find pleurisy without some degree of pneumonia, or pneu- monia without bronchitis. Still, one generally predominates over the other, and, as far as treatment is concerned, the malady pre- dominating may be considered as distinct. So, also, there is every shade between the very acute form, the acute, the subacute, the chronic, and the permanently chronic. For practical purposes, however, the two divisions are sufficient. SPASMODIC ASTHMA- What is often called asthma in the dog is nothing more than a chronic form of bronchitis, very common among petted toy dogs PHTHISIS, OR CONSUMPTION. 335 or house dogs, which do not have much exercise. The symptoms and treatment are detailed uader the head of Chronic Bronchitis. There is, however, a form of true asthma, accompanied with spasms, among the same kind of dogs, the symptoms of which are much more urgent. They comprise a sudden difficulty in breath- ing, so severe that the dog manifestly gasps for breath ; stUl there is no evidence of inflammation. This malady may be known by the suddenness of the attack, inflammation being comparatively slow in its approach. The treatment consists in the administration of an emetic (45), followed by the cough bolus (46), or the draught (47). If the spasms are very severe, a full dose of laudanum and ether must be given, viz.—l drachm of laudanum, and 30 drops of the ether, in water, every three hours, until relief is afforded. The mustard embrocation (42), or the turpentine liniment (43), may be rubbed on the chest with great advantage. PHTHISIS, OR CONSUMPTION". Though very often fatal among highly-bred animals, phthisis or consumption has not been noticed by writers on dog dis- eases, neither Blain, Youatt, nor Mayhew making the slightest allusion to it. I have, however, seen so many cases of tubercular diseases in the dog, that I cannot doubt its existence as an ordinary affection. Furthermore, I know that hundreds of canines die every year from it. I have seen the tubercules in almost every stage of softening, and I have known scores of cases in which a blood-vessel has given way, producing the condition known in the human being as spitting of blood. The symptoms of consumption are, a slow insidious cough, with- out fever in the early stage, followed by emaciation, and endmg, after some months, in diarrhoea, or exhaustion from the amount of expectoration, or in the bursting of a blood-vessel. This last is generally, the termination in those dogs that are kept for use, the work to which they are subjected leading to excessive action of the heart, which is likely to burst the vessel. In the latter stages 336 INFLAMMATIONS. tliore is a good deal of constitutional fever, but the dog rarely lives long enough to show this condition, being either destroyed as incurable, or dying rapidly from loss of blood or diarrhoea. Treatment is of little avail. Though the attack may be postponed, the disease cannot be cured, and no phthisical animal should be bred from. Cod-liver oil is of just as much service as in the human subject, but, as before remarked, it can only postpone the fatal result. It is therefore not well to use it except in the case of house pets. The dose is from a teaspoon ful to a tablespoonful three times a day. GASTRITIS, OPw INFLAMMATION OF THE STOMACH. This affection is, like all others of the same kind, either acute or chronic. The former very rarely occurs except from poison, or highly improper food, which has the same effect. The symptoms are a constant and evidently painful straining to vomit, with an in- tense thirst, dry hot nose, quick breathing, and an attitude which is peculiar— the animal lying extended on the floor, with his belly in contact with the ground, and in the intervals of retching lick- ing anything cold within reach. The treatment consists in bleed- ing, if the attack is very violent, and calomel and opium pOls, of a grain each. These pills are to be given every four hours, to be fol- lowed with two drops of the diluted hydrocyanic acid, distilled in a small quantity of water. Thin gruel or arrow-root may be given occasionally in very small quantities, but until the vomiting ceases, they are of little service. If poison has clearly been swallowed, the appropriate treatment must be adopted. Chronic gastritis is only another name for one of the forms of dyspepsia, the symptoms and treatment of which are given else- where. INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER. This is one of the most common of the diseases to which sports ing dogs are liable, in consequence of exposure to cold and wet INFAMMATION OF THE LIVER. 337 It causes congestion of the liver, which runs into inflammation.. Bogs deprived of exercise likewise contract it, because their livers first becoming torpid, the bile accumulates, and then, in order to get rid of it, nature establishes an action which ends in inflamma- tion. The symptoms are a yellow condition of the whites of the eye and of the skin generally, from which the disease is commonly called " the Yellows." Acute hepatitis comes on rapidly, and with a good deal of fever generally manifesting itself on the day following a long exposure to wet and cold. The dog shivers ; his nose is hot. His breathing is more rapid than usual, and his pulse is quick and weak. The bowels are confined; and when moved, the "motions" are clay- colored or slaty. If these symptoms are not immediately attended to, the case ends fatally, sickness coming on, and the strength being rapidly exhausted. The treatment should be, first, a consid- erable abstraction of blood ; then give the bolus (13) ; and, as soon as it has acted, rub the embrocation (42) or (43) on the right side, over the liver. At the same time, give calomel and opium pills of a grain each, every four hours, taking care to keep the bowels open by the bolus (13), or by castor oil (15). As soon as the proper color returns to the motions, the calomel may be entirely or partially discontinued, small doses of rhubarb and ipecacuanha being sub- stituted. An emetic (45) in the early stages will sometimes act like a charm, unloading the liver, and at once cutting short the conges- tion. When, however, inflammation has actively set in, it is worse than useless, inasmuch as it aggravates the disease tenfold. Chronic hepatitis is caused more frequently by improper food than by exposure, and is very different in its symptoms from the acute form. Whenever the faeces are pale, dark, or slate-colored, the approach of this disease may be suspected, and appropriate treatment should be commenced forthwith ; but it is not until the liver is perceptibly enlarged, and the dog is evidently out of con- dition, that it is generally considered to be established. Then scarcely any remedies will be of much service. At this time there is frequently not only a hard enlarged state of the liver— easily felt through and below the ribs on the right side— but also a yield- 15 338 INFLAMMATIONS. ing watery enlargement of the belly, from a collection of serous fluid, which is thrown out in consequence of the pressure on the veins, as they return through the liver. The skin is " hide-bound," the hair dull and awry, and the dog looks thin and wretched. The treatment consists in the use of small doses of mercury, or podophyllin, according to the state of the liver (1) or (18) ; or some- times ipecacuanha may be given instead of the mercury, in half- grain doses. It requires a long time, however, to act, and will suffice only in very mild cases. The red iodide of mercury mixed with lard, may be rubbed into the side, one drachm to one ounce of the lard, or the embrocation (42) or (43) may be used instead. Gentle exercise may be given at the same time, and mild farinace- ous food, with a small quantity of weak broth. After a time, as the liver begins to act, shown by the yellow color of the faeces, the disease relaxes, and the mercury may be dispensed with. As a general thing, however, considerable time elapses before the stomach recovers its tone. A strong decoction of dandelion roots boiled in water and strained, may be given for this purpose, the dose being half a teacupful, administered every morning. INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS. Four varieties of inflammation of the bowels are met with, viz.: 1, acute inflammation of the peritonaeal coat ; 2, spasms of the mus- cular coat, attended with con!^estl3rpid, the diuretic bolus (40) or (41) may be relied on ; while, if they have been inflamed, the treatment proper to that disease must be resorted to. Sometimes, in a broken down constitution, when the uiine is mixed with blood, small doses of cantharides may be found beneficial, as advised by Mayhew ; but these cases are so difficult to distinguish, that it is only when veterinary aid cannot be obtained that I should advise the use of this drug. The dose is two to three drops in water twice a day; Tincture ol Cantharides, 2 drops; Spirits of Nitric Ether, 151 drops; Water, I 0£. Mix, and give as a drench twice a day. CHAPTER VI. DISEASES ARISING FROM MISMANAGEMENT OR NEGLECT. AN2EMIA..— KICKETS. — ^TNBIGESTION, POVERTY OF BLOOD. When puppies are reared in densely populated parts of cities, or even in the country where they are crowded together in large numbers, they are weakly in constitution ; their blood is pale, from being deprived of the red particles which fresh air and good food with sunlight, will alone produce. The feeding has a good deal to do with this, but not so much as other causes. The signs are clear enough, the young dog looking emaciated and delicate, and his coat staring, while his lips and tongue are of a pale pink, as if washed out. Worms are almost always present, and if so they ag- gravate the disease tenfold. Give plenty of fresh air, in the coun- tiy if possible, admitting the sun on all occasions. Administer good nourishing food, composed of the proper proportions of ani- mal and vegetable ingredients. The following mixture of quinine and steel may be used as an internal medicine : Sulphate of qui- nine ; sulphate of iron, of each 1 grain ; extract of dandelion^ 8 grains. Mix, and give three times a day. If worms are present, they must of course be got rid of. RICKETS AND ENLARGED JOINTS. By rickets is understood a soft and weak condition of the bones, m which the lime is deficient ; the gelatine comprising their frame- work having no proper support, they bend in any direction which the superincumbent weight may give them. Hence we so often 359 360 DISEASES ARISING FROM NEGLECT. see puppies which are confined to their kennels with bandy legs. This is usually the first sign of rickets. Sometimes the shins bend forward, producing what is called the "buck-shin," but whether the legs bow outwards or forwards the cause is the same. The remedy is country air, exercise, and good food ; quinine and steel pills, ordered for poverty of blood, will also prove beneficial. Enlarged joints may be merely a sign of excessive vigor in the formation of the bone. But there is to be met with a scrofulous enlargement of the joints, which is seldom got rid of. This scrofulous enlargement may occur in the knees, hocks, or stifles, but the last-named joints are usually the seats of the disease. Sometimes nature rallies and throws off this tendency to scrofula, but more frequently the joints become larger and larger, the lame- ness increases, and, in most cases nothing is left but to kill the sufferer. INDIGESTION. Among the most common consequences of improper feeding and neglect of exercise is indigestion, attended by its usual con- comitant, constipation. If moderate starvation does not soon restore the stomach, care must be taken that the liver is acting properly, the faeces being watched to see if they are of a proper color; if they are not, small doses of calomel or blue pill will be required : (1), (2), or 13). If, on the contrary, the liver acts properly, yet the stomach is out of order, recourse may be had to tlie stomachic bolus (59), or to the draught (60), which will very seldom fail, if aided by proper management. It should, however, never be forgotten that medicine is of no use, unless, at the same time, the diet is attended to, and sufficient exercise given. In cases of indigestion, it is particularly necessary to change the food every third or fourth day. CHAPTER VII. DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS REQUIRING SURGICAL AID. TUMORS. — CANCER. — ENCYSTED TUMORS. — ABSCESSES. — UNNATURAI, PAR* TUKITION. — ACCIDENTS AND OPERATIONS. TUMORS. Bronchocele, or Goitre, is very common among house pets, showing itself in a large and rather soft swelling in the front d the throat. The treatment consists in rubbing in iodine outward ly, and, if this fails, giving it internally also. The internal remedy may be according to the formula (3); but, if the expense is objected to, the sarsaparilla may be omitted. The ointment is as follows : Iodide of potassium, 1 drachm ; Lard, 1 ounce. Mix, and rub in the size of a filbert, night and morning. CANCER. Cancer is a malignant disease, that is, it is incapable of a cure by the natural powers, and must be eradicated either by the knife or by caustic. It is, however, very doubtful whether by their means the disease is checked for any length of time, and does not return after the lapse of a few months. The knife is the only remedy, and should be used only by practised hands. When, therefore, a cancer is to be removed, a veterinary surgeon should at once bo called. ENCYSTED TUMORS. Encysted tumors ve sacs or bags of various sizes, just beneath the skin, containing a thick^ glairy, and transparent fluid 3QI 16 362 DISEASES ARISING FR0:M NEGLECT. resembling the white of an egg. They are readily detected by their soft yielding feeling, and by their evident want of connection •with the surrounding parts. Nothing but the knife is of the slightest use. By cutting through them, the sac may readily be torn out, each half at a time, taking care not to leave a particle behind, as it is sure to grow again into another sac of the samo size as before. ABSCESSES. Abscesses, the result of inflammation, are very common in the dog. They show themselves in the early stage, as hard pain- ful swellings more or less deep, but gradually coming to the sur- face, when the skin reddens, and they burst in the course of time. Very often, however, the matter forms so slowly, and has such a tendency to burrow among the muscles, that, if it is let out by the knife in the early stage, it produces great exhaus- tion from the quantity formed. Matter may be detected as soon as it is thrown out, by the sensation given to the fingers of each hand called " fluctuation." That is to say, on pressing one side of the swelling with the left hand, the other side rises beneath the fingers of the right, in an elastic way, just as happens with a water- pillow, when pressure is made upon it. When, therefore, this fluctuation is clearly made out, a lancet or knife should be insert- ed, and made to cut its way out, so as to leave a considerable open- ing, which should be so arranged as to let the matter drain out at all times. This is what in surgery is called a " depending open- ing." UNNATURAL PARTURfTION. When, says Mr. Youatt, the time of parturition amves,and there is evident difficulty in producing the foetus, recourse should be had to the ergot of rye, given every hour or half-hour, according to cir- cumstances. If after a certain time, some progress, however little. l»t;ERPERAL FITS. 3G3 has been made, the ergot must be continued in smaller doses, or perhaps suspended for a while ; but, if all progress is evidently suspended, recoui-se must be had to the hook or the forceps. By gentle but continued manipulation much may be done, especially when the muzzle of the puppy can be brought into the passage. Little force as possible must be used, and the foetus be but little broken. Many a valuable animal is destroyed by the undue application of force. If the animal seems to be losing strength, a small quantity of laudanum and ether may be administered. The patience of bitches in labor is extreme, says Mr. Blaine ; and their distress, if not relieved, is most striking and affecting. Their look at such times is particularly expressive and apparently im- ploring. When the pupping is protracted, and the young ones are evidently dead, the mother may be saved, if none of the pup- pies have been broken. In process of time the different puppies may, one after anothet, be extracted ; but when violence has been used at the commencement, or almost at any part of the process, death will surely follow. PUERPERAL FITS. Nature proportions the power and resources of the mother to the wants of her offspring. In her wild undomesticated state she is able to suckle her progeny to the full time; but, in the artificial state in which we have placed her, we shorten the interval be- tween each period of parturition, we increase the number of her young ones at each birth, we diminish her natural powers of affording them nutriment, and we give her a degree of irritability which renders her whole system liable to be excited and deranged by causes that would otherwise be harmless. Fits ultimately follow. Place the sufferer in a bath, temperature 96°, and cover her with the water, her head excepted. It will be surprising to see how soon the simple application of this equable temperament will quiet down the erethism of the excited system. In ten minutes, or a quarter of an hour, she may be taken out of the bath evidently 364 DISEASES ARISING FROM NEGLECT. relieved, and then, a hasty and not very accurate drying having taken place, she is wrapped in a blanket and placed in some warm situation, a good dose of physic having been previously adminis- tered. She soon breaks out in a profuse perspiration. Everything becomes gradually quiet. She falls into a deep and long sleep, and at length awakes somewhat weak, but to a certain degree restored. If, then, all her puppies except one or two are takea from her, and her food is, for a day or two, somewhat restricted, and after that given agahi in its usual quantity and kind, she will live and do well. Bleeding at the time of her fit, or suffering all puppies to return to her, will inevitably destroy her. ACCIDENTS AND OPERATIONS. Cuts, tears, and bites, unless they are very extensive, and there- fore likely to occupy a long time in healing, are better left to themselves, the dog's tongue being the best healing remedy. But when a V-shaped flap is torn down, or a very long and straight cut or tear is accidentally made, a few stitches should be put in with a proper cui-ved needle, armed with strong thread or silk. It is only necessary to Introduce the needle in two places on ex- actly opposite sides, and then, an assistant drawing the skin to- gether, the ends are tied in a common knot, and cut off closely. When, bowiiver, this plan is adopted, a muzzle must be worn as long as the stitches are kept in, because the dog never rests satis- fied until he has licked the knots open, or in some way with his teeth and tongue has got rid of them. Wounds in the dog do not heal "by the first intention," that is, in three or four days, as in man, but fill up by what is called granulation. Of course, in long wounds, more than one stitch is required, but, as perfect union can never be effected by adhesion, the attempt to bring the edges care- fully together is a failuic; and, provided that anything like an ap- proach to this is effected, all is done which can be desired by a few Stitches at short distances. A bandage may be added afterwards ACCIDENTS AND OPERATIONS 365 and kept on for three days, after which it must be changed daily, the muzzle still being kept on. When the red granulations rise above the level of the skin called then " proud flesh " a piece of bluGstone should be rubbsd on them daily, or often enough to keep them down to the proper level. When below the level of the skin» they never require caustic of any kind. In any cuts about the legs or feet, the parts may be protected by collodion painted on rapidly with a camers-hair brush, and allowed to dry ; but a very little friction removes it. Canada balsam, spread on white leather and warmed, will keep its place well enough to bear the rubs of a course in the greyhound, and is, I believe, tlis best application. A leathern boot may be made to fit the pointer's or setter's foot, or, indeed, that of any dog which requires protec- tion, during work. Fractures may recur in any of the bones of the dog, but except- ing in the legs or ribs, little relief can be afforded by art. They are detected by the deformity which is seen in the part, an angle being presented in the interval between two joints, when occur- ring in the limb, and a crepitus or crackling being heard and felt on handling the part. When the ribs have been broken, the in- jury is easily detected by the depression which is felt, and the grating sound often produced in breathing. In this case a flannel bandage maybe bound tightly round the chest. The dog, after being bled, should be kept quiet, and fed on low diet. A horse- girth passed twice or thrice round and buckled answers the pur- pose pretty well, but is not equal to a well-applied bandage. Fractures of the limbs may be set by extending the broken ends, and then carefully applying wooden or gutta percha splints lined with two or three thicknesses of coarse flannel. Dislocations occur in the shoulder and elbow very rarely ; in the knee and toes frequently; in the hip very often ; in the stifle occasionally, and in the hock very seldom, except in connection with fracture. In all cases, they are detected by the deformity occurring in any of these joints, which is not capable of restora- tion by gentle handling, and is not accompanied by the crepitus, which marks the fracture. To reduce a dislocation, two person? 366 DISEASES ARISING Fr.OM NEGLECT. must lay firm hold of the two parts of the limb on each side of the injured joint, and then extending them strongly, the head of the bone in slight and recent cases will be felt slipping into the socket. Chloroform should be given during the operation, if the attempt is not immediately successful when made directly after the accident, inasmuch as it relaxes the muscles in a remarkable manner, and en- ables the opeiator to proceed without being opposed by the strug- gles of the dog. Dislocated toes are sometimes reduced directly after the accident occurs, but they are very apt to return to their deformed condition immediatelj^ and a small splint should be bound on at once. In dislocations of the knee, also, a bandage should be applied, so as to keep the joint slightly bent, and prevent the foot from being put to the ground. The operations likely to be practised on the dog are somewhat numerous, but the only ones fit to be attempted by any but the professed veterinarian are bleeding, the insertion of a seton, and the closing of wounds by the ligatura INDEX. Age to Breed Prom 178 Albanian Dog 50 American Dogs 31 Anatomy of tbe Dog 287 Axioms for Breeders Use 1T5 Barbet,the 153 Beagles, American * 64 " Dwarf 65 " Rabbit* 66 Bench Show, New York 367 Bitch, the Duration of Heat 182 " Management of in Season. . . 182 Whelp... 183 " Preparation for Whelping. ..184 Bloodhound, the * 55 Breaking Pointers and Setters 223 Breaking and Entering Dogs 218 Breed, Time of Year to 181 Breeding, General Principles of,. ..173 In-and-in 178 Buffalo Hunter's Camp * 281 Bulldog, the* 141 Bull Terrier* 169 Camp, How to Make a 265 Characteristics of Different Species. 24 Chesapeake Bay Dog * 124 Cuvier's Divisional Arrangement... 24 Dachshund, the* 85 '^ Character of 87 Dalmatian Dog • 91 Dandie Dinmonts, Origin of 73 Deer at a Salt-Lick* 277 Deerhound* 32 " Entering o? 218 Deer-Hunting 276 Dhole, the, of India * 28 Digestive System ot the Dog 290 Dingo of Australia * 19-27 Diseases of the Dog 309 Distemper 311 Fevers 309 Influenza 310 Rhenmaric Fever 317 Smallpox .320 Sympathetic Fever 322 Tpyb us Fever 311 Inflamraatlona ...,.828 Hydrophobia 323 of the Bowels 33S of the Ear 329 of the Eye 328 of the Kidneys & Bladder. .^41 of the Liver 336 of the Lungs 332 of the Mouth and Teeth... 330 of the Nose 331 of the Stomach 33Q of the Throat 331 Tetanus S'?9 Turnside 327 Asthma, Spasmodic 335 Diseases from Neglect 359 Indigestion qqq Rickets 359 Di.seases of the Skiu 341 Blotch ^2 Eruption on the Toes 342 Fleas, etc 345 Foul Mange ^42 Red Mange 344 Virulent Mange 343 Diseases of the Nerves 347 Chorea 347 Fits [.'343 l*'»J5y 343 Worms* 350 Diseases Requiring Surgical Aid.. .361 Abscesses sgg Accidents and Operations 364 Cancer ggi I>ropsy 357 Fits, Puerperal .363 Partnrition, Difficult S6% Phthisis 335 Tumor sSl Tiimors Encysted 363 Dog— an Article of Food 21 " Doscent from the Wolf 19 " Varieties of the 21 Dogs Used with the Gun 88 '* Domesticated 32 Drenching, Mode of . ., 30Q 3a8 INDEX. Bar;?, Cropplnsj 205 E-qiiiiiiaux D()i,'S* 135 Faults, Correction of 231 Feeding before Weaning 191 Food, Value of Articles of 201 Foxhound, The* 57 Coljrsof 62 " Entering of 221 " How to Choose a 58 Same in the Far West 283 arcyhound. Choice of a 47 Enteringof 208 ** Grecian 50 »* Irish 48 •* Italian* 52 ** Kennels for 206 •* Persian 51 ** Points of a 38 ** Russian 50 ♦* The Rough Scotch 32 •* The Smooth* 36 ** Turkish 51 Grouse, Varieties of 249 Hare Hunting 275 Hare-Indian Dog * 49 Harriers, Enteringof 221 The 03 Hounds, Kennel Management of. ..213 Feeding 215 " Foodfor 214 House Dogs, Management of 216 Kennels, Benches for* 211 "■ Elevation of. 208 *♦ for Foxhounds and Har- riers 209 •* for Greyhounds 206 ** for Pointers and Setters.. 216 •* Management of 206 ** Pavement for .- 208 '• Plan of* 207 •* Single Dogs 216 " Ventilation for* 212 Labrador Dogs 132 Lion Dog, The 155 Maltese Dog, The* 154 Mastiff, English* 146 Matins 24,48 Muscular System of the Dog 289 Nervous System of the Dog 290 Newfoundland Dog* 132 Origin of the Dog 18 Otterhound, The &l 1 Pariah, The 29 i Parturition, Healthful 184 Pastoral Dogs 125 Pills, How to Give 307 Pointers, Breaking 223 Pointer, Daisy* 2:37 Pointer, English 88 " " Portrait of* 21 " Portuguese 90 Poodle, The* 153 PugDog^,* 159 Puppies, Food of 201 " Amount of Food for 203 ** Choice of, af Ler Weaning. -^04 ** Cropping and Rounding Ears 205 »* Treatment of ...203 ** Weaning 193 Puzzle Peg, Use of* 231 C^uail Shooting 250 Quarterini; Ground, Plan of* 228 Ranging and Beating 229 Remedies, Administration of 306 Remedies against Disease 292 Alteratives 292 Anodynes 293 Antispasmodics 293 Aperients 294 Astringents 295 Blisters 2r6 Caustics ,. C9T Charges, or Plasters 298 Clysters S02, 308 Cordials 299 Diuretics 299 Embrocations 299 Emetics 300 Expectorants 300 Fever Medicines »- 301 Injections 302,308 Lotions 303 Ointments 303 Stimulants 303 Stomachics 304 Styptics 304 Tonics ...304 Vermifuges 355 Worm Mndicines 304 Remedi es. Effects of 306 Retrieve, Breaking to 243 Retriever, The Curly Coated 167 ** The Terrier Cross IW rWDBX. 3G9 Retriever, The 163 The Large Black 164 " The Wavy Coated 164 Scotch CoUey Dog* 126 Setters, Breaking 223 SetteiB 92 " Countess, Pedigree of 97 »» English* 96 '' Gordon, The* 104 •* Irish 107 *■ Lang, Pedigree of 106 ** Laverack 96 Bheep Do-, English 126 " " German 130 Shock Dog, Tlie 155 Shooting Grouse and Quail 243 Bire and Dam, influences of in Breeding 174 Skeleton of the Dog 287 Snipe Shooting 255 Spaniel Covert, Breaki n;" 245 Spaniel, Head of * 123 " Irish Water* 121 •« The Clumber* 112 ♦• The Cocker* 115 •* The English Water* 121 •* The Field* 111,155 " The Sussex* 114 ♦• TheWater* 118 spaniels, Blenhei m* 157 ** KingCharles* 15fi Spaniels, Toy* 155 Spitz Dog* 131 St. Bernard Rough, The* 148 " Smooth, The* 150 Springer, The ..112 Teeth of the Dog* 288 Terrier, Bedlington 80 " Dandie Dinmont* 72 " English* ]. 69 " Fox* 79 " Halifax, Blue Tan 162 " Scotch 71 * Terrier, Skye* 77 Terrier, Toy, The* 161 Terriers, Varieties of. 68 Terriers, Yorkshire* 81 Thibet Dog, The 151 Vermin Dogs, Breaking 246 Vermin, Prevention of 215 Water-fowl, Shooting 262 Water-fowl, Deep, Varieties of 270 Water-fowl, Shoal, Varieties 267 Watch Dogs 141 Whelps, Choice of at Birth 185 " Management of, in Nest... 187 Whelping, Choice of Place for 191 Wild Dogs 27 " " or Africa 30 " " Of India 29 Woodcock Shooting 257 Yards, Arrangement for 9ffl Illustrated, STANDARD BOOKS PUBLISHED BY ORANGE JUDD COMPANY NEW YORK CHICAGO Ashland Building People's Gas Building 315-321 Fourth Avenue 150 Michigan Avenue An^ of these hooks n>iz7 he sent h]) maiU postpaid, to an^ part of the Tvorldy on receipt of catalog price. 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Although written primarily as a text-book, it is equally useful for the prac- [tical farmer. Profusely illustrated. 5^x8 inches. 520 'pages. Cloth Net, $2.00 The Book of Wheat I By P. T. DoNDLiNGER. This book comprises a complete study of everything pertaining to wheat. It is the work of a student of economic as well as agricultural condi- tions, well fitted by the broad experience in both practical and theoretical lines to tell the whole story in a condensed form. It is designed for the farmer, the teacher, and the student as well. Illustrated. 5>^x8 inches. 370 pages. Cloth. . . . «_-.... Net, $2.00 i4> The Cereals in America By Thomas F. Hunt, M.S., D.Agri., Professor of Agron- omy, Cornell University. If you raise five acres of any kind of grain you cannot afford to be without this book. It is in every way the best book on the subject that has ever been written. It treats of the cultivation and improvement of every grain crop raised in America in a thoroughly practical and accurate manner. The subject-matter includes a comprehen- sive and succinct treatise of wheat, maize, oats, barley, rye, rice, sorghum (kafir corn) and buckwheat, as related particu- larly to American conditions. First-hand knowledge has been the policy of the author in his work, and every crop treated is presented in the light of individual study of the plant. If you have this book you have the latest and best that has been written upon the subject. Illustrated. 450 pages. 55^x8 inches. Cloth $1.75 The Forage and Fiber Crops in America By Thomas F. Hunt. This book is exactly what its title indicates. It is indispensable to the farmer, student and teacher who wishes all the latest and most important informa- tion on the subject of forage and fiber crops. Like its famous companion, "The Cereals in America," by the same author, it treats of the cultivation and improvement of every one of the forage and fiber crops. With this book in hand, you have the latest and most up-to-date information available. Illus- trated. 428 pages. 5J/I x8 inches. Cloth. .... $1.7$ The Book of Alfalfa History, Cultivation and Merits. Its Uses as a Forage and Fertilizer. The appearance of the Hon. F. D. Coburn's little book on Alfalfa a few years ago has been a profit revela- tion to thousands of farmers throughout the country, and the increasing demand for still more information on the subject has induced the author to prepare the present volume, which is by far the most authoritative, complete and valuable work on this forage crop published anywhere. It is printed on fine paper and illustrated with many full-page photographs that were taken with the especial view of their relation to the text. ('336 pages. 6^^ x 9 inches. Bound in cloth, with gold stamp- ing. It is unquestionably the handsomest agricultural refer- ence book that has ever been issued. Price, postpaid, . $2.00 Clean Milk By S. D. Belcher, M.D. In this book the author sets forth practical methods for the exclusion of bacteria from milk, and how to prevent contamination of milk from the stable to the consumer. Illustrated. 5x7 inches. 146 pages. Cloth $1.00 X5> Beai^ Culture By Glenn C. Sevey, B.S. A practical treatise on the pro duction and marketing of beans. It includes the manner ol growth, soils and fertilizers adapted, best varieties, seed selec- tion and breeding, planting, harvesting, insects and fungous pests, composition and feeding value; with a special chapter on markets by Albert W. Fulton. A practical book for the grower and student alike. Illustrated. 144 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $0.50 Celery Culture By W. R. Beattie. A practical guide for beginners and a standard reference of great interest to persons already en- gaged in celery growing. It contains many illustrations giving a clear conception of the practical side of celery culture. The work is complete in every detail, from sowing a few seeds in a window-box in the house for early plants, to the handling and marketing of celery in carload lots. Fully illustrated. 150 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $0.50 Tomato Culture By Will W. Tracy. The author has rounded up in this book the most complete account of tomato culture in all its phases that has ever been gotten together. It is no seconr^- hand work of reference, but a complete story of the practici ^ experiences of the best-posted expert on tomatoes in the world. No gardener or farmer can afford to be without the book. Whether grown for home use or commercial purposes, the reader has here suggestions and information nowhere else available. Illustrated. 150 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth. $0.50 The Potato By Samuel Fraser. This book is destined to rank as a standard work upon Potato Culture. While the practical side has been emphasized, the scientific part has not been neglected, and the information given is of value, both to the growej and to the student. Taken all in all, it is the most complete, reliable and authoritative book on the potato ever published in Amer- ica. Illustrated. 200 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth. . . $0.75 Dwarf Fruit Trees By F. A. Waugh. This interesting book describes in detail the several varieties of dwarf fruit trees, their propagation, planting, pruning, care and general management. Where there is a limited amount of ground to be devoted to orchard purposes, and where quick results are desired, this book will meet with a warm welcome. Illustrated. 112 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $0.50 (6) Cabbage, Cauliflower and Allied Vegetables By C. L. Allen. A practical treatise on the various types and varieties of cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, collards and kohl-rabi. An explanation is given of the requirements, conditions, cultivation ahd general man- agement pertaining to the entire cabbage group. After this each class is treated separately and. in detail. The chapter on seed raising is probably the most authoritative treatise on this subject ever published. Insects and fungi attacking this class of vegetables are given due attention. Illustrated. 126 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $0.50 Asparagus By F. M. Hexamer. This is the first book published in America which is exclusively devoted to the raising of aspara- gus for home use as well as for market. It is a practicp^ and reliable treatise on the saving of the seed, raising of the plants, selection and preparation of the soil, planting, cultiva- tion, manuring, cutting, bunching, packing, marketing, canning and drying, insect enemies, fungous diseases and every re- quirement to successful asparagus culture, special emphasis be- ing given to the importance of asparagus as a farm and money crop. Illustrated. 174 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth. . $0.50 The New Onion Culture By T. Grfiner. Rewritten, g'reatly enlarged and brought up to date. A new method of growing onions of largest size and yield, on less land, than can be raised by the old plan. Thousands of farmers and gardeners and many experiment stations have given it practical trials which have proved a success. A complete guide in growing onions with the great- est profit, explaining the whys and wherefores. Illustrated- 5x7 inches. 140 pages. Cloth $0.50 The New Rhubarb Culture A complete guide to dark forcing and field culture. Part I — By J. E. Morse, the well-known Michigan trucker and originator of the now famous and extremely profitable new methods of dark forcing and field culture. Part II — Com- piled by G. B. Fiske. Other methods practiced by the most experienced market gardeners, greenhouse men and experi- menters in all parts of America. IHustrated. J30 pages. .5x7 inches. Cloth. $0.50 Alfalfa By F. D. CoBURN. Its growt.., uses, and feeding value. The fact that alfalfa thrives in almost any soil; that without reseeding, it goes on yielding two, three, four, and sometimes five cuttings annually for five, ten, or perhaps lOO years; and that either green or cured it is one of the most nutritious forage plants known, makes reliable information upon its pro- duction and uses of unusual interest. Such information is given in this volume for every part of America, by the highest authority. Illustrated. 164 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth. $0.50 Ginseng, Its Cultivation, Harvesting, Marketing and Market Value By Maurice G. Kains, with a short account of its history and botany. It discusses in a practical way how to begin with either seeds or roots, soil, climate and location, preparation planting and maintenance of the beds, artificial propagation, manures, enemies, selection for market and for improvement, preparation for sale, and the profits that may be expected. This booklet is concisely written, well and profusely illus- trated, and should be in the hands of all who expect to grow this drug to supply the export trade, and to add a new and profitable industry to their farms and gardens, without inter- fering with the regular work. New edition. Revised and en- larged. Illustrated. 5x7 inches. Cloth $0.50 Landscape Gardening By F. A, Waugh^ professor of horticulture, university of Vermont. A treatise on the general principles governing outdoor art ; with sundry suggestions for their application in the commoner problems of gardening. Every paragraph fs short, terse and to the point, giving perfect clearness to the discussions at all points. In spite of the natural difficulty of presenting abstract principles the whole matter is made entirely plain even to the inexperienced reader. Illustrated. 152 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $0.50 Hedges, Windbreaks, Shelters and Live Fences By E. P. Powell. A treatise on the planting, growth and management of hedge plants for country and suburban homes. It gives accurate directions concerning hedges; how to plant and how to treat them ; and especially concerning windbreaks and shelters. It includes the whole art of making a delightful home, giving directions for nooks and balconies, for bird culture and for human comfort. Illustrated. 140 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth. . $0.50 (8) Farm Grasses of the United States of America By William Jasper Spillman. A practical treatise on the grass crop, seeding and management of meadows and pastures, description of the best varieties, the seed and its impurities, grasses for special conditions, lawns and lawn grasses, etc., etc. In preparing this volume the author's object has been to present, in connected form, the main facts con- cerning the grasses grown on American farms. Every phase of the subject is viewed from the farmer's standpoint. Illus- trated. 248 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $1.0 The Book of Corn By Herbert Myrick, assisted by A. D. Shambia, E. A Burnett, Albert W. Fulton, B. W. Snow, and other most capable specialists. A complete treatise on the culture, mar- keting and uses of maize in America and elsewhere for farmers, dealers and others. Illustrated. 372 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $1.50 The Hop — Its Culture and Care, Marketing and Manufacture By Herbert Myrick. A practical handbook on the most approved methods in growing, harvesting, curing and selling hops, and on the use and manufacture of hops. The result o£ years of research and observation, it is a volume destined to be an authority on this crop for many years to come. It takes up every detail from preparing the soil and laying out the yard, to curing and selling the crop. Every line represents the ripest judgment and experience of experts. Size, 5x8; pages, 300; illustrations, nearly 150; bound in cloth and gold; price, postpaid. $1.50 Tobacco Leaf By J. B. Killebrew and Herbert Myrick. Its Culture and Cure, Marketing and Manufacture. A practical handbook on the most approved methods in growing, harvesting, curing, packing and selling tobacco, with an account of the opera- tions in every department of tobacco manufacture. The contents of this book are based on actual experiments in field, curing barn, packing house, factory and laboratory. It is the only work of the kind in existence, and is destined to be the standard practical and scientific authority on the whole sub- ject of tobacco for many years. 506 pages and 150 original engravings. 5x7 inches. Cloth $2.00 i9) Bulbs and Tuberous-Rooted Plants By C. L. Allen. A complete treatise on the history, description, methods of propagation and full directions for the successful culture of bulbs in the garden, dwelling and greenhouse. The author of this book has for many years made bulb growing a specialty, and is a recognized authority on their cultivation and management. The cultural direc- tions are plainly stated, practical and to the point. The illustrations which embellish this work have been drawn from nature and have been engraved especially for this book. 312 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $1.50 Fumigation Methods By Willis G. Johnson. A timely up-to-date book or the practical application of the new methods for destroying insects with hydrocyanic acid gas and carbon bisulphid, the most powerful insecticides ever discovered. It is an indis- pensable book for farmers, fruit growers, nurserymer gardeners, florists, millers, grain dealers, transportation com panics, college and experiment station workers, etc. Illus- trated. 313 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth. . . , . . $1.00 Diseases of Swine By Dr. R. A. Craig, Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the Purdue University. A concise, practical and popular guide to the prevention and treatment of the diseases of swine. With the discussions on each disease are given its causes, symptoms, treatment and means of prevention. Every part of the book impresses the reader with the fact that its writer is thor- oughly and practically familiar with all the details upon which he treats. All technical and strictly scientific terms are avoided, so far as feasible, thus making the work at once available to the practical stock raiser as well as to the teacher and student. Illustrated. 5x7 inches. 190 pages. Cloth. $0.75 Spraying Crops — Why, When and How By Clarence M. Weed, D.Sc. The present fourth edition has been rewritten and set throughout to bring it thoroughly up to date, so that it embodies the latest practical information gleaned by fruit growers and experiment station workers. So much new information has come to light since the third edi- tion was published that this is practically a new book, needed by those who have utilized the earlier editions, as well as by fruit growers and farmers generally. Illustrated. 136 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $0.50 (10) Successful Fruit Culture By Samuel T. Maynard. A practical guide to the culti- vation and propagation of Fruits, written from the standpoint of the practical fruit grower who is striving to make his business profitable by growing the best fruit possible and at the least cost. It is up-to-date in every particular, and covers the entire practice of fruit culture, harvesting, storing mar- keting, forcing, best varieties, etc., etc. It deals with principles first and with the practice afterwards, as the foundation, prin- ciples of plant growth and nourishment must always remain the same, while practice will vary according to the fruit grower's immediate conditions and environments. Illustrated 265 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $1.00 Plums and Plum Culture By F. A. Waugh. a complete manual for fruit growers, nurserymen, farmers and gardeners, on all known varieties of plums and their successful management. This book marks an epoch in the horticultural literature of America. It is a complete monograph of the plums cultivated in and indigenous to North Arnerica. It will be found indispensable to the scientist seeking the most recent and authoritative informa- tion concerning this group, to the nurseryman who wishes to handle his varieties accurately and intelligently, and to the cultivator who would like to grow plums successfully. Illus- trated. 391 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $1.50 Fruit Harvesting, Storing, Marketing ^ By F. A. Waugh. A practical guide to the picking, stor- ing, shipping and marketing of fruit. The principal subjects covered are the fruit market, fruit picking, sorting and pack- ing, the fruit storage, evaporation, canning, statistics of the fruit trade, fruit package laws, commission dealers and deal- ing, cold storage, etc., etc. No progressive fruit grower can afford to be without this most valuable book. Illustrated 232 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $1.00 Systematic Pomology By F. A. Waugh, professor of horticulture and landscape gardening in the Massachusetts agricultural college, formerly of the university of Vermont. This is the first book in the English language which has ever made the attempt at a com- plete and comprehensive treatment of systematic pomology. It presents clearly and in detail the whole method by which fruits are studied. The book is suitably illustrated. 288 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $1 00 ■ ' (U) Feeding Farm Animals By Professor Thomas Shaw. This book is intended alike for the student and the farmer. The author has succeeded in giving in regular and orderly sequence, and in language sa simple that a child can understand it, the principles that govern the science and practice of feeding farm animals. Professor Shaw is certainly to be congratulated on the successful man- ner in which he has accomplished a most difficult task. His- book is unquestionably the most practical work which has ap- peared on the subject of feeding farm animals. Illustrated. 55^ X 8 inches. Upward of 500 pages. Cloth. . . . $2.00' Profitable Dairying By C. L. Peck. A practical guide to successful dairy r- Q- agement. The treatment of the entire subject is thorou .y practical, being principally a description of the methods prac- ticed by the author. A specially valuable part of this book consists of a minute description of the far-fafned model driry farm of Rev. J. D. Detrich, near Philadelphia, Pa. On Ae farm of fifteen acres, which twenty years ago could not main- tain one horse and two cows, there are now kept twenty-seven dairy cattle, in addition to two horses. All the roughage, litter, bedding, etc., necessary for these animals are grown on these fifteen acres, more than most farmers could accomplish on one hundred acres. Illustrated. 5x7 inches. 200 pages. Cloth. $0.75 Practical Dairy Bacteriology By Dr. H. W. Conn, of Wesleyan University. A complete exposition of important facts concerning the relation of bac- teria to various problems related to milk. A book for the classroom, laboratory, factory and farm. Equally useful to the teacher, student, factory man and practical dairyman.. Fully illustrated with 83 original pictures. 340 pages. Cloth. 5J^ X 8 inches $1-25 Modem Methods of Testing Milk and Mrlk Products By L. L. VanSlyke. This is a clear and concise discussion of the approved' methods of testing milk and milk products. All the questions involved in the various methods of testing milk and cream are handled with rare skill and yet in so plain a manner that they can be fully understood by all. The book should be in the hands of every dairyman, teacher or student. Illustrated. 214 pages. 5x7 inches $0.75 (12). Animal Breeding By Thomas Shaw. This book is the most complete and comprehensive work ever published on the subject of which it treats. It is the first book which has systematized the sub- ject of animal breeding. The leading laws which govern this most intricate question the author has boldly defined and authoritatively arranged. The chapters which he has written on the more involved features of the subject, as sex and the relative influence of parents, should go far toward setting at rest the wildly speculative views cherished with reference to these questions. The striking originality in the treatment of the subject is no less conspicuous than the superb order and regular sequence of thought from the beginning to the end of the book. The book is intended to meet the needs of all persons interested in the breeding and rearing of live stock. Illustrated. 405 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth. . . . $1.50 Forage Crops Other Than Grasses By Thomas Shaw. How to cultivate, harvest and use them. Indian corn, sorghum, clover, leguminous plants, crops of the brassica genus, the cereals, millet, field roots, etc. Intensely practical and reliable. Illustrated. 287 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $1.00 Soiling Crops and the Silo By Thomas Shaw. The growing and feeding of all kinds of soiling crops, conditions to which they are adapted, their plan in the rotation, etc. Not a line is repeated from the Forage Crops book. Best methods of building the silo, filling it and feeding ensilage. Illustrated. 364 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $1.50 The Study of Breeds By Thomas Shaw. Origin, history, distribution, charac- teristics, adaptability, uses, and standards of excellence of all pedigreed breeds of cattle, sheep and swine in America. The accepted text book in colleges, and the authority for farmers and breeders. Illustrated. 371 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $1.50 Clovers and How to Grow Them By Thomas Shaw. This is the first book published which treats on the growth, cultivation and treatment of clovers as applicable to all parts of the United States and Canada, and which takes up the entire subject in a systematic way and consecutive sequence. The importance of clover in the econ- omy of the farm is so great that an exhaustive work on this subject will no doubt be welcomed by students in agriculture, as well as by all who are interested in the tilling of the soil. Illustrated. 5x7 inches. 337 pages. Cloth. Net ... . $1.00 (13) Land Draining A handbook for farmers on the principles and practice o draining, by Manly Miles, giving the results of his extende* experience in laying tile drains. The directions for the layini out and the construction of tile drains will enable the farme to avoid the errors of imperfect construction, and the disap pointment that must necessarily follow. This manual fo practical farmers will also be found convenient for referenc in regard to many questions that may arise in crop growing aside from the special subjects of drainage of which it treats Illustrated. 200 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $1.0 Barn Plans and Outbuildings Two hundred and fifty-seven illustrations. A most valu able work, full of ideas, hints, suggestions, plans, etc., for th construction of barns and outbuildings, by practical writers Chapters are devoted to the economic erection and use o barns, grain barns, horse barns, cattle barns, sheep barnj cornhouses, smokehouses, icehouses, pig pens, granaries, et( There are likewise chapters on birdhouses, doghouses, toe sheds, ventilators, roofs and roofing, doors and fastening} workshops, poultry houses, manure sheds, barnyards, root pitj etc. 235 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth , $1.0 Irrigation Farming By Lute Wilcox. A handbook for the practical applica lion of water in the production of crops. A complete treatis on water supply, canal construction, reservoirs and pondi pipes fo;: irrigation purposes, flumes and their structure methods of applying water, irrigation of field crops, th garden, the orchard and vineyard, windmills and pumps appliances and contrivances. New edition, revised, enlarge- and rewritten. Profusely illustrated. Over 500 pages. 5x inches. Cloth $2.0 Forest Planting By H. Nicholas Jarchow, LL. D. A treatise on the car of woodlands and the restoration of the denuded timberland on plains and mountains. The author has fully describe those European methods which have proved to be most useft in maintaining the superb forests of the old world. This expe rience has been adapted to the different climates and trees o America, full instructions being given for forest planting o our various kinds of soil and subsoil, whether on mountai or valley. Illustrated. 250 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth. $i.S (14) This preservation facsimile was imaged and laser printed at BookLab, Inc. in compliance with copyright law. The paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper). @ Austin, Texas 1998 ,^^^mn,^ I. b-J