320 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM

youth ; and there is no doubt that with regard to the Bulldog great mortality occurs in attempting to breed from maiden bitches exceeding three years old. In almost all breeds it is the case that the first three litters are the best. It is accordingly important that a proper mating should be considered at the outset, and a prospective sire selected either through the medium of stud advertisements or by private arrangement with the owner of the desired dog. For the payment of the requisite stud fee, varying from a guinea to ten or fifteen pounds, the services of the best dogs of the particular breed can usually be secured. It is customary for the bitch to be the visitor, and it is well that her visit should extend to two or three days at the least. When possible a responsible person should accompany her.

If the stud dog is a frequenter of shows he can usually be depended upon to be in sound physical condition. No dog who is not so can be expected to win prizes. But it ought to be ascertained before hand that he is what is known as a good stock-getter. The fee is for his services, not for the result of them. Some owners of stud dogs will grant two services, and this is often desirable, especially in the case of a maiden bitch or of a stud dog that is over-wrought, as so many are. It is most important that both the mated animals should be free from worms and skin disorders. Fifty per cent. of the casualties among young puppies are due to one or other of the parents having been in an unhealthy condition when mated. A winter whelping is not advisable. It is best for puppies to be born in the spring or early summer, thus escaping the rigours of inclement weather.

During the period of gestation the breeding bitch should have ample but not violent exercise, with varied and wholesome food, including some preparation of bone meal ; and at about the third week, whether she seems to require it or not, she should be treated for worms. At about the sixtieth day she will begin to be uneasy and restless. A mild purgative should be given ; usually salad oil is enough, but if constipa

BREEDING AND WHELPING   321

tion is apparent castor oil may be necessary. On the sixtysecond day the whelps may be expected, and everything ought to be in readiness for the event.

A coarsely constituted bitch may be trusted to look after herself on these occasions ; no help is necessary, and one may come down in the morning to find her with her litter comfortably nestling at her side. But with the Toy breeds, and the breeds that have been reared in artificial conditions, difficult or protracted parturition is frequent, and human assistance ought to be at hand in case of need. The owner of a valuable Bull bitch, for example, would never think of leaving her to her own unaided devices. All undue interference, however, should be avoided, and it is absolutely necessary that the person attending her should be one with whom she is fondly familiar.

In anticipation of a possibly numerous litter, a foster-mother should be arranged for beforehand. Comfortable quarters should be prepared in a quiet part of the house or kennels, warm, and free from draughts. Clean bedding of wheaten straw should be provided, but the bitch should be allowed to make her nest in her own instinctive fashion. Let her have easy access to drinking water. She will probable refuse food for a few hours before her time, but a little concentrated nourishment, such as Brand's Essence or a drink of warm milk, should be offered to her. In further preparation for the confinement a basin of water containing antiseptic for washing in, towels, warm milk, a flask of brandy, a bottle of ergotine, and a pair of scissors are commodities which may all be required in emergency. The ergot, which must be used with extreme caution and only when the labour pains have commenced, is invaluable when parturition is protracted, and there is difficult straining without result. Its effect is to contract the womb and expel the contents. But when the puppies are expelled with ease it is superfluous. For a bitch of io lb. in weight ten drops of the extract of ergot in a teaspoonful of water should be ample, given by the mouth. The scissors are

V