THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3005, 18 October 1911, Page 35

THE KENNEL.

By Tehbob.

Fanciers and breeders of" dogs are cordially invited to contribute to this column. " Terror " will endeavour to make this department as interesting and up-to-date as possible, but in order to do this he must have the > co-operation of his readers, hence he trusts this invitation will be cheerfully responded to. The feeding of puppies is, of course, a most important matter, and, as a rule, if the mother is healthy they grow well and rapidly from the start. So far all that js necessary is to see that the mother herself is properly fed, and should the puppies appear not to be thriving, or should their thriving stop without any apparent cause, it is certain that something is wrong with the- mother's milk. Either it is insufficient or the eomiposition of it is wrong, or elsei the puppies may be —and this is very likely —suffering from worms. In any case, diet the mother carefully and give the puppies a little cod liver oil or Parrish's food, which latter often has a good effect in checkinig worms. In no case give the puppy a strong vormifuige, but try some mild vermifuge. There is a great deaf of mortality amongst puppies of all breeds which is due to diarrhoea, or to dysentery, which is simply an aggravated form of diarrhoea. The causes of this are several, a.nd perhaps i,j the majority of cases the presence of worms is reponsibl© for it. When that is so, of course the proper course of treatment is to give a vermifuge and get rid of these pests. We need not enter further upon that, for it is a subject which has been very frequently dealt with in this column. There are, however, other causes, and most common of all'is the giving of sour- or unwholesome fcod. Soft or semi-liquid foods will very quickly become sour, and care should be taken that no such food is allowed to reinain from one feeding time to another. Only prepare as much as is required, for one meal at a time, and if any remains, get rid of it before it sets up fermentation or becomes unwholesome. It must be borne in mind that young puppies

when they ore weaned are very liable to disturbance of the digestive organs, because hitherto they have been subsisting meanly upon milk, and when you begin to' give them solid food, of course Nature is called upon to perform a, different digestive task. (Jare, therefore, should be taken that puppies are weaned very gradually, for it is useless to expect a puppy to survive a. sudden change of food from an entire milk diiet on to an entire diet of patent foods. The first result of indigestion in a puppy will be an attack of diarrhoea. Should this come on, pay attention at once to the food, returning to a. milk or milk and barley water diet for a day or two, first giving the puppy a good dose of castor oil to clear and soothe the intestines. It is very important that puppies should not be handled too much during the earlier weeks of their lives. The effect of doing so may be to interfere seriously with the formation, of their bones, besides which it will spoil the temper of the mother, . -and, in so doing, will interfere more or less seriously with her supply of milk—ailtl. so in two ways it, will interfere with the puppies, directly by reason of the liability of their soft developing- bones to be bent and; otherwise injured bv rough handling, and indirectly by spoiling the mother's mill? supply through interfering- with her nerves. As a rule, the bitch -exhibits a high degree of anxiety for her puppies, and to such an extent do some bitches carry their anxiety that it results in serious debility, which, of course, is aggravated by any interference with the puppies, more especially on the part of strangers, and in most cases it is very important to guai-d against anything that will interfere with the normal condition of the bitch. It is vea-y important that she should ' have exercise regularly, and in order that this may benefit her to. the fullest extent, of course she must be taken awav from the puppies, and although at first she will exhibit a good deal of reluctance; to leave them, yet if she be taken regularly for a short walk, she will soon become accustomed to it, and it will contribute largely to the maintenance of her own health and condition. Avoid, therefore, too much interference with the puppies, and see. that the mother has a suitable amount of exercise.

THE MANAGEMENT OF YOSNG PUPPIES. The puppies, having been brought into the world, remain blind for eight or mine days, the eyes of some of them opening earlier than those of others, but in all cases the process is a gradual one. It may also be observed at this point that the noses are, in the lirst instance, pink or flesh-coloured, becoming .gradually spotted and often inofc entirely black, or dark, as the case may be, until their possessors are nine or ten months old, or even more. This is a peculiarity of the canine race which often concerns inexperienced breeders very much, and causes them to writ© foaptie appeals to editors of papers, of whom they desire to know if the puppies are-.purebred or not. Whilst upon the subject of change of colour in puppies, it may likewise be stated that ;the coats of many varieties alter in later life. " For ic&tance, such breeds as Dandie Dinmonts and Yorkshire terrieojs are whelped blaek-and-tan, whilst Dalmatians are born white; but the change comes in due course, and therefore there is no cause for agitation on the part of owners. • ••• Returning, however, to the question of the early management of puppies, it can conscientiously; be written that the less they tare interfered ■ with, assuming!, of course, that the bitch is. a~ good mother and her supply of milk is sufficient, the better. Of course, at the same time, circumstances may arise which render it necessary that they should be handled; for instance, there may l>e a dead or a weakly puppy, or perhaps there are more' in the litter than the bitch can provide for, and then the family has- to be disturbed. Under all nonmal conditions, however, the dam is fully capable of attending-perfectly well to her offspring, and consequently she may be left alone. All' visits, especially from interested strangers, should, be disallowed. When they reach the age Of about a fortnight the puppies will be .usually found to bo willing to be taught to feed a little on their own account; and the- lesson may be conveyed to them by means of a fauccr in which a little finely-crushed biscuit thoroughly steeped and softened in gravy is placed. Very often a good deal of patience has to be exercised at first, but it can usually be overcome by patience, and by giving them a little of the mixture at the end of one's finger at first, for they soon find out w'hat the saucer is there for when they get to like its contents. ■ At first ..only a very little of this f cod. should be given the puppies, but the quantity may bs gradually increased as they get older, thouali on no condition should their food be. allowed to remain beside them too long, as it is apt to become sour or soiled, and therefore unwholesome. Besides this, some bitches are unable to resist the temptation of stealing their puppies' fare, and so the young ones do not get their share, whilst ail the time the owner is under the impression that they are doing very well. Some people rise a great deal of cow's milk in their kennels, but thisf is a form' cf feed upon the value of which opinions differ very much, and if given it should he diluted by water —about three parts milk to two, not more, of water —and have a little sugar added. When at the ago of two weeks, provided that they are a fairly healthy lot, those puppies belonging to breeds the tails of which it is the fashion to dock are old enough to be operated upon. Th.o- way to proceed is to draw back the skin of the tail from the end in the direction of the body of the pun, and to feel for a joint at the part selected, which, ought to be at about one-third of the way down the tail, measuring from the body. Then the remaining two-thirds may be easily and painlessly removed by a sharp pair of scissors, cutting where the joint is, and the puppy can be returned to its mother, wlho will attend to it. When thev are six weeks old nicst puppies are fit to be weaned, though some require to be on the dam for a little longer time. The sooner, however, that they cam he taken away the better it is for the' bitch, whose strength and constitution are severely tried by the exactions of a litter of healthy puppies, especially after their teeth beein to show. The process of weaning, however, should be a very gradual one. as the bitch ought to bo removed at first for one hour a day, then for two or three, and so on, until the final separation is: effected. Meanwhile the puppies should be encouraged to attend to feeding themselves more and depending upon their mother less. Their food may

be more solid, and' in the case of some breeds a little minced-up meat may to added; in fact, everything possible should be done to keep them in good condition and contented. —Foster Mothers. —

At this, point a digression may be made in order that a few words may do said ou the subject of foster mothers, whose services arc occasionally indispensable when puppios are being reared. At the same lime, it must be admitted that there are not many experienced ' breeders who like foster mothers, as their use involves a great deal of trouble and much anxiety. In the first place, a healthy bitch, suitable in size and temper, has to be procured, which, under the most favourable conditions, is not always an easy matter, but this initial difficulty is immeasurably increased by the fact that it is absolutely essential' that she whelps at the same time as the other does, or within a day or so. Having succeeded in getting hold of such an animal, and reconciling her to her new home, the owner is on tenterhooks until ho sees her taking kindly to her adopted family and ceasing to lament the loss of her own. In fact, the removal of the foster mother"s puppies and the substitution of those belonging to another bitch is very ticklish and anxiouswork when it has to be faced. The best way to proceed is to entice, the foster mother away from her puppies in the night —it is always best not to use any approach to force if it is possible to avoid it —and to; effect the change as swiftly and silently as„you can. Unfortunately, neither lot of .puppies is likely to assist by keeping silence, but the suspicions of the fostermother may in some degree be allayed if the bodies of the newcomers arc smeared with a little of her own milk, and some of the soil or damp that is in her nest, so that they may smell as like her own puppies as possible. Then, as she cannot see the fosters until daylight, she may take to them more readily than she would otherwise have done; but there are always possibilities of troubles, and so the less the dog breeder has to do with foster mothers the better. .- • , •

Sometimes, too, the other bitch has a say in the matter, as she may object very strongly to being deprived of some of her offspring, and may vent her displeasure on those that are left her. Happily, this is not often the case, but it does occur, and therefore the more expeditiously the whole business is conducted the' greater the chances of success; so if the services of a competent assistant can be procured, the owner is acting wisely if he avails himself of them.

—The Care of Puppies after Weaning. — It usually happens that all the puppies lose flesh when they are finally separated from their dam; but, they soon pick up again if properly fed and looked after. At first they should have food every three hours or so from as early as possible in the morning—and therefore their attendant should be- an early riser—until night, for, as explained above, it is not advisable that what is given them to eat should be allowed to stand about the kennel. Little and often should be * the • maxim, and all care must be taken that the puppies', food is fresh and sweet., After a' week the intervals between meals may be reduced, until at length only three -a day are provided. Noi\ should, it be forgotten that the youngsters must bo taught to lap water, as sometimes they do not seem to sec it in the drinking-vessels until they know what it is.

Great Care must be paid to the cleanliness of the puppies', bed and surroundings, else they will, not only -cease to thrive,, but will -be-much more liable to contract distemper at an early age, when their constitutions are too weak to c&Ssdbat the disease. It is imperatively necessary that they are kept warm, and dry. but a run in the yard on a fine day, provided no other dogs are about, will benefit them greatly, for fresh air .and sunshine are good for all living things, and particularly young ones., Very often the stomachs of the puppies swell out, not after meals only, but at other times, and feel hard to the touch. This is probably due to the presence of worms, the extirpation of which must be effected by the biving of: mild purgatives only.

FOX TERRIER, CLUB. A meeting of the South Island Fox Terrier Club was held on the 10th inst., Mr J. W. Thomson presiding.' Letters were received from Sir George Clifford* • Sir Joseph Ward, and Sir George M'Lean accepting re-e.!ec£ion as patrons, also from the Canterbury Kennel Club and Southland Kennel Club thanking the club for donating trophies for competition at their respective shows. Mr C. A. Hulton, representing the South Island Bulldog Club,, placed before the committee particulars of a parade or private -show to be held on November 18, and in which it was desired- that the Fox Terrier Club should co-operate. It was resolved that the request bo acceded to, and that the Cocker Spaniel Club be. asked to in the movement. A sub-committee was appointed to make arrangements, and Mr Conn, Mr Thomson, and Mr Hutton each promised trophies for competition amongst the novices. ' The secretary was instructed to circulame breeders and fanciers with a view to ascertaining what support, in ■ the way of entries, could bo looked for in the event of an Australian judge being obtained for next year's Fanciers' Club Show. A FAMOUS SHEEP DOG. Dear Terror, —The enclosed lines by Will H. Ogilvie," taken from the Scotsman, will be of interest to many of your readers who are interested in sheep dogs. Kep was without question the greatest dog of his day, and his owner is one of the bestknown and most popular judges of Border shoep dogs. Will Ogilvie is well known and much liked by all colonial readers of his verses. He is a native of the beautiful little town of Kelso, on the Tweed, and judging from some of his recently-written verses, is justly proud of being a son of the historic Borderland. —I am, etc., James Lilico. Lochiel, October 14, 1911. TO A CHAMPION DEAIK (" Old Kep,' the Famous Shoop Dog.) The light is dimmed in your loyal eyes. Your swift white feet in the grass are still; No more, old champion, wary and-wise, Shall you gather your sheep u.pon Tromeyhilj! No more shall you -scatter the morning, (lew As you make your cast with the rising'sun, But the shepherd world will remember you As long as a dog on the hill shall run!

For those" who have seen you .stoop and fly Like arrow loosed from an archer's hand Hold your sheep with that master eye, Crouch end creep at the least command—'Those who have watched you " drive anc " pen." " Shed " and " wear," on a stubborn three— Have seen what never on earth again . . The Lover of dogs may. be spared to siee!

The short, sharp word of command shall pass When the sheep in the show-ring turn and break, But no white breast shall' gleam in the grass As, alert, your answering turn yo'u take. Trophy and cup in the-cottage stand,, Triumphs you won o'er the sheep world'? bestBait what shall they solace that lonely hand. Champion Kep, that your tongue caressed?

Over your grave when the hill winds blow, Kep, eld Kep, will you hear the cheeTs, The ringing plaudits you learned to know In those glorious full-lived champion years ? Over your grave as the night-dews fall Will they bring you a' memory kind and. true, Of the master who loved yen better than all, And faced the world with his pride of ycu? —Will H. Ogilvie.