1. From the male parent is mainly derived the external structure, configuration, and outward characteristics; also the locomotive system or development.

2. From the female parent is derived the internal structure, the vital organs, and, in more proportion than the male, the constitution, temper, and habits.

3. That the purer the race of the parent the more certainty there is of its transmitting its qualities to the offspring. The parent of the purer descent will have the greater influence.

4. That apart from certain disturbing influences the male, if of pure descent and descended from a stock of uniform colour, will stamp his colour upon his offspring.

Fix these views upon your mind, and you will see how it is that frequently the best puppies are bred from a bitch that in herself is far from being up to show form, but it is also well to bear in mind that the dam must have a good pedigree at the back of her.

What must one look for, then, in an ideal brood bitch? Primarily I should satisfy myself that her pedigree contained the factors upon which I wished to work. Then she must be of sound constitution, with plenty of bone and substance, and withal roomy. If you have an eye for a dog or an animal of any sort you will quickly be able to decide upon the class of bitch for which you are looking. There is something about her that fills the eye, but which is not easy to set down upon paper. Do not breed from immature matrons or from those that are fallen into the sere and yellow leaf. A bitch should be at her best from sixteen months to four years, but you may reasonably hope to go on using her until she is nearly seven. I have bred from them at an older period than that, but as a rule the puppies will be fewer and smaller. If you have any urgent reason for breeding from an old bitch, then you must use a young and vigorous dog.

The selection of a sire is far from being an easy matter. You must look at his ancestry closely, in conjunction with that of the dam, and do not be misled into sending to the most prominent champion simply because everybody else is running after him. After you have studied the question for some time you have the conclusion forced upon you that some dogs are far more prepotent than others; that is to say, they have a greater power of impressing their image upon their progeny, and by looking closely at their pedigrees you will probably find that they have been considerably inbred, or that their ancestors for some generations back came from the same kennel. The older and purer the pedigree the more likely is any individual to reproduce the family characteristics. If you see any owner putting down a lot of dogs of varying types and characteristics, you may assume at once that he is bringing imperfect knowledge and intelligence to bear upon his operations. Therefore you are safer in using a sire that comes from a kennel in which uniformity of type is noticeable, provided, of course, that the stamp is a desirable one. To sum up, let both sire and dam be as good as you can get them, but do not anticipate failure if it is not your fortune to secure possession of a champion bitch. Above all, avoid any glaring faults in either parent, as their elimination may be a source of much worry, especially if the dog and bitch are in any way nearly related. One other word of advice: do not be too impatient if your early efforts do not realise your expectations. A good strain does not grow with the rapidity of a certain American gourd, which springs up so quickly that the man who plants the seed has to run away lest the tendrils should entwine his legs. And because you are unsuccessful at the outset do not begin to cry out that the type is all wrong, and endeavour to have it changed to suit your own debased coinage. This is an unsportsmanlike attitude, which meets with emphatic condemnation.

Unless you have a large room that can be heated it is better to arrange for your puppies to arrive in this world of trouble during the spring or early summer, but as this subject is dealt with in another chapter I need not enlarge upon it here. Never breed from a bitch every time she comes in use, or you will weaken her and produce weakly puppies. At the very least you should let her miss once in three. It is impossible to guarantee that a bitch will prove in whelp even if she has been properly served, but you can do your best to obtain the desired result by taking care that she is in good hard condition when sent to the dog. A fat bitch is far less likely to prove fruitful than one on the light side. During the period of gestation, too, obesity is most undesirable, and when a matron shows a tendency to put on flesh it is wise to increase the supply of meat in the daily dietary, and reduce farinaceous stuffs. For the first five weeks she should have her usual quantity of exercise, and after this she should have plenty of walking but no rushing about. If heavy bone is desirable in the whelps a plentiful supply of meat to the dam is indicated, and a teaspoonful of precipitated phosphate of lime is to be advised once a day in the food.

Sixty-three days is the normal period of gestation, but it is as well to be prepared for eventualities at any time after the sixtieth day. If a large litter is expected a foster-mother must be on the premises, and I have known it necessary to have a couple. Six puppies are sufficient for any dam to suckle. The date of whelping of the foster should synchronise as nearly as possible with that of the mother, as she is more likely to take to the puppies. Much diplomacy is sometimes needed to ensure that the foster shall adopt the little strangers. Remove her from her own and mix up with them the purebred ones that she is expected to nurse, and when she returns to them see that all are started suckling together. She will need careful watching for some hours.

In a normally healthy bitch whelping should present little difficulty, and it is best to leave matters to nature. In the case of the bigger breeds the puppies should be removed soon after they appear, to obviate the danger of the dam lying upon them, but one may be left with her if she shows any inclination to fret. Occasionally a wrongful presentation may occur, in which case the mother will need assistance. Under such circumstances the help of a vet or experienced man is desirable, as the novice may do a good deal of mischief. Should labour be prolonged, liquid nourishment will be acceptable to the patient, and if signs of exhaustion appear, a raw egg with a little brandy may be given.

Occasionally, especially in the case of old bitches, practically no labour pains are present. A slow walk or even a drive in a cab will often bring about the desired result, and some veterinary surgeons recommend the application of ice to the abdomen. If these fail, skilled assistance is necessary. When whelping is apparently over, the dam should be carefully examined for the purpose of ascertaining if a puppy remains behind, as a dead foetus, if not removed, may set up blood-poisoning. After parturition the bowels will probably be relaxed, and it is desirable they should be so unless actual diarrhoea develops. In the latter event five to ten grains of carbonate of bismuth may be shaken dry on the tongue thrice daily.

During labour the bitch should be interfered with as little as possible, and only attended by those to whom she is attached, the presence of strangers being most distasteful. She should be humoured in every way, and made to feel as comfortable as possible. When labour is ended she should be sponged with tepid water and a mild disinfectant, and the soiled bed replaced with new.

For the first few days a sloppy diet is desirable, in case any fever should be present, and to encourage the secretion of milk. Oatmeal gruel, milk, and bread-and-milk will do. Subsequently the diet must be of a generous nature, as it is obviously unreasonable to expect the nursing mother to stand an abnormal strain on her system and do her puppies well unless she has good food and plenty of it. Milk given in large quantities is not to be recommended, as it is apt to cause acidity, although the addition of half a cupful of lime-water to each pint will act as a wholesome corrective. Broth, from which all traces of fat have been carefully removed, may be given with advantage, thickened with stale bread or rice. Most mothers lie close for the first few days, but it is necessary that they should be removed from their puppies for a short period several times a day.

Now a word as to the puppies, upon which so many hopes are centred. Little nourishment is required for the first few hours after birth, and it usually suffices if they are put on to the dam when she has finished whelping. If strong and vigorous they will start sucking at once, but you will find, as a rule, that one or two require some assistance and encouragement, and you must keep an eye on them for some days to ensure that they are not being starved. It is a good practice to test the quality of the milk with a piece of blue litmus paper. If there is any acidity the paper will be turned red, and in such a case the milk should be thoroughly drawn off, the youngsters being fed artificially temporarily. This may be the means of saving puppies that would otherwise waste away and die. If they feel flabby to the touch, and are continually crying, you may suspect the mother's milk, or that the temperature of the kennel is too low. Half a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda, dissolved in a small quantity of water, may be given to the dam as an antacid, this dose being for medium-sized dogs. Naturally, the same precautions should be taken in the case of the foster-mother, although it is a strange thing that the puppies frequently do better on her than on their own mother. Occasionally it happens that the puppies decline to pull at some of the forward teats, which will become hard and swollen unless attention is promptly given. These should be kneaded and the milk drawn off by hand, or trouble will ensue. If the puppies should die, the mother will be caused much distress unless the milk is drawn off several times a day, and means taken to dry it. Obviously dry food is indicated, and the patient should have her udders rubbed with camphorated oil, and have a dose of castor oil.