The other points to be looked for have already been dealt with. See that the puppy is well supplied with bone, that his limbs are strong and sturdy, without a suspicion of rickets, and that his skull is large. In very young puppies the correctly carried rose ear is seldom or never seen. All puppies' ears are inclined to button - that is to say, to double and hang forward; the correctly carried rose ear is acquired a little later in the puppy's life, and its acquisition may be considerably helped by a little judicious moulding, the fingers and thumb being only used, without the assistance of so-called "ear appliances" or adhesive matter. A small, fine ear should be looked for in the young puppy, the finer and smaller the better; but shape and carriage cannot be expected at so early an age.

The prominence of the under jaw in young puppies is seldom noticeable; it will be enough to lift the lips, and when the jaw is closed to ascertain that the under jaw does protrude more or less. If the jaws are level, or there is an inclination to be overshot, the puppy should be discarded, though the slightest inclination to be undershot may generally be taken as an indication that a good under jaw will develop later on.

With regard to the tail, the smaller the better. It may be screwed, cranked, or straight, and should be set on as low as possible. A long-tailed Bulldog is an eye-sore, whether he be of full size or a Toy, and oftentimes a long tail detracts from the appearance and value of an otherwise good specimen.

Generally, the puppy should be thick set, with strongly boned limbs and big skull, small ears, short tail, very active and playful, and ready for his food at almost any hour of the day.

The smallest puppy in the litter that comes nearest to answering to this description is the one to choose, in preference to one that may perhaps be smaller but which is lacking in that strength and stamina which is so necessary to help him through all the ills that will beset him during the months of-his puppyhood.

Toy dogs of any breed are, naturally enough, usually treated as house pets and companions, but the man who takes up the breeding of Toy dogs as a serious occupation will find that he will do better if he accustoms his dogs to an out-door life. Dogs that are allowed the run of the house, and that are more or less pampered, irregularly fed, and coddled, are not the likely ones to breed from. Fresh air and exercise are as beneficial to Toys as to the large breeds; but at the same time protection from the most rigorous weather and biting winds should be provided. A large and airy barn or stable would be an ideal place in which to place the kennels, at any rate during the winter months, and in the large sheltered space there would be ample opportunity for the puppies to exercise themselves with play, even though easterly winds would be blowing or snow falling outside.

Fig. 130. - Mrs. Schlafekmann's Toy Bulldog Little Knot.

During the warm summer months the kennels would be well placed out of doors, faced to the south, and backed, if possible, by a wall to shield them from northerly and easterly gales. As to kennel itself, the writer some time ago designed a kennel for Toy dogs that has been well received, and which he can confidently recommend for the purpose.

The kennel referred to is of the "lean-to" type, the roof being of wood covered with tarred felt. The floor is of wood, and is designed to draw out much in the same manner as do the floors provided to bird cages. There is also a shutter hinged to the upper part of the kennel, which when let down covers in the barred or open run, and protects it during bad weather from wind or driving rain, though a large glass window should be placed in the shutter. This kennel, which measures 7ft. in length by 2ft. 6in. in width, will pass easily through almost any doorway, and may during the winter be even placed in the dwelling-house if no suitable out-building is attainable. It is manufactured by Mr. Calway, of Severn Works, Sharpness, who has placed it on the market at a moderate price.

The feeding of Toy Bulldogs need not materially differ from the diet suggested for the larger Bulldogs; less quantity is naturally required, but on no account should puppies be under fed or dosed with gin, as some disreputable breeders do in their ignorant cruelty. Diminution in size can only be attained by systematic and intelligent-breeding, and ample time must be allowed for the operation if uniformity of result is to be attained. The man of impatient temperament is not the man to breed Toy Bulldogs, unless it be possible for him to begin where some one else has left off.

Finally, the writer would urge upon the intending breeder the claims of the miniature British Bulldog, the only true Toy Bulldog, in preference to the so-called French Bulldog. Sometimes one hears "the two types" of Toy Bulldogs spoken of; there are no two types, but one only, and that is the miniature British Bulldog, of which there are too few specimens at present in existence, the most perfect in the opinion of the writer being Mrs. Schlafermann's Little Knot (Fig. 130) and Mr. Jones's Highgate Dot, though unfortunately both these dogs are a pound or so above the maximum limit weight of the Toy Bulldog Club.