At this stage the puppies require no regular exercise. A large paddock or yard with shade, a warm, dry house to sleep in, plenty of large bones to gnaw and play with, and plenty of sunshine are, however, essential.

Great Dane puppies, save under exceptional circumstances, should not make their appearance in the winter or, still worse, the autumn. February and March are the best months, as then they have the whole summer in which to grow. The writer's puppies have the run of their paddock during suitable weather night and day all through the summer, and are never shut up at all. Small kennels, small yards, hours at a time of being shut in, are the causes of most of the crooked fore legs and cow-hocks. At five or six months old the puppies may be taught to lead and go for short walks, but not much galloping exercise should be indulged in till their legs become firmer, and above all things they should not be encouraged to jump till fully twelve months old, as their enormous weight suddenly thrown on the young, unformed knee-joints causes them to bend and contract, especially if the puppy is big and heavy boned. On no account should a growing puppy be chained or fastened up; at any time it is a great mistake, as it tends to make the best-tempered one savage.

Distemper is almost certain to come after the first dog show, but with care, the use of Rackham's distemper remedies, and keeping the puppies warm by means of a rug and artificial heat if necessary, they will usually weather the disease. The temperature of the room should never fall below 6o° Fahr., and on no account should the dog be allowed outside for any purpose till his temperature is normal and the worst symptoms are over. As well as Rackham's Distemper Cure five grains of salicylate of soda twice a day will help distemper patients wonderfully, but this should not be given without the advice of a veterinary surgeon. Plenty of light nourishment should be given to keep up the strength; but beware of the danger of drenching dogs with sloppy foods given by an inexperienced person. This is often the cause of lung troubles during this disease. Brand's Essence of Beef given in the jelly is far safer. A tablespoonful put at the back of the tongue is easily swallowed, and there is not so much risk of it going the wrong way.

When preparing a Great Dane for exhibition, he should be well brushed and rubbed over half an hour each day, and if deficient in muscle, long walking exercise on the roads will put it on far more quickly than galloping or any other kind of exercise. Boiled linseed brightens the gloss of the coat and is useful to improve the look of the skin. And now a hint (which may be of use to novices, but which is probably known to experienced breeders) as to the often unknown cause of skin troubles, such as eczema, blotch, surfeit, etc. These skin diseases often arise from the grease not having been carefully removed from the gravy before using it to soak the biscuits. If the gravy is left to stand till cold, the grease can easily be removed, and the gravy warmed up again if so required.

The training of a Great Dane as a companion requires great care. He should be handled firmly, but as gently as possible. A puppy ought never to be thrashed, even under the most provoking circumstances. Its skin is very tender, and one or two cuts with a thin switchy stick are quite enough. Violent beatings will make a Great Dane grow up a cowed, slinking, cringing creature, without any of the fire and spirit that he should possess, or he will be bad-tempered, sullen, and savage, and his character quite spoilt.

Another good thing to remember is to put the collar and lead on before correcting a puppy, and not to unloose him until sufficient time has elapsed after the correction to enable you to again make friends with him.

In choosing a puppy from the litter, there is generally one or perhaps two that stand out superior to all the others. The first point to look for is depth and squareness of muzzle at the nose; next, a clean neck carried high, with no loose skin (this, in the writer's experience, never decreases, but, on the contrary, increases as the puppy grows). The skull, too, ought to look narrow between the ears in comparison with the breadth across the muzzle. Long straight legs, with plenty of bone and big knee-joints, are also points to look for in a puppy six weeks to two months old. After that the description as given by the Great Dane Club should be the guide. This description, which has recently been rewritten with the idea of helping novices, will be found below. Such vague statements as "skull not too broad," "back not too long or short," are all very well for those knowing the breed, but are quite useless for those novices desirous of selecting a good dog.