"It is often necessary to destroy dogs that have become so crippled or injured as to make cure very doubtful; and in most litters of puppies there are some so puny or so wanting in the characteristics of the breed that they ought not to be reared. In the latter case it is most humane to destroy such as are not wanted as soon after they are born as possible; but even when a mesalliance has taken place, one at least of the puppies should be left with the dam, unless one or more foster pups of pure blood can be substituted.

For destroying young puppies there is no more convenient or less painful method than drowning; while for mature dogs a teaspoonful of Scheele's prussic acid will cause instantaneous death. In giving it, the mouth of the dog should be held open and upwards, and the acid poured well back on the tongue. The very greatest care is, however, necessary in dealing with a drug of such potency; and it would be highly dangerous to life if any of it were" spilled over a cut or wound."

The above was written I think, by F. J. Skinner, as I got it from Field and Fancy, and give it as good advise. I have used the prussic acid in cases of an old and helpless dog, that had to be put out of the way, and it worked very quickly, as its action goes direct to the heart, the pain so short, that it seems to be humane. Lately I have cloroformed several, and rather favor the chloroform route. I lay the dog down on its side, my right hand under a piece of carpet on which is some cotton in the center, and have an assistant pour on this cotton the chloroform, and I then quickly apply this to the nose of the dog, the cotton, and quickly pull the carpet around the head to neck, holding it there so no air can get in, the assistant meanwhile holding the back part and legs of dog. The dog will generally resist the fumes of the chloroform, but only for a few seconds, and in about a minute he will be dead, providing he has not gotten the carpet loose, and some air thereby.

Drowning is as painless as any death can be, especially for puppies. I get a pail, fill it partly full of water, have a pan that fits the top of the pail, put puppies in, the pan on quickly, and on top of the pan a rock or lump of coal, heavy enough to hold pan down, and then I go away.