Bread cut thin and buttered is suitable for a change and may be given occasionally to all that like it, the slices being broken into small pieces and fed from the hand.

For the heartiest meal of the day - at about six p.m. - boiled rice should be the principal constituent. Over this should be poured a little gravy, and then should be added about one-third as much finely chopped beef or mutton as there is rice, also a small quantity of vegetables, and all the ingredients be thoroughly mixed.

For a change, bread, plain crackers, "tea sops," beef or mutton broth, and scraps from the table if they are free from grease and pungent condiments, as pepper and mustard.

Of this diet, which is as well suited to other toys which have but little out-door exercise, a more extended discussion will appear in the part devoted to "Exhibiting Dogs."

It is unnecessary to consider at length the diet of short-coated toys, as Italian greyhounds, for theirs should be much the same as terriers; but being less susceptible to meat rather more of it can be allowed them - yet not nearly the quantity which would be safe for hardier breeds.

As to the quantity of food that should be given puppies at each feeding, without considering variety, no rule can be fixed other than that already laid down - little and often. And manifestly keen observation must be backed with no small amount of common sense or one will stray at this point, for he must see that his puppies keep in good "growing flesh," he must never feed so little as to leave them crying from hunger, and he must stop while yet they might eat more.

Beginners in puppy-raising should start with the conviction that the tendency of almost every inexperienced person is to overfeed; also, that the appetite of puppies cannot be considered a safe indication of the quantity of food actually required by them. Appreciating these facts they must study their charges closely, and if they do so intelligently, afterward apply judiciously what they have learned, feed always little and often, stop before there is any distention of the abdomen, and keep their puppies on their legs and moving about as much as possible, they will not be at all likely to make any grave mistakes in this part of their duty.

When thick foods are given them and their yards are flagged or concreted and frequently flushed and kept clean, puppies - no matter how young they are should be made to work for their meals by the following method :

Measure out the quantity of food which is to be allowed two puppies for that meal. Assuming it to be bread or rice and a taste of sheep's head or well-boiled tripe, throw them down just a little. After eating that they will at once hunt around for more. Let them hunt for a while, and then throw down a little more - being careful that each puppy has an equal share. Continue to do this until the supply of food is exhausted.

Now when these puppies are put into that yard again they will at once begin to go over it for food; and the more industrious they are the stronger they will be on their legs and the better they will thrive.

Before leaving puppy feeding a few general rules will be given for the guidance of novices.

Never leave in the pens or yards any other food than bones. In other words consider the duty of feeding your puppies an important one, stand over them while they are eating, determine the quantity of food that is sufficient, afterward measure out like quantity and give them that and no more.

Wash your pans as soon as you have fed.

When feeding long-coated toys tie back the long hair of the head lest it become soiled and unhealthy and break at the ends.

Use care in feeding an Irish water spaniel or poodle, for instance, lest his long and heavily coated ears get into the feeding dish and become bedabbled with food.

The first thought of the novice would be to tie or otherwise fasten the ears behind the head, but the experienced fancier - he who is familiar with the secrets of the kennel would have jars for feeding and watering that were just large enough to admit the dog's head comfortably, and the ears must then, of course, fall outside of the same and no food or water could possibly get on to them.

See to it that the scraps you feed from the table are free from pungent condiments, as pepper, mustard and vinegar or other acids. And this rule should be invariably observed with the delicate toys even after they have reached maturity.

With the common varieties of young puppies be sparing in the use of corn meal, and never give it to the toys whose blood is easily "heated up."

Keep puppies well supplied with good, wholesome drinking water, and at the earliest possible age teach them to take advantage of it.

Now to the feeding of mature dogs. With only one small dog in a fairly large family the "scraps" from the table, consisting of trimmings and pieces of stale bread softened with a little gravy, a few spoonfuls of vegetables and small bits of meat should be ample and eminently suitable for his support; but if the dog is of a large size and the family small, or there are several dogs belonging to it, this supply would scarcely meet the demand. Did it nearly do so, however, dog cakes might be used to fill the measure, and they could be depended upon for breakfasts, and given alone and unbroken or crushed and softened with milk or broth.

Here the fact intrudes that keeping one dog in the house and a dozen or more in kennels are entirely different matters. The former fed on "scraps," running around at will and enjoying a trot with first one and then another member of the family, is nearly always in good condition. But when it comes to managing a large kennel a knowledge is required that the man who only knows how to keep a dog in the city does not possess. In fact one dog in a family will literally keep himself, but with those in the kennels good judgment, constant care and precision of methods are absolutely imperative or the inmates will soon be out of condition.