Certainly into this case the question of diet did not enter, for meat had been its principal ingredient from puppy-hood, her owner being strongly prejudiced against all other foods, and it is reasonable to assume that love or fear lead her to do as she did.

In evidence that other passions than these may possibly cause bitches to eat puppies the writer records an instance that occurred in his kennels. A bitch had a litter of eleven puppies, six of which were taken from her and destroyed. One week later another of the same breed whelped and subsequently lost all but one of her puppies, largely in consequence of neglect on the part of the kennelman, who failed to detect that she had but little milk. The facts of the case being discovered the survivor was put to the breasts of the first; and she resented what she evidently considered an imposition by eating the intruder as soon as he was left alone with her, notwithstanding he was then three days old. And although she afterwards had four litters during the time she remained in the kennels this is the only instance in which she was guilty of such an act.

When bitches have been fed generously on meat during gestation the chances are many against their eating their puppies; but still, all will bear watching during the first twelve hours at least, and then those that have never exhibited the tendency with previous litters can be considered quite safe from it. But a bitch once guilty should be held in suspicion until the second day.

It is well to add that many breeders are strong in the belief that once this habit is indulged it will persist and the victim of it be ever afterward worthless for breeding purposes. This, however, is a mere notion, for the tendency can be overcome by a meat diet and careful watching, and if one litter is saved the subsequent litter will generally escape, the habit having been cured by the break.

Surveillance over the mother during the first hours after whelping should be as quietly enforced as possible, otherwise it must be irksome and perhaps disturb her greatly; and instead of remaining in the quarters the attendant will do well to make seemingly a casual visit occasionally, or have a peep-hole through which without being seen or heard he can observe how affairs are going on within. And when visiting her he must not break in upon her suddenly, but as he nears her quarters he should walk slowly, call her by name, indulge in some kindly expression, and so prepare her for his coming.

When a bitch has been alone during her whelping it is especially important that this course be pursued on the first visits whether her nature is amiable or otherwise, for at such times good dispositions are singularly liable to be perverted. It should be the rule, also, with all when they approach a mother to devote their entire attention to her at first, and not appear to notice her little ones until after her natural distrust has been dispelled and she is assured that she is of most importance. And when she has allowed the visitor to fondle her she will not object to his handling her puppies a bit if he is manifestly very careful in doing so.

But the mother should not be interfered with nor her puppies handled excepting when it is absolutely necessary; and above all from their birth and until the little ones are on their feet, and the novelty of the mother has entirely worn off, all others than the members of the family to whom she is most deeply attached should be excluded; and visits from them even should be "few and far between " during the first week.

As for strangers or mere acquaintances who may happen to wish to see the recent arrivals, they should be impressed with the fact that bitches usually inoffensive and amiability itself are sometimes intensely ugly when with puppies; consequently a visit by them might result disastrously.

While a bitch is whelping there should always be at hand a vessel of cool, fresh water, and from this she will take a few swallows almost every time she gets up.

If her labor is tedious and prolonged she must be given nourishment, and being but little if at all inclined to eat, milk will be the most acceptable and best at this time.

During the first twenty-four hours after whelping a little nourishment should be given every four or five hours, and it should be of milk, every alternate feeding being thickened with bread crusts or well-boiled rice. Or if milk does not seem agreeable, broths can be substituted and the same foods used for thickening.

For the second day, three meals will be quite sufficient. And as early as this it is very generally safe to begin the use of solid foods, notwithstanding the popular notion that soups should be wholly relied upon in the first and largely during the second week. As a matter of fact, as generally prepared such products of meat are very rich, and if frequently given they disturb digestion and loosen the bowels. And these effects are singularly liable to be passed on to the puppies, through the milk, and they in consequence made to suffer from diarrhoea, which in them is usually attended with colic. Manifestly, therefore, these foods must be given cautiously; and rarely are they allowable oftener than once daily; while if the intestinal discharges are liquid they should be withheld entirely.

Milk may properly be the basis of the breakfasts, and it will be ample support if fortified by bread crusts, crackers, or dog cakes that have been crushed, soaked in cold water and then boiled for a time.

As some breeders give their bitches very large quantities of milk while on puppies, with the idea that it "makes milk," it is necessary to introduce a word of caution here and remind the reader that this food in very considerable quantities will often cause " acid stomach;" and this digestive trouble in a nursing mother is quite likely to render her breast milk highly acid. Consequently, only moderate quantities of milk should be allowed at any one time, and it is advisable to add lime water to it, in the proportions of from one-half to two-thirds of a teacupful to every pint.

Unless the discharges show that they are contra-indicated, broths can constitute the midday meals, provided they are thickened with bread, well-cooked rice, barley or other light starchy food, and at least one-fourth of the whole is meat.

Another word of caution here. Beef trimmings and bones are very generally used for making soups or broths, and these, as a rule, contain much fat, which when cooked is somewhat of a tax upon the digestive organs of even sound dogs, and much too great a burden for bitches that have recently whelped. Moreover, this fat might cause excessive acidity of the breast milk. Consequently, in all instances the soups or broths should be allowed to stand until cold and then treated to a faithful skimming.

The last feed of the day should be practically a solid one, and consist of finely chopped beef or mutton in the proportion of one-half; while the other half should be made up of, say, one-third vegetables, one-third bread and one-third well-boiled rice or oatmeal.

As broth is required to soften the starches it is necessary to cook the most of the meat, yet about twice a week a goodly proportion of this food may be in the raw state. For instance, instead of all being cooked, half of the meat given for supper can be raw; but it must be finely minced, and with the two kinds should be mixed vegetables and starchy foods in the same proportion as when all the meat allowed is cooked.

Meat is often withheld from members of the human family while they are liable to acute inflammations, as-immediately after surgical operations, severe traumatic injuries, parturition, etc., and this fact has led some to assume that it should be given only sparingly, if at all, to bitches in the puerperal state, for fear of adding to the liability of fever. But analogical reasoning in this instance is clearly unsound, and it is a fixed fact that when a dog is weakened by disease, accident or other cause, as long as his stomach can digest it no other food will give him such solid support as meat, or as quickly restore the vitality he has lost. Nor is there any other food which he can digest with greater ease at such times. Beyond this, puerperal fever is extremely rare among bitches, and scarcely ever occurs except in consequence of a dead puppy being retained in utero, severe mechanical injury or exposure to intense cold.

All nursing mothers should be at liberty to go and come as they please, unless, of course, they are wanting in solicitude for the puppies. But they rarely are so, and in fact the majority must be urged to take gentle exercise at least during the first week. And such being the case, after her puppies are two or three days old the mother should be taken out and walked about near the house every morning and afternoon when the weather is mild and the ground dry. These outings should be made as enjoyable as possible that she may not be uneasy about her little ones; and after the first week should she still apply herself too closely the amount of exercise should be gradually increased from day to day.

A word further in regard to the after-birth, which, as already stated, is eaten by the mothers. Nature prompts them to dispose of it in this way; but she seemingly ignores the changes in condition wrought by domestication. It is easy to understand why the untamed mother should have had this propensity, for in gratifying it she provided herself with nourishment sufficient to sustain her until the immediate effect of her painful experiences had passed off and she had recovered strength and was again able to hunt for food. But with ample nourishment at hand the tendency in question seems a perversion of the appetite, and it is safe to say that it can properly be obstructed if one cares to interfere. To the writer this method of disposing of the after-birth is most repugnant; therefore his rule has been to have it burned, and no ill effects have been noted in the mothers. But upon this point he fully realizes that he may be a victim of sentiment, hence refrains from advising.