I took care never to give the dog a chance of
mastery, but while ensuring my victory, I was careful that the conquest
caused no sense of pain. A few pats, with a kind word, and an occasional
reward in the shape of a bit of meat, induced the creature more willingly
to submit when the next dose came round.

A small dog should be taken into the lap, the person who is to give the
physic being seated. If the animal has learned to fight with its claws, an
assistant must kneel at the side of the chair and tightly hold them when
the dog has been cast upon its back. The left hand is then made to grasp
the skull, the thumb and fore finger being pressed against the cheeks so
as to force them between the posterior molar teeth. A firm hold of the
head will thus be gained, and the jaws are prevented from being closed by
the pain which every effort to shut the mouth produces. No time should be
lost, but the pill ought to be dropped as far as possible into the mouth,
and with the finger of the right hand it ought to be pushed the entire
length down the throat. This will not inconvenience the dog. The
epiglottis is of such a size that the finger does not excite a desire to
vomit; and the pharynx and oesophagus are so lax that the passage presents
no obstruction.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

When the finger is withdrawn, the jaws ought to be clapped together, and
the attention of the creature diverted. The tongue being protruded to lick
the nose and lips will certify that the substance has been swallowed, and
after a caress or two the dog may be released. Large brutes, however, are
not thus easily mastered. Creatures of this description must be cheated,
and they fortunately are not so naturally suspicious as those of the
smaller kind. For months I have thus deceived a huge, ferocious, but noble
guardian of a yard, who appeared incapable of conceiving that deception
was being practised. The dog bolts its food, and, unless the piece be of
unusual size, it is rarely masticated. The more tempting the morsel, the
more eagerly is it gorged; and a bit of juicy or fat meat, cut so as to
contain and cover the pill, ensures its being swallowed. Medicine,
however, which in this manner is to be administered, ought to be perfectly
devoid of smell, or for a certainty the trick will be discovered. Indeed,
there are but few drugs possessed of odour which can be long used in dog
practice, and even those that are endowed with much taste cannot be