les of a finer quality. These will form the
diet, when the dog can be brought to accept them; and to rice, the
favorite--however great may be the pity he elicits, or however urgent may
be his solicitations for a more liberal fare--must be rigidly confined.
If, after a few trials, the dog stubbornly refuses such provender, meat
must of necessity be given, but it should be of the very best description,
and rather underdone. Of this kind, it ought to be minced, and mixed with
so much rice or ship biscuit as the animal can at first be made to eat
with it; the rice or biscuit may then be gradually increased; and in the
end the vegetable substance will constitute, at all events, the major part
of the support. Water, constantly changed--a circumstance too little
attended to where dogs are concerned--must be the only drink; the bed must
be warm and dry, but airy. Cleanliness cannot be carried to too nice an
extent; here the most fastidious attention is not out of place. Let the
kennel be daily cleared, and the bed regularly changed at least
thrice-a-week; straw or hay is better for the dog to sleep upon than
cushions or blankets, which, being more expensive, are not so frequently
replaced. Too much hay or straw cannot be allowed, but, on the other hand,
it is difficult to regulate the quantity of the finer articles. In the
last kind of bed the animal is often almost smothered, or else he scrapes
them into a lump, and lies shivering on the top; whereas, when he has
straw to lie upon, he can either creep beneath it, and shelter himself
when sensible of cold, or expose himself to the air when oppressed by the
fever. The sensations being the only guide, it is best to leave the dog,
as much as possible, capable of obeying its instinct; but always let the
bed be ample, as during the night the shivering generally prevails, and
the cold fit is entirely independent of the heat to be felt at the skin,
or the temperature of the season. Let the dog be kept away from the fire,
for, if permitted, it will creep to the hearth, and may be injured by the
falling cinders, when the burn will not perhaps readily heal. A cold or
rather cool place is to be selected--one protected from wet, free from
damp, and not exposed to wind or draughts. The kennel, if properly
constructed, is the better house, for dogs do best in the open air; the
only objection to which is, the chance it offers of the animal being
drenched with rain. If the kennel can be placed un