| Share page |
|
Collars.
Washing dogs. |
296 What Shall We Do Now?
wooden bench for him to lie on, sheltered by a sloping roof. An earthenware trough of clean water he must always have, and most dogs will do best if they are fed twice a day : a light breakfast of biscuit or brown bread and a good dinner of scraps or dog-biscuit soaked in gravy with vegetables and plenty of rice. A rounded leather collar is best for dogs with long hair, as it does not show so much or spoil the coat, but for smooth-coated dogs a flat plain collar is best.
Dogs should not be washed very often, nor will this be necessary if they are well brushed every day. A stable dandy-brush is best for short-coated dogs, and a hard hair-brush, or one of those with metal bristles, which can be bought in most saddlers' shops, for long-coated ones.
Common yellow soap and soft thick towels should be used when your dog really needs a bath. Have a pailful of warm water, a jug to bale it up with, a piece of mild yellow soap, and a pail of cold water. Pour a little warm water over the dog, beginning with his back, shoulders, and sides, and finish with his head, rubbing the soap into a lather all over him at the same time. Be careful not to let any water into his ears, or soap into his eyes. Next rinse the soap well out of his coat with jugfuls of the warm water, beginning with the head. Then pour the cold water all over him and let him shake himself well. Rub him dry with towels and give him a run on grass. Big dogs must be washed in a yard, but you can put a little one in the tub indoors. All dogs are better for something to eat after a bath. To swimmers a plunge in a pond or river is good exercise and a tonic ; but dogs should not be thrown in.
Puppies at first need feeding five times a day. At four months old four meals will do. At twelve months they settle down into grown-up dogs, and the two meals are sufficient. Do not feed them later than six o'clock, and always give them a walk after their last meal. A few dry dog-biscuits when they go to bed will do no harm, and a large mutton or beef bone now and |
||
|
Feeding puppies. |
|||