in all probability no creature on earth suffers so desperately from human ignorance as the house pet. people who keep horses, cattle or even poultry consider it necessary to know something about their wants and requirements, but the poor pet animal is the recipient of much affection and many cruelties, for it is cruel to ruin the health by injudicious feeding, and vitality and happiness by want of exercise. a wholesome, happy dog or cat is the best playfellow children can have; an entertaining companion for any member of the human race, but an ailing, unhealthy animal is a positive menace to the family.
the young dog just taken from its mother requires special care and patient training, or it will not develop into an intelligent companion. even an older dog who comes from kennels of repute will require careful guiding. of course, i refer to the general house-dog; hunting-dogs are usually broken to their special duties before being sold. but the house or pet dog must understand a multitude of things, all of which vary according to the idiosyncrasies of the family who adopt it, so it has to readjust its habits to new owners and environment.
have a kennel ready before the dog arrives. a dry-goods 208 case covered with roofing-paper will do if it has two heavy pieces of scantling nailed across the bottom, to lift it three or four inches above the ground, so that the air can circulate under it and prevent moisture from the ground making the floor damp. place it in a sheltered position, out of winter winds or the glare of a summer sun. a good straw bed every week in cold weather and a good scrubbing in warm weather are sanitary precautions which should be observed. have a strong screw-eye at one side of the kennel and a chain with a swivel snap at each end to prevent the chain getting twisted up to half its length, and for convenience when handling a strange dog.
if the dog has been crated and expressed, remember that in all probability the poor beast will be frightened, tired and cross. talk to it for a while, and manage, if possible, to get a collar on and a chain attached before opening the crate. then let mr. dog get out by himself, at his own time. walk him about for some time and let him inspect the premises in the neighbourhood of the house. naturally cleanly dogs will need the exercise, so don’t curtail it. if there are any signs of constipation, a dish of sour milk will usually correct the trouble. if, however, the journey has the reverse effect, which is very likely to be the case in summer, scald milk, pour over some stale bread which has been toasted and feed when quite cool.
when the dog has finished his inspection of the premises, fasten him to the kennel and be sure to provide a solid, heavy water-pan that cannot easily be 209 knocked over. leave him to become accustomed to his new home and to sleep off the nervous strain of the journey. should he whine or bark, don’t go near him. he is too excited and upset to be disciplined, and sympathy and petting at this point would mean a prolonged fight later.
feed him yourself and take him for a run on chain in the evening, early in the morning and at noon. decide which will be the most convenient hours and try not to change them. two or three days are usually sufficient to make the average dog accept a new master and claim the kennel as his castle, so after that time he can be allowed freedom.
if the dog is young and is to sleep out of doors, he should be chained at night, otherwise he will be apt to form the habit of wandering off in the early morning hours or moonlight nights, but no dog, young or old, should be kept perpetually chained. young dogs, especially of the terrier class, are benefited by being chained in a cool, shady spot during the middle of the day, as they are apt to rush about and be overcome by the heat, which often causes fits and terrifies the family into believing that it is a case of hydrophobia.
if the new dog is under nine months of age, feed him three times a day. bread and milk, oatmeal, hominy, or any such food which has been well boiled, allowed to cool and covered with milk, makes a suitable breakfast. lunch may be half a puppy-cake or a slice of brown bread. the main meal should consist 210 of boiled meat, onions and rice, mixed with some cooked green vegetable.
after the ninth month two meals a day are sufficient. be as careful not to overfeed as not to underfeed. a dog should be ready for each meal, but never ravenously hungry. don’t give milk which has not been scalded or potatoes in any form, if you wish to keep the puppy free from worms. sour milk once or twice a week is beneficial, but must not be given oftener. twice a week a bone with some meat on it is needed. some people think that raw meat is bad for dogs, but a limited quantity of fresh lean meat is really necessary for growing dogs, and being on the bone necessitates a lot of gnawing, which is good for the teeth and encourages the flow of saliva which aids digestion.
if you should have a mother-dog with puppies, give her a large sleeping place; dry and comfortably warm in winter, dry and cool in summer. puppies should be taught to drink as soon as possible after they are six weeks old. condensed milk saves the trouble of scalding cow’s milk. whichever is used should be given warm; never hot or cold. the puppies will learn to eat more quickly if the mother is taken away for about an hour before offering food. gradually increase the length of her absence until she spends only the nights with her babies, and weaning will be accomplished without any trouble.
to prevent worms, the one great trouble which attacks all dogs, give the mother a dose of worm medicine 211 three or four weeks before the babies are expected, and give the babies very small doses when they are three weeks old, six weeks old and nine weeks old. after that time i depend on sour milk, and an occasional dose of castor-oil.
house-breaking should be attended to as soon as the puppies commence to run about. never leave a puppy alone in a room, for one mistake prompts others. be watchful, and the moment a puppy begins to fidget or to run about, put it outside or in a box containing sawdust. patience and perseverance are necessary at first, but in two or three weeks the lesson will be perfectly learned, especially if the hours of taking the dogs out are strictly adhered to.
old dogs, whose education in this respect has been neglected, can be taught tidy habits if fed at regular hours, the last meal not later than three o’clock in the afternoon, the evening exercise being postponed till about eight, after which they should be fastened to the box or basket which acts as their bed by a chain not more than two feet long. release early in the morning and take out at once. they will soon understand the discipline of enforced hours, for the close proximity of their bed calls natural instinct to their assistance. the habit once formed, it will prevail when allowed to sleep in any part of the house.
bathing dogs of any kind or size i don’t believe in very much, for it robs the skin of the natural oil which is required to feed the hair and keep it in condition. brushing, however, is quite necessary, especially 212 in the summer, when fleas may be about, and it is well to begin early in the season to rub some good insect-powder into the hair, then after about half an hour brush it out thoroughly.
delicate small dogs with long hair can have a mixture of cocoanut and sweet almond-oil rubbed into the hair once a week and brushed out again.
if any accident makes washing unavoidable, stand the dog in a small tub half filled with warm water, rub white soap on a flesh-brush, and brush from the center of the back with straight strokes to the end of the hair on each side. take the front paws in your left hand, letting the dog stand on his hind legs, and brush from the neck down to clean the under part of the body. the head should come last. wash the ears first, being careful not to let water run into them. hold the nose up and wash the top of the head and sides of the face, so that the water runs backward and not into the eyes. last of all wash the muzzle, being very careful about soap. rinse in two clear waters, then wrap the body in a warm towel while you wipe the face and the inside of the ears.
when about half dry let him down for a shake, but be careful he does not escape under a piece of furniture and roll, as he will probably try to do. brush until quite dry, rubbing a little oil onto the bristles, at the end of the dressing.
treat your dog at all ages with kindly consideration. be patiently and considerately firm, remembering that you must rule through affection and respect. 213 don’t hector or worry all the time. be your dog’s playfellow as well as master, and he will soon become an intelligent and faithful protector.
cats can be kept in a city home with less trouble than dogs, because they haven’t got to be taken out to exercise, a duty which can’t be shirked with mr. dog. cats are needed in suburban or country houses at least as much as dogs. the master of the house can usually guard against the rarely met burglar, but no human vigilance is adroit enough to fight four-legged pantry thieves, and a farm must have a good-sized tribe of felines to prevent loss in the barn, poultry house and corn-crib.
well-bred cats are just as good hunters as common ones, so it is wise for the self-supporting home to keep aristocratic cats for the house, as there is no occasion to do violence to your feelings when kittens arrive, because they can always be sold at fairly good prices.
in the outbuilding we keep maltese and very large blacks. we have so many requests for the maltese and blacks that even the plebeian mothers are allowed to keep one or two kits of every litter, for having children to provide for is a great spur to mrs. cat’s hunting proclivities.
considering the service cats perform for humanity by keeping in check the numerous varieties of rodents which abound in cities no less than in country places, they should be the most highly prized and cared-for small animals we have instead of the most abused. 214
there seems to be a prevailing but erroneous idea that cats are neither affectionate nor companionable. treat a cat as you would an intelligent dog and she will compare so favorably that mr. dog will have to be extremely gifted to retain his superiority.
the outside cats should have plenty of fresh milk night and morning when the cows are milked, not only as food, but to counteract the injurious effect of the number of mice they eat. new milk is rich in cream fats, and acts as an antidote to the poison contained in the gall of the mice. twice a week we give them a feed of raw meat, on the bone if we can get enough bones, for even the rat-catchers must be well fed, or they lack the vitality to hunt.
having plenty of exercise, and being able to find grass and herbs for themselves, barn-cats are usually normal, healthy creatures, and need little dieting or doctoring from their owners, but they should always have a good, warm place to sleep in.
the city house-cat leads such a semi-artificial life that she needs more care. milk which has stood several hours and been skimmed is not an especially good food. it should be scalded and allowed to cool before it is given to kittens.
people rarely think to provide water for cats, yet they really prefer it to milk, and drink a surprising quantity when a dish of it is kept in one regular place. potatoes should be as rigidly tabooed in the kittens’ diet as in the puppies’. accustom a cat to eat cereal or bread and milk in the morning. 215
our house-cats always have a little strip of fat bacon when it has been cut for breakfast, and i am sure that the fat and salt are useful worm preventives. at noon they have liver or beef which has been stewed with onions and any green vegetable which we may have; for supper a saucer of milk.
it is very easy to teach a kitten to be cleanly if you exercise vigilance at first and provide a shallow box or pan half filled with ashes or sawdust. one thing which must be understood by the city housekeeper whose pet has to depend entirely upon the box is that it must be emptied regularly, at least once a day, and, if necessary, twice. neglect it and the animal’s instinct of cleanliness is offended, and it will select some place for itself, thereby falling into untidy habits.
