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Illustration: MISS MURRAY'S BLACK PUGS. _Frontispiece_
A MANUAL OF TOY DOGS HOW TO BREED, REAR, AND FEED THEM
LONDON EDWARD ARNOLD 41 & 48, MADDOX STREET, BOND STREET, W. 1919
This little book, in its earlier editions, met with so uniformly kind and gracious a reception, that I am encouraged to hope it may still make new friends on this, its third appearance. It has given me the greatest pleasure to hear from correspondents in many countries that they have found it as helpful as I hoped a manual drawn entirely from actual personal experience might prove to be.
In the years which have elapsed since I first wrote upon dogs, there has been a wonderful advance in veterinary science and practice. Operative surgery under anæsthetics has become nearly as confident in relieving our pets as in abating our own miseries. Much disease, however, is still present among dogs for which there is no warrant in Nature, and which might be entirely conquered in the course of a few generations, could the prejudice against natural and rational diet be completely abandoned. To persuade dog-owners to give meat-feeding a trial--one honest experiment has never in my experience failed to convince the most sceptical--has been my constant endeavour, and I cannot let the "Toy Dog Manual" go forth on another journey without once more laying emphasis on the fact that the really successful dog-owner's secret is a very simple one, spelt in the four letters--MEAT. I have to thank numerous kind friends for help in providing the illustrations, nearly all pictures of actual present-day winning dogs, and examples not only of beauty and show points, but of perfect health. I am also greatly indebted to _The Illustrated Kennel News_ for the loan of blocks and for other kind courtesies, as also to _The Ladies' Field_, a paper devoted in its kennel columns to the best interest of dogs.
EXHIBITING AND PREPARING FOR EXHIBITION 23
CLUB STANDARDS, DESCRIPTIONS AND POINTS OF VARIOUS TOY BREEDS 80
Perhaps the question which is most frequently asked anent toy dogs is whether the keeping them as a pleasure and hobby can be combined with profit by means of breeding them and selling the puppies. To such a query it is very hard to give a definite reply, for this reason--whether or not toy dog breeding can be made profitable depends, firstly, on the character of the enterpriser, and, secondly, on that inscrutable factor--Fate. Some of us devote ourselves to our dogs, take endless trouble for them, and spend money on them freely, with the poorest possible return; others, while not making nearly so much fuss about their pets, manage to turn out healthy litters at regular intervals, and sell them at remunerative prices. All that can be done is to put before the novice "how _not_ to do it," and leave to each individually the chances called luck, for which their star is answerable. Taking one year with another, and presupposing patience, perseverance, affection for the dogs, and some business-like qualities in the aspirant, I am of opinion that toy dogs can be made to pay their expenses, and leave a margin of profit; this in the case of non-exhibitors. Where exhibiting is contemplated, the luck element is still more to the front, and a degree of experience, both local and general, is essential to success. If success, however, in winning prizes is once attained, the sales of puppies become much more assured, and higher prices are naturally obtainable.