Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-04-14
IN A DOG NURSERY.
4 QUEER But THRIVING eUsi
NESS IN CHICAGO.
How CANNES are Cared for While
Their Owners Go Shopping.
Treatment for the H.. Baths and
1AAAiAasA

Day nurseries for dogs are recent
innovations. They were wholly UNI
known until fashion prescribed pugs
and poodles for street companions
and parlor ornamentation. Over a
dingy basement door on Wabash ave-
nue. near Hubbard Court there Is the
single word Dogs" It Is L. F.
Whitman's dog nursery. Every
pleasant morning carriages drive
down the avenue and stop at the
door. From each an elegantly dressed
lady alights with dog in her arms.
Sometimes IL Is dressed in the height
Of fashion, with blue-and-gold
blanket and bells, and sometimes IL
wears only silver collar. The lady
trips down the steps and deposits her
pet in one of the little wire cages
which occupy one side OF the room.
Mrs. Whitman locks It in and prom
iseN four or five times that It will be
we'll treated. When the lady has bid
the poodle an affectionate farewell
she goes on downtown to do her
shopping. No checks are given out,
because Mrs. Whitman has such a
remarkable memory for dogs faces
that she can tell instantly II she has
evei seen it before or known its
owner. The wrinkles in a pug's nose
are 90 her as much q distinguishing
feature as Is the color Of eyes in men
or women.
When the lady drives back Mrs.
Whitman has FidO all ready to bark
his mistress n glad salutation and
sniff In her pockets for the chocolates
which she has almost certainly
bought for her pet. There are many
women who could as we'll leave Fido
ut home, but they dislike being sep
arated from him so long, or else they
fear that he will get into draught
and catch cold, so they bring him
down to the day nursery, whore he Is
certain of good care.
Big dogs are also brought to the
nursery every day, many by young
sporting men, and on busy day the
little room presents a lively appear.
ance. There arc big dogs. little
dogs and medium.sized dogs, black
dogs and yellow dogs and dogs Of no
particular color. They are all we'll
bred animals, and each one Of them
insists on making 1t known by an ex-
hibitiOn OF his best vocal efforts.
Every one OF the little wire cages oc-
cupied by the ladies' dogs is neatly
lined with brussels carpet and fitted
up to suit the tastes of the most fas.
tidious of the canine species. Tho
big dogs have comfortable quarters
under the window. The walls of the
room are covered with pictures OF ia
nous dogs, and there is q magnifi-
Gently mounted St. Bernard in ono
window. Dog medicines and dog
foods occuy the shelves on one side,
and collars, blankets and the medals
OF many bygonc exhibition are
strewn everywhere. 1t is veritable
dog paradise.
Mr.. Whitman Is n dog physician.
He does nothing but treat canine dis.
eases. and he is well paid for 1t, too.
Dogs IRE brought to him with almost
every conceivable disease, and he has
his little bottle OF medicine for every
one. He says that dogs have to DO
treated Just like men, only good
deal better. Indigestion and grip
are the most prevalent troubles. A
lady brought her pug to the nursery
yesterday. His head Topped discon.
solately to one side, and tho lady's
eyes were full of tears. She thought
Fido would die. Mr.. Whitman was
not slow in diagnosing the case.
100 much pie" he said.
The lady went away. and when she
returns ut the end Of week Fido will
have been dietcd and tonicked until
he Is rs gay as ever.
Then there are hives, mango and
all sorts Of fever. Mr.. Whitman lays
his two fingers on the dogs nose and
loolrs ut its eyes and tells promptly
Whist the matter Is. He says he has
trcnted dogs for nearly every human
ailiacnt but corns.
Whey ought to be doctorcd," The
says, "just as much as men, because
they can't tell us how they are suf-
fering. A dog knows rs much Us q
good many men, anyway. ! think
they'd all be talking before now II
they wern't afraid they'd be put to
work."
The nursery is also a hair-cutting
and manicuring establishment, and
Mrs. Whitman has complete dog
bath house In the rear OF the nursery.
The ladies' pugs don't run around
much, and their claws grow SO long
that they scratch themselves, and
Mrs. Whitman has to trim and polish
them of. 1t Is neat job and res
quires no little skill. Tho poodlos
are clipped as regularly rs man gets
his hair cut. The dog Is set up on a
high stool, which serves as barber
chair, and his shaggy hair is trimmed
away. He usually enjoys it first
rate. After the job is finished he Is
treated to genuine shampoo and he
comes out feeling like new dog.
Some ladies have their poodles treated
to bath every week, and it costs ex-
actly the same as bath for man.
Most Of the dogs object seriously to
being soaped and scrubbed of, and
1t sometimes makes a lively fracas in
the bathrooms. Mrs. Whitman
sometimes gives n Turkish bath, but
she says she doesn't believe much in
1t. She thinks the effect is enorvat-
ing.
One of the commonest and most
ludicrously pitiful sights at the nurs,
cry Is Il dog with the toothachc. Usu,
ally one eye is swelled to perpetual
J wink, and the little fellow howls dis,
mally with the pain. The doctor gets