The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-13
The Kennel

Ir the management of the kennel, be it small or large, cleanliness and strict ob- servance of hygienic laws are as neces- sary as good, wholesome food and plenty of exercise. The dog comes under the heading of social creature, and is very sensitive to his surroundings, and great care should be taken to preserve his health and prevent outbreaks of disease. Of paramount importance in the treat ment and prevention of disease is good ventilation, cleanliness, sunlight and pure
 air The beds should be kept clean and well disinfected to destroy germs of dis ease and keep down odors associated with the dog. Clean up the houses and yards every morning, stirring up bedding, scat tering dsinfectant over any damp places and on the sides of the sleeping quarters. liquid disinfectant is most convenient to use, as whisk broom can be dipped into a pan and easily distributed about. The inspectors of the bureau of animal industry of the United States department of agriculture have recommended as ef- fectual One and one-half pounds of limo and one-fourth pound of 100 per cent car- bolic acid dissolved in a gallon of water to be freely sprinkled about the floors, walls and woodwork.
 In cold weather it will not be necessary to pay attention to the yards other than to keep them clean, but in summer it is
 advisable to sprinkle them down with the disinfeCtant solution or scatter lime about. In unheated kennels during cold weather liquid disinfectants do not dry IS rapidly as is desired, and under such conditions some dry disinfectant powders should be used. At least once a month in winter and once week in warmer weather the kennel should be given thorough going over All old bedding, dust and dirt should be carefully swept up and burned. After this all the doors and windows should be closed and formaldehyde scat tered about, or sulphur burned in pan on a small kerosene stove. After an hour or so the keennel or sleeping box should be aired well before the dogs are allowed to occupy same. Then comes new bedding, and your pets are living under scientific conditions.
 The warmest cleanest and most com- fortable bedding for dogs is oat straw. It does not break or mat together and is more elastic than wheat straw. Hay is unsuitable for bedding. It mats easily ane contains so many seeds that there is always danger of some of them entering the dogs eyes, ears or nose and setting up dangerous irritations. In dry weather, clean, dry leaves make an excellent bed. Long, clean pine shavings are also high ly satisfactory, as fieas do not like the smell of pine and their properties in this respect can be further intensified by sprinkling them with some coal tar or
 pine tar preparation. Some breeders, to drive away f1eas, mix moth balls or to-
 bacco scraps with the bedding. Another practice is to lay strip of tar paper lunder the bedding, as the smell ofythe tar is objectionable to all vermin. In warm weather most dogs prefer to sleep on the floor. as it is the coolest place they can find.
 l Pet dogs which are kept in the house are generally given a soft cushion to lie on; if this be covered with a removable linen cover so that it can be easily changed and frequently washed there is no objection to it's use. 'S