This is a very important matter, and the greatest precautions must be taken and care exercised unless you are so heartless as to not care how much cruelty and hardship the dog endures, especially on a trip of over twelve hours unless properly crated, watered and fed, and a day and night trip is just so much harder. If it is a grown dog, an adult, food for twenty-four hours they can do without, and no harm, but in case of a young puppy, it must have food at least twice a day even if only for a day or night trip. This you can arrange for by sending food in a bag tied onto the box and a large, prominent request on box, "Please Feed Morning and Night - Food in Bag." If an adult dog, and trip is a day and night only, then drop a big bone or two in box for it to gnaw on, or a few dog cakes. Fasten tin pan or cup inside in one corner, up a few inches from floor for water and a big request on box, "Please Water Often," especially if in hot weather. Now, as to longer trips than twenty-four hours, extra attention must be given. My plan is as follows: I first go to my express agent, have him look up best time to start dog for best trip and as to connections. Then if trip is to be two days or longer, I get him to write on ahead at least twenty-four hours to the agents at any stations where dog has a "lay over" of an hour or longer, asking this agent to there take out the dog on chain to attend to nature's calls, also to feed and water. I find no difficulty in getting such favors shown by asking my agent, and you can no doubt do the same from your agent, whom you probably know or he knows you. To have dog taken out you must have a door so they can do as requested. By arranging this way, your dog is reasonably assured of some comfort added to his long and hard trip. The greatest danger of these long trips are from inflammation of the kidneys or bowels, due to not emptying, and this almost always the result if a dog "holds in" for over twenty-four hours, which is even too long for safety. Now as to the box, which must be made right. If dog is to go in fall or winter, or any season subject to quick changes, unless you have a good, regular dog crate. Several now made for dogs. (See LeGalle Bros', adv. in this book), then make your box the height of the dog at his shoulder, as long as his body and head and just wide enough so he can turn around by bending his body, and he will be comfortable, as a box too large is just as bad. Make it open on the sides and top for air, but have the lower half of each side and end tightly closed so that the dog when lying down is not exposed to draught, as they are often kept outside in a depot open at ends, on a truck, and thus right in a draught, and having come from a warm car, the natural result would be a cold or perhaps pneumonia. I always have request sent on ahead, on a winter trip, to "please keep inside where warm at any lay overs," and this you can have done also.

Give him plenty of straw in his box if in winter. Make box on top like the roof of a house so that there is no danger of his being smothered as he could be perhaps if box was square, by express messenger putting him in a corner and another box or trunk on the top and sides of his box, thus depriving him of air. Make box so there is no danger of this happening. Fasten by nailing inside box, in one corner, a tin cup or pan, about right distance up, then spend a nickel for aother tin cup and fasten this one on the outside of his box by a string or wire, so that there is no excuse for the express messenger not doing what all shippers pay express companies double rates for doing - caring for dogs en route. Express cars seldom have any water in them (the messenger himself when thirsty going back to the next coach for his drink), and this tin cup tied on outside and a written request tacked on box, "Please water often," leaves it easy for him to bring the dog a drink, the facilities being handy. Did you ever notice how often in traveling in hot weather you will visit the water cooler? Never Start a Dog on a Full Stomach; the motion of the car would very likely make him sick and cause him to throw up what he had eaten, soiling his box and himself as well.

The night you are to ship dog give him a fair meal that afternoon, and an hour before he is to leave take him out for a walk of a half dozen blocks or more, and he will be sure to attend to nature's calls. If you start dog on a morning train, get up early enough that morning to attend to this before he leaves. Then offer him a drink before he starts and thus he leaves with an empty stomach and will have a much more comfortable trip than if he started after having had a full meal. Many house-broken dogs will "hold in" and will not do anything in their traveling box, which will cause inflammation of the bowels or kidneys. Better for the dog if it did break the rule for this time. Puppies of course are not so systematic and generally get through better if suitably crated.

Now make a prominent sign like this and tack it on top of box:

An "Open Letter" From A Dog

Mr. Messenger - My name is .......... I am on a hard, long trip, and can only get through with your assistance and kind care, for which I will thank you in my way. I will not bite you! Confinement in this box is bad enough - but I do need a drink and a bite to eat.

Some express messengers are, I am sorry to say, afraid of dogs, but by furnishing them the name of dog, when they speak to him he - the dog - will think he has found a friend, probably wag his tail and give an assurance by his looks to the messenger that he is all right, and thus secure better care and some kind words from the messenger and add to the dog's comfort on the trip.

Always crate a dog, never ship him on chain for several good reasons. Crating is safer, cleaner, and more comfortable for the dog. On chain he takes too many chances. He may slip his collar and jump out of the car door, or in a crowded car a trunk or box might fall on and injure him, and besides, the express company's charge for any dog on chain is not less than a hundred pounds, even if it was only a twenty-pound dog.

Always notify by previous mail or by wire the party who is to get the dog, so that he may know when to look for him and meet the dog at depot, thus shortening his trip a bit and avoiding the delay caused by the dog being taken first to city express office, laying there awhile and then drove around to the house he is directed to.

Don't ship a 3x1 dog in a 3x1 crate. You like to stretch yourself sometimes. Neither should you ship it in a box far too large. A dog in such a box will often receive a nasty knock in being handled none too gently by the messenger; if you do, besides, you or the other fellow will have to pay useless express charges.