When the general health of a dog is impaired the fact is registered in his skin and hair, they losing in corresponding degree their natural softness and elasticity and smoothness and lustre. And as the complexion is cleared and brightened by exercise, so are the dog's skin and jacket improved by the same means. But while hygienic and dietetic influences act upon both man and the dog in precisely the same way, outwardly the salutary effect is much less quickly apparent in the latter, and he may have been ill and long since recovered and yet his coat be still quite dry and staring. And it may be all this even in the presence of continuous good health if cleanliness has not been maintained by grooming.

But even if a dog is well and has been faithfully cared for in this direction there is always work to be done on his coat before he can be shown at his best; and as the details of this are not generally well understood, a discussion of them can scarcely be without profit to the average reader.

The amount and character of the work to be put in on the coat of course depend upon the breed and the existing conditions. For instance, the standard for beagle hounds calls for a coarse, not a fine, coat; and obviously were one of these dogs treated to the methods required by setters a defect would be intensified if not actually created. Again, the coats of some kinds of terriers must be hard and wiry, and efforts to make them soft and pliant would simply detract from the merits of these dogs. On the -other hand, the coat of the Maltese must be as soft and silky as possible; that of the Yorkshire bright and flossy; while the toy spaniels must have coats that are soft and fine. Manifestly were a German poodle, whose coat is corded, treated to the same method of brushing and combing that these toys demand his identity could scarcely be retained.

Going a little farther in this direction it is noted that when the Clumber spaniel's coat is in good condition it is straight and silky, while the coat of the Irish water spaniel is in short, crisp curls. The greyhound's coat must be smooth and glossy; and very evidently one would have a hard time of it were he to try to bring the rough, shaggy coat of the deerhound to this condition.

But it is unnecessary to go farther in this direction, for the tyro has simply to determine what the standard for dogs of the same breed as his calls for and then adjust his work of conditioning the coat accordingly.

If a dog is kept right - that is, properly fed, given ample exercise and groomed regularly - his coat ought to be in fair condition always, and the work of bringing it to its best should be comparatively easy and not require more than three or four weeks, perhaps. If, however, it should be fine, smooth and glossy yet is coarse, dry and staring, then several months might be required to get it back. But whatever its condition the essential treatment should be begun as early as possible, - and preferably always with the training - for unless under the standard the coat of the dog should be coarse instead of fine there is always room for improvement no matter how high its polish.

The duty of removing all fleas and other vermin and thoroughly cleaning the skin and hair should first engage the owner; and assuming that his dog is other than a delicate toy, it will be advisable to employ some of the powerful insect destroyers - see chapter "Troublesome Insects" - and afterward wash faithfully, using soap as freely as required.

This done, if the skin is very dry, rough and inelastic and the hair staring, harsh and brittle, and the date of the show is near, it will be a good plan to use cod-liver oil externally for a few days. Having been drenched with this, the dog should be swathed with cotton cloth, if he will allow it to remain on, or covered with a thin blanket, and put into clean quarters supplied with an abundance of clean straw for bedding. And during the next four or five days this oil should be applied about once daily - being used always in generous quantity - and finally washed off.

If now the skin is still dry another such drenching should follow and be kept up nearly as long as before. And a dog must be in a rank condition if this treatment will not cause a very decided gain. The oil, by the way, not only softens the skin and hair and improves nutrition at the surface, but to some extent it is absorbed and has much the same effect as when given internally.

After the washing it would be well for the subject of this treatment to wear a blanket for a week or more. One would not of course ordinarily blanket a long-coated dog, but it would be advisable when the coat is badly off and very rough and staring, for it would keep the hair down, and a moderate degree of heat being conducive to fine hair, the extra warmth would have a tendency to make the coat fine and glossy. On the other hand, were a collie, for instance, soft in coat it would not do to blanket him, but on the contrary it would be well to make him give up his kennel quarters for a time and rough it.

Now comes the grooming, which must be done faithfully at least once, or better twice, every day; and the longer the time the owner devotes to it the greater his dog's chances of winning.

The hair once straightened out, - exceeding care and gentleness being used in the operation - unless the coat is naturally rough, shaggy or curly the comb should be laid aside, to be resorted to only when absolutely required. And it is not safe to use it often on a long-coated dog like a collie, because the teeth are liable to get down to the undercoat; and many a dog of this breed has had his coat ruined for the show season by carelessness or ignorance on the part of the kennel-man. Nor is the use of the comb often necessary with the common varieties of dogs, other than those with coats like the deerhound, where a good brushing is given every day.