The brush - of bristles from an inch and one-quarter to an inch and one-half in length for long-coated dogs, or a dandy brush for the smooth-coated - should be used for at least half an hour every morning. This should be followed by hair gloves, and these be kept busy for about the same length of time. Then should come the rubbing with the bare hands, - the one means of all for putting on a high polish - and this also should be persisted in for half an hour, and even an hour if possible.

All this must be done at least once a day in order to put the coat of a fine-haired dog in prime condition; and if he is to enter good company his owner would do well to have all these operations repeated again toward evening. And were they kept up day after day for several weeks, and proper diet and sufficient exercise given in the mean time, did the decision rest solely on condition of coat, the dog to which this treatment had been faithfully administered would be a sure winner over all others that had been denied it.

Doubtless some who contemplate showing will say that it would be utterly impossible for them to observe these directions and devote so much time to their dogs. But the writer cannot follow them, for there is no compromise treatment. They can be assured that under righteous judges a dog of average merit with a coat in poor condition will always be beaten by a poorer dog whose coat is in grand condition. Also, that in order that a dog whose coat according to the standard should be glossy may appear at his best, with all his chances of winning, he must be brushed and rubbed with the gloves and bare hands; and if his hair is fine and enough of this is done, when he enters the ring it should have the gloss of satin or highly polished ivory.

The hand rubbing - of which there cannot be too much during the last three weeks - should be kept up until the last washing before the show; and after that clean chamois leather or a towel should be used, for one cannot keep his hands perfectly clean at a show, and soiled hands would be sure to soil the coat.

With all dogs whose muscles should stand out like those of an athlete, or in other words all which ought to have "bossy" muscle, - as bull-dogs, bull terriers and greyhounds, - in rubbing with the hands the thighs should be rubbed both ways, and at the same time the muscles should be firmly grasped, kneaded and rolled for the purpose of stimulating, enlarging and hardening them. This rubbing up and down and massage ruffles the hair, and of course the same must be brushed and hand rubbed its way until the coat is right.

There must not be any mistake in this matter. The thighs of dogs only like those stated should be rubbed both ways, while all others should be brushed and rubbed always the one way - with, not against, the hair.

Special precautions against fleas should be taken in the kennels of dogs that are being put right for shows, for these dogs must not be washed any oftener than absolutely necessary for cleanliness. And it is well to add that excepting when they get badly soiled in their runs it will scarcely be required more than two or three times during the entire period of training or conditioning if they are faithfully groomed every day. Nor will it be advisable after the first thorough work of extermination to use any of the powerful flea destroyers in the form of liquids or soaps which contain much carbolic acid, alcohol or strong alkalies, for these might prove prejudicial to the skin and hair.

In fact it will be well to rely if possible on insect powder, and this ought to prove effective with good grooming, which alone renders fleas very uncomfortable and leads them to seek other victims that are less well cared for.

But the dog's quarters and bedding should be scrupulously clean always, and the former frequently treated to the most powerful destroyers, the liquids being chosen if the weather is such that speedy drying will follow their use, while insect powder must be depended upon under other conditions; and this should be blown into all cracks and crannies every two or three days.

Clean, coarse straw will be the best for bedding, and before it is put in it will be well to sprinkle freely over it the liquid extract of flea powder or infusion of quassia; after which it should be thoroughly dried.

As for washing, that must be done very carefully, and if soaps are used they should be above suspicion, it being accepted that the purest and best are none too good in this instance. But soaps should seldom be used with dogs that have very thin skins, as the Italian greyhound, and others whose jackets are becoming highly polished under the grooming and rubbing. Nor will they often be required on any dog that is groomed as faithfully and frequently as he ought to be, the fact being fixed that the more of this treatment he gets the less washing he needs.

With dogs that have thin skins, if their hair is short and they are naturally cleanly in their habits, rubbing with a damp cloth or sponge and afterward with a dry flannel will ordinarily suffice.

Some breeders of dogs whose jackets are silken and brilliant use raw eggs, instead of soap, in washing. They would answer the purpose with an Italian greyhound, a toy black-and-tan or a Maltese, but for obvious reasons they would not be adapted to general use, and excepting in extremely rare cases could not rightly be held superior to a soap of good quality. However, for those who care to use them here are the directions: -

Break as many eggs as required - according to the size of the dog - in a hand basin, and beat sufficiently to mix whites and yolks. Then add warm water in relative proportion of one pint to four eggs. Work this through the coat to the skin; and after the dog is well lathered have some one pour tepid water over him while you continue to shampoo until every trace of the eggs has been washed out, keeping in mind the fact that the rinsing must be thorough, otherwise the hair will be left in a very sticky state.