§6.20Τῶν δὲ κυνῶν ἔστι μὲν γένη πλείω, ὀχεύει δὲ κύων ἡ Λακωνικὴ μὲν ὀκτάμηνος καὶ ὀχεύεται· καὶ τὸ σκέλος δ’ αἴροντες οὐροῦσιν ἤδη ἔνιοι περὶ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον.
Of dogs there are several breeds, and the Laconian dog couples and is coupled at eight months old; and some indeed already lift their leg to urinate about this time.
Κυΐσκεται δὲ κύων ἐκ μιᾶς ὀχείας· δῆλον δὲ τοῦτο γίνεται μάλιστα ἐν τοῖς κλέπτουσι τὰς ὀχείας· ἅπαξ γὰρ ἐπιβάντες πληροῦσιν.
A dog conceives from a single copulation; and this becomes especially evident in those that couple by stealth; for mounting once they impregnate.
Κύει δ’ ἡ μὲν Λακωνικὴ ἕκτον μέρος τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ (τοῦτο δ’ ἐστὶν ἡμέραι ἑξήκοντα), κἂν ἄρα μιᾷ ἢ δυσὶν ἢ τρισὶ πλείονας ἡμέρας καὶ ἐλάττους μιᾷ.
The Laconian dog is pregnant for a sixth part of the year (this is sixty days), or perhaps a day, two, or three days more, and a day less.
Τυφλὰ δὲ γίνεται αὐτῇ τὰ σκυλάκια, ὅταν τέκῃ, δώδεκα ἡμέρας.
Its puppies are blind when they are born, for twelve days.
Τεκοῦσα δὲ πάλιν ὀχεύεται ἕκτῳ μηνί, καὶ οὐ πρότερον.
After bringing forth, she couples again in the sixth month, and not before.
Ἔνιαι δὲ κύουσι τῶν κυνῶν τὸ πέμπτον μέρος τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ (τοῦτο δ’ ἐστὶν ἡμέραι ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ δύο), τυφλὰ δὲ γίνεται τὰ σκυλάκια τούτων τῶν κυνῶν ἡμέρας δεκατέτταρας.
Some of the dogs are pregnant for a fifth part of the year (this is seventy-two days), and the puppies of these dogs are blind for fourteen days.
Ἔνιαι δὲ κύουσι μὲν τέταρτον μέρος τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ (τοῦτο δ’ ἐστὶ τρεῖς μῆνες ὅλοι), τυφλὰ δὲ τὰ σκυλάκια τούτων γίνεται ἑπτακαίδεχ’ ἡμέραις.
And some are pregnant for a fourth part of the year (this is three whole months), and the puppies of these become blind for seventeen days.
Δοκεῖ δὲ σκυζᾶν τὸν ἴσον χρόνον κύων.
A dog seems to be in heat for an equal period of time.
Τὰ δὲ καταμήνια ταῖς κυσὶν ἑπτὰ ἡμέραις γίνεται· συμβαίνει δ’ ἅμα καὶ ἔπαρσις αἰδοίου.
The discharge of menses occurs in dogs for seven days; and at the same time there occurs a swelling of the vulva.
Ἐν δὲ τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ οὐ προσίενται ὀχείαν, ἀλλ’ ἐν ταῖς μετὰ ταύτας ἑπτὰ ἡμέραις· τὰς γὰρ πάσας δοκεῖ σκυζᾶν ἡμέρας τέτταρας καὶ δέκα ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ, οὐ μὴν ἀλλά τισι καὶ περὶ ἑκκαίδεχ’ ἡμέρας γεγένηται τοῦτο τὸ πάθος.
During this time they do not admit copulation, but during the seven days after these; for they seem to be in heat in all for fourteen days for the most part, not but what in some this affection has also occurred for about sixteen days.
Ἡ δ’ ἐν τοῖς τόκοις κάθαρσις γίνεται ἅμα τοῖς σκυλακίοις τικτομένοις, ἔστι δ’ αὕτη παχεῖα καὶ φλεγματώδης· καὶ τὸ πλῆθος δ’, ὅταν ἐκτέκωσιν, ἀπισχναίνεται ἔλαττον ἢ κατὰ τὸ σῶμα.
The discharge in child-birth occurs at the same time that the puppies are born, and this is thick and mucous; and the quantity indeed, when they have finished bringing forth, is reduced less than in proportion to the body.
Τὸ δὲ γάλα αἱ κύνες ἴσχουσι πρὸ τοῦ τεκεῖν ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ ἡμέρας πέντε· οὐ μὴν ἀλλ’ ἐνίαις καὶ ἑπτὰ γίνεται πρότερον καὶ τέτταρσιν.
Dogs have milk before bringing forth, for the most part five days; not but what in some it also occurs seven or four days beforehand.
Χρήσιμον δ’ εὐθύς ἐστι τὸ γάλα, ὅταν τέκωσιν.
And the milk is useful immediately when they have brought forth.
Ἡ δὲ Λακωνικὴ μετὰ τὴν ὀχείαν τριάκονθ’ ἡμέραις ὕστερον.
But the Laconian dog has it thirty days after copulation.
Τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον παχύ ἐστι, χρονιζόμενον δὲ γίνεται λεπτότερον.
At first, indeed, it is thick, but as time goes on it becomes thinner.
Διαφέρει δὲ παχύτητι τὸ κύνειον τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων μετὰ τὸ ὕειον καὶ δασυπόδειον.
And dog's milk excels in thickness that of other animals, after that of the sow and the hare.
Γίνεται δὲ σημεῖον καὶ ὅταν ἡλικίαν ἔχωσι τοῦ ὀχεύεσθαι· ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἐπὶ ταῖς θηλαῖς τῶν μαστῶν ἐπιγίνεται ἀνοίδησίς τις καὶ χόνδρον ἴσχουσιν· οὐ μὴν ἀλλ’ ἔργον μὴ συνήθει ὄντι ταῦτα καταμαθεῖν· οὐ γὰρ ἔχει μέγεθος οὐθὲν τὸ σημεῖον.
There is also a sign when they are of age for copulation; for, as in human beings, there occurs a certain swelling on the nipples of the breasts, and they have a gristly feel; not but what it is difficult for one who is not experienced to perceive this, for the sign is of no great size.
Τῇ μὲν οὖν θηλείᾳ τοῦτο συμβαίνει, τῷ δ’ ἄρρενι οὐθὲν τούτων.
This, then, happens to the female, but to the male none of these things.
Τὸ δὲ σκέλος αἴροντες οὐροῦσιν οἱ ἄρρενες ὡς μὲν ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ ὅταν ἑξάμηνοι ὦσιν· ποιοῦσι δέ τινες τοῦτο καὶ ὕστερον, ἤδη ὀκτάμηνοι ὄντες, καὶ πρότερον ἢ ἑξάμηνοι· ὡς γὰρ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν, ὅταν ἰσχύειν ἄρξωνται, αὐτὸ ποιοῦσιν.
The males lift their leg to urinate, for the most part when they are six months old; but some do this even later, being already eight months old, and some earlier than six months; for, to speak simply, they do it when they begin to be strong.
Αἱ δὲ θήλειαι πᾶσαι καθεζόμεναι οὐροῦσιν· ἤδη δέ τινες καὶ τούτων ἄρασαι τὸ σκέλος οὔρησαν.
The females all urinate sitting down; but some of these indeed have already urinated lifting their leg.
Τίκτει δὲ κύων σκυλάκια τὰ πλεῖστα δώδεκα, ὡς δ’ ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ πέντε ἢ ἕξ· ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἓν ἔτεκέ τις· αἱ δὲ Λακωνικαὶ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ ὀκτώ.
A dog brings forth at most twelve puppies, but for the most part five or six; and indeed some one has brought forth even only one; and Laconian dogs for the most part eight.
Ὀχεύονται δ’ αἱ θήλειαι καὶ ὀχεύουσιν οἱ ἄρρενες ἕως ἂν ζῶσιν.
The females are coupled and the males couple as long as they live.
Ἴδιον δ’ ἐπὶ τῶν Λακωνικῶν συμβαίνει πάθος· πονήσαντες γὰρ μᾶλλον δύνανται ὀχεύειν ἢ ἀργοῦντες.
A peculiar affection happens in the case of Laconian dogs; for when they have exerted themselves they are more capable of coupling than when they are idle.
Ζῇ δ’ ἡ μὲν Λακωνικὴ κύων ὁ μὲν ἄρρην περὶ ἔτη δέκα, ἡ δὲ θήλεια περὶ ἔτη δώδεκα, τῶν δ’ ἄλλων κυνῶν αἱ μὲν πλεῖσται περὶ ἔτη τετταρακαίδεκα ἢ πεντεκαίδεκα, ἔνιαι δὲ καὶ εἴκοσιν· διὸ καὶ Ὅμηρον οἴονταί τινες ὀρθῶς ποιῆσαι τῷ εἰκοστῷ ἔτει ἀποθανόντα τὸν κύνα τοῦ Ὀδυσσέως.
The Laconian dog lives, the male about ten years, the female about twelve; but of other dogs most live about fourteen or fifteen years, and some even twenty; wherefore some think that Homer wrote correctly in having the dog of Odysseus die in its twentieth year.
Ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν Λακωνικῶν διὰ τὸ πονεῖν τοὺς ἄρρενας μᾶλλον μακροβιώτεραι αἱ θήλειαι τῶν ἀρρένων· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων λίαν μὲν οὐκ ἐπίδηλον, μακροβιώτεροι δ’ ὅμως οἱ ἄρρενες τῶν θηλειῶν εἰσίν.
In Laconian dogs, therefore, because the males exert themselves more, the females are longer-lived than the males; but in others, though it is not very apparent, yet the males are longer-lived than the females.
Ὀδόντας δὲ κύων οὐ βάλλει πλὴν τοὺς καλουμένους κυνόδοντας· τούτους δ’ ὅταν ὦσι τετράμηνοι, ὁμοίως αἵ τε θήλειαι καὶ οἱ ἄρρενες.
A dog does not shed its teeth except those called canines; and these they shed when they are four months old, both females and males alike.
Διὰ δὲ τὸ τούτους μόνους βάλλειν ἀμφισβητοῦσί τινες· οἱ μὲν γὰρ διὰ τὸ δύο μόνους βάλλειν ὅλως οὔ φασι (χαλεπὸν γὰρ ἐπιτυχεῖν τούτοις), οἱ δ’ ὅταν ἴδωσι τούτους, ὅλως οἴονται βάλλειν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους.
And because they shed these alone, some people dispute it; for some, because they shed only two, say they do not shed them at all (for it is difficult to find them), while others, when they see these, think they shed all the other teeth as well.
Τὰς δ’ ἡλικίας ἐκ τῶν ὀδόντων σκοποῦσιν· οἱ μὲν γὰρ νέοι λευκοὺς καὶ ὀξεῖς ἔχουσιν, οἱ δὲ πρεσβύτεροι μέλανας καὶ ἀμβλεῖς.
And they determine their age from their teeth; for the young have white and sharp teeth, but the older ones have black and blunt teeth.