There is one other important feature which must be noticed before this chapter is closed, and that is Predetermining the Sex.  Most breeders, of course, are anxious to have male pups predominate in a litter, and it is a demonstrated fact that ordinary mating produces from four to ten per cent more males than females.  For a number of years I had always believed it was impossible to breed so as to attain more than the excess of males above noted, but several years ago I accepted an invitation from Mr. Burnett, of Deerfoot Farm, of Southboro (the owner of Kate or Gyp, the mother of the breed), to spend the day.  He was, as will be recalled, one of the earliest and most enthusiastic breeders of the Boston, and is now a scientific breeder of choice dairy stock.  We had been discussing a number of problems in regard to raising stock, when he exclaimed:  “Mr. Axtell, I believe I have discovered the problem of sex breeding.  If I want heifer calves, I breed the cow as soon as she comes in season.  If a bull calf is wanted, the cow is served just before going out of season.”  And said he, “In nineteen experiments I have only been unsuccessful once, and I think you might try the same plan with your Bostons.”  I have since done so, and although not nearly the same measure of success has attended my experiments as his, yet by breeding bitches at the close of the heat rather than at its commencement, the number of males in a litter has materially increased.  Again, I find if a young, vigorous dog is bred to a similar bitch, females will predominate in the offspring, whereas, if the same bitch is bred to a much older dog, an excess of males will generally occur.  Occasionally some dogs will be met with that no matter what mated with, will produce largely males, and some the opposite of this will nearly always produce females, and some bitches, no matter how bred, do likewise, but these are exceptions, and not the rule.  A kennel man need never worry about sex, inasmuch as good dogs of either gender will always be in demand.

The law of Selection must be carefully attended to to insure the best results.  Choose your best and most typical bitches for breeding, especially those that approximate rather to the bull type and are rather long in body and not too narrow in their hind quarters.  I do not care if the dam has a somewhat longer tail than the dog, my experience has been that a bitch possessing a tight screw tail did not do quite as well in whelping as one having one a little longer.  Do not consider this as suggesting that the tail is a matter of secondary importance, by no means, it is of primal import, and too much attention can never be given to the production of this distinguishing mark of the dog.  A Boston without a good tail is almost as worthless as a check without a signature.