Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-03-29
DOGS AS SMUGGLERS.
HOW THEIR INTELLIGENCE IS
UTILIZED IN SUCH TRAFFIC.

OlIIILLU IN DAOI AAI 4 re-
A SPECIAL BREED ADOPTED FOR
THE PURPOSE BY PERSONS on
THE RONTIER BETWEEN
FRANCE AND BELGIUM.
Probably few persons in Britain
have the smallest idea of the num-
Der of dogs employed in cOntraband
trade along the frontier between
France and Belgium. The SNUG
gIers have adopted q special breed
tor this purpose, in which upwards
of a hundred thousand are said to
be engaged and 30 wary are these
loyal helpers that, notwithstanding
the vigilance OF the French custom
house officers, and their efforts to
intercept the four.foOted SNUG
glers, only an average of l per cent.
is ever captured.
In the French smugglers' dogs,
intelligence OF a very high order is
essential, for it is not enough that
they should cross the frontier with
out any human leader, they must
also keep watch as they travel,
lest they be waylaid by custom
house officers or the equally well
trained excise dogs, whose special
mission in life Is to track smugglers
and their canine accOmpllces and
confiscate the precious packs borne
by the latter. When a party OF
excise dogs do tall in with q pack
of smugglers's dogs, then, indeed
comes the tug OF war and sore
rending of lace and scattering OF
coffee and tobacco and the other
contraband treasures.
The smuggler train his dogs one
By one and always at night. In
the daytime he walks across the
frontier, accompanied by one OF
his pupils, and goes to visit his ac-
complete, IN whose house he leaves
the dog. 1t is detained till after
dark, when it receives sufficient
~ smart beating to make 1T glad to
scamper home to its master, VINO
welcomes it to an excellent supper.
This routine is repeated several
times till the dog can find bis way
home on the darkest night without
hesitation. 1t ia then promoted to
carrying a small light pack, con
tanning articles Of trlhing value,
but By degrees the weight IS In
creased, till the dog is accustomed
to carry many pounds.
When each dog knows its duties
thoroughly 1t is taught to work in
company with others, the most IN
telligent in each pack being exempt
from carrier service, aud taught tc
act as scouts, to ascertain the
whereabouts of possible foes, and
so enable the main body to avoid
the danger of falling into ambush
The methed OF training the Gus
toms dogs is of course quite differ
ent. FROM their earliest pupyhOod
they are taught to play hide and
seek with pieces Of tobacco and
small bags OF coffee or rolls OF lace
When six or eight months old tbelI
education in these matters is taker
seriously in hand, and they are
taught to sit quietly in ambush
never barking, but merely giving q
low growl or cooking their ears t'
attract the attention OF their mas
ter whenever they detect any un
usual sound.
Should they bark, tney are, o
course, punished, but a wise dog II
rewarded with Jumps of sugar
After some practice a well trained
excise dog will scent out even ont
solitary smuggIer dog at distance
of 200 yards and he soon become
wonderfully expert in tracking tn
law breakers, human or canine
and in giving notice of their ap
proach. -Bldck,cOOd's Magazine.