, 1889-09-12
WORKING DOGS IN BELGIUM.
Forced to Do Much Labor and Then Al
most Starved to Death

Forced to Do Much Labor and Then Al
most Starved to Death.
Now it must not be thought that dogs
in carts are only to be seen now and then
in Belgium. Quite the reverse, for the
dog seems, especially in Brussels, to be
the chief beast of burden. Here ! must
state l think the loads put after the poor
brutes are at times out of all reason too
heavy. Brussels is in places deucedly
hilly and steep, and to put 400, 800 or
600 pounds after a dog is too much of a
good thing. Again, the dogs are not
overfed. The Flemish farmers are as a
rule very close livers. Most of them
drink their coffee without milk, 81 as to
be able to convert the latter, which, of
course, they produce, into King Leo
pold's coin. Now these farmers live on
next to nothing, so we can imagine that
the dogs do not come in for much grub
of any strengthening nature. l believe
their food consists Of buttermilk and po-
tato parings all boiled up together, and
often not. They feed their dogs like store
pigs, and it is no wonde the poor ami
mails loins are thin and their rib bones
are very prominent. Still they toll on,
willing creatures to a degree.
1t is a wonder to me how their legs
stand the work so well. All are sound,
or perhaps 1 had better write
lively sound. Their bone is great for
their bodies, and the feet seem to stand
the strain well. These dogs really take
the place of asses in Belgium, where few
of the latter are seen. A good working
dog fetches S35 or $40, and considering
the amount OF work he gets through he
is not a dear dog at that sum. ! saw
several on sale in the Brussels market
on Sunday morning last.
The working dog is generally of a
sturdy build. If an American or Eng
lishman were asked how the dogs Were
bred, his reply would be: Probably be
tween a mastiff and n smooth sheAp
dog" and as there seems to be no dis
tinct breed Of these dogs, the foregoing
might be generally accepted as a defhi-
ton of the appearance of the breed. All
bakers use dogs for their carts. There
are, however. no shafts to these con-
Germs, but the dog works underneath.
There is a crossbar placed just under the
handles of the cart and by means of a
bent axle tree the dog can work under
the cart and between the wheels. 1t
VIII DC seen ne Is closer 10 MS wOrk tnan
~ dogs in the usual fashion to be seen
in milk and vegetable carts. The at
tendant simply steers the cart with the
handles, excepting where the hill is
steep, and then lie b~oulanger lends but
little help to the painting dog.
Therefore, on the whole, lido not think
the working dogs in Belgium are treated
with the amount of kindness, good treat
ment and nourishing food they thorough
ly deserve. / am not one of those who
are of an opinion a dog should not work.
l believe they prefer ordinary labor to
being chained up in a dirty, shrinking
yard, with but little but a pail of stale
water before them. Let the Belgians
feed their dogs better, put smaller loads
after them and have water troughs
placed at regular intervals about the
streets. and there will not be much TO
grumble at; and / should think the St.
Hubert society-that is the kennel club
of Belgium-could do a lot to manage
things a little better on the side of the
dogs.-Turf, Field and Farm.