The herald., 1893-11-30
DOGS FOR USE IN WAR
HOW THEY ARE TRAINED IN A LIZ
TILE TOWN IN AUSTRIA

The Intelligence They Display Is Simply
Marvelous-How rhoy Hunt Out aad Sue
cor the wounded and Lost-Scenting ~,
Enemy When Five Miles Away.
Some so miles west of Vienna the lit
tic market town OF Wcis nestlos in the
foothills Of the Austrian Alps, which
hero rise in bold cliffs from the banks Of
the Tram.
The forests of the neighborhooo are
too open to harbor much game, but O
stranger stopping at the summer hotel
of the little town might easily be led TO
believe that the citizens must be thc
most indefatigable hunters of tho Aus
Hungarian empire. From morning
till night, and sometimes till long after
dark, he may hear the echo of shots and
the barking and bowling Of dogs up
preaching tho town or dying away in
the distant hills, and occasionally an
swered from far and near, as IL ail the
sportsmen of the northern Alps had met
in convention.
For this is one of the stations where
Kriegshunde-war dogs-are trained.
The plan of training dogs for military
purposes was stadopted by the French
garrisons in Algiers, but has since been
tried with great success in Prussia, Italy
and especially in Austria, where four
footed messengers have for many years
been taught to carry letters to the snow
bound villages Of the Alpine highlands.
The shaggy collies used for that purpose
make the best war dogs and can be
trained to race in bee line to the next
military post and announce their arrival
by peculiar bark that is at once recog-
nized and answered by the shout Of a
sentry.
They will also range long chain of
hills in quest of wounded soldiers, and
either dash back to report their discov-
cries or stand guard at the side of the
cripple till an ambulance party comes
near enough to be signaled by long
drawn howl.
Trainers send out three OF four of their
shaggy pupils at once and ascertain their
proficiency by all sorts of ingenious tests.
Soldiers instructed to act the part of
helpless cripples will hide in thicllets or
caverns and keep still till the dog tugs
at their sleeves, when they will sit up
and reward his sagacity with piece of
sausage.
They then try to rise, but pretend to be
too weak to walk or even to shoot, and
ask the dog to call for assistance. Ifhelp
is near, Collie will set up loud howl, re-
peated at shorter and shorter intervals,
till the signal is answered from the val
ley below. If his appeals should remain
unheeded, he will mount the next rock
and look about as if to impress the lay of
the land on his mind, and then dash off
to summon help from headquarters.
Should two cripples intimate their
need of aid at the same time, Collie will
guide the rsscuing party to the hiding
place of the one farthest away, and help
them to pick up or somehow assist the
the other man ON their way home.
Messenger dogs carry letters in small
bag wrapped around their collar and will
permit only the proper officials to touch
that collar. Anoncommissioned officer,
displaying the insignia of his rank, may
venture to remove the bag, but the dog
will follow him and see to it that he gets
him an answer.
Private soldiers are ''stood off" with a
menacing growl. Persons wearing the
uniform of the enemy cannot stop the
messenger with anything but an ex-
tremely well aimed shot. Dogs racing
along the battle front will dodge bullets
by running zigzag and develop mar
velous talent for taking advantage of
every cover, running through the high
est grass or along the safe side of rocks
and fallen trees.
Picket post dogs are selected from a
different breed. The half shepherd, half
wolf dogs that carry letters and hunt up
cripples are not entirely devoid of scent
and can find their way back home in a
manner not wholly explicable on the
theory Of keen eyesight But for eff
cheney in the role of sentries they yield
the palm to a species of deerhounds that
do their best work after dark.
On picket duty well trained sentinel
of that breed will scent the approach of
troop of cavalry before man, with his
ear on the ground, can hear the tram
pling of the horses. The dog sentry will
announce his discovery in a more dis !.
Greet way than the Scotch widow who
screamed through the citadel of Luck
now when her elmer ear" heard the ap-
preaching bagpipe of the McGregors.
Phylax on scenting danger will step up
close to his uniformed companion, and :
after pause of silence and keen atten-
ton will announce his suspicion by low
growls, getting more frequent rather
than louder, as the cause for alarm be-
comes more unmistakable.
The best dogs of that breed have "chal-
lenged" cavalry from distance of three
to five miles, according to the direction
of the wind, and infantry from nearly
two miles. They can be trained to an
nounce the approach of known friend
in quite different way-viz, by leaping
to and fro or crouching down and jump
ing up by turns, but without tho warn
ing growl Of the danger signal.-F. L.