Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-05-17
DRAFT DOGS ~ GERM4SY.
They Perform the Work of Horses for a
LarGe Pnrtipm of the PeasantrN.

German dogs, especially the draft
dogs, are objects Of great interest to an
American travelling through the Father
land, and perhaps f1w facts regarding
the manner in Which they are trained
aud what they accomplish would not be
aMiss.
From ) o'clock, a. m, till 10 o'clock,
p. m, IN I'LL the city streets and in the
lanes leading out TO the country, one
encounters dogs harnessed into all
kinds OF carts. The poor fellows are as
docile as horses, but balky sometimes,
and stubborn, especially when beaten.
To begin with, all kinds are made TO
work, although there is special breed
or draft-dog, which by the application
Of Darwin's principle of selection has
been highly developed. These animals
have broad breasts, ponderous shoulders
aid splendid legs.
saw one such pulling a wagon with
10 large tirhins Of butter on it, and
another, with % small ones, writes
correspondent tn the Chicago Nelcs.
Used 10 them, rs have been for years, |
must still stop day after day and watch
them. In the country have seen COWS
harnessed with or pulling side by side
with horses.
Nor do these dumb beasts lead dogs
life in the sense of being beaten and
abuse. They are looked after by the
law, still this is seldom or never needed.
Once in while lazy lump of boy
will mount, letting the poor dog pull,
but this is rare sight. The Germans
love animals and are very kind to them.
feel sometimes that the treatment of
dumb beasts is much better test of
civilization than the use of soap. Com
pared with the Latin races the Germans
are kindness itself. The Latins beat
their animals almost into insensiblity,
hut in five years soiourn among these
people in lurge cities in Germany have
never seen case of real cruelty.
1t you keep dog for pleasure you
pay tax, but if your dog works there
is no tax. This is to encourage labor
and economy. | suppose there are six
or seven dogs to the one horse coming
into Chemnitz with milk, vegetables
and light loads. They are harncssed as
are horses, there being no difference ex-
cept that they have no bit or mouth
piece, though they are always muzzled,
the law here in that matter from fear of
rabis or hydrophobia being very strict.
Each draft dog carries in his cart mat
and covering and every time stop is
made his master spreads the mat
sometimes on board made for the pur.
pose, sometimes on the road-and on
this the dog lies or sits.s His master
then covers him with warm blanket,
and this is required by both law and
| custom.
II strikes stranger very queerly on
passing along the principal street to see
dogs doing what horses do for us. The
| saving Of time is almost as much as with
| the horse, and the money saving is
much greater. First of all good draft
dog cost from $5 to SIS, while horse
costs from 800 TO $500, and grain, oats
or fodder of all kinds here is very high.
Dog meat is very cheap-.-two and one
hall cents a pound-and the dogs get
from two to five pounds daily. Thus his
keep costs at the very highest from 8
TO 10 cents a day, and at night he sleeps
as DO other dogs in dog house or often
keeping guard in the entry of humble
| homes.
The breed, instead of getting worse
by hard work, IS getting better, and even
more intelligent, this latter because of
the Kindness with which he is treated
Often the customers or clients Of the
dogs muster Or mistress, especially the
little ones, grow attached to the dors
and save for them bones and odd bits
that would otherwise 60 to the hogs
The women and girls, who usually 20
with the dogs and milk wagons, arc
rugged, strong, healthy and happy, and