The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-07
REAL DOGS OF WAR.
War Department Contemplates Ad-
ding This Feature to the Army.
Germany Already Has Canine Contin-
gents OF Her Army.

The United States war department IL
seriously contemplating tho training OF
dogs for usc in the army. Abroad thoy
have been found most valuable in cam
paigning, and many German regiments
already Enyc canine contingcnts. Before
LONG all of the great foreign military estab-
lishments viii hnvc troops of four legged
soldiers, and 1t will not do for this country
to lag behind.
Dogs properly selected and educated
make tho best sort OF scouts and tho most
capable carriers Of orders I'm the field They
arc particularly useful for transmitting in
formation, In conveying messages from
advanced patrols and in maintaining com
muniya;ion between posts and pockets;
also they do excellent work in hunting up
missing men. Several breeds Of dogs are
found highly suitable for military pur-
poses, noiHbly roodlcs, shepherd dogs and
bird dogs. Tho kind does not matter so
much Gs the quality Of tho breed, which
must tc pure No mongrol makes good
war dog. IL is only In n well bred dog
that Ito valuable qualities above men,
toned arc developed I'm IA superior degree
.All Iui.ts considered, bird dogs mako
the best war dogs. They unto the good
qualities Cf the ocdlo Cnl shepherd dog
and are distinguished by n lively sense Of
duty and devoted attachment TO their
mastCrs
The training Of the dor detachment of a
battalion is managed hy an officer, who
has special cxIritncss In such matters Ie
selects rssistaLts from among the corpornls
and riVatCs az Il gives them lessons In the
art of training. IL Ia his duty To buy tho
dogs 10 diHtrihuto them among tho COM
raniCs, 90 suicjS $50 the breeding and rear
irE Of Iuis HLd 10 sec that the animals
are rvi ,riy cared for ard fed. The prop
erly cGtr tod war dor must carry messages
with tCtalutv. running hack from adj
vancC;l atIcis 90 CCtachmtnts I'm the rear
and then returning. IL IS required 60 do
this sort ~ work with suCh efficiency as 10
maintain communication between scnti.
nolg and stat .iuiy attachments. The ami
n'ul i.Utt LciEught to give rClicc 90 scnti-
nCls Uf the MI fu.ch Ct strangers.
4 hc husiirss ot training war dogs has
been pdutCd 80 a perfect r, stem. There IS
n comI!vtC trurec 81 canine ictlngogy, with
lessois a. ynHuliy formulated as those of
grammar SttatItuuctir icrChildrcn. Tho
lessons oss irduslly irom the simple to
the difficult. md care Is taken mover 90 dc-
mand more 81 the animal than 10 intelligi-
BILE tO him.
A certain amount az training gocs nat
urally with tho bringing mp of the pup,
but tie tdCcatiCn Proper should not bc DO
gun lcfCrc ho H. Gt lsist g months old 10
may be remarked here that the war dog Is
always Of tic mUlc persuasion.
The war duW wears collar thnt has
metal Plato bcaring the ramc Of tho com.
pany "a which nc ~ attached, as for exam.
pie, "Rifc Battery, 8, Comp" Tie cur
rics n email canvas ro;ch, which Is closed
by "a button or buckle. These articles with
a chnin for fastening him when required,
constitute the whole Of his equipment.
The canvas receptacle Is called report
pouch" An Idea Of its purpose is COM