The San Francisco call., 1896-09-20

Since the Franco-Prussian war so many
innovations have been introduced and
have failed in the test of actual experience
in matters pertaining to war service that
we must regard it as practically settled
matter when a nation like the Germans
maintains on large scale an establish
ment for no other purpose than to train
dogs for war. But an experience of nearly
twenty years seems to have convinced
them, and there is no doubt but the next
war Germany is engaged in she will en-
ploy on large scale the dogs trained for
the service of security and information.
The war dog will be particularly useful in
carrying reports to advanced patrols or
outposts and pickets, and also in assisting
outposts and in hunting up missing men.
1t has beer found that poodles, shepherd
dogs and bird dogs are the most suitable
for military training, but less atten-
tion is paid to the breed of the
dog than to the purity of the breed
and the qualities necessary. These quaIi-
ties are perfect health, strong body with
broad chest, sinewy legs, acute ear and
nose, docility, watchfulness and gentle
ness. Of the three kinds named, poodles
are found the most docile, and are there
fore used for the purpose of instructing
young trainers in training young dogs.
But as they grow old they lose interest in
their work and are then found lacking.
The shepherd dog is, in common with the
poodle, exceedingly intelligent, has the
ability to withstand climatic changes,
and were it not for the element of affec-
ton which is lacking he would be the
most valuable of all breeds. The bird
dogs com pine the good qualities OF botn
the foregoing breeds. and are moreover
distinguished by a high sense of duty and
attachment. The more that they become
conscious that other things are required
of them, the more do they lose their in
clination for hunting.
The course a war dog goes through is
certainly interesting, and II is surprising
to know that like their human COM
panions-in-arms they are required to at
tain certain degrees of proficiency in
their training before being advanced from
one grade to another. As each degree is
attained a certificate is issued, and when
all is through another, which is practi-
cally q diploma, is issued, in which is
stated the breed, the pedigree, the attain
ments, age and name and full description
of the animal, and the organization to
which the dog is assigned. TIE require
ments in training are TO be obedient to
certain calls and signals, to carry mes
cages with certainty, to maintain COM
munication between different posts and
sentinels, to be watchful and bring notice
TO sentinels of the approach of strangers,
and to hunt up missing men, though on
this last point but little training is neces-
sary. The training IS effected by one of
two methods. depending on the nature
and character OF the dog. The first is the
forcible method in which dog is kept
isolated to insure complete subordina-
ton of his viii to his trainer, while the
second is the mild method, in which par
ticular stress is laid on the dogs inteili-
gence by gentle and persuasive means.
The training is divided into three parts,
(lO guiding by the line or thong; l2) de-
velopment OF watchtulness; (3) the going
and returning. In order TO be more easily
understood by the dog, each part is SUBJ
divided into preparatory parts or stages,
and as the further the work progresses
the greater is the development of the
dogs intelligence, and therefore the easier
the training, it is necessary to pass from
one stage to another gradually and never
demand from the animal more than is in