The age-herald., 1898-07-12
THE USE OF
 DOGS IN WAR
From the Chicago Times-lHerald.

ed out that these very useful and lntehiseh' animals are being used in all the European countries except England, and that their services could not well be dispensed with, so firmly have they established themselves as part and parcel of the fighting equip ment of the land forces.
 Austria, Germany, Italy, France and Prussia especially have war dogs. Trained animals. including spanels, sheep dogs, barbets, St. Benards and pointers are used, and so well trained are the animals that they are said to be the very best of spies, messengers and succorers of the wounded. The dogs are good spies because they do not arouse suspicion. They carry mes sages across the lines of, the enemy, and not often do they fail to reach their homes. There are two dogs to each com pany and man is assigned to. each ani- mal. These men are called handlers. and their position E considered sinecure. All the time of the handlers is devoted to the dogs, and the great aim of each is to train his animal so that it may excel in the du- ties to which it is detailed.
 The dogs are taught to carry dis patches, to deliver cartridges to the men in action and to search out and find wound- ed soldiers. When a disabled man is dis covered the dog is trained to bark until aid comes. If the animal cannot attract at tention by his barking he seizes the mans cap or some other article of clothing and carries it to the nearest comrade of the disabled fighter. The rest is easy An other trick to which the war dog is put is to give an alarm at the approach of an enemy. The animal is trained to do this by being given to understand that any uniform but the one worn by the men he sees ey- cry day is covering a foe. So dummy figure is rigged up and the dog is taught to leap on this and mangle and worry 1t until the guard comes. After a little work, as all who know dogs will easily understand, the dog will attack any man who wears a strange uniform. In some cases postmen have been seriously hurt by the German dogs a soldier not being handy when the letter deliverer hove in sight of the trained four-footed warrior.
 In teaching the dogs to carry dispatches the handlers assistant takes the canine soldier to a distance from the camp, places a dummy dispatch in the pouch worn on the animals neck and tells him to go and seek his master. The creature is delighted, |, hunts out the handler, and as soon as the latter is found the most important part of the lesson is learned. The Europeans say that the dogs are very fond of this part of the work given them. They appear to re- alize the importance of their position much in the fashion of the dog who is so elated and pleased when his master allows him to carry home the evening paper or cane. During a fight the dog of war Is trained to carry ammunition to the men on the out skirts. The handler takes his place near the ammunition wagon, and as soon as he nndS that cartridges are needed in a cer- tain part of het field he loads the dog and starts the animal off toward the sharp shooters. The dog has been trained for just this kind of work, and seldom fails to deliver the goods. Then he comes back and is sent off with another load The cartridges are loaded on his back 150 on either side, and make a comfortable bur den. It has been found out however that II dog Is wounded during his work he never can be induced to pay another visit to the neighborhood in which he was shot Also, woe unto any soldier who tries to take the ammunition from the dog unless the man belongs to the particular corps to which the animal is attached. Sometimes
 
 thelr own company to get the cartridges so faithful are they to the training they have been given.
 After the battle the dog does duty in searching for the wounded. He finds the helpless soldier, barks as long and as loud as he can and then, if he fails to attrac attention, the animal seizes something probably 'the mans cap, and hurrles to the nearest hospital tent. The training for duty is done with men who go some dis tance from camp, pretend to be wounded and drop in ditches. The dog is sent out finds the man and is encouraged to bark loudly. The handlers pay no heed to thfs and then the soldier in the ditch gives the dog his cap, tells the creature to take 1t home and awaits results. Very few lessons are required to bring the dogs to keen point of appreciation, and it is said that they appear to understand the situation and realize what is required of them. When going out in search of wounded men the dogs carry f1asks of brandy strapped to their harness, much after the fashion of the St. Bernards of the Alps.
 The dogs have been found to work much better at night. In the daylight the best behaved finds it hard to refrain from play ing should well-disposed canine friend ap- pear, while the temptation to chase a rab- bit cannot be resisted-training or no train ing If the dog is well treated, however, he will soon become tractable and bite any thing wearing a French or Russian uniform these being the dresses the German dogs are encouraged to entertain dislike for. The French army used dogs to good ad- vantage in the recent wars in Tupis and Alglers. The chief animals used in this case were barbets and Pyrennean sheep dogs. The barbets are used because of their great intelligence, strength and tractability. Their training begins at the age of 8 months, and it takes a year to finish them for their work.
 The soldiers of the czar have found that dogs are of great use to them in their cam paigns against the savage hordes that in- fest the steppes and the borders of the do- mains of the great white emperor. Sentries are given dogs as companions, and the anil mals, with better hearing and more easily aroused suspicion than the man, are stirred at the least sign of the approach of a foot step. In this way many a man on an out post has been set on his guard. At the same time the barking of the dog has noti- fled the creeping savage that he is discov- cred. The Russians use St. Bernards prip-