Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-05-13
DOGS IN HARNESS.
Employment OF CANNES as Draft Animals
In Europe.

States by this technical name, but two
wheeled vehicles to which dogs are
harnessed, are one of the features OF
Brussels, and are To be seen in other
cities and towns in Belgium, Germany
and Holland. Those who have visited
Belgium's capital will remember how
often they saw in the streets aud
market-places Of that busy city, carts
with milk or produce drawn 10y the
combined force Of women aud dogs.
The dog is assuredly no mean COM
panion. He tugs with might and
main at his simple harness, not only
willingly but anxious to do his full
share. He rarely needs the whip tn
call forth his best efforts. A word or
a gesture is sufficient to induce him to
exert to the utmost his muscular
power.
So extensively are dogs employed
in this way, that our state department
has been at the pains to gather much
information about their use as draft
animals in Holland, Belgium aud Ger
many. England has a law forbidding
il, on the ground OF the abuses 1t is
believed to involve. Paris, without
any such prohibition, though a city
where the economies of life are studied
so successfully, makes but little use
of dogs in the capacity Of draft ami
mails.
Nowhere in the world, except pos
sibly among the Esquimos, are so
many dogs put into tue transportation
business as in Belgium. In Brussels
and suburbs more than 10, 900 of them
are thus employed. They have driven
out the donkey altogether They are
hitched to carts in single, double,
triple and even quadruple teams, the
carts weighing from 80 to 150pounds.
They are used for all kinds of light
work, by bakers butchers, washer
women, marketmen and others. In
most cities persons are not allowed to
ride behind them; but the Belgian
peasant, after he has sold his produce
and reaches the city limits on his re-
turn, allows his dog-team to draw him
home. They do not seem to mind it
at all that they have q load both ways,
but trot along ut a good speed toward
home.
The cart-dog is of no particular
breed. He must be OF good size and
weight, of course, to be able to do
his work satisfactorily; but nobody
cares about his pedigree. He is easily
trained, generally in company with
an older dog. He is first accustomed
to harness and then allowed to prac-
tice at pulling. The harness consists
OF breast strap, girth and traces, with
saddles aud tug, if the dog is hitched
ahead of the cart. The food, in adj
dition to the scraps that come from
the family table, is kind of bread
in which some coarse meat is included,
milk and vegetables. The cost of
their keep is, OF course, very small in
deed.
Dogs quickly fall into the ways Of
business. They soon learn where to
stop and how long, and in the alb
sence of their master or mistress de-
fend the contents of the cart with the
utmost vigilance and fidelity. They
often have long hours and hard work,
and some OF them are drawn out OF
shape by hard pulling; but they seem
to like the life, and il left at home
chained up utter most emphatic pro-
tests. When the time comes to get
ready they caper about and show all
tho signs of JOY which the most
leisurely and aristocratic members of
the canine race evince when the mas
ter offers to take them for run or a
hunt.
1t is said that team OF dogs will
take a light cart from Client to Brus-
sells, or back again, distance of "a
miles, in three hours, while horses
require four hours. Their endurance
is great. They will draw load from
5 a. m. to & p. m, with brief inter-
walls for rest without extraordinary
fatigue. From $50 to 200 pounds is
about the load one dog can comfort
ably draw.
The value OF a dr. 't-dog ranges from
BIO to $40 or more, according to size
and age and other qualities. The
Fleming seems to think that If he has
4 dog he has q ''pull, "and in conse-
quence there are few lazy dogs in Bel
c..,,r,