The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-01-15
THE POLICE DOGS OF CLIENT,
Recognized Members of the Regular
 Town Constabulary,

Recognized Members of the Regular
 Town Constabuary,
 Most people know how prominent part is played by the dog in Belgium where he acts as the poor mans horse By ones, by twos, ythrees, and by fours, dogs may be seen drawing the milk carts, hauling the vegetables bringing home the washing any thing and everything in fact that 1alls in other countries to the lot or horse or donkey. What is more, the dog even takes his owner for an airing, and what stands in Belgium for the little donkey shay" of Londons Whitechapel or the classic Old Kent road is drawn by a team of dogs Who move along at a great pace ana who generally seem willing, happy, and well cared for. But the Belgian dog has not stopped here, He is an ann bilious creature. He is not content to do naught but slave, He has, in fact, aspired to the law with such good et- feet that he has become one of it's limbs, and now plays the part of po- liceman, and with such good results, too, that crime in that particular dis
 trict patrolled by him is aid to have diminished by two-thirds since his en- try into the force.
 It is at Ghent that the dog has be- come a recognized member of the regu- lar town constabulary. His lntroduc- tion was the outcome of particularly happy thought of M Van Wesemail, chief commissioner of police who has trained his dogs to a very high pitch of efficiency.
 The dogs are taught by means of dummy figures made up as much as possible to represent the thieves and dangerous characters they may be like- ly to meet. How much patience is needed by him who undertakes this particular form of education only those who have tried to train animals will properly appreciate, The dog must be taught to seek, to attack, to seize, and to hold, but withou hurting seriously. The first step is to place the dummy In such a position that it shall represent man endeavoring to conceal hlmSelt' The dog soon understands that It IS an enemy whom he must hunt, and enters into this part of his lesson con amore, but 1t is not so easy to teach him not to injure it. The teacher lowers the figure to the ground, and the dog learns that though he may not worry his prey, he must not allow his fallen foe to stir so much as finger until the order is given. After the dummy, a living model is used, and as this process Is obviously not etirely without danger, the person chosen for this purpose is usually he who ministers to the pupils creature comforts, and for whom the canine detective is sure to entertain grateful affection. Nevertheless he is prevented at first by means of mug gle, from an exhibition of to much zeal. Afterward, the experiment. is tried on other members of the force, and in four months the dog's education as a police man is considered complete and he takes his place with the rest. The ani- mals are taught to swim, and to seize
 their prey in the water; to save life from drowning; to scale steel walls, and to overcome all obstacles; so that any enterprising burglar who goes "a-burg- ling" in Ghent has al ively time of it if he meets with one of these four-footed "bobbies"
 The dogs work so we'll and so con- scientiously that their number Is to be increased, and there is evry proba- bilty that the plan will be adopted in other centers. Their keep comes to about three pence day, and they cost the town altogether about eco q year, including their doctors and their tail ors bills.-J. F. Whitby in Modern Cui-