Waterbury Democrat., 1902-01-17
THE POLICE DOGS OF CLIENT.

Most people know how prominent a part is played by the dog in Belgium, where he acts as the poor mans horse By ones, by twos, by threes, and by fours, dogs may be seen drawing the milk carts, hauling the vegetables, bringing home the washing-do anything and everything in fact that falls in other countries to the lot of horse or donkey. What is more, the dog even takes his owner for an air ing, and what stands in Belgium for ''the little donkey shay of London's Whitechapel, or the classic Old Kent road is drawn by team of dogs who move along at q great pace and who generally seem willing, happy, and well cared for But the Belgian dog has not stopped here. He is an am- bilious creature. He is not content to do naught but slave. He has, in fact. aspired to the law with such good eff feet that he has become one of it's limbs, and now plays the part of DO. 1iceman, and with such good results, too, that crime in that particular dis trict patrolled by him is said 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 reg ular town constabulary. His introduc- ton was the outcome of particularly happy thought of M Van Wesemail, chief commissioner of police, who has trained his dogs to 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 likely to meet. How much patience is needed by him who undertakes this particular form of education only tnose who have tried to train animals will properly appreciate. The dog must be taught to seek, to attack, to seize and to hold, but without hurting seriously. The first step is to place the dummy in such a position that it shall repre- sent man endeavoring to conceal himself. The dog soon understands that 1t is an enemy whom lie rnisr hunt, and enters into this part of his lessor con amore, but it is not so easy to teach him not tc iDiure it. Ah,s teacher lowers the figure to the ground, and the dog learns that though he nay not worry his prey, he must not allow his fallen foe to stir so much as fin- ger until the order is given. After the dummy living model Is used, and as this process is obviously not entirely without danger, the person chosen for this purpose is usually he who minis ters to the pupils creature comforts, and for whom the canine detective is sure to entertain q grateful affection. Nevertheless he is prevented at first by means of q muzzle, from an ex',ibi- tion of too much zeal. Afterward the experiment is tried on other members of the force, and in four months the dogs education as q policeman Is con- sidered complete and he takes his place with the rest The animals 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 bur glar who goes ''a-burgling" in Ghent has lively time of it if he meets with one of these four-footed "bobbies"
 The dogs work so well and so con- scientiously that their number is to be increased, and there Is every probabil- ity that the plan will be adopted in other centers. Their keep comes to about 3 pence day, and they cost the town altogether about eco a year, in- cluding their doctors and their ta.lor's bills.-J. E. Whitby in Modern Culture.