Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-03-11
THE DOG In BELGIUM
HE PLAYS A LEADING PART IN THE
STATES DOMESTIC ECONOMY.

Strong Factor In the Suppression of
| crimc-Tbc work They DO and the
Way They Are Trained For II.
Every ono is familiar with the In
portant part which The dog plays In
The domestic economy OF Belgium.
Anything and everything which falls
10 the part OF donkey or horse in other
lands is done willingly and chcerfuly
10y those little creatures. But their uso
rs servants docs not stop with thcse
ordinary duties. which, can be PERFORM
od Ivy aumals Of no high intelligence.
The Belgian dog has become a rccog-
nizcd member OC the police force, and
since His entry into this field Of action
crime in The particular districts which
nrc palrollcd by him is said 10 have
diminished two-thirds.
fills fact needs some explanation.
Client is moi only pierced by canals,
but Is surrounded by rich farms and
land as well as by iuSuriant market
and horticultural gardens. The city
docs II large trade In flowers and bulbs.
Tie dock oafers anu honting popua-
Lou that shipping always brings are
| tempted to innumcrablc petty therts.
| while the extent of the gardens aud
| fields and the isolation Of some OF thc
| farms make ii extremely difficult for
The authorities 10 cope with them sin
gle handed. In tho hope Of checking
crime aud robbery the chief commits.
sioner Of police obtained the services
Of dogs. lie most carefully arranged
done entirely by Kindness. and It. is
| satisfactory 10 know that any member
Of the force would nc instantly dis
| missed for striking ii dog.
| The methods used in training the
| dogs demand The utmost patience.
| Dummy figures are used. made as near
| ~ as possible 10 represent the thieves
and dangerous persons they may be
| likely 10 meet. The dog is taught to
seek. TO atiack. to seize. to hold. but
without hurting seriously. The first
step is 10 place The dummy in such
a position that II will resemble Il man
seeking 10 conceal himself The dog
soon understands that It is an enemy
whom lie must hunt and enters into
| this part OF his lesson with delight but
! 1t is more difficult to teach him that lie
must not burt him. 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 pros
| trate foe 10 move finger until the or
| der Is given. After the dummy n living
! model is used. and rs this process is
not without danger the person usually
| oh n -,
care Of the dog and for whom he has
n lively affection But Mt The same
time lie is prevented nj first from show
ing too much yea by wearing Il muzzle.
| Afterward the experiment Is tried OH
other members Of the force. and in
four months The dogs educa ton rs Il
policeman l. considered complete, and
he takes his place with the rest. Tie
animals arc also taught TO swim and To
seize their prey in the water. to save
life from drowning, to scale steel walls
AMI to overcome all artificial obstacles
| Most of these dogs are sheep dogs,
but besides The Rclgan there are also
the Russian ana the Bric dogs. During
Tie day they take hcr rest in com
Portable. loose boxes attached TO the
head station Of police. But at 10
O'Clock their duties beyiu. and the last
stroke cf the huilr has no more than
sounded before They SGT up II chorus of
drafening bnrkS. as IL 20 show their
cnycrless To gel 10 work. They are OIL,
duty Till u the next morning hut do not
s"cn fatiglal by their long hours
Il ~ necessary thai these hardwork
in n nj CHI "A l,n fDI
their menu for The day would not be
refused by any hungry man. II con
Sisis of soup. meat. rice and bread. The
las, being the best Kncirp bread
they have hearty meal twice n da y
as well as n biscuit; and II Slice Of bread
before starting: Oh their nights round
Their uniform consists Of leather col
lar strongly bound with steel and arm
ell with shnrl, points. to repcl any ut
tack from their victims. From This col
lar hangs medal which hears the
dogs name aud address as well ms the
date Of his birth
Should The dog he lost or dotainn,
this medal serves to identify bin. IL
place OF hclmcr he wears Il tine wirt
muzzlc which will allow him 10 drink
but moi 90 eat. 'rlIis is TO prevent hin
from being poisoned II is fairly loose
and is attached by elastic bands which
allow II 10 be instantly snatched on
the head. In their quarters there is q
dressing room. where each dog has /:
peg placed beneath his name aud from
which bang The collar muzzlc. chain
etc. which belong to him. They have
their private medical man. who keeps /;
close watch on their heal,h.-New Yori
Herald.