Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-08-07
mand must ALWAYS he used. and tn

aul1udls muSt OBEY instantly.
III possible, avoid all chastisement;
and threat must invariably precede
forcible correction. For, once struck,
the dog may lose his pluck and nerve,
and become even dangerous to the Of
ficer with whom he works. The night
police will always prevent the dogs
from picking up bones or eating any
food whatsoever found whilst on duty
Criminals have already striven to
poison our four-footed colleagues. The
chemicals used for this purpose pro-
duce the most terrible and instant
effects.
However, should one of the dogs
die instantly whilst on duty from this
cause, his body must be taken back
to headquarters at once and examined
by the veterinary chief. During the
winter, and in seasons of rain, snow,
or hail, the dog-policeman must al
ways wear their cloaks.''
NOW let us consider how the dogs
are bought, lodged, fed, equipped, and
trained. 1t is the head vet. of the city
who buys the dogs, and after many
trials choice has definitely lighted
upon the big French and Belgian
shepherd dogs, which possess in a
wonderful degree the qualities of en-
durance, courage, boldness, fidelity,
and that subtle sense expressed by the
untranslatable French word flair"
Personally, 1 inspected the "che-
nils and found the four-legged police
men very comfortably installed in
huts or kennels of wood and brick,
out in the pretty garden of the central
servants appointed to their needs in
the person Of the concierge and his
wife
The dogs are kept in these kennels
all day, and never go out save for a
little exercise in the garden of the
bureau. The great thing is to keep
them unfamiliar with the ordinary un-
uniformed public.
They go on duty at ten o'clock at
night, and come home at six in the
morning. Thus they put in eight
hours of service without rest. They
receive two meals a day, the first at
seven o'clock in the morning, and the
second at seven o'clock at night The
menu presented to the dog police
would surely make a hobo's mouth
water. There is soup and meat, rice,
bread and other minor courses. This
allowance is found abundant, and the
maintenance of each dog costs about
six cents day. NJ. Van Wesemael
estimates that these 80 dogs he en-
ploys in the central part of the city
cost annually 1926 francs He points
, that if the force had been augmented
by only II additional night guardians
and such addition became absolute.
ly necessary police budget would
have been increased by 10000 francs
year, and yet the service secured
would not have been anything like
so complete as that rendered by the
dogs.
Each recruit receives a brass collar
bearing zinc police-medal, on which
is inscribed his name and the date OF
his birth. He also receives a cot or
cloak, and muzzle so constructed
that it can be instantly removed,
thanks to an elastic arrangement con-
nected with the leash.
During the first fortnight recruits
are kept closely within the kennels,
and forced to obey orders. Next a
policeman will take them out for a
few days so as to make them familiar
with the various beats, whistle-calls,
and other signals. Every one of the
night police, when there is a new re.
cruit to be trained, receives a scrap
Of liver, which he gives to the new.
! conner, so that every man in uniform
appears to the dog as a true friend.
For one month this apprenticeship
stage lasts from two to four hours
every night, and at last the recruit
is able to put in his eight hours with
the rest, and act as scout, and obey
all commands to attack, pursue, leap
swim, walk behind, ahead, or at the
side, etc.
The whole education is directed by
"brigadier-controleur," who, how.
ever, is invariably in plain clothes
and it is he who Stimulates attacks
upon the officers, still further to
heighten their antipathy to non-uni
formed persons.
w. G. FITZGERALD.