Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-05-11
POLICE DOGS HAVE HISTORIAN.
Federal Pamphlet Reoounts Marvellous
Work In Europe.

Federal Pamphlet Reeounts Marvellous
Work In Europe.
The utilization of dogs as guardians
of peace and in the detection Of GRIM
inals In Europe, says Washington let
ter, is described in an illustrated mon
ograph entitled Police and Work
Dogs" issued by the bureau of manu-
factures. The information was gather
ed by Consul General Diederich, at
Antwerp, and Consul Johnson, at Liege,
and tells of the use of dogs by the po-
lice in Europe. methods Of training
service performed and dogs as draft
animals.
Today there are in Germany almost
500 police departments that keep dogs
for assistants, and the common council
of Paris Is discussing the advisability
of spending about $2,50O per annum for
the further development of the police
dog system.
Wonderful feats accomplished by the
Belgian shepherd dog are strfkingly
shown. This animal is reported to un-
dergo a long training for attack. de-
tense and scouting. While these ac-
complishments are rather difficult for
a brute to master, yet 1t is claimed that
several animals, which came up for
civil service examination, won diplomas
after having shown themselves capable
of going through the training lessons
with remarkable accuracy and intelli-
gence.
The service of the police dog In Eu-
rope includes guarding any given OBJ
ject in the absence Of its master when
suddenly attacked, tracing individuals,
making known hiding places by bark
ing without biting, and keeping indi-
yiduals at bay until the arrival OF Its
master; IL flight is attempted the dog
must attack and follow the individual
through house II necessary.
The persistence with which the Bel
gian shepherd dog will stand by his
master is worthy of note. When any
one passes the policeman, the dog,
though making no hostile demonstra-
ton, will at once regard him with
marked disfavor. When, on the other
hand, man pretends to strike the po-
liesnan, the dog becomes savage and
leaps at the throat Of the aggressor
with great fury. Though prevented by
the muzzle from seizing such aggres-
sors, they will throw themselves against
the chest with sufficient force to knock
down the strongest man. "A 50-pound
dog, we'll trained, can easily throw
powerful man while on the run. The
dogs run into alleys, behind houses and
outbuildings, and into the thousand and
one places where thief may be In hid
ing.
Police dogs are also being used at
Rotterdam and in about 80 towns In
Belgium, and Of these the city OF Ghent
has been most successful in training
and employing them. Great difficulty
was experienced in selecting the animal
best adapted to such service, but the
Belgian shepherd dog finally was chos-
en-. He was found to be the most In
telligent, possessed of remarkable quail
tiles of endurance, an excellent watch
dog, active and possessed Of dauntless
courage.
It is declared that no matter how well
trained police dogs may be, they can
be of only little practical use In the
heart Of large cities or densely popu-
lated quarters. but the best results are
obtained In suburban districts or rural
sections, where night watchmen patrol
a large territory.