The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-11
DOGS BIG HELP
is PATROLS IN
FRENCH ARMY

: PARIS. Oct 11.-Although not
equaling in number the dogs in the
German army. the French now have
twelve hundred dogs on the battle
front. where they are doing notable
work. They are divided into three
classes. patrol dogs, linking dogs and
ambulance dogs.
In q statement describing the work
OF these canine aids. o. Bert. secre-
tary Of the French Association for
Training Military Dogs, said:
The patrol dogs are always Of the
sheepdog breed, chiefly from Picardy.
or Flanders. and noted for their in
tellisence and sense OF smell. Their
calm Temperament. too. counts. The
for terrier also was tried, but his
nervous system was found to be too
excitable. The sheepdog's sense of
smell IL wonderful: he easily detects
the presence Of IN enemy 100 or even
$50 yards away.
~. Dogs Easily Trained.
The training of the dog for sen
tinel or patrol work, when he is al
ways accompanied by soldiers. is sim.
pie and speedy. OF course, there is,
first Of all, a selection of specially
intelligent dogs made in Paris, but
when the dogs selected have been
sent to the front 1t requires only four
nights teaching to make them fit tor
their work. The chief difficulty is to
make them learn not to bark, but only
growl. Violence is never used; tap
or two on the head Is enough when
they start barking. -" &
"The training OF dogs for linking
purposes-that is for keeping two
bodies. Of soldiers in touch with one
another-requires two months. The
course for an ambulance dog il nearly
. year. The ambulance dog, unlike
the patrol or linking dog, must be
taught to bark 50 as to give notice to
the battlefield searchers when he has
found wounded man.
In the case of patrol and linking
dogs there must always be some one
whom the dog knows at the point to
which he is to be sent. The dog must
have exceptional qualities If he is to
act independently; II he is to be used,
for instance. for dragging a stretcher
out to wounded men under fire, or
small portable kitchens on broadguage
wheels to- men In an advanced fight
ing line. or at listening post. They
can not be used for independent work
where woods or forests have to be ne
gotiated.
Dogs Remarkably Fast.
In linking work the dog at the out
set always makes first for his point Of
departure, and from there starts for
his point of departure, and from there
starts for the detachment to which he
is to carry his message, but on his
second or third journey his sense Of
smell enables him to make a short
cut between the two points. The
speed shown by the linking dogs is
sometimes remarkable. One strong
dog has been. known to cover a mile
in less than five minutes, and at
maneuvers before the war, dogs sent
out on linking duty returned thirty
five minutes before a squadron of cav
airy dispatched on the same duty at
the same time.
The patrol or sentinel dog works
only at night. During the day he
stays in the trenches with the men,
most of his time asleep. Then when
night descends, he leaps with the pa
troll or listening party out of the
trenches and passes the hours until
dawn In the the periolous work of
patroling the four or Ave hundred
yards Of front the party is assigned
to cover. Thanks to him the party is
insured against surprise by an enemy
patrol"