Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-03-30
DOGS OF WAR

within range or turkish guns, winch,
up to now, had not been fired.
DOGS OF WAR
Those Clever Trained CANNES Are In
comparable Sentries.
Major E. H. Richardson has an in
teresting article in the London Army
and Navy Gazette Of January 9, 1915,
says the Army and Navy Journal, from
which we quote the following:
Several years ago when trying to
stir up similar efforts in this country,
I pointed out that an efficient scheme
of mobilization was in existence in
Germany, whereby everyone Of these
thousands of police dogs would be
modified, and would give the troops
immense assistance and protection.
This mobilization has now taken place,
and on all fronts there must be about
10000 dogs working with German
troops. Fortunately the same, to a
great extent, may be said Of Russia.
In June last, I was invited to Judge the
military and police dog trials in st.
Petersburg, and was greatly struck
with with the importance which the
army and police attached to the whole
subject. Trained dogs were brought
from all parts Of Russia and Siberia to
the trials, and in fact, I believe the
various towns and districts from
which they emanated amounted to
$50. The crack Russian regiments
such as the Ismailovsky, Semenovsky,
Pavlovsky, Guard Hussars, etc.-all
have numbers Of dogs attached to
them. France has given a certain
amount Of attention to the subject, but
not along the most practical lines.
There are three different duties for
which dogs are being utilized. AS aids
to the searcher and ambulance bear
ers, as messengers, and to accompany
the sentries and patrols at night. In
my opinion there is no. question, but
that the last named duty takes i'm
mensely superior precedence Of the
other two duties.
The drawback to the ambulance
dog is that the handler Of the dog re-
quires to thoroughly understand how
to work him. In fact, he requires to
be trained In peace time as we'll as the
dog.
The messenger dog I have always
maintained, would be apt, in actual
warfare to make mistakes, and run in
to the enemy's lines. This has, as a
matter Of fact, happened in this war.
On several occasions the German mes
senger dogs have run into u trenches.
At first our soldiers did not realize they
were carrying messages, and they
were allowed to pass unmolested. Since
the real use was discovered, the dogs
are Immediately shot.
The night sentry and patrol dog,
however, cannot be too highly praised
and advocated. The invaluable use
Of these Is being demonstrated on all
fronts.
Now in the French army the lat
ter service has been neglected. One or
two French officers tried to bring it
up within the last two years but any
attention the government gave at all,
before the war, to the subject, a d.
verted to ambulance dogs. This has
been found to be a mistake.
ITO refer again to sentry dogs in the
French army, 1t was suggested by one
or two officers in the defensive zone
at one Of the great fortresses, during
the early stages Of the war, that a
few trained sentry dogs should be OBJ
tanned to assist the sentries in detect
in the approach Of the enemy at night,
and thus prevent night surprises.
These few dogs turned out very use
full, and no night attacks after their
arrival were successful on the part of
the enemy. The consequence Of this
has been that the French army are now
endeavoring to secure as many trained
dogs as they can for their front.
1.-The work Of selecting, testing and
training these dogs Is considerable, as
it must not be supposed that any ordi-
nary watch dog is suitable. 1t Is a
curious fact that very often a dog that
has proved itself to be a first-rate
houseguard and watch is Of no use at
all when away from that particular
environment. The sentry dog has to
start with a peculiar temperament. He
must act on the defensive in any spot
and with any person to whom he may
be attached. OF course, in effect af-
ter a dog has been some time with a
particular regiment he begins to rec
ognize all the men Of that regiment as
in his charge, and cal even distinguish
between them and those Of other regi-
ments. The reason of this is that diff
ferent bodies Of men living together
have different scents, and the dog is
able to distinguish between these quite
apart from any distinction Of uniform"
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