The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-01-09
NOT A WOUNDED
MAN HAS BEEN
OVERLOOKED
On a Battlefield Searched By "Red Cross
Dogs" So the German Red Cross
Department Reports.

Correspondence of the Associated Press
AK La Chapelle, Jan. 0--The records
Of the German R,d Cross department
show that so far after nearly foul
months of warfare, not a single wound
ed man has been overlooked on bat.
tlefield searched by "Red Cross Dogs.
As result of this the term "man's best
friend" which is often applied to dogs
has real significance to the German sol
der to-day. Many wounded soldier
/. French German and English alike, has
to thank one of these dogs for the pre-
servation of his life: Had it not been
that the dog had found him and sum
moned assistance he might have per-
ished.
1t has been shown that all breeds of
dogs may be trained for this service.
The majority employed by the German
Red Cross are Dobermanns, German
shepherds, RottWeilers, and Airedale ter
riers. There are representa- lives of other
canine families, however, and not few
would be classed as ours" In fact some
of the mixed breeds have distinguished
themselves for the rapidity with which
they have learned their business. A
breed known in Belgium as the police
dog" has also done wen.
Many Red Cross dogs had been train
ed by the German army before the war
broke out. In this case training had
started when the animal was about
six months old For about six months
after the dog has been taken in hand
he is taught no more than to obey his
master implicitly, After that his pro
fessional" education begins. Since the
outbreak of the war it has been neces-
sary to train dogs in shorter period,
and in many cases this has been done
with the aid of another dog. who in addi-
ton to being an expert Red Cross work
had also the quality of not being mis-
lead by his apprentice When dog is
trained in this manner he is paired with
a veteran and soon begins to under
stand what is expected of him. Never
theless the schooling of the animal re-
quires much attention on the part OF the
master
The dogs are trained under a sys-
tenn in which patience and kind treat
ment are the principal elements Again
and again the master of the dog viii
take the animal to man who Stimulates
being wounded, or who, nowadays ac-
tually is slightly wounded.
Whether or not the scent helps the
animal to find the wounded is an unan-
swered question. II is believed that such |
is the case, but in training the dog this |
is not taken into consideration The /
dog is taught to search the field by in |
specting every bush and ditch.
The dogs are brought on the ground |
by a man from the Red Cross company.
who. as rule, has from two TO four
Of them on leash. When the man con.
siders the Geld safe for the dogs he.
turns them loose with an appropriate
command, and then attends TO such
as be can find himself
After a while the dogs return TO re-
port. The manner in which the animals
10 this depends upon their own traits
So far IL has been found very difficult
10 keep the dog from barking when he
mas found a wounded man and instead
each a signal that would Indicate Slat
he had found one. This Is hardly need
u, however As a rule the dog which
las not found a wounded man returns
o his master with sauntering gait and
hows neither excitement nor eagerness
o leave again. His action is different
when has search has been successful. In
hat case the dog generally comes tear
ng across the field circles about his
Master and nuns back and forth in the
direction OF where the wounded man has
cen found The Red Cross man then
ollow- Gle dog. eivos the wounded man
rst aid and makes arrangements for
b. removal 10 the field dressing sta
ion or ambulance.
Where the ground Is difficult and the
rea 10 b. searched small or when the
mes Of the enemy are still too near. the !
sed Cross man keeps one 81 his dogs on
long line and searches the field in
his manner