South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-07-05
HUNTING DOGS
POOR WAR DOCS
French Also Discover That the
Female is Superior to
the Male.

PARIS. july 5.-Hunting dogs
make poor war dogs. according to
one OF the specialists who have been
training these animals at the front.
ANOTHER development Of the exper-
fence Of a year ami a half is that
the female is superior TO the male.
The French war dogs are now di-
vided into five classes: CD dog SEN
tinels. 90 patrol dogs; 60 dispatch
bearers: (4} ambulance dogs; 60
draught dogs.
For all but the draught DOGS
French breeds are now preferred.
They are mostly recruited from the
region OF the Beauce good rustic
shepherds that know all the secrets
of the ground. and mountain dogs
from the PyTenees. used 10 rough
ing Il over diHcult country. These
breeds are about the only ones that
continue effective through all the
transformations that the first line OF
defense undergoes. To get the most
out OF them il is necessary to spe-
cialize them. the all round war dog
existing in the imagination.
Stories have been told Of dogs
that have been taught TO growl sig
mails into "A telephone and TO ring
bells on the approach Of cloud Of
sunocatine gas. What the dog has
really learned 10 do is sufficient
without attributing to him fantastic
attachments.
Fearless of Shell Fire.
Dogs have carried messages be-
tween posts three miles apart. arriv-
infallibIy at their destinations and
returning 10 the point of departure,
fearless OF shells and deaf TO any
appeals made TO them en- route. Not
even the frequent upheaval of the
ground over which they have once
passed and the COMMISSIONS Of trails
can put them of their course.
ITO reach this degree of perfec-
ton" says the trainer "one must
take the greatest care to avoid even
the appearance Of brutality toward
AAAE pun NAAR A'-r AlANt1~ iiNf'A ''
frightened while ne is learning a.s
duties. The ambulance dog must
seek, rather than TRAIL the wounded
man and the regulations governing
their use have been found TO be de-
ficient as their development has
proceeded. The rules prescribe. for
Instance. that the dog must be
taught TO bring back the cap Of the
wounded man he has found wound
ed men. however. in great many
instances no longer have a cap
when they are discovered; they
may have helmet with the
jugular under the chin so that the
dog cannot get IL off. The intelli-
gent dog. fortunately, when ne has
finished the training period under
stands what is wanted Of him and
that the brinsing in OF cap is only
q detail: in the absence Of the regu-
'ation cap ne seeks anything else
belonging TO the man he has found
Taught I'm Months.
The most approved method of
training now Is summed up in the
words. Fetch Fetch and seek
wounded, Seek wounded and
fetch" At the end Of three months
of training in this order the dog un-
derstands what he is 10 look for and
that lie is 20 make his master un-
dersrand that ne has found some
one. whether it be by an object
brought back I'm his mouth or by any
other manifestation that his intelli-
gence suggests. Sometimes they
bring i'm a tobacco pouch. a cigar
lighter anything they md in a
mans pocket i'm default Of cap or
handkerchief.
Another mistake i'm the regula-
uons was the requirement that the
dog be trained 90 return 20 his mas
ter ina Straight line The good
searcher operates i'm a zig gag course
and 1t is natural for him to get back