Evening star., 1943-01-27
McLemore-
Keeps Dog Home
And Helps Marines
Ry HENRY McLEMORE.

Nv HENRY McLEMORE.
You could have knocked me over
with feather-.a feather of my
cocker spaniers left hind leg-vhen
I read the other day that dogs OF
that breed were doing invaluable
service as scouts and night watch
men at Guadalcanal
An officer on leave from that
Pacific outpost was quoted as say
ing that the lives Of many Marines
had been saved by the noses and
voices of cocker spaniel members
of a Dogs for Defense Unit. The
dogs, working ahead OF patrols, gave
warning of hidden Japanese soldiers
with yips, yaps and barks.
What puzzles me is how the
Marines ever learned to distinguish
between the serious bark of
cocker spaniel and the playful bark.
I have cocker, one Cndy: you
perhaps have read about her. In
her way she is just as distinguished
as My Own Brucie. that champion
of champions My Own Brucie is
at the head Of the cocker spaniel
class and Cindy is at the foot.
For every feather My Own Brucie
has, Cindy hasn't one. My Own
Brucie's ears sprout at the perfect
spot. Cindy's ears start at the
worst spot. In other words, for
every perfect point that My Own
Rrucie has, Cindy has a bad point.
Barks With the Best.
AS the eight regular readers Of
this column know, Cindy Is the
only dog in the country who can
enter IA different classes at the
same dog show without causing any
eyebrow lifting on the part of the
| judges. She has enough Of the
dachshund In her 70 mingle with the
dachshunds as an intimate; enough
OF the mastiff to talk to the mastiffs
in their own language, and enough
! va VIC PNCNlC W iCCl hb IlDfIte WlLT
those frolicsome creatures.
Were Cindy on Guadalcanal she
would bark with the best. OF that I
am sure. But who would know what
she was barking at, II may mangle
the kings English? Cindy, like all
the other cookers I have ever known,
has the same bark for burglar that
she has for her own shadow, or a
bouncing ball, or a firelog that
snaps.
There was time when 7 used to
get up at night and pay attention
to her barks. She would bark in
the small hours and, armed with a
f1ashlight and pair Of shins with
a natural affinity for every sharp
edge Of every piece of furniture, T
would sneak down the stairs to meet
the intruder face to face and have
1t out with him.
AS / nervously searched the house,
Cindys barks would get louder and
louder. Finding nothing, I would
look for her. There she would be.
perched on the sofa which 1 have
framed her never to jump on, bark
ing as If the imps of SATAN were at
her throat. What made her bark2
What was the cause of all this dog
alarm? Sometimes window shade
that tapped, sometimes the shadow
OF tree, sometimes a mouse max
ing merry in another room. Any,
thing, as matter of fact.
Uniform. Perhapsc
How did the Marines on GusdaI.
canal ever learn when to take the
cookers barks seriously? If thew
answered every batk they must have
worn themselves out jumping to
alert" and fixing bayonets and
loading their muskets.
Too, how do you train a cocker
spaniel to range and roam? Cindy
won't get four feet from me when
we are out for walk They tell me
cookers are fine hunting dogs. but If
Cindy is typical of the breed thew
would find only the game that wa,
directly underfoot and ready to be
picked up by the hunter.
OF course, dogs may change once
they get a uniform and get into
active service. Perhaps Cindy, If
she were actually In the armed
forces and being paid by the Govern
ment. would change into a fierce.
wise dog, but I doubt it. I don't
want to boast but believe I havs
performed real service for nv
country by keeping her out of Dog,
Tor Defense. Were she on Guadal-
canal the Marines would be sleepless
besides, the first Jap who tickled her
tnroat and complimented her on her
one feather, would be her friend for
life.
Note to Cindy: Forgive me. v,r,
really don't mean 1t. You're the
pest pup in the world, but we hav.
TO eat, you know
distributed by McNAusht syndio... r,,,
tAf NJ A.