Training and Management 75 



i n the trenches to receive the dog on its return from bat- 

 talion headquarters, where it will have delivered its 

 message to its keeper there, and will have been directed 

 to return by him, probably with a reply message. This 

 system, besides necessitating the training of a much larger 

 staff of keepers in the first instance, also entails a consider- 

 ably greater wastage of life, both among the men themselves 

 and the dogs, as the position of the keeper in the front line 

 is fraught with risk, and the dogs are also required to run 

 a double journey over the danger area. 



When the work was officially commenced of training 

 these dogs the man-power question was already becoming 

 serious, and became much more acute later on, so that the 

 second difficulty alone would have made the simpler system 

 more advisable. In commenting on the two systems, I 

 would say that, were training to be kept up permanently 

 in our Army in peace time, I would certainly advise that 

 a certain number of liaison dogs should always be kept 

 in training. At the same time, I still believe that the bulk 

 of the dogs, as a whole, should be trained for active warfare 

 on the simpler principle, and in the event of large quantities 

 of messenger dogs being hurriedly required again, and no 

 training having been carried on in peace time, the one 

 direction-trained dog is unquestionably the best for the 

 emergency, as it can be trained quickly and reliably, and 

 many dogs can be utilized that will do this method well, 

 but would be incapable of the other more difficult system. 



The hour of training is eagerly anticipated by the dogs, 

 and they are in a high state of excitement when led out 

 on to the parade ground by the keepers. It is better, if 

 possible, that each man should concern himself with two 

 dogs only at this time, but in the case of the more advanced 

 classes, it is sometimes necessary, if the number of dogs 



