Messenger Dogs in the Field 93 



to take Mount Kemmel last year. He was shot at Nieppe 

 Forest bringing a very important message as the 31st 

 Division was held up. The poor dog was liberated 

 under a barrage of machine-gun fire and was killed on 

 me. 



" Poor old 'Mop,' No. 60, did very-good and would run 

 a message, say 4 miles, in 12 mins. — she was very reliable." 



To revert once more to the subject of pure-bred dogs 

 I may mention a collie called " Nell," which was one of 

 the first to go to France. This was a sable and white, 

 perfectly pure-bred dog, sensitive and highly strung, and 

 to look at her one would have thought there was no room 

 in her narrow skull for brains. Nevertheless she developed 

 very wonderful intelligence, and worked steadily to the 

 end of the war. It can safely be said that this dog alone 

 saved hundreds of lives. She is now living in honourable 

 seclusion, in the home of her keeper to whom she was 

 devoted. 



My object in specially mentioning again the subject 

 of pure-bred dogs, is that a very general idea prevails, 

 that only mongrels have any real sense of cleverness. My 

 own experience goes to show, however, that while one comes 

 across many extraordinarily clever mongrels, there are 

 also quite as many clever dogs of the pure-bred varieties. 

 These may sometimes individually need greater care and 

 patience in training, as they are occasionally somewhat 

 highly strung, but to suppose that pure-bred dogs are 

 necessarily lacking in intelligence is a mistake. 



Keeper Dowdeswell tells of the wonderful sense of duty 

 displayed by his dog " Smiler," which was a lurcher cross. 

 The dog brought his message in safely although severely 

 wounded. 



