Messenger Dogs in the Field 119 



" Although the conditions in this sector were very trying, 

 the dogs always carried out their work in a thoroughly 

 satisfactory manner and were on many occasions of great 

 assistance. 



" (Signed) Owen H. Read, Lieut. -Colonel, 



" Canterbury Regiment, 

 "N. Z. E. F." 



Another Australian officer told me that one of the sights 

 that impressed him most was his first sight of a messenger 

 dog. He saw it first coming from the direction of the 

 front-line trenches — a little Welsh terrier. The ground 

 it was going over was in a terrible condition and was abso- 

 lutely waterlogged. The little creature was running along 

 hopping, jumping, plunging, and with the most obvious 

 concentration of purpose. He could not imagine what it 

 was doing until it came near, and he saw the message 

 carrier on its neck. As the dog sped past him he noticed 

 the earnest expression in its face. 



Keeper Sergeant Brown was a very intelligent handler of 

 the dogs, and he not only worked them in a scientific 

 manner, but he also did excellently in educating the men 

 in the understanding of the benefit to be obtained by 

 adhering to the regulations governing the dogs. He says : 



" When the men understood the use of the dogs, I had no 

 trouble, but before that they did not know they were being 

 used as messengers. I got permission to go to the bat- 

 talions in my division and give the men a lecture about 

 them, and after that all went well. We then moved to 

 another front. I looked over the ground and found it 

 very rough, with holes and wire, and a great distance from 

 the line — about 6 miles. The officer wanted me to 



