Guard Dogs 191 



tected crime all over the country. Man's natural guardian 

 has been destroyed in such numbers, that the assassin and 

 burglar can approach and depart unmolested. The remark 

 of an old writer, and quoted by Mr. Darwin, might well 

 be remembered, when a course of injustice is meted out to 

 the faithful associate of man. " A dog is the only thing 

 on this earth that loves you more than he loves himself." 



When the War Office decided that guard dogs were also 

 to be trained at the school, the following breeds were ap- 

 pealed for, in addition to those mentioned in the chapter on 

 Messenger Dogs : Great Danes, mastiffs, bull-mastiffs, bull- 

 terriers, retrievers, bull-dogs, and crosses of these breeds. 



The selection and training of these guard dogs was one 

 of the chief duties of the War Dog School. As each dog 

 arrived, it was first tested for dispatch-carrying, and if, 

 after a time, it showed no aptitude for this, it was then 

 tested for guard duty, and put on a special part of the 

 ground set aside for this branch of the training. The dogs 

 rested during the day, and were trained at night, and the 

 men, who were especially selected for the training of these 

 guard dogs, rested during the day like the dogs, and came 

 on for duty on night shifts. 



The dogs were attached by a running chain to long wires, 

 fifty to one hundred yards long, fastened to stakes in the 

 ground. Each dog had a kennel to retire to in case of 

 inclement weather at night. The duty of the trainers 

 was to advance at various distances and angles, and observe 

 the growing acumen of the dogs, as their senses of sight, 

 hearing, scent, and general alertness became trained. 



I have already said that the demand for these dogs came 

 at a time when the man-power question was becoming very 

 serious. It was increasingly difficult for the stores, maga- 

 zines and filling factories to be adequately guarded. The 



