Guard Dogs 193 



of the sentries. These positions being adjusted the dogs 

 were able to carry out their duties properly. 



When the whole scheme of guard dogs was first ap- 

 proached, I was asked if I did not think that poison would 

 be one of the chief dangers to which the dogs would be sub- 

 jected. I replied that I did not apprehend any great possi- 

 bility of this, as no unauthorized person would be able to 

 get near enough to the dogs to administer it before his 

 presence would be notified by the dogs, and the sentries 

 would interfere. As it has turned out, I have not had a 

 single report of a casualty from this cause. The only 

 difficulty which I anticipated might arise, was the possi- 

 bility that the individual officers and men, who had charge 

 of the dogs, might wish to save themselves this trouble, 

 and send in bad or indifferent reports, so as to have the 

 dogs removed. This fear was, I am glad to say, falsified, 

 and, on the contrary, the reports testify to the greatly 

 increased sense of security and assistance in their duties, 

 which the sentries derived from the presence of the dogs. 



On the return from duty to the War Dog School on the 

 demobilization of the various defence corps, it was gratify- 

 ing to find, that the dogs came in, in first-class condition, 

 fat and well cared for and happy-looking, which is a further 

 testimony to the fact that the) 7 were appreciated by officers 

 and men. 



The sense of guardianship, which is inherent in some 

 dogs, and by judicious training can be intensified, is won- 

 derfully shown forth in the following reports, chosen out 

 of several hundreds of similar burden, which were sent 

 in by the officials in charge of the dogs, at the various 

 centres where the dogs were stationed. The great point to 

 notice is the general consensus of opinion, as to the efficient 

 manner in which the dogs did their work, also that in 



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