254 British War Dogs 



THE EMPLOYMENT OF MESSENGER DOGS 



DIRECTIONS FOR TRAINING MESSENGER DOGS 



I. — Object 



" Economy in labour and human life by the use of dogs 

 for rapid transmission of written information (or sketches). 



II. — Organization 



Messenger dogs are constituent parts of the organization 

 of infantry signalling detachments. An infantry regiment 

 may have a maximum of 12 dogs allotted to it, and an 

 independent battalion, 6. The allotment is made by the 

 Messenger Dog Sections (Meldehundsiaffeln) at Army 

 Headquarters. 



Every Army Headquarters on the Western Front has at 

 its disposal a Messenger Dog Section (consisting of one 

 officer, staff trainers and dogs). It undertakes the training 

 of dogs sent from Germany, serves as depot for first equip- 

 ment and subsequent drafts, instructs the messenger dog 

 attendants appointed by the infantry, and carries out the 

 additional training of the dogs whose work at the front has 

 been unsatisfactory. On the East and South-East Fronts, 

 groups of armies only are provided with Messenger Dog 

 Sections. 



The men required are detailed by the troops, an 

 attendant and an assistant attendant (attendant file) 

 to each dog, and also, if possible, a supernumerary attendant 

 to be instructed as messenger dog attendant with the Army 

 Headquarters concerned. The period of instruction lasts 

 from three to five weeks. Those men only are to be accepted 

 who have a genuine love of dogs. On this essentially the 

 animals' performances depend. 



