270 British War Dogs 



previously thoroughly scrubbed and lime-washed and aired. 

 This process of changing kennels should be carried out 

 every fortnight, in winter time, if possible, provided there 

 are sufficient spare kennels, and in summer time once a 

 month. An important point also is, that the entire ground 

 must be changed frequently, certainly once a month. The 

 advantage of the portable kennel is quickly seen, as it is 

 easy to shift a hundred of these in a day, by turning on 

 men to that duty, and the comfort of the dogs is greatly 

 increased. Another thing that may seem of small account, 

 but makes for very greatly increased happiness and well- 

 being, is to turn the kennels round according to which way 

 the wind is blowing. The front should always be turned 

 away from the wind. This question of shifting the kennels 

 round must also be remembered in summer, in relation to 

 the sun, when it is very hot, and the front should always 

 be turned away from the sun. Dogs dislike extremes of 

 heat or cold, and while they are undergoing training and 

 hardening, I have found it much the most effectual way to 

 mitigate these conditions for them in a practical manner. 

 If this is done at that period, they will later be much better 

 able to endure anj- rigours they might be temporarily asked 

 to undergo. Even in the field, however, the instructions 

 are, that every means must be taken to keep the dogs warm 

 and out of the cold wind, when they are in the front line, 

 and when they are at the rest kennels, careful regulations 

 are in force, to this end. 



The best position for the lines of kennels at the War Dog 

 School is, if possible, under trees. When the school was 

 in the New Forest, the shade of the beech trees was a great 

 advantage in summer, and the pine trees afforded excellent 

 protection from the rain, snow and wind in winter. The 

 method of attaching the dogs to the kennels, depends on 



