Management of War Dog School 275 



at Shoeburyness, where the War Dog School \vi i 

 started, was extremely satisfactory from this point of vii 

 as all these features were represented in the marsh 

 the sea. It was unfortunate that the area \v i in- 



filled when, later on, a greatly increased establishment 

 was ordered by the War Office. The change, howev 

 to the New Forest was in no way disadvant igeous in this 

 respect, as the trackless woods, deep heather, bogs and 

 streams, all added to the difficulties of the messenger d 

 homeward journey. The wide extent of country available 

 here was useful, as it was possible to send out large quan- 

 tities of dogs in a complete circle for several miles round, 

 and in this way relays of pupils in different stages of 

 training, could all be sent out at one time. There \\ 

 sometimes as many as seventy or eighty dogs running 

 at the same time. There is nothing so strengthening and 

 hardening for the new dogs, as gradually increasing daily 

 journeys over rough, difficult ground. Where an animal 

 may have intensely disliked getting even its feet v 

 (which many dogs do), it will come in time to plunge u 

 a canal or river, and come home to its kennel to rest, with- 

 out taking any harm, having been hardened up to ; 

 point, by being first trained through wet grass or he i 

 and across shallow streams. A paragraph from an off] 

 report which bears on this point, when referring to th 

 working of the messenger dogs, may be quoted : 

 " The average distance from battalions to bri 

 about three and a half kilometres, and the ti 

 averaged twenty minutes. The best time was 

 minutes for three and a half kilometres. . . . Th 

 one or two obstacles to be surmounted, viz. 

 cases two lines of wire, and in others, a canal to be a 

 Most of the dogs swam across." 





