Management of War Dog School 270 



messenger dog is of great value, as it is, therefore, aved 



much temptation. 



There should certainly be some high roads within reach 

 of the school, along which lorry traffic travels. These Q< 

 lumbering vehicles are apt to scare a young dog, espa [ally 

 on a narrow road or street, and they have to learn to 

 past them under all circumstances. Dogs, when running 

 by themselves, are much more careful, than when they are 

 accustomed to walk abroad, accompanied by a careful 

 master, and it is wonderful, taking into consideration the 

 large number of dogs out on the roads, when under traini: 

 or at the Front, and also remembering the enormous amount 

 of lorry and motor traffic, that so few dogs were run 

 down. 



There is no doubt, that the firing of the big guns at Shoe- 

 buryness was a great assistance in training the dogs to 

 loud explosions, and the more or less steady reverberation- 

 of these guns during the war, accustomed them to the sound 

 of artillery. If it had been possible to have expanded the 

 available training ground, it would have been unwise to 

 have moved from this area, but the sea on the east made 

 one impassable barrier, and a river on the north, over which 

 the men could not cross, made another. If at any time 

 ground could be found combining suitability as to surfai 

 and in conjunction with the presence of heavy artillery, it 

 should certainly be chosen. 



Rapidity of output, however, in time of war, completely 

 overrides every consideration, and this can only be attained 

 by the availability of a large portion of territory on which 

 quantities of dogs can be trained simultaneously. It is 

 possible, however, to obtain sufficient training in explosive 

 sounds by using bombs, so that this difficulty can be m- 1 

 in places where there are no guns. 



