USED BY GREAT ARMIES 



At the present moment most of the modern armies employ dogs, although naturally 

 opinions differ as to the most suitable type of dog. The Russians have adopted the 

 Caucasian dog, Austria, Dalmatians; Turkey, Asiatic Sheepdogs; France and Belgium, 

 the smugglers' dogs of the Belgium frontier ; while Germany uses Collies, Pointers and 

 Airedales. So far the British Army has ignored the value of trained dogs, though the 

 Admiralty some five years ago instituted a scheme for the use of dogs in naval stations 

 ashore. Major Richardson believes that the only really useful dogs are the Airedale, 

 Sheepdog, and Bloodhound. 



What part dogs will play in the present great conflict time only will show, but that 

 it will probably be a large one may be gathered from the fact that the German army 

 alone possesses over 6,000. 





.. - '^mnSBBBHR 



Corps of Sentry Dogs 



The importance of determining some efficient and economical form of traction for 

 Infantry machine guns had been under consideration in Belgium before the war. Up 

 till recently, pack-horse transport had been considered the most satisfactory system. 

 Exhaustive trials between this method and that of wheel traction by a pair of dogs of 

 a breed known in that country as the Belgian Mastiff, have, however, resulted in favour 

 of the latter, and the final adoption of this mode of transport for the Machine Gun 

 Units of the Belgium Army. This form of traction is not novel in Belgium in civil 

 life. According to the Journal of the Royal Artillery the breeding of dogs for light 

 draught purposes has long been in vogue in that country, for the purpose of conveying 

 farm produce from the country into the towns. Dog traction is employed by the 

 country people, milkmen, bakers, greengrocers, and many artisans with light carts, 

 in conducting their trade and business. There are reckoned to be 50,000 dogs available 

 for this purpose in Belgium, of which 10,000 are in Brussels alone. They are found 

 to be admirably suited for the purpose. Their bodies are thick set, loins strong, and 

 they have deep chests, and muscular limbs. A dog of 110 Ibs. weight is capable of 

 drawing on a good road a load of 880 Ibs., and a horse 1,100 to 1,300 Ibs. (or ten times 

 and upwards the weight of one of these dogs), cannot draw much more than the 

 equivalent increase of his weight. With an average load of 660 Ibs. behind the team on 

 good roads, a dog can keep up for long distances a pace of 4 or 5 miles an hour; for 

 several hundred yards he can attain a speed of from 6 to 7 miles an hour. 



The price of a pack-horse is not less than 40, and his daily forage may be reckoned 

 to cost about 1/4^/2 a day, without taking into consideration the construction and up- 

 keep of his stable. The pack-saddle costs about IS, whereas dog harness can be pur- 

 chased for the pair of dogs for something less than 4. A male dog costs 4, and his 

 food per day amounts to about 4^d. Finally, the small carriage for the machine gun 

 or ammunition cart costs about 8, and the net cost for construction and unkeep of 

 kennels is something small. Moreover, as the dog does not require shoes, lameness 

 is rare, which we well know from the enormous distances he can go when hunting. 

 He is intelligent and docile, and puts all his heart into serving his master faithfully 

 under all circumstances. The length of his military service may be taken at from 

 eight to nine years. The discipline of the trained dog is such that an untrained dog, 

 harnessed with him, would be compelled to submit to all the movements of the former. 

 On the march, and under fire, one can rely on his working till absolutely exhausted 

 or mortally wounded. These are the qualities which can be developed in the breeding 

 kennel, and in his subsequent training. The four wheels of the little gun carriage 



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