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BRITISH WAR DOGS
THEIR TRAINING AND PSYCHOLOGY
BY
Lt.-Colonel E. H. RICHARDSON
Late Commandant of the British War Dog School
Bv)
m
LONDON: SKEFFINGTON & SON. LTD.
34. SOUTHAMPTON STREET. STRAND. W.C.2
This book is dedicated to the brave
Dogs of Britain who helped their
country in her hour of need. :: ::
FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.
"And God made the beast of the
earth . . . and God saw that it was
good."— Gen. I. 25.
458095
CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE
I. — Historical n
II. — How THE Movement began in the British Army 51
III. — The Messenger Dog : Training and Manage-
ment 64
IV. — Messenger Dogs in the Field ... 82
V. — Instinct i34
VI.— The Homing Instinct 163
VII.— Guard Dogs 183
VIII.— Sentry Dogs 214
IX.— Dogs with Foreign Armies .... 234
X.— Management and Policy of War Dog School 264
XL— Conclusion 284
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Lieut. -Colonel E. H. Richardson, R.E., Com-
mandant of the British War Dog School during
the War ....... Frontispiece
Training the Messenger Dog to go over the Top .Facing p. 64
A Sentry Dog „ 65
Training Messenger Dogs to the Smoke Barrage . „ 65
Roman ........,, 80
Training War Dogs to Shell-fire . . . . „ 80
Type of Kennel used ...... 81
Training the Messenger Dog to Water . . „ 81
Keeper Reid with Tweed (left) . . . . „ 96
Messenger Dog bringing a Message across a Canal
on the Western Front . . . . . „ 112
Arrival of Dog with Message for the Commandant
brought from a Point some miles off . . „ 112
Messenger Dog. Putting the Message in the Dog's
CoUar „ 113
Messenger Dog on Western Front going over
SheU-holes „ 113
Training Messenger Dogs to Rifle-fire . . . „ 128
Training Messenger Dogs to cross Barbed Wire
Entanglements ....... 129
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Keeper CouU with three Messenger Dogs
which
saved many lives ..... .Facing p.
160
Messenger Dog Nell ....
161
Messenger Dogs clearing Obstacles
176
Sending off a Message
177
Guard Dog guarding a Magazine
208
Morning Parade of Guard Dogs
208
A group of trained Guard Dogs
209
Morning Parade of War Dogs .
209
Sentry Dog on Duty
224
Sentry Dog guarding Kit on Western Front
224
Sentry Dog. This Dog went out with the Ex-
peditionary Force in 19 14, and was killed on the
Aisne .........
225
Sentry Dog on Western Front, sent to Belgian
Army in 1914 .......
225
Mrs. Richardson and some of her Pupils
„
256
Training War Dogs. In the Trenches at the
School (part of the Ground) ....
Part of the Training Ground at the War Dog
School. .......
Off to the Training Ground ....
Training War Dogs to cross Obstacles
257
272
273
273
BRITISH WAR DOGS
CHAPTER I
HISTORICAL
" When wise Ulysses ....
Arrived at last.
Poor, old, disguised, alone.
To all his friends and even his queen unknown,
The faithful dog alone his master knew.
Him, when he saw, he rose and crawled to meet,
('Twas all he could), and fawned and kissed his feet.
Seized with dumb joy —
Then falling by his side.
Owned his returning lord.
Looked up, and died."
Pope.
THE earliest remains of the dog are found in the
Upper Phocene deposits and at the end of the
Tertiary period. There have been five distinct varieties
discovered at different times, but the three most impcjrtant
are the cams familiar is palustris, canis familiar is Anutschin
and the canis familiaris of the Bronze Age.
The skull of the first-named represents a smallish dog,
and would seem to be the parent of the Chows, Pomeranian
and Spitz dogs. The skull of the Bronze Age dog shows
a much larger development, and is practically identical
with the modern sheep dog. Some dog skulls, which were
dug up in Roman remains, closely resemble those of the
II
12 British War Dogs
Bronze period, and also of our sheep dogs, and form
an interesting link between the dog of prehistoric man and
our own, and also show how true to type this particular
dog seems to have remained, in essential characteristics.
The aclual origin of the dog — that is to say, whether it
has always been a species by itself, or whether it is a
descendant of a wild animal, such as the wolf or jackal,
has never been satisfactorily decided. Many naturalists and
scientific men have leant to the conclusion, that it has
always been a distinct species, and certainly, the more one
studies the subject, the greater does the likelihood seem
that they are right .^ Count Buff on, in his book on " Natural
History," a.d. 1749, gives an account of an experiment he
carried out. He says : "In our climates the wolf and fox
make the nearest approach to the dog, particularly the shep-
herd's dog, which I consider as the original stock of the
species ; and as their internal structure is almost entirely the
same and their external differences very slight, I wished to
try if they would intermix and produce together. . . . With
this in view, I reared a she-wolf, taken in the woods at
the age of three months, along with an Irish greyhound
of the same age. They were shut up together in a pretty
large court, to which no other beast could have access, and
they were provided with shelter for their retirement. They
were kept in this state three years, without the smallest
restraint. During the first year they played perpetually,
and seemed extremely fond of each other. The second
year they began to quarrel about their food, though they
were supplied in a plentiful manner. The wolf always
began the dispute. The wolf, instead of seizing the meat,
instantly drove off the dog, then laid hold of the edge of
the plate so dexterously, as to allow nothing to fall, and
carried off the whole. I have seen her run in this manner
Historical 18
five or six times round the wall, and never set it down,
save to take breath, to devour the meat, or to attack the dog
when he approached. After the second year these quarrels
and combats became more frequent and more serious.
In the third year it was hoped to breed from them, but this
condition, instead of softening them and making them
approach each other, rendered them more intractable and
ferocious. Nothing now was heard but dismal howhngs
and cries of resentment."
Finally this sad story is closed with an account of the
destruction of the wolf by the dog.
Buffon also tried experiments in the same way with foxes
and dogs, but the result was the same — strong antagonism
or indifference. It therefore seems impossible to credit
that any races, with such intensely strong natural anti-
pathy to each other, can at any time have been united in
a common ancestor. And the fact that, although so like
each other in structure and appearance, this great anta-
gonism does exist, seems to emphasize with corresponding
significance the curious differences in the appearance of dogs
themselves, and yet the entire absence of enmity. For
instance, the St. Bernard dog and the Pekinese spaniel
are, in appearance, as opposite as possible, and yet they
each recognize in each other the same species.
There is no doubt but that scent enters very largely into
this question of species. As human beings, we have, to a
great extent, lost all understanding of the properties of
scent, as understood by the dogs, and animal creation
generally. They are far ahead of us in this respect. The
greater part of their powers of recognition come from this
quality of scent, and they also use it as a means of com-
munication from the one to the other, and, in fact, it
assumes the importance of a form of language with them.
14 British War Dogs
I believe it is in this particular, that the great ineradicable
separation exists, between the dog, and those animals of
kindred appearance. The body scent is completely dif-
ferent, and we human beings are unable to explain the
meaning of the difference, because we do not understand
the language of scent. Buff on continued many experi-
ments with wolves and wolf cubs, but found that the
natural habits and instincts of the latter varied from the
dog in so many ways, such as the time of gestation, its manner
of selecting its mate, rearing the young, etc., etc. He sums
the whole matter up in the following downright sentence :
" The wolf and the dog have never been regarded as the
same animal, but by the nomenclators of Nature History,
who, being acquainted with the surface of nature only,
never extend their views beyond their own methods, which
are always deceitful and often erroneous, even in the most
obvious facts."
That the association of the dog with man, is of such an
ancient origin, is, in itself, a very remarkable fact. The
cause of that association, in the first place, was probably
the recognition of a common interest. Thus, just as the
starlings associate with sheep, so the dog found that the
habits and food of man, accorded with its own desires,
and it began to follow the tracks of the hunters in the chase,
with the hope of participating in a portion of the remains
of the quarry. It would also frequent the camps and
dwellings of primitive man, to inspect the offal heaps.
Man would soon observe the useful scenting properties of
the dog, and also its natural instinct for guarding, and
would lay himself out to tame and train such a useful
animal. The dog, being naturally sociable, would quickly
respond, and would also soon find, that, as so many of the
pleasures and comforts of man, were such as it thoroughly
Historical 15
appreciated, it was well worth while to adopt man and his
surroundings, as its natural master and habitat.
An interesting deduction on this point is made by some
writers, who state, that because in some of the most ancient
middens, no small bones of wild animals are discovered,
but only those of large size, the inference is, that the small-
sized bones were eaten by the camp dogs.
In considering this question of the association of dog with
man during the earliest times, we seem again to deduce,
that the dog must always have been a distinct race, from
the fact, that the other animals of similar appearance, had
the same opportunities to act in a hke manner towards
man, but did not do so. The instinct did not seem to be
there. To this day, the wolf and the fox, and other allied
animals, are practically untameable, and where the
dog instinctively Hcks your hand, the wolf Hcks the
blood.
It seems certainly most probable, therefore, that all dogs
are descended from a common ancestor of the same species.
Opinion varies as to which is the most ancient breed, but
it seems likely that the sheep dog can claim precedence
over all others. Many people assume that the greyhound
is the most ancient, by the fact that specimens are repre-
sented on some of the oldest Egyptian monuments, or, at
all events, representations of dogs that most resemble
this breed. This might easily be, however, because they
were useful to the upper classes of that period for hunting
purposes, and, therefore, stood for the canine aristocracy
of the age. The same impression might be conveyed to
future remote generations of the present age — and quite
erroneously — if a number of canvases of the Royal Academy
were dug up, in which the fashionable ladies are depicted
with Pekinese>paniels, while the honest, homely,, working
16 British War Dogs
drover's collie, one of our most important breeds from a
practical point of view, would not be ce- ed pictorially.
It is, however, an open question, as to wht^thei Ih. : .Jep
dog was not quite as ancient as the greyhound, as we have
very ancient testimony as to its use by the keepers of the
flocks, and for guarding purposes of all kinds. The Tibetan
sheep dog of the present day stands for a very ancient
race, which was probably of a larger and fiercer description.
The Pyrenean dog is also the descendant of the guardians
of mountain fastnesses, as is also the same type of dog to
be found in the mountainous region of Italy and Middle
Europe. There seems to be every reason for believing, that
this class of animal in all these countries, is descended
from a common ancestor of great size and courage, in some
cases shaggy, and in others more of the mastiff appear-
ance, and greatly prized on account of the determined
and unflinching fidelity to the property and person of its
owners. Referring to such animals, Homer says :
" Nor last forget thy faithful dogs, but feed
With fattening whey the mastifi's generous breed
And Spartan race, who for the fold's relief,
Will prosecute with cries the nightly thief ;
Repulse the prowling wolf, and hold at bay
The mountain robbers rushing to their prey."
In Job is found the following allusion to dogs, in Chapter
XXX., verse i :
" Whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with
the dogs of my flocks."
There are, however, dogs of other breeds depicted on
the ancient temples of Assyria, and which have been
brought to light during excavations. Some of these show
a large-headed dog somewhat like a St. Bernard. A collar
Historical 17
of leaves, or of leather, or of metal wrought in design, is
round the x^ef}' jjThe name of the dog is also frequently
g' -^ar 1 gfcVo-i'iiily indicates some form of prowess.
Evliya Effendi, the Turkish traveller of the seventeenth
century, when commenting on many things, mentions dogs.
He says : " The size of asses, and fierce as Uons from
Africa, in double or triple chains, covered with rich cloth,
and wearing silver collars and neck rings. They perform
everything they are told to perform, and if bid to do so,
will bring down a fellow from horse-back, however stout
a fellow he may be. The shepherds look on these as their
companions and brethren, and do not object to eat out of
the dish with them."
It must be remembered that although these dogs may
be termed sheep dogs, they were really used for war pur-
poses in their daily work. Owing to the savage and warlike
state of the tribes of the world for many centuries, the
possessor of flocks and herds, or valuable property of any
description, was never safe from massed attacks from
envious neighbours, and had to be perpetually on his guard.
After all, war, as we now understand it, is only a more
organized form of this same spirit, and it is difiicult to dis-
tinguish in any way between the dogs deputed to guard
the mountain passes leading to the pastures of their
masters, or of those posted on the battlements of the castle,
and the modern sentry dog, standing alert with pricked
ears, listening for the stealthy tread of the Boche across
No Man's Land, or of the guardian of the magazine or
canteen. In fact, these sheep dogs of olden times, are
almost entirely spoken of in the light of guardians, and it
is not until considerably later in history, that there is any
mention of them taking part in driving the sheep, or aiding
in any way after that peaceful manner. But it is inter-
18 British War Dogs
esting to note, how very ancient, nevertheless, is the asso-
ciation of the sheep dog with sheep, and it is therefore not
to be wondered at that the modern animal takes so ^^-
stinctively to the idea of this useful method of turning ..
capabilities to account.
Not only were there human marauders to be feare
during these early times of which we are speaking, but
the persons of both the keepers and their flocks were in
constant danger from attack by bands of ferocious wolves.
These guardian dogs, watchful and alert through the dark
hours, must have been supremely valuable, and terrific
and desperate must the conflicts have been at times, when
the prowling hordes attempted to break through the
guarding cordon.
Later on, as this guerilla mode of warfare ceased, and
wolves became extinct, the qualifications of the sheep dogs
changed, and it was no longer necessary for them to display
such an aggressive disposition. A quaint writer of the
sixteenth century — Dr. Caius — describes this change in the
duties of the sheep dog :
" Our shepherd's dog is not huge and vast and big, but
of indifferent stature and growth, because it has not to
deal with the bloodthirsty wolf, since there be none in
England, which happy and fortunate benefit is ascribed to
Prince Edgar, who, to the intent the whole country might
be evacuated and quite cleared from wolves, charged and
commanded the Welshmen, (who were pestered with these
butcherly beasts above measure), to pay him yearly tribute,
which was,' (note the wisdom of the King !), three hundred
wolves. Some there be which write that Ludwall, Prince
of Wales, paid yearly to King Edgar three hundred wolves
in the name of an exaction, (as we have said before), and
that by means thereof, within the compass and term of four
Historical 19
years, none of these noisome and pestilent beasts were left
on the coasts of England and Wales. This Edgar wore
Ahe crown and bare the sceptre imperial of his kingdom
-. i )out the year of Our Lord 959. Since which time we read
that no wolf has been seen in England, bred within the
j^?»yunds and borders of this country, although there have
been divers brought over from beyond the seas for greedi-
ness and gain, and to make money for gazing, gaping, staring
and standing to see them, being a strange beast, rare and
seldom seen in England.
" But to return to our shepherd's dog. This dog, either
at the hearing of his master's voice, or at the wagging of
his fist, or at his shrill and hoarse whistling and hissing,
bringeth the wandering wether and straying sheep into the
self-same place, where his masters will and work to have
them, whereby the shepherd reapeth the benefit, namely,
that with little labour and no toil of moving his feet, he
may rule and guide his flock according to his own desire,
either to have them go forward, or to stand still, or to draw
back, or to turn this way, or to take that way."
The late Mr. Rawdon Lee, in describing the work of the
shepherd's dog, says :
" The shepherd has but to wave his hand in a certain direc-
tion and away gallops his faithful friend to seek wh?l: is
to be found, and the little flock is quickly gathered and
brought right up to their master. One sheep may be missing.
The dog goes back to seek it. The last one may be hurt
and lame. The dog, by its manner, lets the shepherd
know such is the case. * Bring in the cows,' said a farmer
friend of mine to his dog, which lay down at his feet by the
kitchen fire. Up jumps the fine old chap, and darting
through the door and the farmyard, is out across two or
three fields, and barking behind the kye, soon brings them
20 British War Dogs
to the shippon. . . . Such is the every-day work of the
farm dog, and he is almost always a collie now."
In writing of the change of employment of the dogs
working with the sheep, and change also of both disposition
and appearance, it is of interest to point out that the War
Dogs of the present day are types, to a certain extent, of both
those sheep dogs of the early centuries, and of the milder
and intelligent assistant of more peaceful times. The
guard dogs, which were trained for our Army during the
war, in many cases much resembled the indomitable
guardians of old. In a later chapter of this book, I describe
the method of recruiting the dogs for the Army, and the
many splendid animals that were presented by the public.
Some of these — mastiffs, St. Bernards, Danes, bull-mastiffs — ■
would have been highly appreciated by Caesar's legions,
for guarding their camps, and in the twentieth century they
performed valuable service, by presenting an absolutely
incorruptible obstacle to those with felonious intent on all
sorts of valuable military property and positions.
The sentry dogs of the trenches, on the other hand, are
a link between the large and powerful guardians just
described, and the more mild and entirely non-aggressive
working sheep dog, which was, however, equally useful
in its way, and whose wonderfully intelligent independence
of thought, was adapted to, and utilized with, the messenger
service of our Army.
The modern sentry dog (as distinguished from the guard
dog, which should certainly be of a distinctly aggressive
character for certain very responsible guard duties) must
be of an alert but not savage disposition. His duty is to
give warning more than to attack, and a medium size is aU
that is necessary.
To return to earlier times once more.
Historical 21
The reason dogs were found useful for the attack during
the early ages was on account of the absence at that period
of gunpowder. A warrior would be preceded by a slave
leading a fierce dog, which would attack at word of com-
mand, and while it engaged in close combat with the enemy,
the master would dash into the conflict with every chance
of success. The Romans trained their dogs to attack men
armed with swords. They also had a system of training
whereby the dogs were held, while their masters were
engaged in mock combat, being attacked by soldiers armed
with swords. The dogs were then loosed, with the idea
that these should rush in and defend the master against
the attacker. This form of training would, of course, make
the dogs very savage, and very brave. Strabo says the
Chiefs of Gaul had bodyguards of dogs armed with coats
of mail.
When opposing armies both possessed dogs of war, the
canine conflicts must have been prodigious.
When gunpowder was invented and used, the attacking
duties of the dogs were no longer required, and they were
then employed for defensive purposes by giving warning
of the approach of the enemy.
The inteUigence and fidelity of the dog has been recog- ~
nized as a valuable asset in the protection of person and
property from time immemorial, and military commanders
have appreciated this during many previous centuries,
and have utilized dogs with their armies. Plutarch and
Pliny both mention war dogs in their writings. The dogs
were employed as a means of defence against enemy attack,
and also as actual weapons of attack. They were used
thus at the Siege of Mantenea, and King Cambyses also
employed large numbers in his campaign in Egypt.
There is a story related that when the King of the Spartans
22 British War Dogs
was besieging Mantenea, he discovered treachery among
some of his own forces, and that provisions were being
carried into the town by night. He stopped this, by sur-
rounding the town with a cordon of dogs, which no one
was able to penetrate, owing to the vigilance of the animals.
When Philip of Macedon made war against the
Thracians, the latter took to the forests, and the only satis-
factory means he had of tracing them was by using dogs.
It is related that the garrison at Corinth were asleep
after a lengthy carouse, and were only saved from a surprise
attack from the enemy, by the faithful watch-dogs on
duty on the ramparts, who neither slumbered nor slept,
but remained, unlike the men, faithful to their trust. They
were ever afterwards held in the greatest reverence by the
garrison.
In their accounts of their incursions all over the world, we
find a constant repetition of the statement, that the Romans
took dogs with them, and, in fact, that they recognized in
the latter, a necessary and reliable auxiliary in warfare ;
thus we find them in constant use as guards, and sentries
for their camps, and for the ramparts of their towns. They
were taken in large groups, when the Roman legions pene-
trated into the Sahara against the Samarantes.
Marius, a Roman Consul, gives an interesting account
of how, at the Battle of Versella, loi B.C., against the
Teutons, the Romans, having overcome the defending
forces, found they then had to take into account very
seriously, the hordes of dogs, which were organized and
furiously urged against them by the " blonde-haired women
of Wagenburg."
We also read, that in the war against the natives of Sar-
dinia, in 231 B.C., the latter were scented out of the woods
and caves, by means of dogs.
Historical 28
It is also interesting to observe, that, on the column of
Marcus Aurelius in Rome, dogs are represented fighting
beside the men, clad in mail, and with spiked collars.
Vegetious, the Roman historian, alludes to the dogs used
by the Teutonic tribes against the Roman legions, which
were perhaps the ancestors of some of the present German
war dogs. Large and powerful dogs were at all times
greatly prized. Sometimes they were supplied with com-
plete suits of armour, consisting of a body covering and
a head-piece. In Madrid Museum there is an interesting
specimen of this accoutrement, mounted on a stuffed dog.
Certain of these are described by a writer — Camerarius —
in his book, " Living Librarie or Historical Meditations,"
printed in 1625. He says : " The dogs of Albania bring
under all other beasts, throttle bulls, kill lions, stay all that
is thrown against them ; and therefore are very famous
in histories. We read that Alexander, going to the Indies,
received two of them, which the King of Albania presented
him with. These dogs grow very high and bark with a
stronger voice than the roaring of lions."
Perhaps the dog of Andronicus, the King of Constan-
tinople, was of this race. " This Prince was much hated
because of his villainies and mischiefs, and made himself
be guarded, not only with companies of strange soldiers,
but also with a very great dogge, who made no bones to
fight with lions, and could turn a man all armed off his
horse. The guard kept watch in the night a prettie way
from his chamber, and at his chamber door this dog was
tied, who at the least noise that was, made a terrible
barking."
Andronicus seems to have trusted dog more than man.
Camerarius also narrates a curious instance of guard dogs
distinguishing between Christians and Turks. This, how-
24 British War Dogs
ever, is quite to be understood by all who have studied the
question of scenting powers in dogs. They learn to dis-
tinguish the scents of different races very readily, and also
between communities of people. It will be observed
that differing modes of living and also of food produce
varying scents in people, and communities living together
have each their distinctive scent. This also applies
even to the men of different regiments, and I have found
that dogs can quite easily detect a man of a regiment
belonging to another than their own.
" The Rhodians held a very strong and well-fortified citie,
called the Castle of S. Peter, in a place of the firme land,
over against the Isle Coos, being the only retrait for the
Christians of Asia, that saved themselves from being slaves
to the Turkes. The enemy was master of all without and
about this place, in so much as the citisens could not safely
fetch wood or other fuell for their use. Some bodie had
told the Venetians strange things of the sence and service
of the dogs that were within the Citie, to the number of
fiftie, all which the Inhabitants put forth every night (as
it were) for Sentinels. If during the night, these watchers
met with any Christian, they would receive him, and with
fawning and joy conduct him into the Citie : contrariwise,
if they discovered a Turke, they would first keepe a great
barking, and then falling upon him, pull him down and
then teare him in pieces. These are the words of Sabellicus.
At Renes in Brittaine, at Saint Malo, and at Saint Michaels,
they keepe a great many dogs,, that watch and ward both
night and day, as I have heard reported by many. Plu-
tarch showeth that it is an antient custome ; for he saith,
That the enterprise of Aratus, which he undertooke for
the freeing of his countrey, had like to have bin mar'd, by
the watchfulnesse of a dog. By this it appeareth, what
Historical 25
moved Socrates to sweare commonly by the dog, as Plato
noteth ; who thereby would point out an unmatchable
faithfulnesse, such as is seene in those creatures."
Camerarius also quotes another writer, Pierius, who
shows forth the faithful and discerning qualities of guard
dogs, by stating that ancient authors had written
that :
" Near to Mount Gibell, in CiciHa, there was a temple
builded to Vulcan, the groave whereof was guarded by
dogs (as M. Marlianus also reporteth, that in old Rome,
before Vulcan's chappell, in the Flaminian Cirque, were
certain dogs that would never barke but against church-
robbers), which would run with great fawning to meet the
good and devout Pilgrims ; but if any that were villanous
and dishonest came thither, they were miserably torne in
pieces by those dogs."
There was a breed of dogs much prized in the Middle
Ages which went by the name of Allan, Alaunt or Allande.
The place of their origin is obscure, but it seems probably
to have been in some parts of Southern Europe. They
were probably a cross between a wolf hound and a mastiff,
as their characteristics were strength, speed, and a very
determined disposition. For this reason, they were fre-
quently used as war dogs, and were brought up to be of
as fierce a nature as possible, as a protection to their own
people against foreign enemies.
Ulysses Aldrovandus wrote, in 1607, a work on natural
history, and in this he describes such dogs as " terrible
and frightful to behold, and more fierce and fell than any
Arcadian curre. ... In build he resembles the hound.
He ought to be gentle to his own household, savage to
those outside it, and not to be taken in by caresses. He
should be robust, with a muscular body, and noisy in his
26 British War Dogs
deep bark, so that, by his bold baying, he may threaten on
all sides, and frighten away prowlers. He should have a
fierce light in his eyes, portending the lightning attack on
the rash enemy. He should be black in his coat, in order
to appear more fearful to the thieves in the daylight, and
being of the same shade as night itself, to be able to make
his way quite unseen by enemies and thieves."
A writer in the Spectator gives an interesting account of
the use of this class of dog in the war of the Spanish Con-
quest in America. He says :
" The dogs of the conquistador es were of a race of large
mastiffs. One of them, called Bercerrillo, was of enormous
size ; he was so much appreciated for his ferocity that he
got double rations, and his master received a salary for his
services. Another hound named Leoncico, which belonged
to Balboa, the discoverer of the South Sea, always fought
at the side of his master, who drew an officer's pay for the
services of the animal. When Jimenez de Quesada came
from Spain to conquer the empire of the Chibchas (to-day
Colombia), he brought with him a large dog ; but the most
murderous and savage pack of canine conquistadores was
that brought from Spain by Federmann, one of the Germans
who followed Charles V. to the Peninsula. The animals
of this last-mentioned lot were of the most savage breed,
so much so that, according to a modern Colombian writer,
the unfortunate natives feared them more than a regiment
of harquebusiers. All these dogs wore armour (a coverlet
lined with cotton) to preserve them against the poisoned
arms of the natives."
Attila, King of the Huns, one of the great military com-
manders of the early centuries, always used dogs to guard
the approaches to his camp.
Camerarius also refers to two other writers, Coelius
Historical 27
Rhodiginus and Alexander of Alexandria, who write as
follows :
" The faithfulnesse of a dog hath been the cause that
many have chosen to trust their lives with that beast, and
to commit themselves to the good of him rather than of
reasonable men. As we read of King Massinissa, who by
the barking of dogs freed himself many times from the
ambuscadoes that were laid for him, discovered afar off
the coming of his enemies, stood upon his guard, and, by
the helpe of dogs, sometimes carryed away the victorie.
Plinie reporteth to this purpose, that the Colophonians
tooke great care to traine their dogs and make them fit
for warre, insomuch as they made squadrons of them,
which fought in the first rankes with a wonderful boldnesse,
and would never give back : above all, they did good service
in the night. We read also that the King of the Gara-
mantes, driven by sedition out of his realme, was re-
establisht againe by the helpe of two hundred hunting dogs.
It may bee that Henry the VIII., King of England (accord-
ing to the purport of a letter which his Ambassadour sent
from Spire to the King of Polonia, An. 1544, by the report
of Olaus Magnus) had an eye to this prompt fidelitie of
dogs, when in the armie which he sent to the Emperour
Charles the Fifth against the French King, there were foure
hundred souldiers that had the charge of the like number
of dogs, all of them garnished with good yron collers after
the fashion of that countrey : no man being able to say,
whether they were appointed to be sentinels in the night,
or to serve for some stratagem for obtaining the victorie.
Strabo saith, that the like was practised in old time, and
that the English dogs went to warre with the Gaules :
and there is mention of a Procurator or Commissarie that
had charge of the dogs of Britanie, in the Emperour's behalfe.
28 British War Dogs
And at this day there be some of them found, which Camden
calleth Agase-hounds, and named Agasaei by Oppian.
Andrew Thenet, speaking of the King of Cephala, writeth,
That when he will give battell to his enemies, he commonly
mingleth many troupes of dogs among the squadrons of his
souldiers. We will hereafter make mention of a dog so
couragious in the warre, that the Indians were more afraid
of his teeth, than of any other Spanish weapons, and that
the owner received extraordinary pay every moneth for
the services that were done by that dog."
In Somer's Tracts, containing " The Actions of the Lowe
Countries," written by Sir Roger Wilhams, it is stated how
Julian Romero, under the Duke of Alva, in 1572, made a
night attack on the camp of the Prince of Orange :
" Julian seconded with all resolution, in such sort, that
hee forced all the guards that he found in his way into the
place of armes before the prince's tent. Here he entered
divers tents ; amongst the rest his men killed two of the
prince's secretaries hard by the prince's tent, and the
prince himselfe escaped very narrowly.
" For I heard the prince say often, that he thought, but
for a dog he had been taken. The camisado was given
with such resolution, that the place of armes tooke no
alarme, until their fellowes were running in with the
enemies in their tailes ; whereupon this dogge hearing a
great noyse, fell to scratching and crying, and withall
leapt on the prince's face, awaking him being asleepe,
before any of his men. And albeit the prince lay in his
armes, with a lackey alwaies holding one of his horses
ready bridled, yet at the going out of his tent, with much
adoe hee recovered his horse before the enemie arrived.
Neverthelesse one of his quiries was slain taking horse
presently after him, and divers of his servants were forced
Historical 29
to escape amongst the guardes of foote, which could not
recover their horses ; for troth, ever since, untill the prince's
dying day, he kept one of that dog's race ; so did many of
his friends and followers. The most or all of these dogs
were white little hounds, with crooked noses, called
camuses."
Motley, in his " Rise of the Dutch Republic," quotes
Hoofd and Strada for this, and says :
" But for the little dog's watchfulness, Wilham of Orange,
upon whose shoulders the whole weight of his country's for-
tunes depended, would have been led within a week to an
ignominious death. To his dying day the Prince ever
afterwards kept a spaniel of the same race in his bed-
chamber. In the statues of the Prince a little dog is
frequently sculptured at his feet." ^ _
As time went on, the scenting powers of dogs were
utihzed, and it is said that Christopher Columbus took blood-
hounds with him on his voyage of discovery, and found
them useful for scenting out ambushes prepared by the
Indians. fTracking dogs were used by Essex in Ireland,
and also against the clansmen in Scotland, while they
were frequently employed on the Border after raiders.
These raiders assumed a very serious aspect in the life of
the inhabitants of the Border country between England
and Scotland, and, indeed, of the whole of the southern
part of Scotland. These wild outlaws organized them-
selves into more or less drilled bands, and descended on
the unfortunate dwellers of the fertile districts, seizing any-
thing of value they could lay their hands on, and driving
flocks and herds before them as they returned to their fast-
nesses. These strongholds were usually situated in the
midst of the bogs and moss-land, of which the Border
country was greatly composed. All the secret paths and
30 British War Dogs
ways of escape across the bogs were known to these
desperate ruffians, who were called Moss Troopers, on
account of their place of residence, and also because they
wore clothes, the dull-brown colour of the moss-land.
This made them very invisible, and made escape easy at
all times, and especially so at night. In this adoption of
nature-colouring for clothes, we see the first hint of khaki,
and, indeed, the Moss Troopers' conduct in no way differs
from that of the modern Bolsheviki. This state of affairs
became so serious in the sixteenth and seventeenth cen-
turies, that vigorous measures had to be taken by the
Crown, to protect the peaceful country people. There
was a system of beacon fires arranged, whereby on any
warning of a raid, these fires were ignited, and the country
people were drawn together to unite against the common
foe. It was ordered, that tracking dogs were to be kept
in the various districts, to assist the Crown forces in
locating the marauders across the treacherous swamps.
Leslie, Bishop of Ross, in a volume printed in 1578,
states :
" There is also another kind of scenting dogs (I am not
speaking of the common sort which pursues hares and roe-
bucks), far different from the other ; it is for the most
part red, marked with black spots, or vice versa. These
are endowed with so great sagacity and fierceness, that they
pursue thieves in a direct course without any deviation ;
and this with such ferocity of nature that they tear them
to pieces even by chance lying down in company with many
others : for from the first scent the dog perceives (with his
master following), although other men meet, come behind,
or cross him, he is not at all confused, is not in the least
diverted, but constantly sticks to the footsteps of his
departing prey. Only in passing rivers they are at a loss.
Historical 81
because there they lose the scent : which the thieves and
cattle-stealers knowing, they, with many circles and
mazes, pressing now this, now the opposite bank, drive
off their plunder, and, pretending to make their exit both
ways beyond the banks, rejoin at the same spot. In the
meantime, the dog, filling the heavens mth his clamour, does
not desist till he has overtaken the steps of the fugitives."
In Nicolson and Burns' " History of the Antiquities of
Westmorland and Cumberland," published in 1777, there
is a statement as to these dogs :
" Slough-dogs were for pursuing offenders through the
sloughs, mosses and bogs, that were not passable but by
those who were acquainted with the various and intricate
by-paths and turnings. These offenders were peculiarly
styled moss-troopers : and the dogs were commonly called
blood-hounds ; which were kept in use till within the
memory of many of our fathers.
" And all along, the pursuit of hot trod {flagranti delicto),
with red hand (as the Scots term it) was by howid, and horn,
and voice. And the following warrant ascertains by
whom and where those dogs were to be kept :
" September 29, 1616. — Sir Wilfride Lawson and Sir
William Hutton, Knights, two of His Majesty's Commis-
sioners for the government of the middle shires of Great
Britain, to John Musgrave, the Provost-Marshall, and the
rest of His Majesty's garrison (of Carlisle), send salutations.
Whereas upon due consideration of the increase of stealths
daily growing both in deed and report among you on the
borders, we formally concluded and agreed, that for
reformation therefore' watches should be set, and slough-
dogs provided and kept, according to the contents of
His Majesty's directions to us in that behalf prescribed."
32 British War Dogs
The method of distributing the dogs and the tax for their
keep imposed on the inhabitants is here described :
" Imprimis, beyond Eske by the inhabi-
tants there, to be kept above the foot
of Sarke i Dogge.
Item, by the inhabitants the inside of
Eske to Richmont's Clugh, to be kept
at the moat i Dogge.
Item, by the inhabitants of the parish
of Arthered, above Richmont's Clugh,
with the BayHffe and Black quarter ;
to be kept at the Bayliehead i Dogge.
Item, Newcastle parish, besides the
Baylie and Black quarters ; to be
kept at Tinkerhill i Dogge.
Item, the parish of Stapylton i Dogge.
Item, the parish of Irdington i Dogge.
Item, the parishes of Lanercost and
Walton I Dogge.
Item, Kirklington, Skaleby, Houghton,
and Richarby i Dogge.
Item, Westhnton, Roucliff, Etterby,
Stainton, Stanwix, and Cargo ; to be
kept at Roucliff i Dogge.
" The sheriff, officers, bailiffs, and constables, within
every circuit and compass wherein the slough-dogs are
appointed to be kept, are to take care for taxing the
inhabitants towards the charge thereof, and collect the
same, and for providing the slough-dogs ; and to inform
the commissioners if any refuse to pay their contribution,
so as thereby such as refuse may be committed to the gaol
till they pay the same "
Historical 33
In his book on the dog, Jesse gives a curious correspon-
dence from James V. of Scotland to the Archdeacon of the
East Riding, on the subject of his desire to procure blood-
hounds trained to ride on a saddle on a horse behind a
man. His mother, Queen Margaret, seemed equally
interested in the quest for such dogs, and also writes to the
Archdeacon from Edinburgh. It seems uncertain as to
what was in their minds, in desiring the dogs to ride in this
position, but Jesse suggests that : " These were perhaps
to be taken up when the tracks of the marauders pursued
were plainly visible in soft ground. Swift pursuit was then
made, till hard ground was come to, when the slow hound
was dropped again to pick up the trail."
If this was the idea, it was a strange one, as the hounds
could easily have kept up with the horsemen by galloping
alongside ; and it would be next to impossible to get any
sort of saddle capable of holding the dog, or, for that
matter, a hound willing to sit on such a contrivance, even
though some such device could be invented.
The correspondence is extremely quaint, and the polite
Archdeacon, in expressing his willingness to gratify the
desire of his Royal correspondents, conveys many fulsome
compliments, and while he does not in any way suggest that
the request cannot be complied with, seeks to pacify them
in the first place, by a gift of ordinary hounds for hunting
purposes, procured from his patron, the Duke of Richmond
and Somerset, who sent his own huntsman with them for
the space of a month, and, furthermore, promises that
inquiries will be made as to the possibiHty of procuring
such horseback hounds. I greatly fear he was not success-
ful in his search.
^'"Seeing that tracking was of such great importance at
this period of history, when the whole country was in a
34 British War Dogs
more or less roadless condition, and the inhabitants in the
wilder regions were thus enabled to live securely by lawless
means of supply, the soldiery, and, indeed, all the respect-
able members of society, regarded these tracking hounds
as part of the machinery for clearing the land of desperadoes,
I and every method of following a trail was carefully studied.
Those who were pursued, also took all the " tricks of the
trade," so to speak, into account, and, from their point
of view, sought out every sort of means to counteract the
successful working of the hounds, and made use of every
obstacle, which it was known would divert them from the
trail.
It is a common belief, that if the fugitive crosses water,
that the trail can no longer be followed, and this is so very
often, unless those who are working the hounds, have
some sort of understanding of the method of assisting
them to overcome this obstacle. The only way to proceed,
is to take the hounds across the river either by boat, or
to swim them, and cast them again and again on the oppo-
site bank, until they pick up the trail again. This has
sometimes to be done for a considerable distance down the
river, as the fugitive may have allowed himself to drift
down-stream with the current, in order to confuse the
hounds still further. In the case of a lake, or still water
of any sort, the fresh cast will have to be made both up
and down the opposite bank. Well-trained, eager hounds
will quite understand the desire of their keepers to assist
them, and will energetically seek the scent again on the
other side. I have even known unusually eager hounds,
where the scent has been hot, plunge into the water on their
own account, and swim to the other side and commence
their fresh search for the broken trail. This is, however,
exceptional, as the marauders of old well knew, and hounds
Historical 85
usually require assistance in such a dilemma, and during
the delay occasioned by crossing and taking up the trail
again, the scent is all the time becoming fainter.
Another, and much more serious trick for stopping the
pursuit, was for the fugitive to spill blood on the trail.
The strong smell of this would completely destroy the
fine scenting qualities of the hounds. In some of the
punitive expeditions of the northerners, a captive was
sacrificed to this end.
Jesse, commenting on the work of bloodhounds in the
Middle Ages, mentions that " Henry the Minstrel tells us
a romantic story of Wallace founded on this circumstance.
The hero's little band had been joined by an Irishman
named Fawdon, or Fadzean, a dark, savage and suspicious
character. After a sharp skirmish at Black Erneside,
Wallace was forced to retreat with only sixteen followers.
The English pursued with a border sleuth bratch, or blood-
hound. In the retreat, Fawdon, tired, or affecting to be so,
would go no further. Wallace having in vain argued with
him, in hasty anger struck off his head, and continued the
retreat. When the English came up, the hound stayed
upon the dead body,"
It will be seen that the authorities placed considerable
value on the services of these tracking dogs. In the wild,
untrodden country of that period and neighbourhood,
the hounds would have every chance to follow the trail
successfully, and the moist nature of the ground, would also
be of great assistance in retaining the scent for a consider-
able time after the fleeing bands had passed, especially if
they were driving herds of animals.
r At this early period the War Dog and the Police Dog
were one and the same, but later on, as the country became
more settled, and the bands of marauders were broken up,
3*
36 British War Dogs
owing to new roads being made, and the country opened
up generally, the criminal began to be much more an iso-
lated individual, which made pursuit more difficult, as,
naturally, one man was more difficult to pursue than a
band, and also the fact of so many high roads, with steadily-
growing traffic along them, presented bad surfaces for
scent, so different from the soft, moist mosses of the wilder
and uncultivated period. Nevertheless, bloodhounds con-
tinued their work with the various bodies on whom
devolved the duties of preserving order in the country,
until fairly modern times, when, however, they fell to a
( great extent into disuse.
In spite of many difficulties presented by present-day
conditions, as mentioned above, however, they have even
so done good work. At the present day, one of the obstacles
to be encountered, (and overcome as well as may be), by
the owner and worker of tracking hounds in this country,
is the attitude of mind of the people of our nation towards
any new device to which they have not been accustomed.
There is generally suspicion and reluctance to make use of
it, simply on the ground that it is new. This statement
applies to a certain extent to the police, who, when a crime
occurs, prefer to unravel the mystery as far as they can
without extraneous assistance. When at length the blood-
hounds are eventually asked for, as they sometimes are,
owing to civilian pressure, or to a sudden conviction that
the police themselves do not feel confident of success, it
is generally after too long a time has elapsed. When the
' vvner arrives with the hounds at the scene of the crime,
even if his task is made as easy as possible by the Chief
Constable of the district, he has frequently to meet covert
hostility from the local constables, who resent outside
interference, especially as represented by dogs, which aid
Historical 37
they seem to regard as an insult to their intelligence. He
may thus encounter a sort of passive resistance, and every
effort made to prevent him from obtaining clues to assist
him in following out the trail. Such was certainly not the
attitude of the Border soldiery in days gone by, who must
have carefully pieced togetlier every shred of evidence
available, and worked the hounds in conjunction with
this. The confirmation of the hounds as to a certain line
of evidence would be the sign to proceed with increased
vigour in that direction. Owing to this childish prejudice
on the part of a certain portion of the police, (but not of all,
as I have met some very line, open-minded fellows amongst
them), it would be better perhaps, from every point of
view, if a certain number of bloodhounds were apportioned
to the police of each county. They would in that case
be available by motor-car quite quickly, and being accredited
members of the force, would not be likely to be held in
light esteem.
I give an account from the Press of a case, in which a
conviction was obtained by the use of bloodhounds at the
present day, in this country. I may add that the work
was carried out under very great difhculties, but was
nevertheless successful :
" FIRST CONVICTION FROM BLOODHOUND
EVIDENCE
" At the Northamptonshire Assizes, the evidence of
Major Richardson's bloodhounds was accepted as con-
clusive. Shaw, one of Lord Lilford's gamekeepers, who
will be well remembered by visitors to the trials of the
English Setter Club each spring, was shot at by poachers
early in the morning of December 22nd. Bloodhounds
38 British War Dogs
were telegraphed for, and at half-past nine o'clock the same
evening, twenty hours after the affray, they were laid on
the trail with definite result.
" At the trial, Mr. Simpson, who prosecuted for the
Crown, said : ' With reference to the service of the hounds,
this was valuable for the reason, that on the next morning,
as soon as it was daylight, a search was made along the line
of retreat (which had been run by the hounds during the
night), and the barrel of a gun was picked up, opposite a
stile in a field, over which the bloodhounds had gone.' The
barrel of the gun was identified, and through it, the poachers
were arrested, and each got twelve years' penal servitude.
This is interesting, as showing that the bloodhounds ran
the true line in the dark with a very cold scent, and it is
the first conviction obtained from bloodhound evidence."
Mr. Charles Gordon, Superintendent of Police, Saharan-
pur, United Provinces, India, procured a tracking blood-
hound from me some years ago, and took it out to India.
He later sent me the following report on the work of the
dog :
" My bloodhound was of great service in a dacoit gang
robbery, which was committed at a village in the Bulanshar
Districts, in the autumn of 1910. The dacoits had crossed
a line of rails on their way to the village, and had picked
up a quantity of stone ballast in use as missiles. The
villagers were reinforced, and the dacoits finally bolted,
carrying off with them twelve hundred rupees in loot.
When bolting, the dacoits threw away the balance of the
ballast which they had not thrown, and this gave their
line of retreat. The bloodhound was put on the trail
next morning, and was instrumental in tracking down three
men As a result of this, twelve more dacoits were arrested.
Historical 39
and in the course of the inquiry another dacoit was brought
home to this gang, both cases resulting in conviction.
" 2. Autumn of igi;n, a dacoity was committed at mid-
night in Saharanpur District. A bullock cart in which
was some police was attacked by dacoits. The dacoits
were Sanasias (an aboriginal tribe of criminal propensities).
One dacoit was wounded, and the night being dark, the
others succeeded in getting away. My dog was put on
the trail, ten hours subsequent to the crime. Some indis-
tinct footprints were found on the scene and leading to
some fields to the south of the road. One of the dacoits
was recognized at the time of the occurrence as being by
name Mara (Sansia). He, however, managed to escape.
The bloodhound was put on the trail of their footprints,
which, however, ceased after twenty yards. The hound
ran the trail across country until he came to a canal, which
he skirted until he came to a bridge over which he crossed.
Then he continued the trail along the bank of a feeder
canal ; then leaving this, he struck across four rice-fields,
which had been irrigated from the canal.
" The water was about four inches deep and growing
rice about five inches above the water. (This was a parti-
ticularly good piece of work.)
" On arriving on the other side of the rice-field, he
journeyed across country until he came to a village, through
which he passed, and ended up at a house in a Sansia
settlement to the far side of the village. Not a single
Sansia man was present in the settlement, only women
and children. On making inquiry, I ascertained that the
house in question was that of Mara. Mara was arrested
the following night.
" An amusing episode occurred when Mara and the
other dacoits were on trial before the judge. Mara denied
40 British War Dogs
that he was present at the dacoity and knew nothing about
it. How comes it that the dog tracked you for four and
a half miles from the scene of the dacoity up to your
house ? ]\Iara replied that he did not know, but then volun-
teered the following statement quite on his own account :
" ' Agar Kutta aisa patta pagata Koon shars chouri
Karskta.' A translation of this being : ' When the dog
tracks in this manner, what chance has a fellow of com-
mitting thefts ? ' "
The present-day hound has in nearly every case lost all
savage traits, and concentrates all its ardour on the single
fact of running his quarry to earth, and has no desire to
injure him in any way when it comes up with him. As a
matter of fact, the animal fawns on him usually, or, at all
events, merely moves around him in a desultorj'- manner.
I have only known two hounds that were dangerous when
on the trail. One of these, was very incensed when it came
across anyone in the line of trail, and would have attacked
them, if it could have done so ; but this was an exceptional
case, and must have been a throw-back to ancestors of
previous centuries, in whom a relentless and savage spirit
was cultivated and appreciated.
There was a certain species into which it must be sus-
pected there had been introduced a strain of mastiff, and
which went by the name of Cuban bloodhounds. These
dogs undoubtedly had tracking powers, but which were
allied to a most determined and aggressive spirit.
To quote Jesse again : " A hundred of these sagacious,
but savage dogs, were sent, in 1795, from Havana to
Jamaica, to extinguish the Maroon War, which at that
time was fiercely raging. They were accompanied by
forty Spanish Chasseurs, chiefly people of colour, and their
appearance and that of the dogs struck terror into the
Historical 41
negroes. The dogs, muzzled and led in leashes, rushed
ferociously on every object, dragging the Chasseurs along
in spite of all their endeavours. Dallas, in his History of the
Maroons, informs us that General Walpole ordered a review
of these dogs and the men, that he might see in what manner
they would act. He set out for a place called Seven Rivers,
accompanied by Colonel Skinner, whom he appointed to
conduct the attack.
" Notice of his coming having preceded him, a parade
of the Chasseurs was ordered, and they were taken to a
distance from the house, in order to be advanced when
the General alighted.
" On his arrival, the Commissioner, (who had procured
the dogs), having paid his respects, was desired to parade
them. The Spaniards soon appeared at the end of a gentle
acclivity, drawn out in a line, containing upwards of forty
men, with their dogs in front unmuzzled, and held by
cotton ropes. On receiving the word ' Fire ! ' they dis-
charged their fusils and advanced as upon a real attack.
This was intended to ascertain what effect would be pro-
duced on the dogs if engaged under a fire of the Maroons.
The volley was no sooner discharged, than the dogs rushed
forward with the greatest fury amid the shouts of the
Spaniards, who were dragged on by them with irresistible
force. Some of the dogs, maddened by the shout of the
attack, while held back by ropes, seized on the stocks of
the guns in the hands of their keepers and tore them to
pieces. Their impetuosity was so great, that they were
with difficulty stopped before they reached the General,
who found it necessary to get expeditiously into the chaise
from which he had alighted ; and if the most strenuous
exertions had not been made, they would have seized
upon the horses."
42 British War Dogs
This scene must have appeared in a distinctly amusing
aspect in some respects to an onlooker. Nevertheless, it
is stated that " this terrible exhibition produced the effect
intended — the Maroons at once capitulated, and were
subsequently sent to Halifax, North. America."
Another account of these Cuban bloodhound warrior
dogs is given by the writer Bingley, who says :
" In the Spanish West India Islands there are officers
called Chasseurs, kept in continual employment. The
business of these men is to traverse the country with their
dogs, for the purpose of pursuing and taking up all persons
guilty of murder, or other crimes ; and no activity on the
part of the criminal will enable them to escape.
" The following is a very remarkable instance which
happened not many years ago.
" A fleet from Jamaica, under convoy to Great Britain,
passing through the Gulf of Mexico, beat up the north side
of Cuba. One of the ships manned by foreigners, (chiefly
renegade Spaniards), in standing in with the land at night,
was run on shore. The officers, and the few British seamen
on board, were murdered, and the vessel was plundered by
the renegades. The part of the coast on which the vessel
was stranded, being wild and unfrequented, the assassins
retired with their booty to the mountains, intending to
penetrate through the woods to some remote settlements
on the southern side, where they hoped to secure themselves,
and elude all pursuit. Early intelligence of the crime had,
however, been conveyed to Havana. The assassins were
pursued by a detachment of Chasseurs del Rey with their
dogs, and in the course of a very few days they were every
one apprehended and brought to justice."
Bingley further describes the method of working these
hounds :
Historical 43
" The dogs carried out by the Chasseurs del Rey are all
perfectly broken in. On coming up with the fugitive, they
bark at him till he stops. They then crouch near him,
terrifying him with ferocious growling if he attempts to stir.
In this position they continue barking to give notice to
the Chasseurs, who come up and secure their prisoner.
" Each Chasseur can only hunt with two dogs. These
people live with their dogs, and are inseparable from them.
At home the animals are kept chained, and when walking
out with their masters, they are never unmuzzled, nor let
out of ropes, but for attack."
There is no doubt that the Spaniards, in their dealings
with any people they considered their foes, or who stood
in their light in any way, were extremely cruel ; and one
reads with regret of the way they hunted the Indians, who
certainly seemed to have hated their foreign masters, and
to have used every means of aggression against them that
lay within their power. But, after all, the Indians were
the original inhabitants, and although " a barbarous
people, sensual and brutish, hating all labour and only
inclined to killing and making war against their neigh-
bours," it is to be questioned if they were much worse than
the Spaniards themselves.
" The Indians, it being their custom to make the woods
their chief places of defence, at present made these their
chief places of refuge, whenever they fled from the Spaniards.
Hereupon, these, the first conquerors of the New World,
made use of dogs to range and search the intricate thickets
of wood and forests for their implacable and unconquerable
enemies ; thus they forced them to leave their old refuge,
and to submit to the sword, seeing no milder usage would
do it.
" But this severity proved of ill consequence, for instead
44 • British War Dogs
of frightening them, and reducing them to civility, they
conceived such horror of the Spaniards, that they resolved
to detest and fly their sight for ever ; hence the greatest
part died in caves and subterranean places of wood and
mountains, in which places I have myself often seen great
numbers of human bones."
One is indeed glad that the functions of the modern
war dog with civilized armies no longer include these
ferocious characteristics, but, on the contrary, are all
directed to the saving of life instead of destroying it.
It is also interesting to find, that in very much later
times, another enemy of the Spaniards might be said to have
distinctly " scored off " them by means of dogs. I quote
the following remarks from the Daily Telegyaph, which
paper sent a reporter to me to obtain information as to the
Spanish campaign against the Riffs in Morocco. I had
gone to join the Spaniards in this campaign with one of
my own hounds for purposes of experiment, at the request
of King Alfonso.
" They (the Riffs) have learned the value of dogs in war-
fare. For instance, at night, a Riff could creep towards
the Spanish outposts with his dog. Having gone part of
the way with the animal, he would send it on, and himself
retire. The dog, on hearing the Spanish sentry, would
bark, and the Riffs from places of safety would concen-
trate their fire in the direction whence the barking proceeded,
giving time for the knowing animal to retreat. Or perhaps
the sentry would give himself away by firing at the dog,
and so reveal his position.
" Another trick, which they successfully practised, was to
put a burnous and turban on a dog, and send him along
from point to point in front of the Spanish lines. At a
distance, the dog looked very like a man creeping along,
Historical 45
and at once the Spaniards were blazing away at the sup-
posed Moor. The Moors were, of course, carefully watch-
ing, and took aim at any soldier who revealed himself.
" They had still another trick with their dogs, which was
to send them towards a Spanish post or camp during the
day. The barking of the dogs generally brought some
unwary soldiers out, and many soldiers lost their lives in
this way.
" I would remind you that the French, when fighting
in Algiers, found that the natives made a similar use of
their dogs."
To turn to other countries, we find that the German
custom of exploiting our dogs for their own purposes, as is
shown in several instances later in this book, seems to be
an old one, as we find Frederick the Great ordering one of
his Generals to obtain a number of Scotch collies to act as
sentries to his army.
He is credited with the following remark : " The more
I see of men, the more I like dogs."
Napoleon believed in them, and used a number in his
Italian campaign. Some of the dogs, such as " ^Moustache,"
became famous. A good account of this faithful dog
" Moustache " is written by Colonel J. P. Hamilton, and
published in i860, as follows :
" Moustache was born at Calais, 1799. At the tender
age of six months, he was disposed of to an eminent grocer
at Caen, who treated him in the kindest manner. But
strolling about the town one day, not long after his arrival.
Moustache happened to come upon a parade of Grenadiers.
They were brilliantly equipped. Their spirits were high,
and their drums loud. Moustache, instantly smitten with
their fine appearance, cut the grocer for ever, slunk out of
the town, and joined the Grenadiers. He was dirty, and
46 British War Dogs
tolerably ugly, but there was an intelligence, a sparkle, a
brightness about his eye, that could not be overlooked.
' We have not a single dog in the regiment,' said the petit
tambour, ' and, at any rate, this one looks clever enough
to forage for himself.' The drum-major assented, and
Moustache attached himself to the band, and was soon
found to possess considerable tact and talent. He had
already learned to carry admirably, and ere three weeks
were over, he could stand with as erect a back as any
private in the regiment, act sentinel, and keep time in the
march. Soldierlike, he lived from paw to mouth. He
endured the fatigues of Mont St. Bernard with as good
grace as any veteran in the army. They were soon near
the enemy, and Moustache, having become familiar with
the sound of musketry as well as of drums, seemed to be
inspired with new ardour as he approached the scene of
action. The first occasion on which he distinguished him-
self was this. His regiment, being encamped on the
height above Alexandria, from the Vale of Balbo attempted
a surprise during the night. The weather was stormy,
and the French had no notion that the Austrians were
advancing so close. The camp was in danger, but Mous-
tache was on the alert. Walking his rounds as usual, with
his nose in the air, he soon detected the Austrians. He
gave the alarm, and the Austrians rapidly retreated. Next
morning, it was resolved, that Moustache should receive
the rations of a grenadier. He was now cropped a la
militaire, a collar with the name of the regiment was hung
round his neck, and the barber was ordered to comb and
shave him once a week. (He was a cross-bred poodle.)
" In a skirmish which occurred, Moustache received a
bayonet wound in his left shoulder. He was not perfectly
recovered from this accident when the great Battle of
Historical 47
Marengo took place. Lame as he was, he could not keep
away from so grand a scene. He kept close to the banner,
which he had learnt to recognize among a hundred, and
never gave over barking until the evening closed upon the
combatants. The sun of Austerlitz found him with his
chasseurs. In the heat of the action he perceived the
ensign, who bore the colours of his regiment, surrounded
by a detachment of the enemy. He flew to his rescue,
barked with all his might, did all he could, but in vain.
The ensign fell covered with wounds, but not before, feeling
himself about to fall, he had wrapped his body in the folds
of the standard. Five or six Austrians still remained by
the ensign, to obtain possession of the colours he had so
nobly defended. Moustache, having thrown himself on
the colours, was on the point of being pierced by bayonets,
when a timely discharge of grapeshot swept the Austrians
into oblivion. The moment when Moustache perceived
that he was dehvered from his assailants, he took the staff
of the French banner in his teeth, and strenuously endea-
voured to disengage it, but ineffectually. He succeeded
in tearing away the silk, and with this glorious trophy
returned to the camp, limping and bleeding.
" One day, a chasseur, mistaking the dog, hit him a
chance blow with the flat side of his sabre. Moustache,
piqued to the heart, deserted from his regiment, attached
himself to some dragoons, and followed them into Spain.
On the nth March, 1811, he was killed by a cannon ball,
at the taking of Badajos. He was buried on the scene of
his last glories, collar, medal and all. A plain stone, with
the simple ' Ci git le brave Moustache,' was placed over
his grave ; but the Spaniards afterwards broke the stone,
and the bones of the poor animal were burnt by order of
the Inquisition."
48 British War Dogs
The following story is taken from ]Miss Williams's
" Sketches of the French Republic " :
" At the moment when the ranks of the ImperiaHsts
were broken at the famous Battle of CastigHone, and the
heat of the pursuit was in proportion to the obstinacy of
the contest, Buonaparte coming to the spot where the
thickest of the combat had taken place, where the French
and Austrians lay strewn in horrible profusion, he perceived
one hving object amid those piles of corpses which was a
httle Barbet dog. The faithful creature stood \\ith his
forefeet fixed on the breast of an Austrian officer. His
long ears hung over his eyes, which were riveted on those
of his dead master. The tumult seemed neither to distract
the attention nor change the attitude of the mourner,
absorbed by the object to which he clung. Buonaparte,
struck with the spectacle, stopped his horse, called his
attendants round him, and pointed out the subject of his
speculation.
" ' The dog,' said Buonaparte, ' as if he had kno^^^l my
voice, removed his eyes from his master, and throwing them
on me for a moment, resumed his former posture ; but in
that momentary look there was a mute eloquence beyond
the power of language. It was a reproach, ^^dth all the
poignancy of bitterness.' Buonaparte felt the appeal ; he
construed the upbraiding of the animal into a comprehensive
demand for mercy ; the sentiment was irresistible ; it put
to flight every harsh and hostile feeling. Buonaparte gave
orders to stop the carnage instantly."
Writing to Field-Marshal Marmont, Napoleon said :
" Collect all the savage dogs you can, and picket them down
outside^ the ramparts to give warning of attack."
/"~We find the alertness of the dog appreciated in the
■'Crimean War. The Russians constantly had them with
Historical 49
their sentries, and in the American War, North and South,
they were used as sentries and guards. The French also
had a system of sentry dogs in Tunis and Algeria, and
also in their colonies of Dahomey, Cochin China and ■.
Madagascar. —
Towards the end of the last century, and at the com-
mencement of 1900, several Continental nations began the
study of dog service for the army. Training was com-
menced in Germany, Holland, France, Russia and Sweden,
and was more or less in all these countries under official
recognition. In Germany especially, the work was much
thought of, and the Jager regiments especially had large
numbers of dogs trained as sentries and messengers. These
proved of great value on the outbreak of war. Besides
encouraging these military dogs, the authorities in most
of these countries had also recognized the value of dogs
to the police, and here again Germany was to the fore,
and the large service of police dogs in the Fatherland was
transferred to the army during the war. They did excel-
lent service for their army, when unfortunately we had
hardly any on our side.
In my book, " War, Police and Watch Dogs," published
some years before the war, there is a photograph, depicting
a number of English-bred dogs with a German regiment.
I mentioned my fears that these dogs might be used against
us some day, while we were doing nothing in preparation
along the same line. I also stated how I discovered the
German agents buying up large quantities of our good
Airedales, sheep dogs and collies, for military and police
purposes.
At the outbreak of the war, the French had a certain
number of dogs with seven or eight infantry regiments,
and there was a certain official encouragement extended to
4
50 British War Dogs
various dog clubs, which made trained dogs a speciaHty ;
but there was no properly organized training school in
connection with the army until the ofhcial establishment
was started by the War Office during the war about the
same time as the EngHsh one.
"^The Italians had had previous experience with sentry
dogs in the Tripoli campaign, and in the Great War used the
mountain sheep dogs a good deal with their sentries on the J
frontier.
In England, before the war, I was the sole person who
took any interest in trained dogs for the army and police,
and the outflow from my kennels constituted the only
source of supply.
Most of the countries I have mentioned had been ex-
perimenting with ambulance dogs for searching for the
wounded, and I also had given a good deal of attention to
this service, but it was found unworkable under modern
conditions of trench warfare.
The messenger dog came very much to the front, and has
come to stay in modern warfare. Like the Tank, it may
be said to be particularly a product of this war. At first
there were many sceptics, but as the barrage form of attack
became part of the army system, the casualties among
runners increased at a terrible rate. Could the dogs take
their place ? Would they face the shell-fire ? Could they
be depended on ? These questions came to be answered
in the affirmative. Yes ! They did their duty nobly,
passing rapidly through the danger areas, and often over
land surface impossible of traverse by man, and thus saved
countless lives — not only the lives of runners, but also
those of the individual units whose urgent messages they
carried.
CHAPTER II
HOW THE MOVEMENT BEGAN IN THE BRITISH ARMY
" But if you visit the Morinian shores ....
And thence across to Britain, —
Set aside the form and colour.
Which in British dogs are the worst points.
But when the tug-of-war and inbred courage spur them to their work,
Then is their mettle seen ! " Gratius.
WHEN the war opened, in 1914, there were practically
no military dogs of any sort attached to the British
Army. The sole exception was an Airedale which I trained
as a sentry, and which went to manoeuvres with the 2nd
Battalion Norfolk Regiment, and on the outbreak of war
accompanied it to France, where it was eventually killed
by a shell on the Aisne. For many years previously I had
been studying this subject, and as the result of my con-
victions had accumulated a large kennel of dogs with which
I made constant experiments. The study was also applied
to the use of dogs with the police, and my conviction of
the great value of trained dogs to the Army and police
became of the most emphatic character. I brought the
matter from time to time to the notice of the authorities,
and, although the police supported the idea to a certain
extent, especially the forces in provincial towns, who used
a number of dogs for patrolHng suburban areas, I could
51 4*
52 British War Dogs
get no generally concerted action taken. I did not give up
hope, however, and continued my private experiments.
Many people came to me for advice in obtaining safety for
themselves or their property. There are very few parts
of the world from which I did not receive either visitors or
letters in connection with this subject. Owners of tea and
coffee estates, sugar plantations, poultry farms, and animal
farms in all parts of the world, penitentiaries in North and
South America, rubber estates, large rambling mansions,
factories, docks, etc. In fact, all suffering from the same
trouble, namely, the difficulty and unrehability of the
human being, unaided, to provide the necessary guarantee
of security. Each case was treated separately, according
to the circumstances, climate, personnel and environ-
ment.
As it was necessary to speciahze in certain breeds, it
was found that for the particular needs of these pre-war
years the Airedale, as an all-round, courageous, rehable
and hardy individual, could not be beaten, and the extra-
ordinary way in which he is able to adapt himself to both
northern and tropical climates is exceedingly remarkable
and useful. I paid many visits to the Continent to those
countries which specialized in trained police or military
dogs. In France tentative experiments with army dogs
were carried on, largely owing to the energy and initiative
of M. Megnin, of Paris, and pohce dogs were used in suburban
areas of large towns. Russia had a definite estabhshment
of military dogs in which the Tsar took a great interest
and which were attached to many regiments. I may here
incidentally remark that I was in Russia three weeks before
the war broke out, acting as judge at the army trials of these
mihtary dogs. The two other judges were Germans.
Holland, Sweden and Italy all had canine military
How the Movement Began 53
establishments, in a more or less experimental stage, and
in the case of Italy the experience gained was put to good
use in the Tripoli campaign. I visited Tripoli personally
during that war, and gained many valuable hints, and I
was allowed to visit the battlefields in Morocco, at the
invitation of King Alfonso, in the Riff campaign, taking
one of my own dogs with me. These experiences in actual
warfare were added to by a visit to the Balkans when war
broke out there in 191 1. The Albanians used many of their
shaggy sheep dogs of ferocious disposition, which rendered
excellent service in the mountains as guards to their sen-
tries. The Bulgarians also used sentry dogs. I was able
to send out a pair of dogs from my own kennels to the
8th Ghurkas for the Abor campaign in India. These were
used by sentries and patrols, and rendered considerable
service in the dense scrub by preventing the sentries from
being surprised and the battalions rushed. One was an
Airedale and the other a cross-bred sheep dog.
It was in Germany that I found much the most organized
service of both military and police dogs. Between the years
1900 and 1914 I paid several visits to their training estab-
Hshments, and had admired many of their methods, but I
quickly saw that we had the advantage in this country
by the possession of a better choice of dogs for the work,
and also I questioned whether the immensely detailed system
of training the keepers of the dogs, and also the dogs them-
selves, was to any useful purpose. It seemed to me that,
as in other forms of German organization, not enough
attention was directed to the psychology of the subject,
and too much to the letter of mechanical instruction. I
knew that in the event of dogs being employed at all in war
large supplies, and quickly trained, would be needed,
and that, therefore, a quicker system of instruction was
54 British War Dogs
required, at all events for our country, where no prepara-
tions were being made in peace-time in this branch.
When the thunderbolt of war fell in this country, the first
shock seemed to bring to the surface, among other things,
the fact that we had been harbouring quantities of bitterly
hostile, treacherous aliens, about whom only one thing was
certain, which was that we could not trust them in any
direction whatever. Our whole nation began to be im-
mensely on the alert within a few days, and I saw at once
that a properly organized system of sentinels and guard
dogs all over the country would be of enormous service
in guarding bridgeheads, magazines, factories, and valuable
property of all kinds. I judged from my experience of
years in the same sort of work for civilians how immensely
valuable an adaptation of the same idea would be for the
Army. I very urgently represented this, and offered to
present my whole kennel of trained dogs that experiments
might immediately be made. My ideas were, however, not
in any way understood at the time, and I could make no
headway.
When my offer of sentry dogs was rejected in the first
days of the war, I turned to another branch of work in which
I had frequently experimented in previous years — tracing
the wounded on the battlefield. These dogs were, of course,
used with ambulance sections. At this period a war of
movement was the only method conceived, and also we in
this country were convinced of the inviolability of the
sacred sjmibol of the Red Cross, whether on man or beast,
hospital or ship. Had these conditions obtained in this
war, ambulance dogs would have been of great assistance.
As it was, however, when the French army hurriedly sent
some of their ambulance dogs with their keepers to the
front in the earliest feverish days, the first thing that hap-
How the Movement Began 55
pened was that, although both men and dogs wore the
Red Cross, the enemy brutally shot them all down whenever
they attempted to carry out their humanitarian work. It
was also found that, when the opposing forces settled down
into trench warfare, the opportunities on the Western front
were closed. The only ambulance dogs that were used
with any success were those with the German army when
the Russians were retreating on the Eastern front.
I offered my services to the British Red Cross Society
with some trained ambulance dogs, and was sent by the
society to Belgium early in August, 1914. I made my
way as far as Brussels, only to find the enemy entering the
city from the east, and the Belgians falling back, while our
own army had not come up. I succeeded in getting out
of Brussels with the dogs and reached Ostend, but the con-
ditions on the Western front soon became, as I have said,
impossible for the successful use of ambulance dogs. The
French War Office entirely forbade their use with their
army after the first few weeks.
After some months I received a number of requests from
officers for dogs for sentry and patrol work. I did my
best to supply these, and found Airedales answered the
purpose well. I also sent some to the Belgian army.
During this time I understand many officers were writing
to the War Office, asking that dogs should be supplied
officially for several purposes. In the winter of 1916 I
received a letter from an officer in the Royal Artillery, in
which he expressed a great desire for trained dogs to keep
up communications between his outpost and the battery,
during heavy bombardment, when telephones are rendered
useless, and the risk to runners is enormous. He asked if
I would train some dogs to carry messages, and I promised
to do so. I made many experiments with a large number
56 British War Dogs
of dogs, and at last I got two dogs to carry messages home-
wards regularly without a hitch for two miles. They were
both Airedales, and their names were Wolf and Prince.
They left for France on the last day of 1916, and went
direct to Thiepval, under escort of a gunner. The dogs
were very intelligently managed in France, for although
they had been trained without any of the adjuncts of war,
they settled down successfully, and began to carry messages
regularly. Colonel Winter, R.A., to whom they went, was
very kind in assisting me with suggestions, and I found the
hints he gave me very useful later on. The first report
on these two dogs was as follows :
" From : O.C. 56th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.
" To : R.A. Headquarters, nth Division.
" In continuation of my letter No. 549, dated on the 7th
inst., during the operations against Wytschaete Ridge,
two messenger dogs attached to this brigade were sent
forward at one a.m. One was attached to the forward
liaison officer and one with the group forward observation
officer.
" After being led up through communication trenches
during darkness, they went forward as soon as the attack
was launched, passing through the smoke barrage. . . . One
was dispatched at 10.45 a.m. and the other at 12.45 p.m.
" Both dogs reached brigade headquarters, travelling a
distance as the crow flies of 4,000 yards over ground they
had never seen before and over an exceptionally difficult
terrain. The dog dispatched at 12.45 p.m. reached his
destination under the hour, bringing in an important
message, and this was the first message which was received,
all visual communication having failed.
" (Signed) O.C. 56th Brigade, R.F.A."
How the Movement Began 57
Two other reports on these dogs are as foHows :
" When the Germans withdrew then- line in the spring of
1917, the dogs were taken up the night before to a wood
east of Bucquoy. They were then sent up to a forward
observation post, 4,000 yards to the east of the wood, and
were released with important messages. They found their
way back through masses of troops on the march, to the
wood, although they had only arrived there the night pre-
viously, and the ground was quite unknown to them."
" On the attack on the Vimy Ridge the dogs were em-
ployed with an artillery observation post. All the tele-
phones were broken, and visual signalling was impossible.
The dogs were the first to bring through news."
The definite results obtained through these two dogs,
and through Colonel Winter's initiative, led the authorities
to inquire into the question of establishing some means
whereby supplies of these messenger dogs could be provided
for the Army. I was ordered to the War Office to discuss
the matter. Suffice it to say, I was glad to propose a
definite plan for starting an official school of instruction for
military dogs, and that my ideas were agreed to. It was
decided that the school should be formed at Shoeburyness,
for the reason that the constant firing of the big guns would
be excellent training for the dogs. Mrs. Richardson accom-
panied me. She has a great gift for training animals, and
much of the success of the military dog service was due to
her skill and devotion to duty.
A certain number of men were to be sent to the school
each month for instruction in handling the dogs, and these
58 British War Dogs
men at the end of the course, which lasted about five weeks,
took the dogs overseas. The men were at first recruited
in France from battalions whose commanding officers
expressed a wish to have dispatch dogs. This system was
carried on for several months, but while the utility of the
dogs was clearly proved, it was found that there was not
enough supervision over their working and management
in the field, and the full measure of usefulness was not
being brought out in many regiments. In certain battalions,
commanding officers with a sympathy for dogs and an eye
to the value to be obtained from their service, would make
arrangements that full use should be made of them, and,
moreover, kept records of their work and sent them to
G.H.Q. in France. The inability of our people to recognize
that a dog is capable of real work and is worth taking
seriously, was a stumbling-block in many cases, and it was
soon reported to me that the capabilities of these valuable
and highly-trained dogs were being inadequately recog-
nized, and their keepers could not get sufficient attention
paid to the working needs of their service. I reported the
matter, and as the result an officer was appointed. Major
Waley, M.C., R.E., to superintend the organizing of the
messenger-dog service in France. It was found that better
results could be obtained by withdrawing all the dogs
with their keepers from the separate battalions, and form-
ing the whole into a complete unit. A central kennel was
formed at Etaples, where the dogs and keepers were col-
lected on being withdrawn from the battalions. From this
central kennel the dogs were, with their keepers, posted to
sectional kennels behind the front line. Each sectional
kennel was in charge of a sergeant, and had about forty-
eight dogs and sixteen men allotted to it. From these sec-
tional kennels the dogs were sent, with their keepers, to the
I How the Movement Began 59
I proportion of three dogs to one man, to the active sectors.
His dogs were then taken away from him by certain men
detailed from the infantry battalions in the brigade, and
were led up to the front line. The keeper remained at
brigade headquarters, watching for the dogs' return, and
ready to deliver the messages they brought to the officer
commanding. Very careful regulations for the correct
management of the messenger dogs and their keepers were
drawn up and issued. This method of concentration and
supervision soon began to give excellent results.
I In the meantime the training work proceeded steadily
I at the War Dog School at Shoeburyness, and class after
class of trained men and dogs were sent overseas, where
I they were concentrated, in the first place, at the central
kennels before being distributed to the sectional kennels.
A new branch of activity had besides commenced at Shoe-
buryness. As the demand for fighting men became in-
creasingly insistent, large numbers who had been doing
guard duty all over Britain were withdrawn, and the
security of munition factories, magazines, and vulnerable
points of all kinds was an anxious one for the Government.
I was sent for and questioned as to whether the dogs could
be of service at this juncture, to act as guards and replace
man-power. I said most emphatically they could. From
my experience, however, in pre-war years, as applied to
civilian needs, I knew that, in order to be successful, careful
management of these guard dogs would be necessary, and
therefore I drew up a list of regulations which was issued to
each centre where these dogs were employed. Once this
branch was fairly started, applications began to pour in
from all parts of the country.
At this time, also, a request for sentry dogs for use with
the troops at Salonika was referred to me. The desire was
60 British War Dogs
particularly for Airedales, and they were to be used in the
listening-posts in the front line to give warning of enemy
approach. There were thus, at this time, three separate
branches of training proceeding at the school. With these
increasing demands upon the school, it was found that
the supply of suitable dogs so far obtained was becoming
inadequate. At first the only supply was from the Home
for Lost Dogs at Battersea. Then the Birmingham, Liver-
pool, Bristol and Manchester Dogs' Homes were invited to
help by sending any suitable dogs to the school. Many a
homeless, deserted " stray " was saved from the lethal
chamber, and transformed into a useful member of His
Majesty's Forces. Later, the Home Office ordered the
police all over the country to send all stray dogs of certain
breeds to the school. Finally, when even these sources
were not sufficient, the War Office decided to appeal to the
public for gifts. The response was exceedingly generous.
The country was, at this time, passing through especially
serious times, and many people were only too glad to help
by sending their dogs. The food shortage also was much
accentuated, and it was felt that the family friend would
be certain to receive good food and care in the Army.
Some of the letters received at this time testify to the
unselfish spirit in the country. A lady wrote : " I have
given my husband and my sons, and now that he too is
required, I give my dog." From a little girl : " We have
let Daddy go to fight the Kaiser, and now we are sending
Jack to do his bit." An " Old Contemptible " said : "I
have been through Mons, and have lost a leg and nearly
lost my life, and have not much I can give my country, but
I gladly give my dog to help." A sporting person sent his
lurcher, with the remark : "I am sending you my dog Sam.
He has always found his own grub and has plenty of sense
How the Movement Began 61
so should be of use." Sam did not have to find his own grub
any longer when at the school, but he nevertheless earned it.
A splendid collection of dogs was daily assembled.
Many of them were fine show specimens, while others of
humble ancestry nevertheless came with wise faces and
willing hearts. They were one and all welcome, and were
made to feel so. The attitude of mind was in most cases
that of a schoolboy plunged into a large public school —
bewilderment and sometimes homesickness for a short
time — but as it was found that reassuring, kindly human
voices were all around, and that excellent dinners were
going, they soon became quite at home. Added to this,
life offered most interesting companionship with other dogs,
and also a completely new experience in what seemed to
the dog the learning of a new sort of game.
Each recruit was carefully tested for three different duties
— messenger, sentry, or guard work. Sometimes they
failed in one but succeeded in another, but all had a good
chance to show some sort of initiative. In the event of a
dog showing no desire for work of any sort it was returned
to the source whence it came. The more one has to do with
the canine race the clearer it is seen that as regards psy-
chology there is little difference between it and the human
race, and I much regret to say that it was my experience
to find occasionally the canine " conscientious objector "
among the recruits. There was, however, a convenient
method of dealing with the offenders which unfortunately
is not available for human beings — an excellent lethal
chamber at Battersea !
We had many distinguished visitors. Field-Marshal
French inspected the school, accompanied by General
Lowther. This was before the results of the work that had
been done had been fully demonstrated, and the genuine
62 British War Dogs
interest Lord French showed in the dogs, and the few J
words of helpful encouragement he gave me, at a time ^
when very great difficulties were being overcome, will always
be remembered with gratitude. A large number of officers
belonging to the Allied and neutral countries also visited
the school, besides various travelling parties of Allied and
Colonial editors. During the summer of 1917 so numerous
were the requests from various officials to visit the school,
that a special day had to be set aside once a week for this
purpose, so that the training should not be hampered.
Everything by this time was going with a swing. A
large number of men and dogs were being turned out fully
trained, and Major Waley had the system of posting in
France on a good basis. The demand for more and yet more
dogs, both as messengers and guards, became insistent.
The former proved themselves speedy and life-saving in
maintaining communication in the field, and the latter
as a means of substituting man-power and protecting
Government property of every kind. In June, 1918, I made
an inspection of the entire messenger dog service in France,
accompanied by Major Waley. We also visited the French
front, and were greatly interested in the work done in the
French Army with dogs. I had a conversation with the
famous General Gouraud, whose wonderful defence near
Rheims in July, igi8, will be remembered. The general
is a great believer in dogs, and in speaking of messenger
dogs he said : " If only two out of six dogs come back with,
their messages I am satisfied."
Previous to this I had already paid two visits to the dogj
on the French front. In April, 1915, I visited the Frencl
6th Army at Villers Cotterets, and also in December th|
same year I visited the 7th French Army in the Vosges
where I was hospitably received by Monsieur Paul Megnii
How the Movement Began 63
who has done so much to forward this work in the French
Army.
On my return to England a large extension to the work,
and a proportionate increase to the establishment of the
War Dog School was ordered by the War Office. By this
time it was found that the available training-ground at
Shoeburyness was becoming too congested. A site was
chosen on Matley Ridge, above Lyndhurst. There was a
splendid stretch of country here, and the training went on
satisfactorily until May, 1919. During that month the
school was moved to Bulford, on Salisbury Plain.
In November, 1918, the armistice came, but just before
that event the latest instructions for divisional attack were
issued. In these it was ordered that infantry battalions
in the attack were to be provided with messenger dogs.
This seemed to set a seal on the work. The long uphill
struggle, the open sneers, the active obstruction, the
grudging assistance, all was forgotten, in the knowledge
that countless men's lives had been saved and that this
fact had now been realized and acknowledged.
Field-Marshal Haig, in his final dispatch on the war,
pays a tribute to the work the messenger dogs did in the
field.
CHAPTER III
THE MESSENGER DOG : TRAINING AND MANAGEMENT.
" The tither was a plowman's collie,
A rhyming, ranting, roving billie,
He was a gash and faithfu' tyke.
As ever lap a sheugh or dike.
His honest sonsie, bawsie face,
Aye gat him friends in ilka place.
.... When up they gat and shook their lugs.
Rejoiced they were na men but dogs."
Burns.
THE training of the messenger dog requires a decidedly
special gift in the instructor. Without a long, intimate,
and practical working experience among dogs on a large
scale, no one need attempt to train messenger dogs in war-
time. It must be understood that training includes the
instruction of the men who are to act as keepers to the dogs,
as well as of the dogs themselves.
In organizing the school in the first place, I recommended
that gamekeepers, shepherds, and hunt servants should
be especially asked for, and this may be said to be a fair
working basis on which to start, but my experience goes
to show that many of the men who had actually worked
among dogs all their lives were not necessarily the best for
this particular branch. In order to be a good keeper for
a messenger dog in the field, a man must in the first place
64
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[To foeep. Gr.
Training and Management 65
be brave, and he must be fit. He is no use if he is afraid
of the front Hne, or if he is incapacitated. In fact, he
should be an Ai man. The men comprising the personnel
require to be of an honest, conscientious character, with
sympathetic understanding for animals. A keeper, when
in the front line, though governed by definite regulations,
requires to use his own initiative to a great extent in handling
his dogs, and men of intelligence and faithfulness to duty
are absolutely essential. It will thus be seen that a really
high standard of character is of first importance. This
must be accompanied by a fondness for, and a gentleness
with, dogs. Complete confidence and affection must
exist between dogs and keeper, and the man whose only
idea of control is by coercion and fear is quite useless. I
have found that many men, who are supposedly dog experts,
are not sufficiently sympathetic, and are apt to regard the
dog too much as a machine. They do not study the
psychology of their charges sufficiently. Another type of
man to avoid is one who has trained or bred a few dogs,
and thinks in consequence that he knows all there is to
know. This unteachable attitude disqualifies a man at
the outset. Some of the most successful keepers, that is
to say, those who obtained the best results from the dogs
in the field, and were also the most helpful when under
instruction at the school, were those who, having a
natural love of animals, had had no previous experience
of a particular nature with dogs.
Now the most important point in the whole messenger
service is this question of the keepers. It is more im-
portant than that of the dog. The cleverest dog is non-
plussed in charge of a stupid or unconscientious keeper.
Therefore, in order to obtain the highest efficiency, it is
most essential that the personnel at the school should be
5
66 British War Dogs
always kept in a fluid condition. The men, when they
are recruited from the commands, should, in the first place,
have a distinct understanding that they are in every case
liable for the trenches. This precaution excludes the
shirker, who jumps at any job that he thinks will keep
him at home. Each man must come on probation, and
when the classes are evacuated from the school for over-
seas at stated intervals the choice of individual men must
always be left to the Commandant, who judges, not by the
length of time a man has been in the school, but by the
results of that man's work. Some men reveal themselves
much quicker than others, and it is a mistake to have the
training period bound by any particular time, as regards
the individual man. Some men \\'ill show very quickly
that they are quite unfitted for the work, and these should
be returned to their units at once. Others, again, take
pleasure in their duties from the commencement, and display
initiative, and when they thoroughly understand their duties
they can be transferred to the Royal Engineers and are
ready for service in the field. This system of selection
should apply to all ranks of the estabhshment, including
officers. It should be understood that most of the work
is technical, and the instructors require certain mental
qualifications. The training of messenger and guard dogs
is so different from every other kind of dog work that
practically anything that a man has learned before about
dogs has to be forgotten before he is qualified to be trained
himself, and to train others. Added to this, the fact of
managing several hundred dogs is a new lesson to learn in
itself.
All officers should be appointed to the school on pro-
bation.
Training and Management 67
Recruiting the Dogs
These are the methods of recruiting the dogs :
1. From the dogs' homes.
2. From the public as gifts through the Press.
3. From the poUce stations in all parts of the country.
For messenger dogs the following breeds should be asked
for : Sheep dogs, collies, drovers' dogs, lurchers (and all
crosses of the above), Irish terriers, Welsh terriers, Airedales,
and deerhounds.
As each dog arrives, its full description is tabulated in a
ledger, with all particulars concerning it, and it is given a
collar and a number. It now takes its place among the new
recruits and is given a couple of days' rest, after which it
may be paraded with the other dogs of its own class for
the purpose of testing its capabilities. In analysing the
capabilities of the breeds above recommended for message-
carrying, experience goes to show that all these have given
good results in the field. Fox terriers, besides being too
small, are too fond of play, and do not take work seriously.
It must be admitted, however, that many of our best dogs
were Irish terriers and Welsh terriers. These little fellows
were remarkably easily taught, and were tremendously
keen on their work. Retrievers, unless they have a strong
cross of collie or sheep dog in them, may be ruled out.
They were very seldom entirely satisfactory. I put that
down to the use of this breed for sport. Under that system
of training the dog does his work always more or less under
his keeper's control, within sound of his voice, and the
habit of independent thinking, which has to be inculcated
in the messenger dog, is therefore difficult to instil. The
sheep dogs, and by this I mean the shaggy or Highland
variety, frequently make good dogs. They are sometimes
5*
68 British War Dogs
rather highly strung, and for that reason their training
takes longer and requires great patience, but if one can over-
come their tendency to nervousness, they are naturally
extremely intelligent and conscientious workers-
The show collie is quite as good as the working type,
which one might not expect. Lurchers and lurcher crosses
are very wise dogs, and train well. Greyhounds, on the
other hand, are of no use. Hounds are also untrainable.
I have succeeded in training one or two to carry messages
short distances, but when the distance is above a mile
the hound seems to lose interest. Poodles are too fond of
play, and I found that any poodle cross seemed to diminish
a dog's capacity. Another curious fact to be noted is that
I have rarely found a dog with a gaily carried tail, which
curled over its back or sideways, of any value. This method
of carrying the tail seems to indicate a certain levity of
character, quite at variance with the serious duties required.
It is this testing process which calls for so much insight,
patience, and experience in the instructor. Certain dogs
will show what is in them in a very few days, and these can
be put aside and accepted for future training. There are
others which show no particular aptitude at all, and in
some cases refuse all invitations to learn anything. Now
the instructor has to judge whether the dog is refusing to
work from timidity and bewilderment, or whether it is
stupid or lazy. There are cases again where the dog shows
considerable aptitude for a few days, and then falls away.
In this case, it mil be necessary to judge whether it is worth
while continuing the dog's education at all, or whether it
should be rested for a few days and brought out again.
Sometimes the change and excitement may be affecting the
dog's health, and a few days' longer rest may improve it.
The dogs pass through many phases before they are fully
Training and Management 69
qualified messengers, and without a natural gift for dis-
cerning the individual nature of each dog, the instructor
may very easily lose patience, and reject a half-trained
recruit which later would turn out a first-class worker.
At the same time, he must know when he is up against a
real shirker, and save unnecessary waste of time in training.
Rapidity of output is of the highest importance, and only
a long previous experience with dogs, on a large scale, will
give the necessary understanding of the methods of rapid
training. The dogs should not be under one year, nor older
than four years. It is better, if the supply is sufficient, to
confine the choice of dogs to those of the male sex.
The heavy bombardments which are a feature of modern
warfare render communication with the front line exceed-
ingly difficult to maintain. The object of the use of mes-
senger dogs, therefore, is :
1. To save human life.
2. To accelerate dispatch-carrying. "
Telephones soon become useless, and the danger to the
human runner is enonnous. Added to the difficulties are
the shell-holes, the mud, the smoke and gas, and darkness.
It is here that the messenger dog is of the greatest assistance.
The broken surface of the ground is of small moment to it,
as it lightly leaps from point to point. It comes to its duty
in the field well broken to shell-fire, and so has no fear.
Its sense of direction is as certain at night as in the day,
and equally so in mist or fog. Being a smaller and more
rapidly-moving object, the danger of its being hit is much
less than in the case of a runner, and it is a fact that during
the war casualties were extraordinarily low among the
messenger dogs, especially when it is taken into considera-
tion that their work was always in the hottest of the fight.
There is a most remarkable record of the tenacity and
70 British War Dogs
courage with which the dogs did their work in the face of
every kind of difficulty. There have been many occasions
when a situation, at one moment so full of anxiety and
uncertainty, has been completely transformed by the
arrival, out of the chaos and darkness, of one of these brave
dogs bearing its message of information and appeal.
Now it must here be observed why the training of the
messenger differs from that of any other dog. In the first
place, the dog has to work entirely on its own initiative,
and may be miles away from its keeper. It has to know
what it has to do, and to think out how it is to do it. The
only training that approaches it is that of the shepherd's
dog, where a man may send his dog up the hill-side with
directions to gather in the sheep. But the distance is not
so great, nor are the difficulties to be encountered to be
compared. It is easy to understand, therefore, that the
messenger dog has to be trained in such a way that it takes
keenest delight and pride in its work. The highest qualities
of mind— love and duty — have to be appealed to and culti-
vated. Coercion is of no avail, for of what use would this
be when the dog is two or three miles away from its keeper ?
In fact, it may be said that the whole training is based on
appeal. To this end the dog is gently taught to associate
everything pleasant with its working hours. Under no
circumstances whatever must it be roughly handled or
roughly spoken to. If it makes a mistake, or is slack in its
work when being trained, it is never chastised, but is merely
shown how to do it over again. If any of the men under
instruction are observed to display roughness or lack of
sympathy with the dogs, they should be instantly dis-
missed, as a promising young dog could easily be thrown
back in his training, or even spoiled altogether, by sharp
handling.
Training and Management 71
In the early days of the dog's training, it is not asked to
travel very long distances, but before it is considered ready
for the field it must have been in the regular habit of carry-
ing messages over different sorts of country for three and
a half to four miles. The ground over which the dogs are
trained must be varied as much as possible. They must
be taught to travel along high roads, amongst lorry and
other traffic, through villages, and past every sort of camp
and cook-house temptation. They must be taught not to
be afraid of water, or of any inequalities in the ground.
To aid the dogs in overcoming all these difficulties, all sorts
of artificial obstacles are introduced into the route of the
dog's journey over and above those he would meet in the
ordinary way. Barbed wire entanglements, palings, fences,
water dykes, smoke clouds, made by harmless means, etc.,
should intercept its homeward journey, and it must be
induced at all costs, one way or another, to surmount these
difficulties by going over, through, or under. It is left to
the dog to choose, but come he must. Competition with
each other is a very strong educator here, and is one of
the great aids to training. When a dog begins to be keen
on its work, it takes great pride in everything connected
with its training, and is greatly displeased to see another
passing it.
It was my custom at the school to divide the messenger
dogs into classes according to their progress. There was
a first, second, and third class. Sometimes one class would
be left in while the others were taken out for work. If the
first class, which was the most highly trained, happened to
be left in, it was most amusing to watch the indignation
and contempt with which the incoming efforts of the lesser-
trained dogs were greeted by its members. They generally
elected to watch the proceedings perched on the top of
72 British War Dogs
their kennels, and loud choruses of derision were hurled at
the raw recruits. When the turn came afterwards for
members of the first class to exhibit their prowess, great
was the assumption of superiority and determination to
show how much better they could do.
In order to accustom them to gunfire, the best method
is to encourage the young recruit with a daily practice under
rifle fire with blank ammunition. One or two rifles are
sufficient at the start, and the number may be increased
as the dogs get accustomed to them. Afterwards thunder-
flash bombs can be used at varying distances. At Shoe-
buryness the dogs were also taken daily to the batteries,
first of all to the i8 -pounders and afterwards to the
heavies. Much gentleness and careful treatment is needed
here, so that the dog may not be unduly scared at first.
The whole process must be gradual. It is a good plan to
feed the dog with tit-bits during the firing. It is remark-
able how soon most dogs get accustomed to the heaviest
firing. I am frequently asked how long it takes to train a
messenger dog, and to this no very definite answer can be
given, as so much depends on the individual dog's intelli-
gence and stamina. For it must be understood that not
only has the mind to be instructed, but the health and
muscular activity have to be brought up to a high standard.
The great proportion of the dogs sent to the school have
been previously living indoors, sometimes in hot kitchens.
The change to an outdoor life is quite an experience, and
it takes a little time for them to become hardened to
weather conditions. Then, again, very few dogs have
been accustomed to gallop several miles every day over
every sort of surface, and their feet are rarely in good
working condition. Another point is that the usual manner
of feeding a single house-dog on any odd scraps that may
Training and Management T3
be left over from the household meal is not a good prepara-
tion for the steady working diet provided for them when
under training. It is quite difficult for them to believe
that dog biscuits cooked with horseflesh will really very
soon seem to them the most delightful fare that could be
provided. It may be stated that no dog should leave the
war-dog school under five weeks, and only a few should
do so then, the majority requiring six weeks to two months
to become thoroughly trained and hardened.
The best method of kennelling the dogs when at the
school is for each dog to be chained to a separate kennel.
These should be of the box pattern, with a sloping roof
which opens upwards, and with a sliding door. Each
kennel should have in front of it a movable shelter, with
a wooden roof and floor. These shelters are a great
comfort to the dog, as they give it protection from both
the rain and the sun. Such kennels have proved ex-
ceedingly satisfactory, and the health of the dogs has been
very good indeed. They are also easily shifted about,
so that the ground does not get foul. This system of
kennelling was adopted at the Central Kennels in France.
The kennels should be periodically and frequently white-
washed inside.
A man should be set aside to attend to the grooming of
the dogs. In the case of the old English sheepdogs, it is
as well to clip the legs, as all that long fur is uncomfortable
for the dog when in hard training, and when it gets wet.
In fact, all dogs with extremely shaggy coats should be
trimmed, especially about the legs, leaving only a good
thick saddle of fur along the back. One good, reliable
man should be put on duty as head nurse. He must be
kind, gentle, and practical, and not fond of dosing. Sick
do£;s are far better without any drugs. Rest, warmth,
74 British War Dogs
and dieting in an intelligent manner is the quickest and
surest way to bring dogs into health again. I may also
add that prevention is better than cure, and if the dogs are
kept in the manner directed, well fed, well groomed, and
exercised, they will be happy, and when dogs are happy
they are always healthy. In the case of wounds or bites
from other dogs, I am very much against putting on any
ointment or medical dressing of any sort, beyond sometimes
a mere bandage. I find that the healing takes place much
quicker if the wound is kept clean and left alone.
The Liaison Dog
Before concluding these remarks on Messenger Dogs I
should like to mention the Uaison dog— or the messenger
dog trained to run backwards and forwards. This system
of training was not adopted for the British Army as a whole,
for two good reasons. First, when the War Office found
that dog-messengers would be a valuable means of life-
saving to runners, and also for keeping up communication
with the front-line trenches, the order was for unlimited
output with the utmost celerity. The haison training takes
double the time of the one direction method. Secondly,
the system of one direction running only necessitates one
set of keepers. In this case the keeper who has charge of
these dogs remains at the battalion headquarters, and his
dogs are taken from him up to the front-line trenches by
soldiers of the unit. When it is desired to send a message
the dogs are slipped, and readily run back to where they
last left their keeper.
The liaison system, on the other hand, necessitates
two keepers to each set of dogs. The second keeper takes
the dogs outwards and slips each dog, himself remaining
Training and Management 75
i n the trenches to receive the dog on its return from bat-
talion headquarters, where it wOl have delivered its
message to its keeper there, and will have been directed
to return by him, probably with a reply message. This
system, besides necessitating the training of a much larger
staff of keepers in the first instance, also entails a consider-
ably greater wastage of life, both among the men themselves
and the dogs, as the position of the keeper in the front line
is fraught with risk, and the dogs are also required to run
a double journey over the danger area.
When the work was officially commenced of training
these dogs the man-power question was already becoming
serious, and became much more acute later on, so that the
second difficulty alone would have made the simpler system
more advisable. In commenting on the two systems, I
would say that, were training to be kept up permanently
in our Army in peace time, I would certainly advise that
a certain number of liaison dogs should always be kept
in training. At the same time, I still believe that the bulk
of the dogs, as a whole, should be trained for active warfare
on the simpler principle, and in the event of large quantities
of messenger dogs being hurriedly required again, and no
training having been carried on in peace time, the one
direction-trained dog is unquestionably the best for the
emergency, as it can be trained quickly and reliably, and
many dogs can be utilized that will do this method well,
but would be incapable of the other more difficult system.
The hour of training is eagerly anticipated by the dogs,
and they are in a high state of excitement when led out
on to the parade ground by the keepers. It is better, if
possible, that each man should concern himself with two
dogs only at this time, but in the case of the more advanced
classes, it is sometimes necessary, if the number of dogs
76 British War Dogs
under training is very large, that each keeper should have
three, or even four, which are taken from their kennels on
leads. A certain amount of " swank " is evident among
those members of the classes who consider their work is
approaching that quality known as " haute ecole." This is
for the benefit of the less accomplished, and especially for
the last comers, which are drawn up in line on the opposite
side, and are attached by their leads to posts. These raw
recruits wait until all the dogs which are capable of return-
ing from some distance have departed. This morning
parade is an excellent time for the officer in charge to
conduct a thorough inspection of all the dogs on duty.
Signs of sickness are noted, and condition of health in every
particular, including coat, skin, and so on.
All dogs are classified according to their work, and those
at the same stage of training go out together, with their
keepers, in groups. As I have said, they are at this time
in such a high state of complacency that their behaviour
is apt to get on each other's nerves, and the natural desire
" to take each other down a peg or two " sometimes results
in squabbles of an undignified nature. These are, however,
soon ended, and the next moment the combatants are
trotting off quite happily as though nothing had occurred.
It may be added that this is the only occasion when a scold-
ing is administered.
I might remark here that the best weapon for stopping a
dog fight is a heavy stable broom, ^ith good stiff bristles.
In the event of two dogs fighting, two keepers should each
seize a combatant by the tail, and hold the dog apart as
far as it can be drawn. The dogs will probably be holding
on to each other's heads by their teeth, but by drawing
them apart just to that point where they cannot get further
purchase they will not be able to increase their grip. In the
Training and Management 77
meantime the broom is brought into play, and by bringing
it down bristle end on the dogs' noses it will be found they
will quickly realize the game is up. The broom need not be
used heavily, as they dislike the bristles very much, and
usually let go without further trouble. It should be
pointed out that the dogs must not be drawn roughly
apart, as that would only injure them, but they must be
drawn out just to that point where they can only hold each
other, but not take further grip. If this method is followed
it will be found that the dogs will never seriously injure
each other. In the event of a good " mix-up " fight, where
several are joining in, good play round among them with
the broom, thrusting the bristles in between the com-
batants, will be found quickly effective, and without injury
to the dogs, and all hands must be called on to select a
tail, and make the owner captive whenever it is separated.
Fighting dogs should only be handled by their tails.
The first training each day is the firing drill. The entire
parade of dogs, excluding the new arrivals, are led to a large
shed, where a certain number of keepers are drawn up with
rifles loaded with blank cartridges. Several rounds are
fired, and many of the haughty spirits that have been
making such a display on the parade ground are now
inclined to put up a sorry show. Much gentleness is, how-
ever, extended at this lesson, and any dog that shows
timidity is taken further off until it gets accustomed to the
tiring. This they very soon do, and the old hands proudly
stand right under the firing keepers. After this there is
a system of bomb-firing, which is a further call upon nerve
force, and has often to be carried on for some time. The
dogs are also trained to run among the keepers who are
firing their rifles from a recumbent position across the road
by which the dogs have to come. They are also taken to
78 British War Dogs
the batteries and accustomed gradually at varying distances
to the sound of i8-pounders up to the 12-in. guns. An-
other lesson is the water training, and in this case the dog
has to cross a stream, either by jumping, or swimming, or
wading, and there is also the obstacle crossing, which may
be barricades of barbed wire, fencing, thorn-hedging. The
smoke barrage has also to be met and conquered. This is
made by setting alight bundles of straw or hay, or by
harmless smoke bombs, and the dogs must run through it.
In all these tests the dog has to do the work voluntarily.
It is not coerced or compelled. It must want to do it.
For this reason it will be understood how much patience
is required, and that no definite time can be laid down for
each dog's training. Those that refuse are gently asked
to try again, and are this time given a much easier test,
and so are led up to the point which was at the time rather
beyond their intelligence. The classes are now ready for
the running work, and are taken out shorter or longer
distances, according to their capabilities, and are slipped
back to the training post.
In the meantime the new dogs are dealt with. Each dog
is taken singly by a keeper, and slipped back, and this
system is carried on over and over again, and at increasing
distances. The officer in charge of the training will find it
very useful to have a platform erected, from which he
surveys the surrounding land sufficiently to inspect the
running of the dogs, and note each one's behaviour. The
eye soon becomes practised where the training-ground is
in open country to distinguish the running dogs from a
long distance, and note will be taken as to whether the dog
comes steadily or if it stops, and why. This training is
carried on twice a day for all the dogs, except those of the
highest class, which will probably have been taken out four
Training and Management
79
miles or so in the morning and slipped backwards, thus
bringing up their run to about eight miles. In their case,
that is sufficient for one day. When the evening hour
comes they are all very ready to seek the quiet rest of their
individual kennels, and to feel the proud consciousness
that they are daily learning a little more of a very honour-
able task.
The following nominal roll of men and dogs, attached
to a sectional kennel, gives a good idea, of the class of dog
found most suitable. It brings out the fact, that the gift
of intelligence necessary for message carrying, cannot be
said to be confined in particular to any one breed. It
should be noted, however, that many of these dogs had
slight crosses in them, and this is especially so in the case
of the Retrievers, many of which had a strain of Collie
in them.
MESSENGER DOG SERVICE
NOMINAL ROLL OF DOGS AND KEEPERS No. 3 SECTION
N.C.O. i/c, Sergt. W. Bonney.
No.
lOI
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
no
III
112
114
"5
116
117
118
119
Description.
Airedale
Collie
Setter
Collie Lurcher
Airedale
Airedale
Airedale
Old English Sheep .
Retriever
Irish Terrier
Irish Terrier
Irish (Missing)
Airedale
Airedale Lurcher . . .
Bloodhound (Missing)
Retriever Sheep ....
Airedale Irish
Irish
Lurcher
Sex.
Dog
Dog
Bitch
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Bitch
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Bitch
Dog
Dog
Dog
Name.
Buller .
Trick .
Nell . . .
Yellow .
Rocket
Jame .
Tags . .
Tweed
Lill
Paddy
Mick ..
Cocoa .
Dale...
Badger
Duke .
Curly .
Gyp ..
Dick . .
Sharp .
Keeper's Name.
427773 Sergt. W. Bonney.
3133 Cpl. J. Coull.
491793 Pnr. H. Bevington
361465 Pnr. H.Monagham
449951 Pnr.G. L.L.Griffiths
432401 Pte.P.M.'o.Oldroyd
234830 P'te. w'.'t. Rea.
360178 Pnr. J. Ferriby.
80 British War Dogs
KOMINAL ROLL OF DOGS AND KEEPERS No. 3 SECTION Continued.
No. Description.
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
Irish Water Spaniel
Yellow Lurcher , .
Lurcher
Retriever
Collie
Terrier
Spaniel
Retriever
Brown Setter
Collie
Airedale
Lurcher
Collie
Spaniel
Collie
Old Sheep
Bedlington
Irish Bedlington . .
Brown Lurcher . . .
Lurcher
Small Retriever . .
Retriever Spaniel .
Collie
Whippet
Irish
Whippet
Lurcher
Collie Lurcher . . .
Lurcher
Sex.
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Bitch
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Dog
Name.
Coffee
Vulcan . . . .
Dan
Black Petal
Flight
Georgie . . . .
Spotty . . . .
Hanky . . . . .
Ginger . . . .
Ben
Moses
Frolic
Willard
Drummer . .
Jim
Jock
Dick
Paddy ....
Lady
Roger
Darkie
Prince
FUer
Skim
Links
Forest
Slick
Rapid
Sailor
Keeper's Name.
360178 Pnr. J. Ferriby.
360700 Pnr. R. Young.
369186 Pnr. C. We'iham.
360167 Pnr. J. Cousall.
443982 Pnr. W. Taylor.
525929 Pnr. H. Cotton.
360174 Pnr. T. W.'Woof.
210148 Pnr. G.'w.Allcock.
360173 Pnr. R. Windle.
360188 Pnr. J. bu'iin.
The following is a list of breeds sent to France within a
certain period for messenger work.
Breed of Dogs. No.
Collies 74
Lurchers 70
Airedales 66
Sheep dogs 36
Retrievers 33
Irish terriers 18
Spaniels 1 1
Deerhounds 6
Setters 4
Welsh terriers 5
Breed of Dogs. No.
Bull terriers 5
Greyhounds 2
Eskimos 2
Dalmatians 2
Bedhngtons 2
Pointers 2
Bull dogs I
Whippets I
Total 340
Roman.
Tiainiiii. war dous to sliL-U-lii
[To face p. 8(J.
TvDe of kennel used.
Training and Management 81
It will here be seen that the collies and lurchers take
the highest place as regards numbers, and Airedales the
next. Some of the other breeds were good at the work,
but were of a scarcer breed and therefore more difficult
to obtain. Of these I would particularly mention Welsh
terriers. Some deerhounds also, showed a great aptitude,
but they are of course rather scarce.
It will be observed however, that the first four breeds
are all such as have been associated, some of them from
prehistoric times, with man, in connection with his work,
and therefore have instinctively a sense of calling inherent
in their minds. The collie, or the sheep dog, is, as I have
shown elsewhere, quite one of the most ancient breeds, and
has always been the companion of man, for guarding his
person and his flocks. The lurcher is a mixture of working
dogs, the greyhound part of him being adapted, on account
of the fleetness to be derived from this breed, to the intel-
ligence of the other part of him, which may be a collie or
an Airedale, the two portions combining into a very clever,
reasoning, working dog. The Airedale has, for many
generations, now been adopted as a very personal dog,
mostly for the guardian of person and property, and he
also takes life as quite a serious business. This natural
instinct for work is of course a great point on which to
base the training.
CHAPTER IV
MESSENGER DOGS IN THE FIELD
" Nay, man may fail, though wise and strong.
Yet God can save.
A brave dog dashes from the throng.
And throws his shaggy length along
The boiling wave.
. . . Back, back, through 'whelming surge, for life or death
His task is done."
Anonymous, 1863.
IN estimating the value of the work of the messenger
dogs in the field, it is necessary to remember certain
essential facts, when comparing this means of communica-
tion with others more commonly in vogue. Runners and
telephones may certainly be sure and rapid in peace time,
but the imperfections of these are only too well known to
those who had to depend on them under war conditions.
If, under peace conditions, it may seem that these forms of
communication should take precedence, it will be found
that in the upheaval that takes place in war time, the more
mechanical methods become displaced, and the dog is then
more than equal to any of them. In support of this I
may mention an instance of a Brigade signal officer issuing
instructions, that, as far as possible, all important dis-
patches were to be sent by dog. On numerous occasions
the dogs were the first to bring back information of im-
82
Messenger Dogs in the Field 83
portant operations and many urgent messages. On dark
and stormy nights they were invaluable, and the time
in which they did their work was approximately the same
as in the daytime. The average speed of the dog was
one-half to one-third of the time taken by runners in the
daytime, and at night still less. Runners have come in
cut and bleeding from barbed wire and other obstacles
after having been lost for several hours in the darkness,
while the dogs have come through safely and without
delay.
I here give some statements of the work of the messenger
dogs in the field, which were sent to me by the keepers
when the dogs first went overseas. I have already stated
that the importance of their work was not properly under-
stood by either officers or men of the regiments to which
they were attached, nor in the army as a whole. Later,
when the real service they could render came to be under-
stood, and when the regulations governing the dogs began
to be enforced, all ranks were much more ready to assist
the dogs. One of the most important rules for the troops
to observe was to refrain from enticing or checking a dog
on its journey.
Keeper Goodway, who was one of the earliest men to be
trained and to go to France, mentions the diiiiculty for
the dog by this regulation not being properly understood.
" The two are doing well, the Black Lurcher Bitch
especially, she is splendid, takes no notice of the guns or
anything ; they have both been running regularly day and
night this last fortnight from advanced H.Q., to the rear
— they used to do it in about 7 or 8 minutes where it takes
a man over half an hour. The ofhcers think they are
splendid, and I know they have sent in a good report. One
84 British War Dogs
thing I was rather afraid of was the runs at night, when
there is generally more shelling, but it makes no difference,
they run quite as well in the dark as the daylight. The
only fault about the big Colhe ' Scott ' is, that he is rather
a good-looking dog and everybody will make a fuss of
him if they get a chance, therefore, if any soldier calls him
he will stop to be made a fuss of ; the bitch being a bit
savage-looking doesn't get spoken to, and she is absolutely
the best,"
Keeper Rea, who also went to France in the early days
of the movement, makes the same complaint. These men
both testify also to the fact, which was amply proved later,
that the night time made no difference to the dog when at
work.
" Old * Tray ' is still as steady and faithful as ever, and
is as sure as day and night and he can jump as good as any
of them. ' Joseph ' is a good one and fast, only not as good
as old ' Tray ' — in rough ground ' Swallow ' is doing grand,
I am keeping him in practice all the time. Pte. Reid,
of the 13th R.H. of Canada, is at the same place as myself
and we work the dogs between us. I take his and he mine.
It is a hard job to keep the lads from making a fuss of
them, it seems as though man and dog were made to go
together. We are down on our old front again. (The
dogs are running from 3 to 6 kilos per day, so keep in good
condition. We have snow on the ground and it has been
very cold ; to-day it is thawing a httle, the ground is covered
with snow still. Some very heavy strafing going on —
steady here now. We got a bunch of Germans last night
all dressed in white overalls and white smocks. I was
thinking they would be a good rig for the Salonica dogs
Messenger Dogs in the Field 85
at night practice. I have good places for dogs and lots
of good food."
Keeper Davis in his statement refers also to the question
of night work.
' Joe ' and ' Lizzard ' have done some very good work out
here both day and night. The dog is as good in the night
as he is in the day, he is worth his weight in gold and
the bitch is very good. I have had them come three miles
at night in 20 mins. and they are just the same on any
front that we go to. The dog can always be relied upon."
These statements from the keepers in the field were a
great help to us in the training work at the school. For
instance, we were not certain as to the effect of gas on the
dogs. Keeper Brooks mentions this matter in a report on
his dog " Tom." As a matter of fact, they were not so
sensitive to this, on the whole, as one would perhaps have
imagined.
" The dogs I brought out from England were taken away
from me to be distributed amongst the other men, for
we have to have 3 dogs each. I had 3 of the first lot sent
out and the names are as follows : — ' Tom ' (black and
white spaniel). ' Moses ' (black, with a little white in neck,
sheep dog). ' Fritz ' (the large German sheep dog). I am
very pleased with them, they are doing some very good
work ; they are running from the front line to Batt. Hdqtrs.
which is a good mile and a half, and their average run is
from 5 to 8 mins. which the officer thinks is very good.
' Tom ' has been gassed and got a bit of shrapnel but is
quite well again. I am going back on the 25th for 14 days'
rest which I think we earned."
86 British War Dogs
A later report on " Tom " is as follows :
" No. 10 Cross Spaniel has been on the Ypres Sector
for the last 12 months, having done some good work bring-
ing back some urgent messages from 9 Division and the
Highland Light Infantry, being gassed and wounded in the
shoulder and getting some very close shaves from shrapnel
going through the barrage, was in the advance until it
finished."
Keeper Nicolson seems to have brought his dogs through
a gas attack well.
" I have tried my three dogs in the trenches and found
them all very satisfactory. The first time I sent them
forward * Jim,' the dog without a number, did record time ;
the journey he did used to take a man one hour and 10
mins. to walk, and ' Jim ' did it in 22 mins., through barbed
wire entanglements, and a large number of batteries. I
noticed when he got near home some of the gunners tried
to draw his attention, but he took no notice and Came
straight to the pill-box where I was billeted. It was very
difficult ground he had to travel, the other two dogs were
a bit slow. We are in again for the second time and I
tried all three. ' Jim ' was sent up to the Test Station
yesterday afternoon, and did his journey in 17 mins.,
which would have taken a man three-quarters of an hour
to walk, and the little Irish terrier was sent up this morning
before day-break and he did the same distance in 14 mins.
" The night before last we had a very nasty attack of
gas and my dogs' helmets were not available, so they had
to stand bare-faced and took no harm. I think they will
stand much better than man. I had a bit of trouble with
Messenger Dogs in the Field 87
Jim,' he got wounded in the head, so I dressed the hair
off and got a syringe and some dressing from a Red Cross
man, so he is going very well."
Keeper Osbourne gives an interesting instance of his
dog " Jim " notifying the approach of gas. This was a
small cross-bred retriever spaniel and was a most intelli-
gent little animal, and is a different dog from the "Jim "
mentioned in the foregoing statement.
Keeper Osbourne's Statement
" You will be highly gratified to learn that little 'Jim '
by his excellent services and consistency has justly earned
our C.O.'s commendation who thinks he is easily the finest
dog we have in France.
" One or two of his services to wit. While in the recent
offensive in Belgium he carried important dispatches in
wonderful quick time, and it is certain no one else could
have dehvered such dispatches under such terrific and
heavy shell-fire without meeting with bodily harm.
" At present we are on a much more quiet part of the
front, where long distances of trenches have to be traversed,
and invariably little ' Jim ' covers the distance of approx.
four kilos in the very good time of fifteen mins. And I
feel sure you will agree with me that with his consistency
this wonderful little dog is invaluable.
" On another occasion while in the first-line trenches little
' Jim ' was instrumental in first giving the warning of gas,
due no doubt to his highly sensitive nose, thereupon he
was immediately released with the warning to Hdqtrs.,
arriving there a little more than three-quarters of an hour
earUer than the warning given by wire. His worth is
88 British War Dogs
beyond value and his services beyond praise, and I feel
honoured to take care of such a very serviceable animal.
" At such times when gas is about I have to see to the
putting of ' Jimmy's ' head in a man's P.H. Smoke Helmet,
and I should be greatly pleased if you could inform me
where to secure a mask for his proper protection, as of
course a P.H. Helmet is made solely for the requirements
of a man and does not adequately safeguard a dog."
i- Official Report of above Dog " Jim "
Dog 36.
Black. Cross between Retriever and Spaniel, about
3 years old. Brought from England by Pte.
OsBOURNE and worked with i/6th R. War. R. since
August, 1917. The most reliable dog ; has often
done distances up to 4^ miles.
The speed in covering this distance was proved to
be three or four times the speed of a runner.
Keeper Macleod gives an account of the way the dogs
under his control picked up, after being gassed, and of the
plucky behaviour of little " Paddy," in reporting himself
at Headquarters, although wounded and left for dead. In
this will be seen one of the many instances of courage and
determination displayed by these dogs. " Paddy " was
an Irish terrier.
" I left for France with three dogs in Nov., 1917, and
went back to my old Division — 34th. The G.O.C. Divi-
sion appeared to be greatly interested in the dogs — that
alone gave me some encouragement to do my best for the
dogs.
Messenger Dogs in the Field 89
" I went into the line at the back of Monchy, and kept
my dogs beside me for a day, — they were taken up on the
second night. They were sent back in the morning with
a trial message, and all three of them did well. They were
kept there for a fortnight, always running home in the
morning. They never made any mistakes at all. We were
sent into the line on 27th Dec. until the end of January,—
5 weeks, during which time the dogs ran once every 24
hours, covering the distance — a little over 5 kilos. — in
something like 20 mins., over very rough country, which
it always took the runner over one hour to get over. The
dogs always brought messages, and usually saved a mid-
day runner.
" We left on April 14th, 1918, and went up to Haze-
brouck with the dogs ' Whitefoot,' ' Prince,' ' Paddy,'
' Mop,' ' Shag,' ' Swift,' ' Lloyd,' ' Jack,' ' Jock,' ' Wolf,'
' Tim ' and ' Champion.'
" When the 29th Division came in and relieved the 31st,
there was a small advance made then — the dogs did great
work then — that was in Nieppe Forest Sector. The G.O.C.
88th Brigade wrote out, and had a note typed of which
I got a copy, giving great praise to dogs 83, 84 and 65.
The first two were ' Jock ' and ' Bruno,' the other ' Cham-
pion.' That was the first official praise we had from
anyone. Tlien came another small advance, which proved
the mettle of 3 more dogs, ' Whitefoot,' ' Paddy ' and ' Mop.'
The first two were badly gassed, but carried on, they were
3 weeks in hospital after they came out of the line, but
during the gas bombardment they never failed to give the
greatest satisfaction. Once again there was a slight
advance made, in which two other dogs, ' Bruce ' and
' Blue Boy,' were to the fore. Bruce came four different
times from the front line to Brigade Hdqtrs. with messages
90 British War Dogs
which were of great importance. 'Blue Boy 'was killed in
the first attempt to cross over from an outpost to the
Hdqtrs.— 2 runners had been badly knocked out trying
to get through.
" About this time there was another slight advance
in the Nieppe Forest Sector, but nothing out of the
ordinary took place. At that time, ' Paddy ' was badly
gassed in the front line, and came right back to the Section
Kennel,— a distance of 17 kilos. When he came in he was
totally blind, but went direct to his own kennel and lay
there till I went to his assistance. In three hours he had
his eyes open again and was as lively as ever. We were
then transferred to the 19th Corps Signals in and around
Kemmel Hill, and between that and Ypres. The first time
that any dogs were in that part they did not do anything
worth mentioning. However, there was going to be a
big stunt on that front, and all the men and dogs were
taken into the line together and placed by the Brigade
Signals Officers who were in charge. The first message to
come through was brought back by the dog ' Roman.'
He brought through a request for reinforcements in men
and ammunition, thereby saving a nasty situation. At
the same time ' Padd}^ ' was again in the wars. He was
led nearly up to the top of Passchendaele Ridge with the
infantry; he was along with an officer and a runner at
a farm-house which contained Germans. A German came
out and took a revolver and shot the dog, which was left
on the field for dead. He had lain there a long time before
he came to himself. He reported at Brigade Hdqtrs. and
word was sent to me to go and fetch him as he was badly
hit."
The dog " Roman," mentioned at the end of Keeper
Messenger Dogs in the Field 9i
Macleod's statement, was a pure-bred tri-coloured collie,
of the show type, and carrying a splendid coat, and with
a long narrow head. He was a curious character, rather
self-centred, and fond of taking his time on the journey,
but imbued with a strong understanding always, of the
absolute necessity of making his way homewards. In
this connection I may here remark, that it is instructive
and interesting to watch the growing of conscience — the
sense of right and wrong — in the dog while under training.
As the idea of duty becomes implanted in its mind, the
uneasiness at stopping at any point en route, becomes
gradually more marked. A promising dog that is begin-
ning to understand the high responsibility that is placed
upon it, even if it is tempted to linger, will generally make
good, by increasing its pace when starting again. It is
amusing to come across two or three dogs, at a point
some distance from home, and watch them unobserved.
They are going back with their messages, and are keeping
up a steady lop, generally led by the best dog. Suddenly,
something will attract one of them, and they may even all
stop for a minute. The dog that knows its work best, how-
ever, will not long tolerate delay, and it soon trots off, and
now sets the pace at a fast gallop, which the others are
bound to follow.
While it is of course better that each dog should make
its journey alone, it is impossible, while under training,
and when sometimes fifty or sixty dogs are out in various
directions, to keep them entirely separate, when they are
released to bring their messages home. But in the long
run it is a point of not much importance, as even if a
promising dog may be momentarily detracted from the
path of complete obedience, by one less trained or less
conscientious, he himself will sooner or later come to see
92 British War Dogs
that it is much better to go straight, and will assist in
impressing this on his more faulty comrade.
The dogs " Paddy " and " Roman " are both mentioned
in the following official report.
Official Report
" DOGS."
These were most useful. In the right Brigade the
first intimation received that the final objective was
reached was brought back by a dog in 40 mins. Dog
54 was shot at and wounded by a German Officer, who
in turn was shot dead by an Officer of the 6th Wiltshire
Regiment. This dog was reported killed in error by
the Brigade as it subsequently turned up. In the
left Brigade a message by a dog was received in 50
mins. saying, that the Bluff had been captured,
distance covered 6,000 yards. Another important
message came back by dog which was of importance
to the Division on our left.
Some of the dogs had never been in the line before,
and considering this, their work was good throughout.
Unfortunately poor " Blue Boy " after faithful service
laid down his life at Nieppe Forest. Keeper Matheson
speaks of him when working under his charge.
Statement of Keeper Matheson
" I had two very good dogs and they did very good work.
No. 67, a Bedlington, ' Blue Boy ' by name, he was a very
reliable dog, he did very good work when the enemy tried
Messenger Dogs in the Field 93
to take Mount Kemmel last year. He was shot at Nieppe
Forest bringing a very important message as the 31st
Division was held up. The poor dog was liberated
under a barrage of machine-gun fire and was killed on
me.
" Poor old ' Mop,' No. 60, did very-good and would run
a message, say 4 miles, in 12 mins. — she was very reliable."
To revert once more to the subject of pure-bred dogs
I may mention a collie called " Nell," which was one of
the first to go to France. This was a sable and white,
perfectly pure-bred dog, sensitive and highly strung, and
to look at her one would have thought there was no room
in her narrow skull for brains. Nevertheless she developed
very wonderful intelligence, and worked steadily to the
end of the war. It can safely be said that this dog alone
saved hundreds of lives. She is now living in honourable
seclusion, in the home of her keeper to whom she was
devoted.
My object in specially mentioning again the subject
of pure-bred dogs, is that a very general idea prevails,
that only mongrels have any real sense of cleverness. My
own experience goes to show, however, that while one comes
across many extraordinarily clever mongrels, there are
also quite as many clever dogs of the pure-bred varieties.
These may sometimes individually need greater care and
patience in training, as they are occasionally somewhat
highly strung, but to suppose that pure-bred dogs are
necessarily lacking in intelligence is a mistake.
Keeper Dowdeswell tells of the wonderful sense of duty
displayed by his dog " Smiler," which was a lurcher cross.
The dog brought his message in safely although severely
wounded.
94 British War Dogs
" I am sorry to have to tell you that I have lost poor
old ' Smiler.' The Staff Capt. had taken him up the line
and sent him back with a message which he brought back
in 20 mins., — a distance of 3 kilos. The poor old fellow's
jaw was hanging down, being fractured by a bullet — I knew
there was not much hope for him, but I took him to the
A.V.C., after binding him up, and they immediately shot
him. He had been going up the line with the General
each morning and bringing his messages back in good
time always. The General was very fond of him and told
me yesterday he was sorry I had lost him."
After the first few months of experimenting, I was able
to bring the training of the dogs to gunfire up to a much
more effective standard, and shell-shock became much
the exception. Keeper " Swankie," who went out early
with two dogs, " Creamy " and " Ginger," mentions an
unpleasant experience whereby " Ginger " suffered from
shell-shock.
" I left here in September for Poperinghe — was there
for 5 days, then went to Canal Bank with the i8th Divi-
sional Hdqtrs., from there to Varna Farm, where I was
attached to the 54th and 55th Brigades. It was there both
my dogs were blown up by a shell. I found one that night
but lost the other one for 3 days. My first night there,
which was by no means comfortable for me or miy dogs,
I had to stand all night with my dog by my side. Next
morning ' Creamy ' was taken out by the Brigade Major
to the front line trenches, leaving at 7.30 a.m. Released
at I p.m., arriving back 1.25 p.m., with a few messages and
a map of the new position taken that morning, PoEL
Capelle Brewery, approx. distance 6 kilos., time taken
Messenger Dogs in the Field 95
25 mins. The 3rd day ' Ginger,' my other dog, was brought
back to me and I found he had shell-shock. I tried my
best to cure him but without success."
"Ginger," however, greatly recovered later on and was
constantly in use in the held. Keeper Swankie's report
continues :
" On one occasion the Div. General came to see the dogs
work. Their duty that day was to carry 2 messages sent
out by Message Rocket back to Brigade Hdqtrs., a distance
of 1,000 yds. — time taken 3J mins.
" After we had got the kennels fixed up, orders came
for 8 men and 24 dogs to go up the line. I was amongst
them and next morning went to Gentilles Wood, where
I was attached to the 47th London Div. The dogs did
splendid work there, and were working day and night. I
lost one dog there, an old coUie — he had carried 5 messages
that day and was on his way back with his 6th one, when
he was killed by shrapnel. By this time the French had
taken over that part of the line, and we had to go to a place
called Vignecourt where we were attached to the Australian
Corps. My first trip up the line from there was to a place
called Villers Bretonneux, where I was for 7 days, and
during that time my dogs were working day and night.
From there I went back to the Compound for 7 days' rest,
then back to Villers Bretonneux for another 7. This time
it was pretty rough in this part and the dogs had plenty
of work and did it well."
The dog " Creamy " was a cream-coloured cross-bred
lurcher with a semi-rough coat — a most affectionate and
intelligent messenger. It did most of its work under Keeper
96 British War Dogs
Swankie, to whom it was greatly attached. A further
statement as to its work is as follows :
" The last time this Div. (i8th) was in action, I was
sent to Brigade Hdqtrs. After being there for one night,
my dog ' Creamy ' was taken out during an attack and
carried a map of also a message from the front-line
trenches back to Brigade Hdqtrs. Time taken was 25
mins., whereas a man took from 2| to 3 hours. Under
the conditions and heavy shell fire, it was very good, and
my Officers were highly pleased with it, for the map and
message were very important, and all other means of
communication at the time failed."
Further testimony as to " Creamy 's " sagacity is sent
by Keeper Reid :
" I may say that Swankie's bitch ' Creamy ' helped the
3rd Londoners from being cut off on the right of Villers
Bretonneux. She and ' Tweed ' kept the Battalion in touch
with Brigade Hdqtrs. There was no way of getting a
message through only by a runner or a dog and the dog
kept the way open."
Keeper Reid makes the following statement regarding
his own dogs :
" I am writing this to let you know how my dogs are
doing. I may say I have tried them all ways and they
come home. To-day I had ' Tweed ' and ' Jock ' acting
Batt. Runners from Batt. Hdqtrs. to Transport Lines, and
they have done splendid. I had ' Tweed ' up the line and
.l^jpwr-
Keepcr Rcid witli Tweed (left)
[To/oc'i). 06.
Messenger Dogs ia the Field 97
brought back a very important message through heavy
shell hre. I am highly satisfied with my dogs,
" On May 2nd, 1918, I was sent to the i8th Div. There
were no dogs that had been up before. On May 2nd at
10 p.m. the Hun came over on the O.V.R. — my dog was
up at their Batt. Hdqtrs. They were cut off from the
London Regt. ; they released ' Tweed ' with the message
' Send up reinforcements and small round ammunition.'
He came through a Boche barrage — three kilos, in 10
mins. The French were sent up and filled the gaps, and
straightened out the line, otherwise Amiens would be in the
hands of the Germans. On May 8th I was with the Aus-
tralians 48th Batt. They had moved forward, no runner
could cross the open in the daytime — pigeons could not
fly at night, they were in a bad place, so they sent for
* Tweed.' He made three runs at night, and one of the
runs he was out on patrol ; they sent him back with a
message ' The Germans are preparing for a raid ' and
spoiled the Huns' plans."
The dog " Tweed " mentioned in the above statement
performed some wonderful services. He was a Highland
sheep dog, and took rather longer to train than usual,
owing to his highly sensitive nature, in fact he was nearly
rejected altogether, and it was only through the urgent
representations of Mrs. Richardson, who discerned
" Tweed's " fine character through his shyness, that he was
retained and his training persevered with. Patience and
great gentleness in handling eventually overcame his
reluctance and timidity, and the clever management of
" Tweed " in the field by his keeper brought this dog up
to a very high standard.
A further account by Keeper Reid shows that the mes-
7
98 British War Dogs
sages brought by the dogs, besides being frequently of the
most vital importance, were at times of comparatively
minor value, such as this one with the request for socks,
but which nevertheless would make the greatest difference
to the comfort of the troops :
" For six months the three dogs were in constant work
from the line. This same dog was with my Batt. 13th
R.H.C., at Passchandaele on Nov. 8th, 1917. The Batt.
had to go in and support the 3rd Canadian division. The
O.C. wished dry socks for his men. There was no way
to get a message back in daytime, he released ' Tweed '
with message ' Moving forward to-night. Send socks for
men and some S.O.S. Lights.' "
" Tweed's " fine behaviour at Amiens, mentioned by
Keeper Reid, deserves special commendation, and there are
other occasions that stand out particularly, when other dogs
did specially brilliant service. The attack at Kemmel Hill
brought many of them into prominence. Amongst others,
two dogs called " Flash " and " Boxer " deserve mention.
The former was a brindle lurcher, the latter was a large,
powerful Airedale. They were devoted to their keeper,
Dixon. He reported on these two dogs as follows, soon
after he arrived in France with them :
" The two dogs I took out are doing well, I should say
exceptionally well. I have not the least hesitation in
saying there is not a brace of better dogs in this or any
other country as Messenger Dogs. ' Boxer ' the Airedale
is running like an engine. The lurcher bitch ' Flash '
beats him on this week's running by 20 mins., which is
not a lot considering the breeds. The General of the
Messenger Dogs in the Field 99
— — Division said that the Airedale was the best dog
he had seen. ' Boxer ' was a bit long on Thursday, he had
been at some carcase and tried to steal past into his bed
but I saw him— he knew he had done wrong. The con-
ditions arc very bad for running dogs, such a lot of rubbish
and dead carcases and abandoned cook houses, etc."
In this report will be seen the temptations which confront
the messenger dog in the field and to which poor " Boxer "
at first succumbed. The distinguishing sense of right
and wrong is very highly developed in many dogs, especially
in those which are trained, and " Boxer's " sense of duty
evidently rose above the temptations of the flesh, as Keeper
Dixon later reports on him :
" A staunch reliable dog, ran steadily and never let me
down. Best time 3 miles in 10 minutes. On one occasion
he went over the top with the Kents. Released at 5 a.m.
with important message. He jumped at me at 5.25. A
tip-top performance, about 4 miles. A great dog ! "
" Flash " was a very fast, clever dog, and Dixon reports :
" She ran every alternate week except two and was
never once behind time."
These two dogs were both at Kemmel Hill. Dixon
states in this connection :
" About the best week's running I did in my opinion was
at Kemmel Hill in October with the 34th Division, when
all my dogs did well. The times seem slow but they were
really good, as the dogs were running belly deep in mud.
It took a man two hours to go to the line. The conditions
were horrible."
7*
100 British War Dogs
Keeper Hedley testifies to the good work of his dogs
at this time and also during the last offensive of the war :
" I can faithfully say my dogs did excellent work,
especially on two occasions. The first offensive which
the Germans made on Kemmel Hill between the dates of
i6th April and the 25th April, 1918, and the second was
when we made the large offensive commencing Sept. 28th,
1919, at Ypres. They came back in splendid time."
Keeper Young had in his charge a very good cross-bred
dog called " Dane." He was a powerful dog and did his
work faithfully and well :
" ' Dane,' No. 29, he did good work all the time but I did
not know what the messages contained, but during the
German offensive on Kemmel in April, 1918, he fetched
the situation reports every morning for 10 days, sometimes
when all other communications were broken and very heavy
shelling going on."
Keeper Brown had two good dogs, but unfortunately
there is a tragedy in his report following the dog's good
work at Kemmel Hill :
" My dogs have done very good work in the field. I
was on the Hazebrouck Sector part of last summer and my
dogs, ' Trusty,' No. 79 and ' Peter,' No. 78 were doing good
work there taking messages and then I went to Kemmel
Hill where they were taking in messages day and night.
The Officer i/c Signals there was highly pleased with the
work the dogs had done taking in messages day and night,
and I went from Kemmel Hill to the Ypres Sector where
Messenger Dogs in the Field loi
my 2 dogs were killed with one shell, also the runner that
was taking them to the front line — that was on 28th Sep-
tember, I was very sorry to have them killed as they
were very good dogs."
The official report on the work of the dogs at Kemmel
is as follows :
" On 17th April during the German attacks on Kemmel
Hill, three more Messenger Dog Groups were sent up by
road to XXII. Corps, and reallotted straight away by
them to the 9th Division. These dogs were sent to
Scherpenberg, which was the advanced 9th Divisional Head-
quarters. When they arrived, however, the Division was
already retiring, and the groups were left for the use of
the Brigade. It is of interest to note, that these dogs did
sterling work, between Kemmel and Scherpenberg, during
the whole of the German attack on Kemmel Hill."
The Report continues :
" The Messenger Dog Groups, which had been allotted
to the XV. Corps had been reallotted by them, two Groups
to 1st Australian Division, and two Groups to 1st Guards'
Brigade. The Australian Division reallotted one group
for use with their Brigade at Fletre, and one group was
used with the 2nd Brigade at Borre. The ist Life Guards
used their two groups in the Forest of Nieppe. These two
groups were used by the ist Guards' Brigade during the
heavy mustard gas attacks on 22nd April, which caused
so many casualties. Two out' of the twelve dogs were
badly wounded, and all the dogs suffered from the gas,
although they ultimately recovered.
102 British War Dogs
" Exceptionally good work was done by these dogs
through the Forest of Nieppe, and interest in the messenger
dogs, as a means of communication in heavily shelled areas,
was aroused."
I may say here, that during a tour of inspection which
I made during the war, I myself saw the dogs working
through the Nieppe Forest, and was greatly pleased with
the manner in which they negotiated this difficult sector.
Since the Armistice, I have again made an entire and
close inspection of the entire battlefields, with the object
of studying the various sorts of surfaces the messenger dogs
had to traverse. The Ypres sector is, of course, one of the
worst, and in this shell-torn ground the dogs must have
had all their energies called out. In wet weather, when
every step brought a risk of drowning in the terrific shell-
holes to the human runner — and this apart from the cease-
less firing — a message would have a far greater chance of
being brought through safely by a dog. If the dog fell
into a hole, it could easily swim and scramble out, and it
would certainly be able to negotiate these obstacles much
more quickly, creeping lightly along the lip of the craters.
At Passchendaele also, the terrible slope presented un-
ending dangers to anyone forced to move rapidly, and here,
too, excellent work was done by the dogs, which would
have been appallingly difficult, if not impossible to runners.
Other parts of the line presented different features, but
in every sector I came to the conclusion that message
carrying could be carried out with far greater dispatch and
certainty, as long as the rules for working were enforced,
and the troops given a good understanding of the work
the dogs were doing.
As showing the tremendous amount of ground covered by
Messenger Dogs in the Field 103
the messenger dogs during their work in the war, 1 may
quote from the official report on this point, which even
then only deals with the time after the formation of the
dogs into concentrated service, and does not take into
account the period previous to that, when they were
allotted to battahons.
" During the nine months the Messenger Dog Service
was working as a service, the three section kennels were
moved thirteen times, and shifted practically from one end
of the line to the other.
" During this period section kennels were placed at
Kruistraatt, Kemmel, Noordpeene, VVallon Capell, Mor-
beque. Hinges, Villers au Bois, Viller Bocage, Vaux, Dury,
Menin, Blandain, Lille.
" Both at Lens and Villers Bretonneux, dogs had to run
through towns, which the enemy daily saturated with mus-
tard gas. At Lens especially, the dogs were called upon
to use their intelligence."
Another portion of the official report reads :
" Proceeded to BattaHon Headquarters of 1/14 Rifle
Brigade. The CO. who had been using messenger dogs
from the front hne trenches back to the ramparts at Ypres,
told me that all the dogs he had used had done extremely
well and proved very reliable.
" Visited A.D. Signals XIX. Corps, who showed me some
reports which had just arrived in from different divisions,
on Messenger Dogs. The Divisions continue using their
dogs, and taking them up with them as the troops advance.
Excellent use is being made of the dogs, and in two cases,
the first news that their objectives had been taken, was
brought in by Messenger Dogs."
104 British War Do^s
Keeper Errington in the following report gives an
account of his three dogs "Jack," " Whitefoot " and
"Lloyd." "Jack" was an Airedale, and the other two
were Welsh terriers of a large size :
" I started running these dogs in difficult circumstances
at Strazeele on April 14th, 1918. The roads were busy
with traffic and stray dogs in abundance, cattle, sheep and
poultry were being killed by the heavy shelling. We had
10 dogs running, in which the dogs were thoroughly tested
— I found the greatest difficulty at first was the Relay
Post. The dogs were sent to this post, a distance of 2 kilos.,
and had to wait there until another runner came to take
them to the front line i^^ kilos., the waiting here was from
30 mins. to 2 hours, therefore the dogs usually stopped at
this point the first few runs, but with practice it was soon
all right. I started at Nieppe Forest (Hazebrouck Front)
in May, the dogs did some excellent running — the distance
was 5 kilos, at first, the average time 45 mins. ; the front
got quieter and the distance was reduced to 3-^ kilos.
* Whitefoot ' acted as runner for Brig.-Gen. Taylor, who
personally took the dog to visit his Battalions in the line.
After receiving the Intelligence Report, he released the dog,
which ran to Brigade Hdqtrs. 7 runs in succession.
This dog's time was 23 and 25 mins. The greatest difficulty
here was gas which affected the pads of the feet, especially
during damp or wet weather. ' Jack ' was killed and
' Whitefoot ' and ' Lloyd ' were footsore, but soon were
running again.
" During damp weather and when it was muddy and
heavy running for dogs, I used to clip the hair between the
toes (pads) that prevented any gas in the mud from
adhering to the feet and causing inflammation.
Messenger Dogs in the Field 105
" At the taking of Villers Bretonneux in August ' Lloyd '
arrived in lo mins. i^ kilos, after being released and was
slightly wounded in fore leg, the message stating that
' their objective had been taken.' ' Whitefoot ' ran the
distance in 12 mins. with a message asking for stretcher
bearers or R.A.M.C. men.
" During October the enemy was falling back, and we
were moving every other day although we still kept running
the dogs. On Oct. 14th the dogs were taken to the firing
line and had to cross the Canal by boat. They were
liberated on the i6th by the Scottish Rifles. No. 59
message was ' they were still advancing.' Time 65 mins.
— distance unknown. ' Lloyd ' was killed by shell and was
found several days later. During this running, I found
that dogs ran faster and keener if they were on strange
ground, but should as far as possible have at least 10
hours in their new home to give good results, but in cases
we have run them after only 2 hours and with good results.
' "WTiitefoot ' never failed once and was very reliable and
fast. ' Lloyd ' was also a good dog but not so fast.
" In one Division on certain days there was no com-
munication by telephone, as they suspected the enemy of
tapping the wire with some instrument and the dogs did
the running, which was usually a list of requirements to
be taken up at dark as no one was allowed to travel during
daylight.
" The dogs kept in good health and the food was all
right, and the Veterinary Surgeons were always ready to
give any help."
Keeper Errington's remark on the length of time which
the dogs should be given in a station should be commented
upon. What he says is I think perfectly sound, namely
106 British War Dogs
that the dogs should be given a day in a new point.
He however has found, he says, that they have worked with
good results after only two hours in a new place. This
rapidity of adapting themselves to a new environment
has been confirmed by other keepers. On many oc-
casions the dogs have arrived at night and within an
hour or two have been taken up through the darkness to
the front hne to be released in the early morning. This
sense of direction and remembrance of where they last left
their keepers is certainly marvellous. It points to a sense
of location which in the human being is much less de-
veloped.
The rate of speed with which the dogs accomplished their
journeys was of course an important point, and the fol-
lowing statements from different keepers touch on this.
While a rapid dog was of greater value than a slow one,
still the question of reliability is the most important point
of all, and a dog which might not make such a brilliant
show on the time sheet, might nevertheless be worth its
weight in gold on account of the absolute certainty of its
steady if somewhat slower return. On this point Keeper
Macgregor says :
I wish to let you know that my dogs are doing well
over here. I have them running from one company to
another. The retriever did 8 kilos, in a little over half
an hour and the other in 20 minutes."
Keeper Ferriby sends the picture of his dogs with their
running prize, the result of a competition :
" I am writing to let you know that my mate Woof
and I won the silver cups with my three dogs ' Coffee,'
Messenger Dogs in the Field lor
' Vulcan ' and ' Sharp.' The latter is the dog which I
brought out with me. He has done one mile in i minute
50 seconds."
Keeper Bevington in the following report speaks with
pride of the rapidity with which his dogs returned to him,
and the trouble to which he went to verify the timing.
The fact may also be observed that the dogs had to start
their work after being only two hours in their new quarters :
" I was sent up to No. 3 Section at Amiens and all
three dogs were sent up with the troops in that big attack
on July 4th — you will remember that as the Americans
were in it for the first time, two of the dogs were taken
over the top in the attack with the Australians and No. 106
did a good run also. 104 he did a very good run for the
Artillery Oihcer, the forward observation post he ran from,
and 105 was lost for a time, but in my opinion he was
stolen as I found him with some artillerymen on a different
part of the front.
" The next important front where they were working
was on the Vimy Ridge sector, and they did some very
good runs there. In one small attack there, my dogs were
sent up in the attack, and it was running on duck-boards
that time, not on open country, and they brought back
all these messages in very good time, as anyone can see by
looking at their records, that should be at the 8th Army
Corps.
" They also ran some very good runs at Maroc from
Hart's Crater, and Harrison's Crater. Then we began to
advance, and our kennels were in Hythe Tunnel. This
will show that my dogs were very fair dogs — they were sent
out of the tunnel to the forward post Batt. Hdqtrs., a
108 British War Dogs
distance of three thousand yards, and came back in four
minutes, with what I beheve was an important message ; it
was a map of the German Lines. That four minutes' run
was done by 2 dogs, 104, and 106, and you can imagine how
they must have run to have done it in that time ; it was a
night run and was very dark. Anyway, I will convince you
that what I have said is true. The two dogs came in to
the tunnel, I got the messages out of the carrier and was
half way to the Signal Officer, when I was met by the R.E.
Corporal who said that my two dogs had been released.
Of course I told him that they had reached me — Well !
he said, he would not believe it that a dog could beat a tele-
phone message, evidently when the dogs were released the
telephone man had telephoned through to say the dogs
had been let go. I was not satisfied, I wanted the thing
correct, so I went to the Signal Office and asked the man
at the forward post what time he released the dogs, and
he replied that they had been released exactly six minutes,
so as it was a minute's walk from the kennels to the Signal
Office and with the time it took to get the messages out of
the dog's collar, I say they did their run in four minutes,
and there was not a dog beat that time.
" The last important place they ran, was from a wood
that the Germans held part of, in front of St. Amand, near
to Valenciennes. There was an attack there one night
and my three dogs were sent in that. I may add that they
had only been with me two hours at this new place before
they were sent up to the front-line Company, and they
came back in fairly good time. The Officer spoke well of
them."
Keeper Waters had two black-and-white collies, " Pierrot "
and " Domino." They were both handsome dogs, " Domino "
Messenger Dogs in the Field 109
especially. Unfortunately he had to be sent back from the
line on account of shell-shock.
" I went to the 15th Corps on the 26/7/18 and went
into the line to the 9th Div. near Meteren, and was
sent to the 26th Brigade. My dogs were running through
Meteren to Fletre, about 6,000 yards. I had a black-and-
white collie, ' Pierrot.' He was a good dog, and did some
very good work. The black-and-white collie, ' Domino,'
was not of much use. He had been with No. 3 Section and
had shell-shock, and would not run when there was any
shelling going on. I then went to the 30th Div., 93rd
Brigade, on the left of Fletre. I went up the line with
two dogs ' Pierrot ' and ' Domino.' As there was heavy
artillery fire on that front ' Domino ' was useless, but
' Pierrot ' made some good runs."
Keeper Fergusson, in his statement, confesses to his pre-
dilection for Airedales for the work, and while it is true
that they are remarkably hardy dogs and not inclined to
be nervous under fire, still I have convincing recommenda-
tions as to other breeds from other keepers in the field.
" I consider the most useful dogs for the work are Aire-
dales, pure or cross-bred. They have not great speed,
but they are sure, and soon find their way on strange
ground.
" The most outstanding instance of usefulness which I
have on record was with my Airedale dog, ' Jock,' No. 73.
He on several occasions in the month of June, 1918, was
taken forward with the attacking forces, and was sent back
with messages stating that the positions had been cap-
tured, giving the estimate of casualties, and giving map
110 British War Dogs
references of the new line taken up. This dog, also ' Bruno,'
dog No. 72, did many other good runs. I have omitted
to state that the distance which ' Jock ' carried previous
mentioned messages was 5 kilos.— times ranging from
twenty-three to twenty-eight mins. (5 kilos=3| miles)
over rough ground swept by machine-gun and shell-fire."
Keeper Shayler, who gives the following report, was one
of the earliest men to be trained. The whole messenger
dog service owes a debt of gratitude to those loyal keepers
who gave their whole mind and energy to overcoming great
obstacles in the first few months, when the work of the dogs
was hardly understood at all by those in the field. It
will be observed, from his statement, how much easier
it was for both dogs and keeper to work, where they were
received with sympathy and interest.
" After one month's training of Messenger Dogs at
Shoeburyness, I proceeded to France on the 13th July, 1917,
with two dogs, one an old English sheep dog, ' Betsy,*
and an Airedale, ' Jim.' Landing at Le Havre, we en-
trained for Poperinghe, Belgium. I reported to the 14th
Corps H.Qrs. After four days there I went forward to
Brig. H.Qrs. at a village named Elverdingh. This place
was heavily shelled, but the dogs ran very satisfactorily
for the first time under shell-fire. I stayed there for about
seven weeks. I then reported to the 19th Corps H.Qrs.
and then went forward to Ypres. I stayed there for two
months. My dog ' Jim ' was killed by a shell. He had
been a good reliable dog. At this time of the Dog Service
it was uphill work for both men and dogs, there being no
one directly in charge in France. From Ypres I came out
for a rest. The next move was to Flesquieres, near Bourlon
Messenger Dogs in the Field ill
Wood, but only staying here for a few days. The con-
tinual movements made it nearly impossible to use the
dogs on this sector very much. In February I received
orders for Central Kennels, Etaples. At this place men
and dogs of the service were made into sections of sixteen
men and forty-eight dogs, with one sergeant. I was placed
in No. I Section. On April 15th, four men, including
myself and dogs, proceeded to Nieppe Forest, Hazebrouck
Section. These were the first to leave Etaples, and were
for trial before the full sections were settled. I stayed in
this sector for ten days ; the dogs proved satisfactory. They
were sent forward a few hours after arriving at Brig. H.Qrs.
to the 2nd Australian Brigade. This position was heavily
shelled, more especially with gas shells. I then returned
to the 22nd Corps H.Qrs., at which place we made a
Section Compound, other men and dogs being sent up
to form this section. We only stayed there for three
weeks, and then went to the 22nd Corps H.Qrs. at Hout-
kerk, which was the position of No. i Compound for
some time. I went forward from Section Compound to
Kemmel Hill sector, i8th Bgde., 5th Div. At this posi-
tion my dog ' Betsy ' ran well and in good and regular time.
I was relieved after seven days' work here and returned to
the compound, where the dogs were kept in training. My
next week's work was at Ypres, where the dogs had a very
difficult place to work, as they had only two ways of return-
ing, either by going round to a bridge or through a tunnel
under the Canal bank. At this place my dogs worked for
the York and Lanes. Battalions, for whom they carried
good messages. My next place after a week at the com-
pound was at Batt. H.Qrs., between Ypres and Kemmel
Hill. This place was well under the observation of the
enemy and heavily shelled, causing communication by
112 British War Dogs
wire to be frequently cut off, and making it impossible for
runners to be used in the daylight, and so the dogs were
very much called for. I was working here for the A. and S.
Highlanders, 33rd Div. These men were good with the
dogs, and my dogs carried good messages for this battalion.
At this time I was doing fourteen days in the line and
fourteen out. During these fourteen days, my dogs worked
for the Cameronians and Scottish Rifles, two good bat-
talions for dogs. My next fourteen days was the same
position with the ist Middlesex Batt. and ist Queen's.
At this time I had a new dog called ' Tiger,' who was a
good reliable dog. I never knew him to fail. He carried
good messages in very regular time. The route he ran over
was very heavily shelled. At the end of fourteen days, I
returned to the compound, which was still at Houtkerk.
I went forward again to the same place, reporting to the
A. and S. H. Batt. H.Qrs. and the ist Batt. 119th Regt.
U.S.A., where ' Betsy ' did some fine work. Always doing
12-15 hours' forward duty and returning in good and regular
time. Usual time 10-15 minutes, often wet and covered
in mud. The U.S.A. troops were good with the dogs. My
dogs carried Sealed Code, Maps and other messages from
raiding troops. After being buried in this sector by a
shell, I returned to Etaples, not going up again as the
Armistice was signed."
Keeper Dempsey gives a graphic description of his work
in the field. Conditions were, by now, getting much easier
for the keepers, as the work of the dogs was understood by
the officers under whom they had to work. At the same
time it is extraordinary the amount of prejudice there has
been to overcome. I have come across officers with a pile
of official reports on successful dog work in front of them,
Messenoer (lo,u brin<>ino a mcssauc
re acToss a canal on the Western Front.
Arrival uT do^ willi iiiessa!j,i
Coniuuindant broiiuht Ironi a i»onit
liles oil.
ITi' fare i> . Hi
'■*--!■
Messeiiovrdn-. Put tin- tli
t>e in till' doo's collar.
Messenger dog on Western Front going over shell holt
[r(,f,n-ei>. 113
Messenger Dogs in the Field 113
and who have never themselves, tested them, who blandly
remarked that they did not believe in dogs. It is this un-
receptive attitude to new ideas, that has been at the bottom
of so many mistakes of the war.
" My first turn in action was on the Kemmel front, where
the dogs did very well, although the ground was very
rough, in fact the conditions were very bad indeed. I stayed
there for seven days, and was then relieved, and went back
to Corps Headquarters for seven days. Then from there
I went to Ypres Ramparts. During my seven days there,
my dogs carried very important messages day and night.
On one occasion, when with the York and Lanes. Regt.,
' Paddy,' one of my dogs, carried a message, when all other
means of communication failed. This message was about
the artillery. Another of my dogs, ' Prince,' also carried
sealed messages. I do not know what they were about, for
the signal officer was awaiting the dogs coming in, and
took the messages out. The time taken by ' Prince ' was
fifteen to seventeen minutes, while ' Paddy ' did it in ten
to eleven minutes. The distance was 3.| to 4 kilos. The
ground was very rough for dogs. ' Paddy ' was gassed
here, and still he carried on with his work day and night
without fail. After my seven days there I went back to
Ypres again, and stayed in for fourteen days with the 49th
Division, my dogs carrying messages all the time. Some-
times the dogs were taken away in the morning, and
released at night, then they would change, and would
take them at night and release them in the morning. My
dogs ' Prince ' and ' Paddy ' always brought important
messages. Most of them were sealed. The signal officer
was always eager for the dogs to come in. In fact the
officers, N.C.O.'s and men of the division were all interested
8
114 British War Dogs
in the dogs, and would trust them with all sorts of important
messages. It took the runners one hour and five minutes
to go from my dug-out, whereas it only took ' Paddy '
eleven and ' Prince ' fifteen minutes. The dogs can get
over rough ground far quicker than can a man. Later I
got a very good dog called ' Rags.'
" I then went back to Ypres and got attached to the
29th Div. I used my three dogs there. Each of the three
bringing important messages, and coming in first-class
time. I worked there for the Royal Dublin Fusiliers,
Leinster Regt. and K.O.S.B.'s, and they were all very well
pleased with the dogs, as there was always a heavy bom-
bardment on, and it would not be safe for a man to bring
the messages. I then got relieved for seven days. I went
back to the same Div. on the same front. They were
preparing for a big push. It began on the 28th Sept.
The Royal Fusiliers took two dogs, * Prince ' and ' Paddy,'
they were away for two and a half days, as all the lines of
communication kept good, but they got cut with shell-fire
and both dogs were released with messages and returned
all right. I do not know what the distance was to be
exact. The officer told me he thought it was about nine
kilos. It was raining very hard during that time, and
that made the ground very difficult to get over with the
heavy shell-fire and troops advancing. I then got relieved
and came back to Houtkerk. I stayed there ten days
training and exercising the dogs. I then got orders to go
up the line and got attached to the 36th Div. I joined the
107 Bde., 36th Div., two miles from Dadeszeele and stayed
for one night and marched into Dadeszeele next morning
at 3.30 with Bdg. H.Q. My dogs were taken away at 4
p.m., the Div. advanced about ten kilos. Oct. 14th. On
the i6th two of my dogs, ' Prince ' and ' Rags,' arrived with
Messenger Dogs in the Field 115
messages. While I was with the 107th Brigade, Keeper
Buckingham was with the loSth Brigade. On the morning
of the 14th this division advanced and the enemy put up
a terrific barrage. All the lines of communication were cut
and a battalion of the Inniskilling Fusiliers were cut off.
This battalion released a dog, which returned to Bucking-
ham, and thus gave news of the plight of this battalion.
The dog was thus the means of getting reinforcements sent
up to the relief of the Inniskillings and that gallant body
were saved from being wiped out. The Brigadier-General
was delighted with the dogs' performance and congratu-
lated Buckingham on his management of them."
The " Paddy " mentioned by Keeper Dempsey is a
different one from that in Keeper Macleod's possession, and
which has been mentioned earlier. There were several Irish
terriers in the service, and I am afraid the tendency to call
them all " Paddies " was too strong to overcome, although
there were also a number of " Mikes " and " Mickies." Keeper
Hammond had a " Paddy " on which he reports favour-
ably :
" I left Shoeburyness the first week in October, 1917,
taking with me two dogs, ' Paddy ' and ' Nansen.' 1
first ran them at Passchendaele, and was on that sector until
the beginning of March-, 1918. ' Nansen ' was killed on the
first run, but ' Paddy ' was a splendid dog, and never
made a mistake during the six months I had him. I
consider his best record was carrying a message from
Batt. H. Qrs. on Passchendaele down nearly to Ypres, a
distance of five miles over about three miles of duck-boards.
You can imagine the time saved, when ' Paddy ' did it in
27-30 minutes and the Batt. runners were doing it in
8*
116 British War Dogs
nearly two hours. After being transferred to the Messenger
Dog Service, I did not go up the line again, as I had suffered
severely from shell-shock, and my health gave way.
Ramsey took ' Paddy ' and I have no doubt at all that he
is one of the best dogs that ever went to France."
Keeper Alcock gives an account of a very nice collie he
had:
" Re No. 140. This dog went over the top with three
or four Brigades of Australians on several occasions. One
occasion in particular was when an attack was made on
Villers-Bretonneux on the Somme. He came back with
a dispatch * Urgent ' which contained the details of the
attack, — a distance of 4^ kilos, in 18 minutes. There was
very heavy shell-fire at the time. While in front of Douai
this dog advanced roughly seven miles, and brought the
only message received when Douai was captured, as all the
wires were broken. He completed his journey in 55
minutes. The other dogs I had were taken out in attacks
and did good work also. I am sure they must have saved
a large amount of life."
Another of the men was Keeper Corporal Coull. He
took a very intelligent and conscientious interest in his
work, helping to educate public opinion, as well as working
the dogs. He states :
" Directly under my personal care were * Buller ' (Aire-
dale), 'Trick' (cohie), and 'Nell' (setter bitch). At the
outset ' Buller ' was somewhat inconsistent, but in a very
short time he blossomed out into a very fine working dog,
and did some very fine running. He carried messages,
Messenger Dogs in the Field 117
such as requisitions for ammunition, material, food, and
the most common, but not the least important — the situa-
tion reports.
" When the Australian troops were making repeated
attacks on the fronts between Villers-Bretonneux about
April and May the service of ' Trick ' was repeatedly and
specially in demand, and on various occasions on that front
he brought back the first messages of the progress of the
attacks, and also requests for further materials necessary
for the successful carrying out of operations. On one occa-
sion special mention was made in divisional orders of the
good work done by ' Trick ' and another dog, called ' Wil-
lard,' on the front of the left of Corbie. On that occasion
' Trick ' and ' Willard ' brought back the first message of
an important and successful operation by the Australian
troops. By his good work ' Trick ' was always sought out
by any signalling officer when any message of importance
and urgency was to be sent, and never once did he prove
untrustworthy.
" A black retriever dog called ' Dick ' had a wonderful
record, worthy of the V.C. While carrying a message in
the Villers-Bretonneux sector he was wounded very severely
in the back and shoulder. The dog completed his run in
good spirit, and was ultimately sent to the section kennel
for treatment from the veterinary officer. As no foreign
bodies could be located in the wounds they were stitched
up, and he was soon healed up and at work again. He
did his runs in the line as well as before, and seemed all
right when we moved to the 8th Corps. A day or two after
moving the dog was seen to be suffering, and the attention
of the vet. was called to his state. After a few days'
observation, the veterinary officer concluded there was
some foreign body in the wound, and so, as poor Dick
118 British War Dogs
was on the point of death, he was ordered to be de-
stroyed.
" At the post-mortem examination it was discovered
that a rifle bullet was resting between the shoulder and
body, while near the small of the back a piece of shrapnel
was found lodged close to the spine. Through all his suffer-
ings the dog carried out his duties cheerfully and most
faithfully until he was overtaken by death."
The keepers found considerable difficulty at first in
working the dogs with the Australian troops, as the latter
were somewhat indifferent in observing the regulations
with regard to the dogs in the field. When, however, a
commanding officer possessed the gift of discernment
and recognized the real benefit of using the dogs and
seeing that they received proper treatment, the result
appears to have been satisfactory.
Lieut.-Colonel Owen H. Read, Canterbury Regiment,
sends the following report :
" War Dogs
" During the winter of 1917-1918, while the Division was
in the Ypres Sector, I had two of these attached to my
battalion.
" Owing to the broken nature of the ground we were
holding and the bad weather which was experienced, com-
munication between the Company and Battalion Head-
quarters was exceptionally difficult, and the dogs on several
occasions proved of great value in conveying messages
when other means of communication failed, being far
more rapid than runners, who in some cases were unable,
owing to heavy shell-fire, to deliver their messages.
Messenger Dogs in the Field 119
" Although the conditions in this sector were very trying,
the dogs always carried out tlicir work in a thoroughly
satisfactory manner and were on many occasions of great
assistance.
" (Signed) Owen H. Read, Lieut.-Colonel,
" Canterbury Regiment,
"N. Z. E. F."
Another Australian offtcer told me that one of the sights
that impressed him most was his first sight of a messenger
dog. He saw it first coming from the direction of the
front-line trenches — a little Welsh terrier. The ground
it was going over was in a terrible condition and was abso-
lutely waterlogged. The little creature was running along
hopping, jumping, plunging, and with the most obvious
concentration of purpose. He could not imagine what it
was doing until it came near, and he saw the message
carrier on its neck. As the dog sped past him he noticed
the earnest expression in its face.
Keeper Sergeant Brown was a very intelligent handler of
the dogs, and he not only worked them in a scientific
manner, but he also did excellently in educating the men
in the understanding of the benefit to be obtained by
adhering to the regulations governing the dogs. He says :
" When the men understood the use of the dogs, I had no
trouble, but before that they did not know they were being
used as messengers. I got permission to go to the bat-
talions in my division and give the n^en a lecture about
them, and after that all went well. We then moved to
another front. I looked over the ground and found it
very rough, with holes and wire, and a great distance from
the line — about 6 miles. The officer wanted me to
120 British War Dogs
work the dogs over this, which I did for a few times till
my dogs were getting very bruised and cut, so I stopped
them. The officer found the great use they were, as the
men were taking about three times as long. I then worked
my dogs in a very dangerous part from the battalion to
the post, as it was not safe for a man even at night, and the
dogs worked at night. When the Brigadier heard the
work the dogs were doing, he wanted a great many more.
I was then called back to the base, and they were anxious
for me to leave the dogs behind, as they knew they had
been the means of saving scores of lives. The runners
were more than sorry, as they were always asking for more
dogs. The old idea was that a dog's life was nothing, but
after the experience I have had with them in the field it
has taught me to love and respect them_ as never before.
" I was moved to another sector, and after I had ex-
plained the use of the dogs to the men all went well, and
one and all were surprised at their good work, as they had
to run about three miles through a forest with streams and
ditches. They were in the open and on the move all the
time, and it was quite impossible for a man to get through
the gas sometimes. The dogs worked there for three days,
and then they required rest as they were done up and some
were wounded. One little bitch, ' Sulky,' nearly had her leg
cut off, but it did not prevent her from coming in, and as
it happened, she was carrying a very important message.
On one occasion I sent a dog with an officer and his runner
who was going out on patrol, and when out on No Man's
Land the officer was killed. The dog brought back the
message and the position, so that another officer could be
sent out. I also remember a dog being taken on a bombing
raid, which was undertaken with the object of finding out
just who was in front of us. The dog ' Vulcan ' came
Messenger Dogs in the Field 121
back witli some papers and a shoulder strap off a German's
coat with the regimental number on it.
" On another occasion in the advance on the Ypres
sector (1918) the same dog was taken over by the Colonel
of a battalion, but he was out of touch with the corps
I was with, till the dog came in. I did not know what
the message contained, but it was an important one, as
this particular battalion wanted to keep up the advance,
and they wanted the Belgians to advance as well, in order
to make it a success, as they found little opposition in
front of them and were well through.
" I understand also that the first news of the capture of
Hill 60 was brought in by one of the dogs. On one occasion
we had attacked a German sap, and were trying to hold it.
We had run out of bombs, and the doggie was sent back
with the casualty report, and for more bombs to be sent up."
The Americans had no dogs of their own and viewed the
messenger dogs with envy. Keeper Sergeant Brown
says on this point :
" I had great trouble to prevent the Americans from
appropriating the dogs, as they had no dogs of their own,
and they all spoke of the great success of them every-
where."
Corporal Taylor sends the following report, in which will
be seen the difference it made to the men when they came
under an officer who took genuine interest in the work of
the dogs, and also the difficulties experienced in working
them, when the troops were not sufficiently instructed as
to the importance of refraining from petting and feeding
122 British War Dogs
the dogs. This was constituted a disciplinary offence in
the German army, and was severely punished.
" I landed in France with my two dogs, ' Major ' and
' Maggie,' and was sent to my old Brigade. Their head-
quarters were in an old slag heap, just to the rear of Hermies
village. I did not get much help, nor did I find anyone very
interested in the dogs at first, but on coming out of the
line for a rest, I was taken over by the Brigade Signal
Officer, Lieut. Parkes. He was very interested in the
dogs, and did a lot for me. The consequence was, that
next time we were in the line, the dogs were used night
and day, with good results. We were in the line from
Jan. 25th till Feb. 2ist, and the dogs were running from
the front line to advanced Brigade Headquarters.
" At different times, our officer had silent days, when no
wires were used, only runners and dogs. Of course the
dogs beat the runners every time, and never made one
mistake. It was a very unhealthy spot — a lot of shelling.
Poor ' Maggie ' was shell- shocked. I buried her in a little
hut I used to keep her in. It would have been a great
thing, if all officers had taken the same interest in their
dogs as did Lieut. Parkes.
" I returned to Etaples when the dog service was reor-
ganized, and my next venture was at Kemmel Hill, April
i6th, 1918, and went up with Keepers Young, Headly,
Ferriby, Radford, and Ferris with eighteen dogs. The
men had nearly all the same dogs they brought from
England. We went to the 9th Division, and ran the dogs
for the 26th and 27th Brigade. Their Headquarters were
just to the right of La Clythe. Here I found I was wanted
to run dogs from Spoil Bank, close to the Canal, through
Voormazeele, a distance of 14 kilos., so made a relay post,
at Ridge Wood, leaving Keepers Young and Ferris at
Messenger Dogs in the Field 123
Headquarters. It was here men and dogs had a r<)ii,"h
time, as the enemy was doing a lot of heavy shelHng, ready
for his attack and capture of Kemmel Hill, 10 days later.
My own dogs were ' Major,' ' Rab,' and an unregistered dog.
The work was difficult for the dogs, as Brigade Headquarters
moved about so much, on account of so much shifting.
After the dogs had done about 6 journeys, Headquarters
moved, so that the dogs had to turn to the right on the
Dickebusch Road, instead of to the left, where they had
been running before, but four out of the six dogs did it all
right. My bitch ' Rab ' was hit by a piece of shell on her
second journey. She managed to stagger in with her
message, but I could see there was not much hope for her.
I bound her up, and carried her down to Brigade Head-
quarters, but she died the next day.
" I was watching for the dogs the next day, to come in,
and saw ' Major ' and that fast bitch of Ferriby's, I
forget her name, racing back over the ridge. As they
were passing a battery of artillery, the enemy opened out
with eight-inch stuff.
Ferriby's bitch was killed, but ' Major ' got through-
I could see that ' Major ' was actually dodging the shells.
He took a wide sweep from where the first shell fell, and
kept working out further. The time for that run was a
record, about 6 minutes. It took me an hour to walk
and run the distance. Radford's dogs were doing the
night duty, also Ferriby's, and never made a mistake.
Hedley's dogs also did all that was asked of them. They
were on day duty.
" I might mention here, that I found one or two of the
dogs were losing time, so I went forward to jfind out the
cause, and found them in a trench, on their chains, and a
lot of pieces of bully beef put in a tin in front of them.
124 British War Dogs
Very kind, of course, but spoiling the dogs. I at ' once
informed the signal officers of both Brigades, and it was
stopped. That was one of our greatest troubles — troops
feeding and fussing about the dogs.
" On the 25th of April, I was wounded in the attack by
the enemy on Kemmel Hill, and was in hospital some time.
I returned to No. i Section early in October. I only had
one turn in the line however, with my three dogs, as ' Jerry '
threw up the sponge. I might say, that ' Major ' was given
to Keeper Hunt, when I was in hospital, and he did
hundreds of runs for him. One run he did for Hunt is
worth telling. Taken forward in an attack, an advance
was made of 17 kilos., without much opposition. * Major '
was then released by the Brig. -General's orders with a
message asking for help at once. ' Major ' did the 17 kilos,
in one hour. He isn't much to look at — a cross lurcher
and deerhound, but a heart of gold."
The following Report given me is of interest :
" In July, 1918, when the main force of the German
attack had subsided, and our policy appeared to be to
cut off small portions of German salients, preparatory to
the great general advance, small battalion offensives were
in vogue, with a view to taking and consolidating strong
points, from which larger offensives were eventually
pressed forward. In these small offensives (which were
more than raids, inasmuch that the ground taken was
consolidated and held), the messenger dogs proved of
invaluable service. Telephone wires were almost im-
possible from the front lines of newly-acquired territory,
and as these offensives were carried out invariably by
Messenger Dogs in the Field 125
night, pigeons were useless. The result of a raid, or minor
offensive, giving the line captured and consolidated had to
be returned to Higher Command by runners, or dogs.
" In one instance in an attack on a small factory, half
a mile west of Vieux Berquin, the attack had to cross very
flat, swampy ground, with two small streams, the advance
originating from the western edge of the Foret de Nieppe.
The report that the attack had been successful, and a
plan showing the line consolidated, reached Corps Head-
quarters by messenger dog in 50 minutes, the total dis-
tance being 13I miles. (I regret I do not know how far
from the Corps Headquarters were the Kennels, and how
much of the distance was done by the telephone, but I
should say very little). The next report, which was a
duplicate, sent off at the same hour by runner to Brigade
Headquarters, and thence by telephone, arrived at Corps
Headquarters one hour and thirty-five minutes after the
messenger dog report arrived. This statement was pub-
lished in Corps intelligence, and in the 29th Divisional Orders
of that month.
" (Signed) K. E. Milford,
" (Major R.F.A.)."
The record of the dogs' work, was kept by the keepers
when on duty at the front, on time sheets, of which the
following are specimens :
Remarks.
All Trench runmng.
Weather good.
Weather good.
Kept to lorry.
Weather fair.
Good. "
Good.
Weather tair.
Good.
Good.
Weather fair.
Weather wet.
6oth Brigade.
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128 British War Dogs
I here give an extract from the instructions laid down by
the British Army for the management of the messenger
dogs in the field :
Training and Employment of Messenger Dogs
5. By the use of trained dogs as message carriers, runners
can be saved and better communication obtained.
The messenger dog is trained to return to his keeper from
any point to which he may have been led.
A dog will not return to any keeper except his own.
A dog can travel by day or night fairly rapidly over
ground where a man cannot go at all, or only very slowly ;
and because he travels faster, and is a smaller target, a
dog has a much better chance of getting through a barrage
than a man.
The reliability of the dog as a message carrier depends
on his being trained to go with certainty to his destination
without paying any attention to bombardment, rifle fire,
etc.
The best trained dogs will, however, be quickly rendered
unreliable by injudicious handling when sent up for work
in the front line, and it is essential that the instructions for
their use should be strictly adhered to.
6. The procedure as regards the employment of mes-
senger dogs is for the keeper to go up with his three dogs
to, say, a BattaUon Headquarters, where the keeper remains.
This point is called the " Back Station." The three dogs
are then led away by any soldier, from the keeper to, say,
Company Headquarters. This point is called the " For-
ward Station." Then when a message has to be se.nt
back, it is put in the carrier on the dog's collar and the dog
released. It is advisable to train a dog on a particular
Messenger Dogs in the Field 129
route, taking him out a short way and letting him go
at once, and then repeating at greater distances till his
final station is reached. After that, he should be retained
for, say, an hour before being released, and subsequently
the time of retention should be increased until he will
return to where his keeper is by day or night after 12 hours'
stay at his forward station.
This training to a particular route takes some time and
trouble, and should be done both by day and night, and
the extent to which it is necessary will depend somewhat on
the intelligence of the dog. The keeper should be able
to give information on this point,
7. To ensure success in getting dogs to return from the
forward station to the keeper it is essential that : —
(i.) The dog or dogs should be led up on a chain by
a man who is a stranger to the dog.
(ii.) At the forward station the dogs should be kept
chained up ; if possible, they should be sheltered from
wind and weather, and they should be given water but
no food.
(iii.) The men who lead up the dogs should not
make friends with them, and the dogs should on no
account be petted or made much of.
8. Dogs should not be kept at a forward station for more
than 12 hours away from their keepers ; consequently, not
more than one keeper and his three dogs from any one Group
should be on duty at the same time. After a period of
12 hours the keeper and his three dogs will be replaced
by the remaining keeper and his three dogs of the Group.
During the 12 hours a dog is on duty he can, after making
a run back, be again sent forward as often as opportunity
offers for leading him forward.
After a tour of seven days in the front Hne (during which
9
ISO British War Dogs
period each keeper and his three dogs have been doing
12 hours on duty and 12 hours off duty) the whole Group
should be sent back and replaced by another Group from
the Section Kennel.
9. It is most important that when dogs are sent forward
from their keeper they should be allotted to definite Com-
manders of Companies or Posts, who then become respon-
sible for the care of the dogs while at their forward stations
and for the messages sent back by the dogs to the back
station.
10. {a) A dog released from a forward station should
invariably carry a message, and each message must state
the hour at which the dog is released.
(6) Dogs should always be released separately ; that is,
with an interval between each. They must not be released
together.
Feeding Dogs
11. Dogs should be fed once in 24 hours.
No food of any sort must be given to them whilst they
are on duty away from their keeper.
At the station where their keeper is, they will only be
fed after they have completed their 12 hours' turn of duty.
The authorized daily ration of a dog is ij lbs. food, com-
posed of : —
J lb. broken biscuit or bread.
I lb. horse flesh.
J lb. maize meal per week is also issued for each dog.
If it is impossible to obtain the authorized rations for
dogs at forward stations, the dogs should be fed on broken
bread or scraps obtained from the Battalion cook.
Messenger Dogs in the Field 131
Each keeper will take up with him two days' rations for
his dogs.
To prepare the food, the meat should be cut up into
small pieces, then boiled, and the meat and the water in
which it was boiled should be poured over the biscuits
and allowed to soak for at least half an hour.
Protection of Dogs from Gas
12. Dogs are not so susceptible as human beings to gas
poison, and a dog will run and arrive at his destination
through gas which an unprotected man could not traverse.
The gas has, however, a certain amount of effect, and a
dog who has been subjected to strong gas may be incapaci-
tated for a considerable time, or die from the effects.
It is not practicable to provide a dog with a gas mask.
Every effort should be made to protect the dogs until
their services are necessary, and on the first sign of gas
they should be placed in a shelter protected by a gas-
proof curtain and kept there till required. If in forward
areas this is not possible, they should be released and
allowed to make their way back.
Tests made with " Mustard Gas " show that such gas has
little permanent effect on dogs, and practically no effect
on their feet.
Commanders of formation or units to whom dogs are
allotted will issue orders as to what is to be done with the
dogs when the gas alarm sounds.
Casualties
13. If a keeper becomes a casualty, his dogs should at
once be returned to the Section Kennel and a report made
9*
1S2 British War Dogs
to the Officer i/c Messenger Dog Service of the Corps who
will detail a keeper and three more dogs to replace the
dogs returned to the Section Kennel.
14. If more than one of the dogs of a keeper become
casualties, the keeper and any remaining dog should be
returned to the Section Kennel and a report made to the
Officer i/c Messenger Dog Service of the Corps asking that
a keeper with his three dogs should be sent up.
15. Dogs so seriously wounded or sick that recovery is
improbable may be destroyed at once and the collar and
any other equipment returned to the Section Kennel.
Veterinary Arrangements
16. The arrival of a Section Kennel in any Corps area is
at once to be reported to the nearest Mobile Veterinary
Hospital.
Dog Collars, Message Carriers, Chains and Muzzles
17. Every Messenger Dog has a leather collar on which
are his registered number and a message carrier.
18. The message carrier (which is always to be kept on
the collar) is made in two parts which fit one into the
other ; the two parts are held together by a piece of string.
When a message is to be placed in the carrier, the dog's
collar should be pulled round so that the carrier is upper-
most, the two halves of the carrier pulled apart, the message
inserted, the two halves pushed well home and tied together
and the collar slipped round so that the carrier is under
the dog's neck. The dog should then be released without
his chain.
19. The Officer to whom the dog is allotted will give
Messenger Dogs in the Field 133
instructions for the chain of the dog released to be kept
to fasten up a dog replacing him ; or, if the dog is not
replaced, for the chain to be returned at first opportunity
to the keeper at formation or unit Headquarters.
Dogs sent up to a forward station to which a chain has
already been sent will be led up on a rope or other lead and
chained up on arrival.
20. Dogs which are sent up muzzled are those which are
liable to be savage. The muzzle is not to be removed and
the dog is to be run with his muzzle on.
Orders for Troops in the Front Line
21. A Messenger Dog may be recognized by his collar,
on which is a tin cylinder in which the message is carried.
Messenger Dogs will be distinguished by some device
such as a scarlet tally, which can be easily seen. These
distinguishing marks will be promulgated in orders.
Messenger dogs are not to be hindered when on a run.
At no time are they to be petted or offered food ; if
found near a cook-house, they should be hunted away.
Any dogs who fight messenger dogs, and bitches on heat,
must be sent out of the area in which messenger dogs are
working.
Lost Messenger Dogs
Lost Messenger Dogs should be taken to the nearest
Signal Service Unit.
CHAPTER V
^ INSTINCT
" Shall damned oblivion ever quench that flame ?
No ! that viewless essence shall outUve the world,
Immortal as the soul of man it served."
Pope.
THOSE persons who desire to instruct the growing
thought of the young in a successful and har-
monious manner will usually, if they are wise, study the
metaphysical aspect of the subject. This is also true advice,
with regard to the training of all animals, and, in propor-
tion as the instructor does this, will he be successful or the
reverse. A close study of the relationship of man to the
animal kingdom through the ages, discloses many inter-
esting facts and salutary lessons. It reveals the fact, that
wherever, and in whatever, man recognizes the presence
of good, — cherishing and cultivating it, — the object of his
care, from that time, becomes useful and harmless. This
applies, as anyone can see, to the Vegetable Kingdom, in
which all carefully cultivated species, immediately excel
the properties of the wild varieties. And it also, with equal
truth, applies to the animals.
Had man at all times recognized this, and realized his
tremendous responsibility towards the Animal Kingdom,
we should not now have large numbers of savage, dangerous
animals, nor vast collections of timid, nay, terrified,
134
Instinct 135
creatures. Where man has set foot in newly-explored
territory, seldom or never trodden, the animals are tame,
and advance to meet him with charming confidence,
which is only dispelled, when they find their trust is
betrayed.
In confirmation of this conviction that this sense of fear
in the animals for man must have been acquired, and is
not in any way natural, I may quote Mr. Darwin, who says :
" I have already discussed the hereditary tameness of our
domestic animals. From what follows, I have no doubt,
that the fear of man has always first to be acquired in a
state of nature, and that under domesticity it is nearly lost.
In all the few archipelagoes and islands inhabited by man,
of which I have been able to find an early account, the
native animals were entirely void of fear of man ; I have
ascertained this in six cases, in the most distant part of
the world, and with birds and in animals of the most
different kinds. At the Galapagos Islands, I pushed a hawk
off a tree with the muzzle of my gun, and the little birds
drank water out of a vessel which I held in my hand. These
wolf-like foxes were here as fearless of man as were the
birds, and the sailors in Byron's voyage, mistaking their
curiosity for fierceness, ran into the water to avoid them.
In all old civilized countries, the wariness and fear of even
young foxes and wolves are well known. At the Galapagos
Islands, the great land lizards were extremely tame, so that
I could pull them by the tail, whereas, in other parts of
the world, large lizards are wary enough. The aquatic
lizard of the same genus, lives on the coast, is adapted to
swim and to dive perfectly, and feeds on submerged algae.
No doubt it must be exposed to danger from sharks, and,
consequently, though quite tame on the land, I could not
drive them into the water, and when I threw them in.
136 British War Dogs
they always swam directly back to the shore. See what a
contrast to all the amphibious animals in Europe, which,
when disturbed by the most dangerous animal, man, in-
stinctively and instantly take to the water !
" The tameness of the birds in the Falkland Islands is
particularly interesting, because most of the very same
species, more especially the larger birds, are excessively
wild in Tierra del Fuego, where for generations they have
been persecuted by the savages. Both at these islands, and
at the Galapagos, it is particularly noteworthy, as I have
shown in my journal, by the comparison of the several
accounts up to the time when we visited these islands,
that the birds are gradually getting less and less tame,
and it is surprising, considering the degree of persecution
which they have occasionally suffered, during the last
one or two centuries, that they have not become
wilder ; it shows that the fear of man is not too soon
acquired."
The French naturalist, Gaede, says :
"It is with the Bible in the hand that we must enter
into the great temple of Nature to understand the voice
of the Creator."
If this method of research had been more frequently
followed by students of nature in the past, there would
not be to-day such a host of theories in connection with
creation, which lead up to a certain point, but are in-
capable of any definite conclusion, because most of them are
based on faulty premise.
The instruction in Genesis, in the first chapter, on the
subject of nourishment for both man and beast is as
follows :
" Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed,
which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in
Instinct 187
the which is the fruit of the tree yielding seed, and to you
it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and
to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth
upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every
green herb for meat, and it was so."
The dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl
of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon
the earth, could not have been, therefore, based upon that
system of compulsion and slaughter, to which man has
reduced the original mandate. " God saw everything
that he had made and behold ! it was very good."
Therefore, the power of the dominion must have been one
of love.
This strange and terrible misunderstanding of the loving
intention of the Great Creator of all things is announced
later in Genesis :
" And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be
upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the
air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all
the fishes of the sea ; into your hand are they de-
livered."
But this degraded concept of man's duty towards the
animal kingdom, only came after that debased condition
of mind, which is known as the fall of man, had become
manifest. It would seem, therefore, as though man will
have to alter this attitude, and return once more to his
original understanding, in which the animals are given
into his care to receive love and protection. Until his
mental outlook on this particular point is adjusted, just
so much proportionally is he excluding himself from that
state of mind which is called Heaven, and from which he
will continue to exclude himself, until he does justice to
the rest of creation.
138 British War Dogs
Milton says :
" Discord first.
Daughter of Sin, among the irrational
Death introduced, through fierce antipathy :
Beast now with beast 'gan war, and fowl with fowl,
And fish with fish ; to graze the herb all leaving.
Devoured each other ; nor stood much in awe
Of man, but fled him, or with count'nance grim
Glared on him passing. These were from without
The growing miseries which Adam saw."
How different is the picture of creation, as shown forth
in the first chapter of Genesis, when love reigned supreme
between man and beast, and when that understanding
must have obtained, which is graphically described in the
Book of Wisdom (Apocrypha) :
" God made not death, neither hath He pleasure in
the destruction of the living. For He created all things,
that they might have their being ; and the generations of
the world were healthful ; and there is no poison of
destruction in them, nor the kingdom of death upon the
earth."
It would be as well if this generation awoke to the great
obligation placed upon it, of bringing this happy condition
to pass once more. That it will have to be done sooner
or later, there is no question of doubt, and God's immut-
able laws, which grind " exceeding small," will, meta-
phorically speaking, reduce to " powder " that mental
attitude, which resists the mandate.
Love for, and the protection of animals, should be
taught in all schools, and the churches might easily take
a more energetic attitude on this point, than they have
done in the past.
So far is this from being done, however, that we find the
children instructed to assist in destroying whole com-
Instinct 139
munities of animals, such as sparrows, flies, rats, etc.
These irregularities of production among the animals,
nearly always result from some disorderly or insanitary
method of man himself, or by his interference in some
way, with the laws of Nature. It would be well, therefore,
if he remedies his mistakes himself, without blunting the
natural instincts of love and pity for the animals, in the
minds of the children, which are infinitely more valuable
to the race, than are any material expediencies.
It will be remembered that the Covenant was made with
the animal creation, as well as with man, and reads in
Genesis : " And God said. This is the token of the covenant
which I make between Me and you, and every living creature.
. . . And I will remember my Covenant which is between
Me and you, and every living creature of all flesh. ..."
The egotistical point of view, which man has adopte
in allotting to himself the promises of the Bible, and of
leaving the animal kingdom without them, is indefensible.
Some of the greatest thinkers on this subject uphold the
standard of the animal kingdom, and I may quote Pro-
fessor Romanes— the great authority on animal instinct.
He says :
" Just as the theologians tell us, and, logically enough,—
that if there is a Divine Mind, the best, and indeed only,
conception we can form of it, is that which is formed on
the analogy, however imperfect, supplied by the human
mind ; so with inverted anthropomorphism we must
apply a similar consideration to the animal mind. . . . And
this consideration, it is needless to point out, has a special
validity to the evolutionist, inasmuch, as upon his theory,
there must be a psychological, no less than a physiological,
continuity extending throughout the length and breadth
of the animal kingdom."
140 British War Dogs
Addison, when writing on the subject of instinct; says :
" I look upon instinct, as upon the principle of gravita-
tion in bodies, which is not to be explained by any known
qualities inherent in the bodies themselves, nor from any
laws of mechanism, but as an immediate impression from
the first Mover, and the Divine energy acting in the
creatures."
The above illuminating statement is especially interest-
ing, when we notice that one of the definitions of the
word " instinct " means " urged from within," and yet
another explanation is " animated," derived from anima
— soul.
The description of the animal kingdom, pictured by
Isaiah, is certainly a state which has previously existed :
" The wolf also shall dwell with the iamb, and the leopard
shall lie down with the kid ; the calf and the young lion
and the fatling together ; and a little child shall lead them.
" And the cow and the bear shall feed ; their young ones
shall lie down together ; and the lion shall eat straw like
the ox ;
"And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the
asp ; and the weaned child shall put his hand on the
cockatrice den."
" They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy moun-
tain ; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the
Lord, as the waters cover the sea."
This prophecy, as to the return of this harmonious
understanding between man and beast, has not yet been
fulfilled, but in the insistence by man for more humane
treatment for all animals, one sees the gleam of the dawn,
and one knows that, as thought in this direction progresses,
as it is certain to do, the entire prophecy will be completely
fulfilled. The time will come, when the commandment,
Instinct 141
" Thou shall not kill," will not be accepted in the watered-
down rendering, " Thou shalt do no murder," but will be
taken as a solemn injunction as it stands in the Bible, and
as it is certainly meant to be understood. Those of tender
heart who yearn for the driven steer, the dumb, bewildered
sheep at the shambles, the little stricken mass of feathers
falling from the skies, the terrified dog on the vivisection
table, may take comfort, that the age is not far distant, when
man will awaken to the awful responsibility he assumes,
when he misuses or takes the life of any one of God's
creatures. He will then understand, that the Giver of all
Good loves all the animals, and that they are His creatures,
and that if left unmolested, and, on the contrary, protected
and tamed, they will all begin to reflect this love, of which
man will be the channel, and will be gentle and affectionate
both to man himself, and to each other. If man is obedient
to this commandment, " Thou shalt not kill," and discards
his wilful and limited interpretation of it, he will then
begin to find countless other sources of food-supply coming
to him, of which he has been hitherto unaware, and the
seeming necessity for taking the life of any animal, in order
to minister to his own needs, will be no longer apparent.
The animals themselves will then also find other sources
of supply, in place of preying on each other.
This latter statement may seem difficult to credit, but
if anyone likes to make a close study, they will find, that
it is even now extraordinarily apparent, how strongly
animals, — dogs especially, — reflect the mentality of those
with whom they associate. This can be seen in the dogs
of different nations. The bulldog and the fox-terrier, may
be said to represent the tenacious, and also the sociable
qualities of the English race, the Dandie Dinmont and
the Scotch terrier, the independent and argumentative
142 British War Dogs
characteristics of the Scotch, and the Irish terrier partakes
to a remarkable degree of the impulsiveness and relish for
" a bit of a shcrap," of his master. The underlying ferocity
in the Prussian character, is strongly reflected by the
Great Dane — the favourite breed of the German students,
— and, until well tamed by long residence in this country,
is always capable of unexpected outbursts of anger.
When travelling in Norway and Sweden, I have been
struck with the sedate and aloof demeanour of the dogs,
which so closely resembles the human inhabitants of these
countries. The very puppies disport themselves in a more
dignified manner, than is usually seen elsewhere. The gay
insouciance of the French, is well represented in the poodle,
the inscrutability of the Chinese in the chow, the wild
and lawless spirit of the mountainous races of middle
Europe, in the savage sheep dogs of these regions, — and
so on, in varying degrees all over the world one can see,
that the dog, the closest associate of man, partakes of
his master's qualities.
Coming down to individuals, this is even more apparent,
and one can almost judge the character of any person, by
noticing the sort of dog they keep, or, to put it the other
way, the dog has been selected and trained according to
the tastes of the master or mistress, and reflects these
attributes of mind whatever they may be. Thus, at
opposite ends of the scale, one gets the keeper's night dog,
and the timid and circumscribed little lap-dog of the old
lady. In pondering this matter, therefore, it is perfectly
apparent, that the dog, owing to this intimate association
with man, very closely assimilates the characteristics of the
governing human race ; and, therefore, the most solemn
obligation rests with the latter to reflect only those qualities
which are desirable of perpetuation. This applies in rela-
Instinct 148
tion to all the animal kingdom, and as man ceases to kill,
so will the animals cease to do so also.
It may be asked what has all this to do with the training
of War Dogs ? The answer is — a great deal, for the study of
the metaphysical aspect of the subject ; that is to say,
the research into character training, which is really mind
training, assists one very greatly in the education of
animals — and enables one to perceive the soul in the
creature.
As I will show in other parts of this book, and especially
in the chapter on the homing training, that the most
successful results are obtained when the dog is taught to
rely on this intuitive prompting from within, rather than
on any material guides it may find without, and it can
perhaps be understood how important it is for the trainer,
to comprehend the original psychology of the dog.
It is a great compliment to man, that when he does find
the soul of anything, and uses it well, how wonderful is the
response ! It may be said, that, as a whole, this happy
state has, to a great extent, been reached in regard to
the dog, which, as I have shown, is so closely in touch with
the mind of his master, and we are beginning to perceive
that many characteristics which we have hitherto con-
sidered as belonging exclusively to human beings, and
far above the animals, are really as much within the
possession of our dogs as of ourselves.
Admitting, therefore, that the dog is capable of reflecting
and manifesting the attributes of mind, by teaching it
(and expecting to see the result of this teaching), the
highest qualities in man, such as honesty, reliability,
endurance, patience — in fact, the qualities of soul, — the
trainer starts his work, cleared of many limitations that
have been held over dogs, and, indeed, over the entire
144 British War Dogs
animal kingdom, but which are now, thank God, rapidly
breaking down.
It is often considered a curious fact, that the dog
receives such unfair treatment in the Bible, and those who
love the " Good Book " and also the dog, find it difficult
to reconcile the two points of view. This is easily ex-
plained, however, especially when what I have already
pointed out is considered, in connection with the relation-
ship of the dog to the mind of his master, and when it is
remembered that the Bible is a Jewish book, and that the
dog was held to be unclean by this race.
In spite of this attitude, however, on the part of the Jews,
it would appear that at one time they must have had a
high understanding of the dog, as we find that Caleb,
the faithful and discerning spy of Israel, seems to have had
the sense of faithfulness attached to him, and that his name
m.eans " Dog of God."
Renan, writing on this in his " History of the People of
Israel," says :
" Often with names of this kind, ' El' " (which means
God) " was omitted, Irham being used instead of Irhamel,
Caleb instead of Calbel. This last name, irregular as it
is, need not create any surprise, for Dog of El was an
energetic way of expressing the faithful attachment of
a tribe to the God to which it had devoted itself."
It will be remembered, that when Moses sent a repre-
sentative of each of the tribes to spy out the land, " flowing
with milk and honey," Caleb was the only one of them,
who showed fidehty to the Lord's command, and recom-
mended that the children of Israel should go forward and
possess it, and also the courage to believe it could be done.
Whereas, the other spies allowed their fear of the fierce
and gigantic people of the land, completely to obscure the
Instinct 145
remembrance of the solemn trust and injunction placed on
them as a people. On account of this fidelity of attitude
on the part of Caleb, we find the following promise given
to him :
" But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit
with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring unto
the land whcreinto he went and his seed shall possess
it."
The fulfilment of this promise is later on spoken of :
" And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the
son of Jephunneh, Hebron for an inheritance.
" Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb, the
son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, unto this day, because
he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel."
The object of quoting this at length, is to accentuate the
fact, that the fidelity of this Jewish hero is inevitably asso-
ciated with the dog, as it was the custom of this race to
bestow names on individuals according to certain mental
characteristics manifested by the person. Companion-
ship from the dog is, however, hardly ever mentioned in
Jewish writings, one exception being the dog in Tobit
(Apocrypha), which is spoken of on two separate occa-
sions, as accompanying the young man Tobias on his
journeys : " And the young man's dog went with them."
That it is the fact that certain magnificent qualities of
mind have been conserved and perpetuated in the dog
through all the ages, from time immemorial, and which
explains one's vehement rejection of the Biblical, Jewish
attitude towards this animal, is due to the Egyptians, who
in times past greatly venerated it, and even worshipped it.
Dogs were considered valuable for hunting purposes by the
Egyptians, and were also treated as companions and pets.
Gazing up into the glittering heavens, the farmer observed
146 British War Dogs
a glorious star, whose appearance always coincided with
the rising of the Nile, which would bring him all he desired
for his land. His simple mind was impressed with the
fidelity of the star, and casting about for the most faithful
thing he could think of to compare it with, he remembered
his dog, and so called Sirius the Dog Star. Blaze, a writer
on the dog in 1843, says :
" The dog being a symbol of Vigilance, it was thus
intended to warn princes of their constant duty to watch
over the welfare of their people. The dog was worshipped
principally at Hermopolis the Great, and ultimately in all
towns in Egypt."
The city of Cynopolis was built in honour of the dog,
and priests celebrated solemn festivals in its honour. All
this showed that certain very high qualities were recog-
nized as appertaining to the dog, and while one section of
the inhabitants of the world utterly failed to appreciate
this, another large portion jealously preserved the high
and noble concept of man's friend and comrade. We,
therefore, owe a great debt of gratitude to these early dog
lovers, as they, without doubt, preserved those qualities
in the dog from which we benefit at the present day. The
dog in those Eastern countries, where the inhabitants have
for centuries looked upon it as an outcast, even to this day
shows a lack of sympathy and understanding towards man.
These qualities, and also intelligence, courage and fidelity,
are all there, and were the attitude of the human being
in these countries towards the dog to change, they would
revive.
An interesting article by Colonel Hamilton Smith, pub-
lished in 1861, points out that : " Even the Mohammedans,
while they shrink from his touch as defilement, are com-
pelled to recognize the courage and fidelity of the dog.
Instinct 147
He, moreover, is lifted into the region of the supernatural
by no less an authority than the Koran. Three animals,
and only three, are permitted to share the joys and repose
of Mohammed's paradise. The camel, on which the
prophet rode during his famous flight from Mecca, the ass
of Balaam, and Kitmer, the dog of the seven sleepers, who,
with his master, entered the cave in which, year after
year, they lay wrapped in mysterious slumber, who fell
asleep with them, and who, with them, was at last raised
to receive the reward of his care and fidelity. The Moham-
medan legend asserts, that, as the seven youths were on
their way to the cavern, in which they intended to take
refuge from their heathen persecutor (the Emperor Decius),
they passed Kitmer and attempted to drive him away,
upon which God caused him to speak, and he said : * I
love those who are dear unto God ; go to sleep therefore,
and I will guard you.' So Kitmer ' stretched forth his
legs in the mouth of the cave,' and during his sleep of
three hundred years turned himself from side to side like
his masters."
The Aryan races were also great dog lovers, and asso-
ciated the dog with some of the most solemn moments in
the human life. Thus we find there was a belief, that a
dog accompanied the departing soul on its journey to
heavenly places, as companion and guardian, and it was
the custom, very often, to introduce a dog into the death-
chamber, so that the dying person should be comforted by
the sight of the creature of whose race, a member would
keep him from loneliness on his journey.
The whole basis of the training of the war dog rests on
recognizing, and cultivating, certain qualities of mind in
the animal. These are, among others, fidelity, courage,
Hearing,
10*
148 British War Dogs
sight, and scent, are also all trained and accentuated, but
these last attributes must have their origin in the first-
mentioned instincts, in order to obtain successful results.
Fidelity
As the Egyptians were amongst the earliest to appre-
ciate and celebrate the fidelity of the dog, so through all
the centuries do we find the quality extolled, and all who
have had experience of the creature, know that it is true,
and that one can hardly exaggerate as to this wonderful
instinct, so multitudinous are the proofs in history and
in one's own individual experience. As an illustration, I
may mention a curious instance I came across, when I
stepped into a cinema theatre to see a war film, in the
earlier days of the war. As the film was passing, the
lecturer asked us to observe the dog, which would shortly
appear on the screen. He mentioned, that it belonged to
an officer in a certain regiment, and that it was lying beside
its dead master, no one being able to induce it to leave, at
the time. He mentioned the name of the regiment, and
I knew I had sent an Airedale to an officer in this regiment.
As the film moved along, there on the battlefield I saw
this Airedale, crouching beside the officer's body !
Fidelity to his master, is certainly one of the most accen-
tuated qualities in the dog. Sir Walter Scott, who had a
very great love for dogs, says :
" The Almighty, who gave the dog to be a companion
of our pleasures and our toils, hath invested him with a
nature noble, and incapable of deceit. He forgets neither
friend nor foe ; remembers, and with accuracy, both benefit
and injury. He hath a share of man's intelligence, but no
share of man's falsehood. You may bribe an assassin to
Instinct 149
slay a man, or a witness to take his life by false accusation,
but you cannot make a dog tear his benefactor. He is
the friend of man, save when man incurs his enmity."
George Jesse, in writing on this aspect of the dog's
character, touches a note, which I think wonderfully dis-
cerning, as to the attitude of the dog to man :
" It has been well remarked, that the poets of various
lands, and different ages, have delighted in commemorating
the virtues of this favourite animal, as though they recog-
nized in his devotion to man, something of the love and
obedience, with which man should look up to his Heavenly
Father and Almighty God."
It always seems to me, as if the dog turns to us, as though,
in the meantime, all he knows about God, must come to him,
through us.
I have very seldom indeed known a really treacherous
dog ; that is to say, one that will bite the hand that cares
for it. So rare indeed has this been, as to prove that
such a condition of mind in the dog is entirely abnormal,
and, as a matter of fact, I have always been of the opinion
that such animals were insane.
I remember the case of a very large, fine, bull mastiff,
which was offered to the War Dog School. It had never
been off the chain for four years, as it v/as so savage, that
no one could approach it with safety. With great diffi-
culty, it was sent to the school, and had to be taken out of
the railway van, by means of long poles. On arrival, it was
fastened to a kennel, but its behaviour was so outrageous,
and as there seemed a risk of its breaking away and attack-
ing the staff, the opinion was formed, that it would have
to be destroyed. Preparations were made to this end, when
Mrs. Richardson pleaded to have one day more for a final
experiment.
150 British War Dogs
For two hours she stood near the dog, speaking to it
softly. Gradually she edged nearer still, speaking, but
never looking at the animal. She discerned that under-
neath the creature's savage behaviour, there was a very
highly-strung, sensitive nature, and that if confidence
could be established, the ferocity, which was really due
to soreness of mind and fear, would vanish.
After a time, she was able to lean against the kennel,
and then very gently her hand was laid on the large brown
head, and permission was given for her to stroke the satin
ears. With very quiet movement, she unfastened the chain,
and shpped on a lead, and led the poor beast away. Its
gratitude and delight, at being treated as an ordinary
trustworthy dog was unbounded, and when I was making
a round of inspection later in the day, I found the great
beast seated at her feet, looking up with adoring eyes at
his saviour. After that, this dog was the great favourite
with all the staff, and was absolutely reliable, while still
retaining its guarding qualifications as regards strangers,
and it did some very useful work for its country.
Courage
If dogs have lived with people of pluck and courage,
they will exhibit these qualities. It is quite natural for
dogs to be courageous, and if this instinct has become
blunted, it is possible to cultivate it and revive it once
more.
In order to do this, an object must be set up in the dog's
mind, to attain which, it will seem worth while facing
seeming dangers. The War Dog, especially the Messenger
Dog, has to have all fear of explosions and firing, smoke
clouds, water obstacles, etc., eliminated. This, of course,
Instinct 151
is done b}^ a very gradual process, and by cnuilalion of
fellow-students. The firing drill, of course, demands the
greatest effort of self-control ; but when dogs are trained
together in bands, and begin to take an interest in the work,
a single individual has the greatest dislike of being left out
of anything, in which the rest may be taking part, and he
will rather face something, that for a time may seem
unpleasant, than be left behind.
This factor is a great help in training the instinct of
courage. When they get accustomed to the sound, the
fear vanishes. And so it is with water and other unpleasant-
nesses. Rather than let another furry friend reach the
other bank, or scale the barbed wire before him, a dog
will force itself to tackle these difficulties, which before,
it would have considered insurmountable.
Apart from this trained courage, we can all recall instances
of natural pluck and real bravery in dogs, defending some
person, or thing they valued, and believed to be in danger.
Honour
A sense of right and wrong, or conscience, is very strongly
developed in dogs, and the moral sense has to be carefully
brought out in the War Dog, as it has to do so much of its
work entirely on its own initiative. But it is safe to say,
that if you can get a dog to understand a certain duty
as a trust, it will rarely fail you. In fact, especially in
relation to guarding duties, the dog will often rather lay
down life itself than betray its trust, and when there is
complete understanding and trust between the messenger
dog and its keeper, the honourable return of the dog with
the message is assured.
Until this co-operation is attained, however, there are
152 British War Dogs
many temptations to be met and overcome, and sad are
the falls from honourable conduct, before our dispatch-
carrying friend learns to listen to the prompting of his
higher sense. Appetizing food is the most serious tempta-
tion. For this reason, messenger dogs should always be
very well fed, so that the allurements on the road are less
likely to trouble them. But, even so, there are some
dogs which find, when under training, great difficulty in
renouncing the delights of the rubbish heap, where such
delicacies as fish and bones of ancient origin are available-
As the training proceeds, and the object of the journey
begins to dawn on the dog's mental horizon, each time it
dishonourably stops at any cherished place of call, it will
feel more and more guilty. In this process of moral pro-
gression, it is greatly aided by a companion of more
advanced rectitude, who may be travelling with him, or
who continues steadily on his way. As I have before
stated, the sense of emulation is very strong in dogs, and
is one of the greatest aids in training them. The greedy
and guilty fellow will be very impressed at his friend passing
such delicious fare, and, furthermore, the usual relish in
partaking of it, will be considerably impaired by the know-
ledge, that the said friend will reach home before him, to
receive the legitimate reward, and approving caress from
the instructor,
I have seen many amusing instances during this moral
education of the dispatch carrier. On one occasion, a
collie found a workman's dinner, neatly done up in a cotton
handkerchief, untier a hedge. He was nearing home and
going along with a steady swing. The delightful scent of
the repast was too much for his half-trained sense of honour,
and he stopped to examine it. Feeling uneasy in his mind,
however, he did not care to delay to eat it there, and
Instinct 158
seizing the bundle by the knot, bore it away. He arrived
at the training post with a curious expression, which
desired to convey the information, that although he
realized he had not acted in an absolutely straightforward
manner, at all events he had lost no time on the road.
I have sometimes watched a gentlemanly house-dog,
sitting expectantly beside the tea-table, keep his head self-
consciously turned away from the lower shelves of the
tea-basket, on a level with his nose, when the smell of the
dainties became rather more attractive than he could
conveniently endure.
This sense of honour in dogs, can be cultivated in many
directions. The " Ettrick shepherd," Hogg, points this
out, when telling of one of his collies, trained to accompany
him to the hills, to manage the sheep. " If coming hungry
from the hills, and getting into the milk house, he, (the
collie), would most likely think of nothing else than filling
his belly with the cream," while another dog, perhaps a
relative of this same one, which had been trained to remain
at home, as the friend and guardian of the shepherd's family
and property, is bred to far higher principles of honour
in this direction. " I have known such a dog lay night
and day among from ten to twenty pails full of milk, and
never once break the cream of one of them with the tip of
his tongue ; nor would he suffer cat, rat, or any other
creature to touch it."
The sense of honour in the guard-dog is very wonderful,
and it may be said that the basis of the training rests
chiefly on this instinct. I have heard people deride a dog,
said to be a very determined guard, because they have met
this dog on the road, and it has allowed them to pat its
head. But the dog really exhibited greater intelligence
than the person, because it was not at the time on duty, and
154 British War Dogs
did not consider it necessary to obstruct anyone who had
no evil intent, and who had every right to be there. Give
this same dog its bit of territory to protect, and its attitude
towards the stranger will be very different and " Halt "
^yill be the meaning conveyed in no uncertain manner.
Endurance
This necessary quahfication in the War Dog, really
results in a combination of the previous qualities, and
can only be reached when the training has proceeded so far,
as to have taught the dog that its work is very much worth
while. That a very high standard of endurance was
reached by the messenger dog on the battlefield, is proved
by the description of their work under conditions and
temptations, that were frequently very trying.
The Homing Instinct
This subject is of such importance, in regard to the
training of messenger dogs, that I have devoted a special
chapter to it.
This chapter on Instinct should also include a few
remarks on the reasoning powers of the dogs. This
question of reason in dogs, takes its starting-point
from the recognition of the before-mentioned qualities
of soul. Unless these qualities are admitted, it will be
difficult for anyone to develop in a really satisfactory
manner the reasoning powers, and, finally, that which
follows as a natural result, namely, the cultivation of all
the senses with which the dog is gifted to a high degree.
These senses are guided and controlled by the higher
instincts, and must be reached, therefore, primarily through
Instinct 155
the latter. A good trainer will always remember this, and
adjust his training so that love, justice, honour, truth, will
be reflected all through the daily lessons. A dog should
never be tricked or deceived. There are few human beings
who feel such treatment as acutely as the dog. At the
same time it can be trained to thoroughly appreciate and
enjoy, a joke and friendly " ragging." If one hits a dog
quite lightly in anger it resents it, but if one is having a
joke, one can play a tune with a stick on the dog's back,
and hit it relatively much harder, and it will enter into the
fun with great zest, and stand to be hit until the ditty is
finished, when it will bound round one in high delight at
participating in the joke.
Obedience and discipline, based on reason, are the
result of the cultivation of the highest qualities of mind.
Both can be attained by compulsion, but the only discipline
in which I place any real reliance, is that which is based
on spontaneous qualities of good in the dog's mind, such
as love for its master, honour, justice, etc.
It is an interesting fact that the story with which we are
all familiar of Gelert, the famous dog of Wales, whose grave
is still carefully tended to this day on account of his brave
and faithful defence of the child from the wolf, is found
in varying forms in the folk-lore of most widely-separated
countries and races.
The following clipping from the Times, of December i8th,
I gig, illustrates the development of discipline in a dog,
based on its love and trust in its master's judgment and
ruling :
" For days past every morning has brought fresh news of
wrecks on the coasts of Nova Scotia, and along the Gulf
of Saint Lawrence, ships having been driven ashore in
terrific gales, accompanied by blinding storms of snow, on
156 British War Dogs
barren, rocky coasts, far from human habitation. From
Newfoundland this morning comes the story of the wreck
of a coasting steamer on a terrible coast. Ninety-two
passengers and crew were saved by the intelligence of a New-
foundland dog belonging to one of the crew. The ship had
gone ashore on a reef of jagged rocks, and it was impossible
to get a boat out to her in the boiling sea. Finally, a light
line was tied round the dog, which obeyed his master's
signs and swam ashore, making it possible to rig a block
and tackle, by means of which all the souls in the ship were
brought to safety. A baby of eighteen months was taken
ashore in a mail bag."
If discipHne is inculcated on the right lines, so that
reason is cultivated simultaneously, it will be found that
an understanding is born into a dog's mind that orders
should be obeyed for their own sake, and, therefore, its
training in discipline should be along those lines in the first
place, which the dog is most easily able to comprehend.
To illustrate this, I may mention the case of a young dog
I had great faith in. It was a collie, with a strain of spaniel,
and displayed extreme intelligence and affection. While
joyfully adapting itself to all its duties, it unfortunately
had the greatest dislike to any sounds of firing or passing
near any explosions. I had arranged a test one day, where
" Rob " was asked to run down'a trench, on each side of which
were exploding powder flashes. Nothing would induce
him to do it, and the promise of the most delectable dainties
had no effect whatever. He had been brought to this pitch
of training gradually, but this final test, which it was
essential he should pass, seemed to be one he would never
be able to attain. I, however, remembered someone, for
whom " Rob " seemed to have conceived a very special affec-
tion. This person stood at the other end of the trench.
Instinct 157
and in his desire to reach the object of his love, " Rob "
cautiously, and with many qualms, stepped gingerly past
the danger zones, needless to say, to be greatly rewarded
and caressed by his friend. After this first test, there was
no further trouble, and he became accustomed to run down
the trench between the powder flashes, with complete non-
chalance. After a time his special friend was replaced by
one of the ordinary staff, and" Rob " understood that this
test was part of a system of duty, and must be disconnected
with any personal element. This power to reason out
things in connection with their work, and to realize that
the rules must be obeyed for their own sake, as part of
the very high mission, with which they were entrusted,
was borne out in France, when a dog's keeper was wounded
or removed from his own particular charge. It at once
" carried on " with another keeper, accepting the change,
no doubt with deep regret, but as a necessity, due to
circumstances.
A wonderful instance of this sense of discipline is nar-
rated concerning a collie, by the poet Hogg, in the " Shep-
herd's Calendar." In this case the strict observance of
what the conscientious animal conceived to be its duty,
overcame even the maternal instinct.
A coUie belonged to a man named Steele, who was in
the habit of consigning sheep to her charge without super-
vision. " On one occasion," says Hogg, " whether Steele
remained behind or took another road, I know not ; but
on arriving home late in the evening, he was astonished to
hear, that his faithful animal had never made its appear-
ance with the drove. He and his son, or servant, instantly
prepared to set out by different paths in search of her ;
but on their going out into the streets, there was she
coming with the drove, not one missing, and, marvellous
158 British War Dogs
to relate, she was carrying a young pup in her mouth.
She had been taken in travail on the hills, and how the poor
beast had contrived to manage her drove in her state of
suffering is beyond human calculation, for her road lay
through sheep the whole way. Her master's heart smote
him, when he saw what she had suffered and effected ;
but she, nothing daunted, and having deposited her young
one in a place of safety, again set out full speed to the
hills, and brought another, and another, till she brought
her whole litter, one by one, but the last one was dead."
It will be observed how cleverly the collie must have
reasoned out the needs of her flock, and also of her puppies.
A wonderfully clever Dandle Dinmont, belonging to my
family, in a long life of absolutely human intelligence, on
one occasion by utilizing his reasoning powers, saved what
might have been a very serious disaster. He appeared late
at night upstairs in one of the bedrooms, and by his
extremely agitated demeanour induced one of the family
to accompany him downstairs. Here it was found that a
lamp had been left burning, and the wick had in some
manner fallen down into the oil, so that the entire lamp
was a mass of flame.
There is also a well-known story, which has come down
to us from the reign of Charles V. of France, and which
shows both the capacities of reasoned judgment, and of
tenacity of purpose, in a greyhound.
The dog belonged to an officer of the King's bodyguard,
named Aubrey de Montdidier, against whom, another
officer, named Macaire, in the same service, had conceived
a grudge. The two officers decided to meet in the Forest
of Bondy, near Paris. Macaire, however, on meeting
Montdidier, treacherously fell on him and murdered him.
The latter had brought his dog with him to the scene, and
Instinct 150
after the murderer had hastily interred his victim, the
greyhound lay on top of the grave, remaining there for a
lengthy time, until hunger compelled it to return to one of
the royal kitchens. Here it was fed, but it did not remain,
and slipped back to keep the tryst on its master's grave
in the forest. It continued to act in this manner for some
days, until the curiosity of the inhabitants of the kitchen
was aroused, especially as the dog's master was nowhere
to be found. It was, therefore, followed, and on the
ground where the dog was lying being turned up, the body
of the unfortunate man was found. The story does not
end here, however. The greyhound's watch being ended,
it returned to the palace, and, on seeing Macaire, imme-
diately evinced the strongest aversion and ferocity towards
him. No one could fail to notice the dog's intense hatred,
and Charles V., on hearing of it, determined to satisfy him-
self as to the truth of the matter. The dog, and the man,
were brought before him, and immediately the greyhound
attempted to seize Macaire by the throat. The latter was
closely questioned, but denied his guilt. It was therefore
decided to test the matter, as was the custom of those
times, by combat. This extraordinary combat took place
on the Isle of Notre Dame, in Paris, and was witnessed by
the whole Court. Macaire was only allowed a club, as a
means of attack and defence. It is stated that the dog
seemed perfectly to recognize the situation and its duty.
For a short time it circled round Macaire, and then with
lightning speed, leapt at his throat, seizing him with such
speed, and tenacity, that he was taken unawares and was
in danger of being strangled. He cried aloud for mercy,
and avowed his crime, on which his assailant was pulled
off.
This curious instinct for " sensing " people's characters
160 British War Dogs
on the part of dogs, whereby their reasoning powers are
brought into play in the working out of their ideas, is well
typified in the well-known story of the mastiff, belonging
to Sir Harry Lee, of Ditchly, in Oxfordshire. This dog
had been used as a guard for the house and yard, but had
never been treated in any way as a companion by Sir
Harry, or any other member of the family. The dog would,
however, have seen him going about the place as owner
and master. One night he was retiring to bed, assisted by
his valet, an Italian, and for some unexplained reason, the
dog presented itself at the door of the bedroom, where it
had never been before. It was ordered downstairs, but
returned again, and commenced to scratch so determinedly
at the door, that, to save further trouble, it was allowed
to enter. It retired under the bed, and remained there
quietly. During the night, stealthy footsteps entered
the room. Sir Harry started from sleep, and the dog leapt
from under the bed, and seized the intruder. When a light
was brought, it was discovered that the mastiff was holding
the Italian valet, who was armed, and who confessed that
his intention had been to attack and rob his master. A full-
length picture is still preserved in the family of Sir Harry
Lee, with the mastiff by his side, and the words attached :
" More faithful than favoured." To cultivate this habit
of thinking things out for itself, and of noticing events,
and putting two and two together, rather than of waiting
for the word of direction, is the object of all those who train
military dogs. In the chapters on the work the dogs have
actually done in the field, it will be seen how wonderfully
the dogs used their reasoning powers.
A sense of justice is to be found, too, in a high degree
in some dogs, and is easily affronted. From man it feels
such affronts severely, but also from its own comrades.
Keeper Coiill with tliree inessen<-er dogs whieh saved many lives.
[To /ace p. 160.
Instinct loi
I remember an amusing instance of this in the case of a
young Dandie Dinmont, of ten months, who accompanied
me for a walk. As we approached a certain gate, a f(;x
terrier rushed out and attacked the Dandie savagely,
although the latter was not encroaching on the preserves
of the fox terrier, but was trotting innocently down the
middle of the road. The Dandie carried a very fine silver
topknot, which seemed especially to irritate the fox terrier,
who concentrated his energies on this ornament, and shook
poor Dandie in a most brutal manner. Dandie put up a
good fight and managed to shake off his assailant, but
being only a young thing, was obviously somewhat shaken
in his nerves, and much affronted altogether. On arrival
at home, we were met at our gate by the pup's elder brother,
and in canine language, the whole story was poured out.
Both Dandies manifested intense indignation, bouncing
about the garden with stiffened fur and tails, and gurgling
loudly to each other. Foreseeing it would be much better
to have the matter settled once and for all, as soon as
possible, I started out again, accompanied with both Dan-
dies. As we approached the gate of the enemy's residence,
both Dandies became much excited, and the elder started
ahead, giving directions evidently to his brother to follow
behind. He arrived at the gate, and stood stiffly to atten-
tion. At that moment, a whirlwind of white fur, hurled
itself under the gate. The conflict was short but sharp,
and presently, a sorry-looking fox terrier limped back to
its home. After that, there was a definite understanding,
and while no friendship was attempted between the three,
it was admitted that the roadway was a right of way.
I have also seen a strong instance of justice, and honour-
able dealing, manifested by messenger dogs under training.
When two or three dogs arrive at the post together and
II
162 British War Dogs
receive a reward, I have seen one dog take its piece of nieat
from the ground and step back, and watch the other
competitor receive its reward, which would be frequently
placed on the ground. There was no attempt to snatch it,
and there was evidently a distinct understanding that it
was a definite reward for good work done, and, therefore,
to interfere, would be a most unsportsmanlike act. At
any other time, when feeding a group of dogs with scraps,
there would not be this withholding, but a lively scramble
would ensue sometimes with exciting results.
This sense of justice is closely allied to that of dignity
and a due appreciation of the proportion of things in
general. The dog is so undeterred by many of the tempta-
tions which assail human nature in certain respects !
Mr. Ruskin, in commenting on the Veronese and Venetians,
mentions dogs, which are introduced by Paul Veronese
into two of his greatest pictures : " The Presentation of
his Own Family to the Madonna " and " The Queen of
Sheba before Solomon." In the iirst, the dog is repre-
sented as walking away much offended, wondering not a
little, as Mr. Ruskin amusingly suggests, as to how the
Madonna could possibly have got into the house. In the
second picture, while the Queen is quite overcome with
emotion, her dog " is wholly unabashed by Solomon's
presence, or anybody else's, and stands with his fore-legs
well apart, right in front of his mistress, thinking everyone
has lost their wits, and barking loudly at one of the
attendants, who has set down a gold vase disrespectfully
near him."
CHAPTER VI
THE HOMING INSTINCT
" Yea, the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times. And
the turtle and the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their
coming." — Jeremiah.
THE homing habit enters so largely into the training
of dispatch-carrying dogs, that the instructor will
find it of interest, and of assistance, to make some investi-
gations into this subject.
This instinct in the dog teems with interest, not only
on account of the wonderful results to be obtained by its
exercise, but also because it is one, which man does not
possess himself in anything like the same degree. How
is it that the dog, without any of the material aids of
direction open to man, can find his way homewards, across
totally unknown country ? How is it that the Messenger
Dog, which has been taken up to the front line, through
the trenches, will choose very often to return by night,
as well as day, and do so successfully, across the open
countiy, often with every sort of obstacle in its path ?
What is it that guides it ? It cannot be sight, or darkness
woxild be an insuperable hindrance, and they work as well
at night as by day. It cannot be hearing, nor is it by
the sense of scent, as the dog does not necessarily choose
the same route for its return, even in the doubtful and
in most cases impossible likelihood of there being any trail.
163 II*
164 British War Dogs
It must be confessed, that in trying to account for the
cause of this wonderful instinct in his four-footed friend,
man is hopelessly nonplussed, and can only admit with
admiring humility, that in this respect at all events, dog
beats man completely.
I have instanced how the Messenger Dogs were fre-
quently taken up to the line by night and slipped in the
early dawn, with uniform success, and very often they
deliberately chose a different way to return. In civilian
canine life, also, there are numerous cases of dogs being
taken long distances by train, and of their finding their
way home by road. An authentic case is that of a dog
which belonged to the Royal Kennels at Windsor, in the
reign of George III. It was carried to London in a car-
riage. From there it was taken down into Lincolnshire.
Within a month it had escaped, and found its way back
to Windsor.
Another case, is of a shooting dog, which was sent to a
purchaser sixty miles off, and found its way back whenever
it could escape. When I was in the Vosges, visiting the
French Army in 1915, a war dog, which had been demobi-
lized, and had been sent to the rear, appeared at its old
quarters, apparently highly indignant at its services being
dispensed with. One of my own companion dogs, on
being taken by road for' the first time to a busy town
ten miles off, was lost there. A short time after, a little
grey, hurrying figure was seen scudding across the high
land towards the house, — a way it had never been taken,
but which was much shorter than by road.
These last instances are all cases of naturally-developed
homing instinct, but all dogs do not have this equally
developed. It exists, however, in nearly every dog, and
can be cultivated and accentuated. This, of course, has
The Homing Instinct 1G5
to be done in the case of the Messenger Dogs, and, in fact,
the whole trend of their training is on this hne. First of
all, they are trained from a fixed base, and then from a
movable base. It was always interesting to observe how
the different dogs thought out the return journey, when
under training. Sometimes they would be taken out by
a roundabout route by road, and certain dogs would always
return by the shortest way, which sometimes took them
straight across country. Others, on the other hand, quite
as clever, chose to take the longer route back on which
they had been brought outwards, because they thought
they could run quicker on the smooth road unmolested by
obstacles of any sort. I noticed that the most cunning
and elderly dogs generally did this. In the field, it was
much the same. The most experienced dogs generally
took what they judged was the easiest route homewards,
even though it might be somewhat longer.
In studying this instinct among animals as a whole,
we find, that the habit of migration in many of the species
is closely allied to it. The underlying motive does not
always seem to be the same, but the method of procedure
resulting is the same. The migratory habits of the birds
are exceedingly interesting to study, as are those of the
fish and many other animals. First of all, however, the
attainments of man in this direction must be inquired into,
and here it is regrettable that this very wonderful gift
is at present practically unused. That man has this instinct,
however dormant it may bo in the meantime, seems
probable, as capabilities of home-finding are still possessed
by certain primitive races. Travellers in Arctic regions,
for instance, have stated their astonishment as to the
manner in which natives were able to find their way
amongst the trackless ice-floes, while they themselves were
166 British War Dogs
helpless without the aid of a compass. On this point Mr.
Alfred Russell Wallace, however, has very definite ideas
as to how this home-finding is accomplished by human
beings. He says :
" Let us consider the fact of Indians finding their way
through forests they have never traversed before. This
is much misunderstood, for I believe it is only performed
under such special conditions, as at once to show that
instinct has nothing to do with it. A savage, it is true,
can find his way through his native forests in a direction
he has never traversed before ; but this is because, in infancy,
he has been used to wander in them, and to find his way by
indications which he has observed himself, or learned from
others. Savages make long journeys in many directions,
and their whole faculties being directed to the subject,
they gain a wide and accurate knowledge of topography,
not only of their own district, but of all the regions round
about. Everyone who has travelled in a new direction
communicates his knowledge to those who have travelled
less, and descriptions of routes and localities and minute
incidents of travel, form one of the main staples of con-
versation round the evening fire. Every wanderer or
captive from another tribe adds to the store of information,
and as the very existence of individuals, and of whole
families and tribes, depends upon the completeness of this
knowledge, all the acute, perceptive faculties of the adult
savage are devoted to acquiring and perfecting it. The
good hunter or warrior thus comes to know the bearing of
every hill and mountain range, the directions and functions
of all the streams, the situation of each tract characterized
by peculiar vegetation, not only within the area he has
himself traversed, but perhaps for a hundred miles round
it. His acute observation enables him to detect the
The Homing Instinct 167
slightest undulations of the surface, the various changes
of subsoil and alterations in the character of the vegeta-
tion, that would be quite imperceptible to the stranger.
His eye is always open to the direction in wliich he is
going ; the mossy side of the trees, the presence of certain
plants under the shade of rocks, the morning and evening
flight of birds, are to him indications of direction, almost
as sure as the sun in the heavens. Now if such a savage
is required to find his way across this country in a direc-
tion in which he has never been before, he is quite equal
to the task. By however circuitous a route he has come
to the point he is to start from, he has observed all the
bearings and distances so well, that he knows pretty nearly
where he is, the direction of his own home, and that of the
place he is required to go to."
Mr. Wallace then explains how he thinks the savage
proceeds on his journey, and further states :
"As he approaches any tract of country he has been
in or near before, many minute indications guide him ;
but he observes them so cautiously, that his white com-
panions cannot perceive by what he has directed his course.
To the Europeans whom he guides, he seems to have come
without trouble, without any special observation, and by
a nearly straight, unchanging course. They are astonished,
and ask if he has ever been the same route before, and
when he answers ' No,' conclude that some unerring instinct
alone could have guided him. But take this same man
into another country, very similar to his own, but with
other streams and hills, another kind of soil with a some-
what different vegetation and animal life ; and after
bringing him by a circuitous route to a given point, ask
him to return to his starting-point by a straight line of
fifty miles through the forest, and he will certainly decline
168 British War Dogs
to attempt it, or, attempting it, will more or less completely
fail. His supposed instinct does not act out of his own
countr}\ It appears to me, therefore, that to call in the
aid of a new and mysterious power to account for savages
being able to find that which under similar conditions we
could almost all of us perform, although perhaps less per-
fectly, is ludicrously unnecessary.
" I shall attempt to show that much of what has been
attributed to instinct in birds, can be also very well ex-
plained by crediting them with those faculties of observation,
memory and imitation, and with that limited amount
of reason which they undoubtedly exhibit."
Mr. Romanes, however, differs from Mr. \Vallace to a
certain extent, and says :
" Moreover, it is certain, that in many cases, if not as
a general rule, the animals, on their return journey, do not
traverse the actual route which they were taking in the
outgoing journey, but take the bee line ; so that, for
instance, if the outgoing journey has been made over
two sides of a triangle, the return journey will probably
be made over the third side. The remarkable fact is, that
the animals are able to find their way back over immense
distances, even though the outgoing journey has been made
at night, or in a closed box ; so that it is truly upon some
sense of direction, and not merely upon landmarks, that
they must rely. Now it is evident that this fact alone —
i.e., of animals not requiring to return by the same route — -
is sufficient to dispose of the hypothesis advanced by
Mr. Wallace to the effect, that the return journey is due
to a memory of the odours perceived during the outgoing
journey, these odours ser\'ing as landmarks. Therefore, it
seems to me there are only two hypotheses open to us,
whereby to meet the facts. First, it has been thought
The Homing Instinct loo
possible, that animals may be endowed with a special
sense, enabling them to perceive the magnetic currents oi
the earth, and so guide themselves as by a compass. There
is no inherent impossibility attaching to this hypothesis,
but as it is wholly destitute of evidence, we may disregard
it. Tlie only other hypothesis is, that animals are able
to keep an unconscious register of the turns and curves
taken in the outgoing journey, and so to retain a general
impression of their bearings."
Mr. Darwin made experiments, and taking a number
of bees in a box, released them about two and a half
miles from the hive. Most of the bees returned, but
Mr. Romanes thinks that as the bees probably frequently
flew this distance outwards at ordinary times, that they
found their way back by a recognition of the objects
en route.
Monsieur Fabre also inclines to this point of view.
Sir John Lubbock conducted many experiments with
ants, testing their sense of direction by various methods.
He was led to believe that these animals possessed this
sense in a very definite degree, and observed that they found
their way, by observing the direction in which the light
was falling. " So that so long as the source of light was
stationary, no matter how many times he turns them round
upon a rotating table, when the rotation ceased, they renew
their road to and from the hive, as well as they did before
the rotation ; whereas, if the source of light were shifted,
the insects at once became confused as to their bearings,
even though not rotated at all."
In commenting on the above experiments, ]vlr. Romanes
says :
" Now if ants thus habitually guide themselves, by
observing the direction in which the light is falling, (i.e..
170 British War Dogs
the position of the sun), I do not see why migratory birds
should not be assisted by similar means."
Where such eminent men are doubtful, and even at
variance, it requires considerable courage to venture an
opinion on this knotty subject. It may, however, be of
some assistance, if I record a few conclusions reached
through many years of observation of the habits of the dog
in this connection. It is remarkable, however, seeing that
so many clever minds have concentrated on this interesting
study, so much of their work has been conducted amongst
the less intelligent animals of creation, and that, beyond
noting the fact that dogs do have a wonderful homing
instinct, very little research has been carried on with their
aid. Had half the efforts expended on ants, birds, bees,
etc., been directed towards training, and also unravelling
the mental riddle, which the dog presents in this respect,—
we might by now have discovered invaluable clues, by which
man himself might be led to understand many things at
present hidden from him. But no ! every animal, from
a semi-animated particle of jelly, is preferred, and the dog
— the most wonderful animal we have, and the nearest to
man in intellect and aspiration of all the animal kingdom
— is completely ignored. Even in the knowledge obtained
by all the years of patient research as to the homing instinct
amongst the lower animals, by what comparative degree
can the results be compared to those immediately returned
by the dog, in the adaptation of this gift to the need of
mankind during the war ?
I will, first of all, say, that with regard to the homing
or migratory instinct in birds, it appears to me, that the
process by which they obtain their end is in some ways
more obscure than is the case with dogs. For instance,
in the case of homing pigeons, the method of their return
The Homing Instinct 171
is governed entirely by sight. Lieut. -Colonel Osman,
who conducted the pigeon section throughout the war,
and whose experience is such, that his opinion can be
received with respect, informed me that such is the case.
This is also confirmed by the fact that these birds cannot
fly at night, and although their roosting instincts might,
to a certain extent, account for this, still, they arc also
unable to find their way in mist in the daytime, which would
also seem to show that they are entirely influenced by sight.
On the other hand, there are certain kinds of birds, which
choose the night-time for their flight — such as the quail.
One authority believes that swallows always start against
the south wind, and that they associate direction with
the soft, moist breath of this wind. One would certainly
conclude that, with the birds at all events, the homing cause,
in the first instance, is the prompting due to climatic
conditions, causing a desire to migrate to countries where
a greater degree of warmth may be experienced, and also
a better food-supply. As to the secondary causes, whereby
they are enabled to cross trackless oceans, it certainly
seems probable that they are assisted and influenced by
light, wind, and by observation of many objects to which
they attach some meaning, and to which man has not the
clue.
But, granting all this, the whole question is not entirely
answered, and especially is this so in the case of the homing
instinct in dogs.
Mr. Romanes himself gives an instance of a lady staying
at an hotel at Mentone, taking a fancy to a dog belonging
to the proprietor, and carrying it with her by rail to
Vienna. Not long afterwards it appeared at the hotel at
Mentone, having thus run a distance of nearly a thousand
miles. A scientific friend of mine describes to me, how his
172 British War Dogs
terrier accompanies him by tram from his home in the
suburbs of a large town to the university, in the centre of
the town. It often elects to return home by itself, and
always selects a tram in which to do so. If it finds the
tram is going in the wrong direction, it jumps off, and
either selects another, or continues its journey homewards
on foot.
In connection with the training of dogs for messenger
work, I have found two points in connection with the
homing instinct, which rather seem to contradict each
other. First of all, it is observable that they do take note
of objects on the road, to assist them in their return home-
wards. One finds this by noting, that a young dog under
training, will sometimes take a correct course homewards,
and then at cross roads take the wrong turning. Showing,
that it has noticed the fact of the break in the road, but
has erred in the choice of the next move. I have seen such
a dog, a little further advanced in his training, run down
the wrong road some way, then stop, hesitate, and turn
back, and regain the cross-roads, and carry on along the
right road. In this case, the dog's sense of direction had
been, first of all, guided, then misled, by the visible appear-
ances of the route. Now the second point is interesting,
because it practically excludes the theory that noticing the
aspect of the country over which it has previously been
taken, is the manner in which the dog returns. It is, that
dogs work as well at night as in the day, and equally so in
mist. In fact, I may sa}' that observations seem to point
to the fact that trained dogs, and even half-trained ones,
work better under these conditions than in da3dight.
And this was also borne out in the field. The keepers have
related to me that on certain nights, when the conditions
were so bad, the night so dark and thick, the ground so
The Homing Instinct 173
water-logged and shell-marked, and on certain occasions
quite new to the dogs, that they were fearful that these
would prove too much even for their faithful followers.
But the curious point was brought out, that the dogs
seem to work much better than usual, at such times. As
one man said : " It seemed as though ' Jock ' divined my
fears, and put out an extra effort to show they were need-
less."
I remember one test I made at the school with forty dogs.
They were taken in various directions simultaneously, for
two miles outwards, and released at a given moment. The
night was especially chosen, as being moonless, and with
a dense fog as well. It was, in fact, pitch-dark, of such
darkness as could be felt. The average time for the return
was fifteen minutes, though a few did so in ten minutes.
A few also took twenty minutes, and thirty-nine had re-
turned within that time. Only one took over half an hour.
Of course, one reason for the more rapid return at night
is the absence of temptation on the road, such as other dogs,
vehicular traffic, and people. But this does not wholly
account for the undoubted fact, that, although these tempta-
tions are absent, there are other difficulties intensified, and
yet excellent results are obtained. It appears to me,
therefore, that dogs do observe points on their outward
journey, of which they make a note in the da}i;ime, perhaps
without any conscious intention. That the newly-trained
dog does this especially, in order to help its sense of direc-
tion, but that, as the training proceeds, the dog finds
this sense developing, and the safest thing to go by in the
long run, and discards more and more the signs by the
road as guide-marks, so that it soon prefers to take the bee-
line, rather than trouble with the road, by which it was
taken out. I am further of opinion that this is so, by
174 British War Dogs
the demeanour of the dogs on being led away for training.
The young dog seems to keep a wary eye on its surroundings,
as he goes along, as though registering the details in its
memory. The old hands, on the contrary, trot off gaily
enough, and I have noticed them, when passing through
a village on their outward journey, amusing themselves
with passing fancies, such as hurried inspections of dogs,
cats, and other trivialities, which could not possibly help
them on their return journey, and, when released, they
would as hkely as not ignore the route by which they had
come, v^illage and all, and take a nearer line across country.
At night-time, when there was no possibility of any
help being received from the memory of the aspect of the
outward route, the effort has to be concentrated on the
sense of direction only, and that, as this is the real and
legitimate source of the homing faculty, the results are at
once more certain and rapid.
It would seem, therefore, that the causative guiding
source of the homing faculty has its origin in the realm of
metaphysics, rather than in external phenomena, and if
any explanation is sought, it is here that investigation
should be made.
First of all, we find an overwhelming desire in the dog's
mind to get to a certain place. I, of course, discovered,
as I have already explained elsewhere, that the surest
foundation from which to arouse this desire, was the love
of the dog to its master. Love, being an ever-primal,
and, therefore, eternal quality, the effort involved in carry-
ing out duties under this impulse, is such, that it is strong
enough to sweep aside obstructions of every kind, and is
the most dependable instinct available.
Starting with this all-guiding impulse, it is of interest
to f(jllow out the working of it in relation to the phenomena.
The Homing Instinct 175
which come to the dog, in its attempts to reach a certain
spot. On consulting several learned minds, there are some
interesting statements to be found by Mr. Romanes, amongst
others, on the subject of reason in human beings and in
animals, which suggest many possibilities to those who are
cultivating the homing instinct in dogs. In his book on
" Animal IntelHgence " he says :
" Reason is a faculty, which is concerned in the inten-
tional adaptation of means to ends. It therefore imphes
the conscious knowledge of the relation between means
employed, and ends attained, and may be exercised in
adaptation to circumstances, novel alike to the experience
of the individual, and to that of the species. In other
words, it implies the power of perceiving analogies, or
ratios, and is in this sense equivalent to the term ' ratio-
cination,' or faculty of discerning inferences from a per-
ceived equivalency of relations."
He then proceeds to follow this statement on Reason,
with an interesting discussion on the co-operation of the
mental quality of inference, in conjunction with that of
perception. To illustrate how closely these two qualities
are allied, Sir David Brewster is quoted as noticing the
fact, that when looking through a window, on the pane of
which there is a fly or gnat, if the eyes are adjusted for a
considerable distance, so that the gnat is not clearly
focussed, the mind at once infers, that it is a bird or some
much larger object, seen at a greater distance. " Now this
shows that in the case of all our visual perceptions, mental
inference is perpetually at work, compensating for the
effects of distance, in diminishing apparent size." We all
know also, how the sense of hearing is deceived in the same
manner, as when we hear a lesser sound near us, and infer
that it is a loud sound a long way off, and vice versa.
176 British War Dogs
To quote Mr. Romanes again : "No less constant must
be the work of mental inference, in compensating for the
effects of the ' blind spot ' upon the retina. For if the
vision be directed to a coloured surface, the part of the
surface, which, on account of the blind spot, is not really
seen, yet appears to be seen ; and not only so, but it
appears to be coloured the same tint as the rest of the
surface, whatever this may happen to be. Unconscious
inference supplies the colour.
" The first or early stage of inference then is, that in
which inference arises in or together with perception, as when
we infer that a gnat is a bird, or that the portion of a sur-
face, corresponding to the blind spot of the retina, is
coloured like the surrounding portions of the surface.
Inference may here be said to be a constituent part of per-
ception. That this is the true explanation of the matter
is rendered evident, not only from the deductive con-
sideration first stated, but also from the inductive verifica-
tion, which is received from the facts, which arise, when
a man, who has been born blind, has been suddenly made
to see. A good case of this kind is the celebrated one of
the youth, (twelve years of age), whom Mr. Cheselden
couched for removing congenital cataracts from both eyes."
Mr. Cheselden shows that although the boy saw, his
judgment as to the things that " touched his eyes " (as he
expressed it) was entirely guided by his sense of touch.
Continuing, he says " he thought no objects so agreeable as
those which were smooth and regular, though he could form
no judgment of their shape, or guess what it was in any
object that was pleasing to him. He knew not the shape of
anything, nor any one thing from another, however different
in shape or in magnitude ; but on being told what things
were, whose form he before knew from feeling, he would
The Homing Instinct 177
carefully observe that he might know them again, but
having too many objects to learn at once, he forgot many
of them. Having forgotten which was the cat, and which
was the dog, he was ashamed to ask, but catching the cat,
(which he knew by feeling), he was observed to look at her
steadfastly, and then setting her down, said : ' So puss, I
shall know you another time.' We thought he soon knew
what pictures were, that were shown to him, but we found
afterwards, that we were mistaken ; about two months
after he was couched, he discovered they represented
solid bodies, when to that time he considered them as
only parti-coloured plains, or surfaces diversified, with
a variety of paints ; but even then, he was no less sur-
prised, expecting the pictures would feel like the things
they represented, and was amazed when he found those
parts, which by their light and shadow appeared round
and uneven, felt only fiat like the rest, and asked which
was the lying sense, — the feeling or seeing."
In commenting on the above case, Mr. Romanes sums
up the matter by adding :
" Meanwhile it is enough to remember, that the case
proves the utility of all our visual perceptions to depend
upon the ingredient of mental inference, which is supplied
by habitual association ; and, of course, we cannot doubt,
that the same is true of perceptions yielded by other
senses."
In pondering on the issues which such a statement
involves, one is led into new paths of conjecture, and these,
in their turn, point to many possibilities, which may in the
future become realized facts.
For instance, it proves that all real education must start
from within. That, on the education of the qualities of
mind, depends the very appearance of the world in which we
12
178 British War Dogs
live. That things are not created as we see them, but they
only appear to us as we think we see them. Following along
this line of argument, does it not seem possible, that, as
the quality of mere human intellect becomes merged in the
divine aspirations of the soul, and the qualities of mind
are thus purified and magnified, the results of this will be
once more the perception of things as they really are, and
have always been, — namely, perfect and indestructible?
Now to come back to the mentality of the dog, and, indeed,
to all animals which are using this impulse of way-finding,
we observe that they are led to use it when under some
sort of strong emotion. I have shown, that in the dog,
I have found that of love, to be the motive power most
successful in obtaining good results. In other animals,
the idea of preservation of the species, causing individual
animals, or whole colonies, to seek warmer climes, or safer
rearing grounds. In fact, the same indomitable instinct,
which makes the good soldier, namely, the preservation of
his country, home, and family.
Once a child fell into the Serpentine. Someone rushed
to the rescue, and a great crowd gathered round the bank.
At that moment, a little, old, grey-haired woman, with
fiercely set face, hurled herself through the crowd. Power-
ful men were dashed aside, as though they were nine-pins,
and in a few seconds she had cleared a path for herself
through the dense mass of people, impelled by strength she
had been quite unconscious of, until called out under
stress of this great emotion — love, for she was the child's
grandmother.
It would therefore seem, that our animals, under stress of
a definite necessity, become conscious of certain phenomena
of which they make use. That we ourselves do not realize
what these are, is no argument that they are not there.
The Homing Instinct 179
nor in our anxiety to explain the manner in which the
animals accomplish the results, need we pin them down
to our limited methods of understanding in any particular
direction. Rather let us learn from the animals, and see
if we cannot regain certain qualities of mind which we,
no doubt, originally had, but have now lost, and which
they retain.
I gather, therefore, that the intense desire to reach a
given place impels the dog forward ; that as it yields to
this impulse, that a certain guiding sense, which is in itself
quite independent of any assistance from external pheno-
mena, comes to its aid, and the sense of direction is, in this
very sense— that the dog desires to be there, and follows
this desire, rather than troubling about the aspect of the
surroundings in getting there. The more it becomes accus-
tomed to throw all its effort into this intuitive prompting,
the more it discards any temporary assistance it may be
tempted to use, in the first place, such as noting turns
in the road, and other external aids, and also the more it
improves in its way-finding duties. The deduction, in fact,
seems to be plain, that the desire itself brings its own lesson,
and a world of intelligence is opened up to the dog, and
to all animals, under stress of this governing force, of which
we human beings are quite unconscious, because we have
not yet exercised this particular mental effort along the
same lines as the animals.
It will therefore be seen, that those promptings which
have their origin in what we call instinct, are due to an
intelligence quite apart from, and infinitely above, any
guidance from the senses. While man accepts gratefully
the many wonderful inventions which have come to him, as
aids in his present manner of living, there is no doubt, that
in his increasing dependence on material contrivances, he
12*
180 British War Dogs
has sacrificed much wonderful knowledge, which would
have come to him, had he trained himself to listen more
attentively to the " still, small voice " within. That we
will eventually be compelled, to depend wholly on this
guidance, and wholly to discard the material props we
rest on to-day is certain, and we can, even now, see evidences
of the tendency in this direction, in the gradual de-
materializing of so many original forces. Thus— telegraphy
is no longer confined to wires, light is obtained from certain
elements in combination, propulsion, from the evaporation
of gas. Matter itself is disappearing under anal37sis, and
appears as the " electron," which our chief authorities in
the world of chemistry define as " energy," and frankly
admit that from this point, they hand the whole question
over to the metaphysician.
Thus it is apparent, that in some ways, we can still learn
much from the animals, and that in their dependence upon
the intuitive utterances, derived from voices long unheard
by man, they are on the right road towards the solution of
many things which at present remain a mystery to us.
Under this mental propulsion, the senses of sight, and
hearing, and scenting become greatly intensified, and the
great desire in the dog's mind to detect sounds in the far
distance, in the performance of its work, is the great
impetus, whereby the trainer can cultivate hearing and
scenting in the sentry and guard dog.
And it would seem that these senses have their origin in
mind.
There are many animals that have these senses accen-
tuated in remarkable ways. During the Battle of Jut-
land, there were many people who observed the curious
behaviour of the pheasants in various parts of the country,
down the East Coast. They manifested every sign of
The Homing Instinct 181
excitement. Rooks also seem to hear or feel climatic
disturbances from afar, and tlicrc is little doubt, that
animals, as a whole, are sensitive to vibrations in the
atmosphere to a very remarkable degree. There are
instances of this sensitiveness, as we all know, amongst
human beings, and generally it would be observed when
they arc in a state of high mental excitement and desire.
Thus we can recall the well-known story of Jessie of Luck-
now, who heard the pipes of General Havelock's relieving
force, many hours before anyone in the besieged Residency
could do so. She steadfastly asserted she heard the pipes
approaching, when those around her deemed her demented,
as they were quite unable to detect any such sound. I
quote two verses of a poem by Grace Campbell, which
commemorates this incident of the Mutiny :
" Hark, surely I'm no' wildly dreamin',
For I hear it plainly now. . . .
Ye cannot, ye never heard it
On the far-ofE mountain brow ;
For in your southern childhood, ye were nourished saft and warm.
Nor watched upon the cauld hillside,
The rising of the storm.
Aye ! Now the soldiers hear it, and answer with a cheer,
As, ' The Campbells are a-comin' ' falls on each anxious ear.
The cannons roar their thunder, an' the sappers work in vain,
For high aboon the din o' war.
Resounds the welcome strain.
" An' nearer still, an' nearer still.
An' now again 'tis ' Auld Lang Syne,'
Its kindly notes like life bluid rin,
Rin through this puir sad heart o' mine ;
Oh, leddy, dinna swoon awa" ; look up, the evil's past,
They're comin' now to dee wi' us, or save us at the last. . . .
Then let us humbly, thankfully, down on our knees and pray,
For those who come thro' bluid and fire, to rescue us this day.
That He may o'er them spread His shield,
Stretch forth His arm and save
Bold Havelock an' his Highlanders,
The bravest o' the brave."
182 British War Dogs
That this way-finding will some day be understood,
and, therefore, possible of execution for us all, is probable.
That our Great Master, as an example, had this under-
standing, we gather from His walking over the sea in the
dark, to the ship in which were His disciples. In St. John
the incident is described as follows :
" And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to
them.
And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew,
So when they had rowed about five and twenty or
thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and
drawing nigh unto the ship : and they were afraid.
But he saith unto them, It is I ; be not afraid.
Then they willingly received him into the ship : and
immediately the ship was at the land whither they
went."
The Master's absolute dependence on the All-pervading
Guiding Principle, caused Him not only to find His way to
the ship in the dark, storm-tossed lake, but also enabled
Him to embrace in his care, His beloved disciples, and their
ship as well, so that " immediately the ship was at the land
whither they went." He desired to be there, and behold !
He was there.
CHAPTER VII
GUARD DOGS
" There watched before the Miser's gate,
A very cur, whom all men seemed to hate,
Gaunt, savage, shaggy with an eye that shone
Like a live coal, and he possessed but one,
. . . His master prized him much, his name was Fang."
Crabbe.
BEFORE enlarging on the work done in the war by
dogs, in connection with the protection of property,
etc., it may be of interest to remark on the extreme anti-
quity of this disposition in the dog to guard territory or
property. In the historical chapter in this book, there
is already reference to this, but it would appear that this
quality of mind is possessed, even by carnivorous animals
in their wild state. Professor Romanes states :
" Most carnivorous animals in their wild state have an
idea of property, and the manner in which certain preda-
ceous carnivora take possession of more or less definite
areas, as their hunting grounds, implies an incipient notion
of the same thing. From this germ, thus supplied by
nature, the art of man has operated in the case of the dog,
till now, the idea of defending his master's property has
become in this animal truly instinctive."
Mr. Romanes gives an amusing instance of this in-
stinctive habit of guarding, in the case of a young puppy
which he reared :
183
184 British War Dogs
" Because I was perfectly certain that, in this case, the
idea of protecting property was innate or instinctive. I
have seen this dog escort a donkey, which had baskets on
its back filled with apples. Although the dog did not
know he was being observed, he accompanied the donkey
all the way up the long hill, for the express purpose of
guarding the apples. For every time the donkey turned
his head to take an apple out of the baskets, the terrier
sprang up and snapped at his nose ; and such was the
vigilance of the dog, that although his companion was keenly
desirous of tasting the fruit, he never allowed him to get
a single apple during the half-hour they were together."
The desire for speech in the dogs — that is as an audible
mode of self-expression, is an instinct, on which we depend
largely in connection with our watch dogs. It has been
observed, that the faculty of expression itself through sound,
is regulated largely by the environment in which the dog
finds itself. Thus Mr. Romanes says, " Ulloa noticed, that
in Juan Fernandez the dogs did not attempt to bark
till taught to do so by the importation of some dogs from
Europe, their first attempts, being strange and unnatural."
Hancock says, that " European dogs, when conveyed to
Guinea, in three or four generations ceased to bark, and
only howled like the dogs, native of that coast. Lastly,
it is now well known, that the dogs of Labrador are silent
as to barking. So that the habit of barking, which is so
general among domestic dogs, as to be of the nature of an
instinct, is nevertheless seen to vary with geographical
position."
In an interesting chapter on language in lower man.
Dr. Lauder Lindsay says :
" There are many people, destitute of written and
printed language, and not a few savage races, which can
Guard Dogs 185
scarcely be said to possess a spoken language, or even
distinctly articulate speech. In certain cases, their lan-
guage, of whatever character, is very limited and rudi-
mentary. Thus, certain aborigines of Borneo, have no
language of their own, and only learn with great labour
to pronounce a few Malay words. Savage peoples have
frequently mnemonic signs ; the language of expression
in them is much the same as it is in many animals. Thus,
their mode of salutation or greeting is not more expressive,
consisting as it does either of
1. Some simple gesture.
2. Touching noses, or
3. Rubbing other parts of the body against each other.
" All their language consists of mere inarticulate sounds
of the nature of shrieks — i.e., in certain natives of the
Philippine Islands, or among the South African Bushmen.
Brazilian Boto Kudos speak little to one another, but
rather mutually grunt and snuffle. The Apache Indian
speaks little, rather in gesture than in sounds. The speech
of the Fans of Western Africa, is a collection of gut-
turals, unintelligible to white races. It can scarcely be
called a language in the human sense of that word. The
talk of the savages of Borneo and Sumatra, is described as
a sort of cackle or croak. Generally, savages are accustomed
to talk more by gesture and looks, than by voice. Thus,
the Veddas of Ceylon use only signs, grimaces and guttural
sounds. Houzeau remarks on the paucity of letter sounds
in savage languages."
In the chapter on Instinct, I have recorded my observa-
tions with regard to the influence, exercised on the dog,
by the attitude of mind possessed by its master, and also
by that of the majority of minds in its particular environ-
186 British War Dogs
ment ; therefore, for the same reason would facihty of
expression forsake a dog, if it were removed to any land,
where the inhabitants were less fluent of speech and of
ideas. This would, of course, happen in connection with
semi-civilized and unciviHzed bodies of people. Naturally,
their intellects are circumscribed, and as naturally, there-
fore, their speech is in a much narrower groove. Their
dogs will at once reflect this lack, and while their sense of
ownership will in nowise deteriorate, they will find other
means of communicating their impressions, rather than by
barking, which is the form of speech of the civihzed dog.
As a dog becomes very closely in touch with its owner,
that is to say, when a dog is fortunate enough to come into
the possession of an owner who, while regarding it as a
dog, also realizes in it the presence of qualities, such as
reason, honesty, wit, affection, pluck, — in fact, the like
qualities of the human mind — the desire to exhibit these
manifestations of intelligence becomes very strong in the
animal. It seeks for ever}^ means in its power to reach
out to the invitation offered, to express these different
characteristics, and develops the power of speech to an
increasing degree. The bark is made use of in varying
tones, to express contrasting emotions. There is the short,
playful bark, when it is inducing one to accompany it
for a walk. This is accompanied by broad smiles, and
ingratiating little whines, and, finally, the episode is closed
with a loud, triumphant bark, when the object has been
attained, and the expedition has commenced.
There is the bark of welcome, noisy and boisterous,
accompanied with much facial expression and bodily
gesture. In both these modes of self-expression, the clarion
note of warning, which is so noticeable in the watch-dog's
bark, is absent, and how telling it is in contrast ! There
Guard Dogs 187
is no mistaking it, to one who knows his dog's mind. A
dog, thoroughly and suddenly aroused to sudden danger, at
once conceives the necessity for warning his master, and
the force of his feeling is manifested in a supremely con-
centrated effort. With some dogs I have had, I have been
able to judge exactly the degree of danger, and what is to
be expected, by the quality of the warning bark. I have
noticed, that when the dog judges, that what it sees or
hears, is of a peculiarly alarming nature, the bark very
often is combined with a prolonged howl, and I have
often wondered, whether some remembrance does not
return, of the time, when the canine ancestors guarded
the camps of old on the lonely plains, infested by ravening
animals, and the howl was then the only means of express-
ing the note of warning. A curious instance of a dog
divining danger through sound, came under my notice.
It was at the time of the terrific explosion of the munition
works at Silvertown, Poplar. The sound of the explosion
was heard at my house outside London, and in the room
in which I was sitting with the dog. The windows also
shook, but the impression I received, was as of a shot-gun,
fired fairly close to the house, — a sound which the dog had
frequently heard, and which he always resented and
barked at, in an ordinary way. At the time of the explosion,
however, it threw up its head, and let forth his most con-
centrated form of watch-dog bark, in which there was a
large proportion of howl, and continued this for some time
after the sound, which was practically instantaneous, had
ceased. I then knew that something had happened, beyond
what I myself had grasped. This habit of barking, to let
its master know of approaching danger, is also due to the
fact, that the guard dog has been usually placed in such
a position, outside the camp or house, so that it has to
188 British War Dogs
exert its vocal powers to the fullest extent, in order to reach
the ears of the owner. For the inverse reason, dogs that
are trained for sentry work become more and more silent,
as they become interested in their work, and accustomed
to the conditions. They are always in close contact with
the sentry, and feel more in touch with him, so that there
is no necessity to bark loudly, but they give him v/arning
by other means, such as low growling, and a very alert
attitude. Picket the same dog, a couple of hundred yards
outside the hues by itself, and it will let the guard know by
barking, of enemy approach, because it will know that
this is the only way it can communicate satisfactorily.
One could write lengthily on speech in dogs. It is a
subject, which has not been much studied or experimented
with, but which opens up immensely interesting possi-
bilities. The most intelligent dogs exhibit the most comical
and fascinating ways of communicating their fancies>
desires and mandates. They smile like human beings,
they talk, — expressing pleasure and annoyance, — -they
scold, they grumble, and are, in fact, never at a loss to
clearly express themselves. In fact, the family dog, as
everyone knows who is fortunate enough to be in posses-
sion of the right sort, rules with a rod of iron, has a very
high standard as to punctuahty, and other modes of
behaviour for the members of the family, and leaves no
stone unturned to keep them up to the mark. As this is
a digression, however, I will hope at some other period
to follow up the interesting question of speech in animals,
particularly in dogs, both towards human beings, and to
each other.
I would merely add, that it is extremely interesting to
study the manner in which trained guard dogs communicate
with each other. In the New Forest, I had an entire valley
Guard Dogs 189
set aside for this class of dog. Their kennels and wires
were placed on each side of the valley, on the top of the
slopes, and the dogs were enabled to see the surrounding
country to great advantage. Each dog would be from one
hundred to two hundred yards apart. It was absolutely
impossible to approach any part of the valley, undetected,
by night or day. The best-trained dogs were placed at the
most vulnerable points, and also at those posts which com-
manded the most extensive views. I have often observed
the tests made wdth strangers or men disguised. The nearest
outpost dogs would suddenly seem to be arrested, gazing
with fixed attention at the far-off approach of the stranger,
who would be using every endeavour to creep up under
cover, and as unnoticed as possible. Then it would run
hurriedly down its wire to its neighbour, and request his
immediate presence and attention. Number Two would
then rush out to the end of his wire, and both would consult
together as to possibilities of danger. They would then
agree that the matter wanted looking into, and would bark.
At this sound, Number Three, who might be a fairly new
arrival, and not quite alive to his duties, and had been
reposing in comfort in his kennel, would run along his wire
in a state of bewilderment, gazing wildly in all directions
for the foe, until directed by his more highly-trained
brother to the right quarter. Number Three now thinks
he had better let off a bark, too, as the incident certainly
looks suspicious. By this time all the other sentinels are
thoroughly aroused, and on the qui vive, and are running
up and down their wires, calling out to each other their
views on the outrageous impudence of any stranger, daring
to enter their valley, and adjuring each other to rouse
up, and put the attempt down, with a strong hand imme-
diately.
190 British War Dogs
I have frequently found also, that the dogs trained like
this, become very interested in their work, and that if
they, by any chance, escape from their wires at night, they
do not attempt to stray away, but remain close at hand.
Did people sufficiently realize the fact, it would be found
that the guarding habit in dogs, which, as I have shown
elsewhere, seems to have been instinctive since prehistoric
times, is as valuable to humanity as is the power of traction
in horses. This last-named attribute is admitted, and,
therefore man derives great assistance and benefit from
it ; but this much more inherently natural gift in the dog,
which can be adapted so marvellously to the needs of man,
is only recognized and employed in a desultory fashion.
The very prevalent outbreak of burglary and crime, which
has been apparent since the war ceased, has been made
largely possible by the exclusion of dogs from the household
life. This was due, first of all, to the shortage of food
during the war, when many people, who preferred their
own appetite to that of the faithful family friend, had their
good dog destroyed, and also to the exaggerated panic
that swept over the country, when one or two dogs exhibited
signs of excitement, hurriedly attributed to rabies. I
would here mention, that there are several kinds of dog
madness or excitement, which the ignorant and mischievous
attribute at once to rabies, but which are not so at all.
Anything more deplorable than the spectacle of the poor,
homeless, harassed, starving dogs that fled about the
country, when the panic was at its height, has seldom
been seen in this country, which prides itself on its humanity,
and the treacherous, faithless, and cowardly qualities in the
human mind, which introduced and permitted this brutal
persecution of a' helpless animal, well deserves to receive
punishment, which is even now seen, in increased unde-
Guard Dogs loi
tected crime all over the country. Man's natural guardian
has been destroyed in such numbers, that the assassin and
burglar can approach and depart unmolested. The remark
of an old writer, and quoted by Mr. Darwin, might well
be remembered, when a course of injustice is meted out to
the faithful associate of man. " A dog is the only thing
on this earth that loves you more than he loves himself."
When the War Office decided that guard dogs were also
to be trained at the school, the following breeds were ap-
pealed for, in addition to those mentioned in the chapter on
Messenger Dogs : Great Danes, mastiffs, bull-mastiffs, bull-
terriers, retrievers, bull-dogs, and crosses of these breeds.
The selection and training of these guard dogs was one
of the chief duties of the War Dog School. As each dog
arrived, it was first tested for dispatch-carrying, and if,
after a time, it showed no aptitude for this, it was then
tested for guard duty, and put on a special part of the
ground set aside for this branch of the training. The dogs
rested during the day, and were trained at night, and the
men, who were especially selected for the training of these
guard dogs, rested during the day like the dogs, and came
on for duty on night shifts.
The dogs were attached by a running chain to long wires,
fifty to one hundred yards long, fastened to stakes in the
ground. Each dog had a kennel to retire to in case of
inclement weather at night. The duty of the trainers
was to advance at various distances and angles, and observe
the growing acumen of the dogs, as their senses of sight,
hearing, scent, and general alertness became trained.
I have already said that the demand for these dogs came
at a time when the man-power question was becoming very
serious. It was increasingly difficult for the stores, maga-
zines and filling factories to be adequately guarded. The
192 British War Dogs
advent of the dogs seems to have saved the situation,
wherever they were employed.
It was further arranged, that an N.C.O. from each pro-
tection company, was to visit the War Dog School for two
or three days' instruction in the proper placing of the dogs,
in relation to the needs of his particular station, and also
to be taught the correct method of management. It
may be mentioned here, that on the correct placing and
management of the dogs, depends the whole success of the
idea. A list of regulations was carefully drawn up, based
on a careful study of the dogs' needs when on duty. A
well-trained dog will give valuable results if these regulations
are carried out, and not one of them can be relaxed if the
highest efficiency is desired from the dog. For instance,
the rule that the dog must be removed during the day to
a quiet spot to rest is an extremely important one to observe.
Many people imagine that dogs can be on guard during the
whole of the twenty-four hours, but this is not so. They
need sleep as much as human beings, and it is better that
they should have it during the day, when the property
can be supervised by the sentries without assistance.
Then the necessity of a short walk is also important, as is also
correct feeding and at the right time, — which is on coming
off duty in the morning. The result of these rules, properly
carried out, is, that the dog goes on duty very fresh, and
quite comfortable in every way. Now the placing of the
wires for the dogs round the areas to be guarded, requires
the exercise of intelligence and common sense. On one
occasion I found the dogs placed close up to a building
inside of which there was a constant roar of machinery,
whereby their sense of hearing was getting quite blunted.
In another case, the dogs had their wires placed in such
a way, that the only footsteps they could hear were those
Guard Dogs 193
of the sentries. These positions being adjusted the dogs
were able to carry out their duties properly.
When the whole scheme of guard dogs was first ap-
proached, I was asked if I did not think that poison would
be one of the chief dangers to which the dogs would be sub-
jected. I replied that I did not apprehend any great possi-
bility of this, as no unauthorized person would be able to
get near enough to the dogs to administer it before his
presence would be notified by the dogs, and the sentries
would interfere. As it has turned out, I have not had a
single report of a casualty from this cause. The only
difficulty which I anticipated might arise, was the possi-
bility that the individual officers and men, who had charge
of the dogs, might wish to save themselves this trouble,
and send in bad or indifferent reports, so as to have the
dogs removed. This fear was, I am glad to say, falsified,
and, on the contrary, the reports testify to the greatly
increased sense of security and assistance in their duties,
which the sentries derived from the presence of the dogs.
On the return from duty to the War Dog School on the
demobilization of the various defence corps, it was gratify-
ing to find, that the dogs came in, in first-class condition,
fat and well cared for and happ3'-lookiiig, which is a further
testimony to the fact that they were appreciated by officers
and men.
The sense of guardianship, which is inherent in some
dogs, and by judicious training can be intensified, is won-
derfully shown forth in the following reports, chosen out
of several hundreds of similar burden, which were sent
in by the officials in charge of the dogs, at the various
centres where the dogs were stationed. The great point to
notice is the general consensus of opinion, as to the efficient
manner in which the dogs did their work, also that in
13
194 British War Dogs
nearly every case, the presence of the dogs enabled the
number of the sentries to be reduced, and giving to those
remaining a greater sense of security.
In the first report, the dog is considered of greater value
than a sentry :
Verwood Magazine
I have the honour to furnish the following respecting the
Magazine Guard Dog under my charge at this station. I
have not the shghtest hesitation in stating that this dog
was by far a greater protection than a sentry, and the part
patrolled by him was undoubtedly absolutely secure ;
he was so generally feared by the people here, that they
would not approach the precincts of the magazine, and
have approached the county police with a view to getting
the dog removed, a matter that met with no favour from
me ; the chief reason of this complaint was, that the R.E.
fencing was no boundary for him, as happened on two or
three occasions.
The dog's work consisted of night patrol, resting through
the day, approximately 120 yards' run, and by the state
of the track he did it well, as it was beaten to a hard path ;
the dog was secured to a lead, and this ran on a line extend-
ing the 120 yards, as it was not fixed near the fence, and
a rather long lead ; the dog did practically one-half of the
sentry work of the enclosure.
(Signed) C. Monk,
O.C. Det., Verwood Magazine.
The next report confirms this opinion :
Thorne
I beg to report that the dogs I had under my charge at
Thorne rendered very valuable assistance to the sentries
on dut}', especially during the night.
Guard Dogs 195
They were attached to wires, which enabled them to
traverse the full length of the stacking ground, and it was
practically impossible for anyone to approach the stacks
without the dogs warning the sentry ; in fact, in my
opinion, they did their work quite as well as a flying sentry.
At the least sign of any person approaching, they were
always on the alert.
I have the honour to be. Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
(Signed) H. Denton, Cpl.
In the following report the scenting power of the dogs
has been noted :
North Walsham
I have pleasure in informing you that the three guard
dogs which have been used at Stalham, Martham, and
North Walsham have, in each instance, carried out their
duties in a very satisfactory manner.
By their use it was possible to mount only a single guard
at night, instead of the double guard, as is usual in the case
of guards for ammunition dumps.
It has been found that these dogs will scent a stranger
approaching at night a very considerable time before their
presence was known by the soldier on his post, and, in my
opinion, these dogs have quite justified their employment
in ammunition dumps as watch dogs.
(Signed) B. T. Ward, Major, R.F.A.,
O.C. i2Q6th Battery, R.F.A.
North Walsham, Norfolk,
I used generally to ask the officers to report to me any
case of attempted aggression, but the fact of dogs being
employed seems to have been sufficient in nearly every
case in preventing anything of this sort. The next report
illustrates this :
13*
196 British War Dogs
West Beckham
The following report on the watch dog doing duty with
this unit is forwarded for your information :
The dog was posted outside the entrance to the Main
Ammunition Dump of the 223rd Mixed Brigade. The
possession of this dog enabled the military authority to
reduce the guard from fifteen men down to a patrol of seven
men. The dog had wonderful intelligence, — he knew the
footsteps of the patrol, and when hearing strange footsteps
he created a tremendous disturbance, thereby warning the
occupants of the hut a few yards away from the dog's post.
There was no instance of prevented aggression — it had
become well known that the dog was on the spot, and I
think that this fact prevented would-be intruders from
attempting to gain admission to the dump. I had one man
told off to care for the dog — the animal got used to him —
but no other man dared go near him.
In my opinion, watch dogs are a great asset in the
service, and I would like to see them fully utilized in the
peace-time army.
(Signed) B. S. Ball, Capt. R.F.A.
416th Amm. Column.
West Beckham, Holt, Norfolk,
These reports all testify to the saving of man-power :
Banbury
With reference to a report on the work of the dogs — I
can only say that experience has proved that the factory
has been adequately guarded, and I am satisfied that the
dogs have been an important factor in the guarding of our
Guard Dogs 197
stores. Of the four dogs, three were placed on duty at
dusk, and taken off at daybreak — each dog having one day
off in four. Long runs were provided at each of the
three stores, which contained large quantities of explo-
sives.
With the aid of the dogs, we were able to guard the whole
of the stores area with six constables (two on each of five
shifts of eight hours), whereas had it been necessary to
place constables at each store, a matter I should have con-
sidered had we not had the dogs, this would have neces-
sitated employing at least a further six constables. I am
pleased to say that no instances of aggression have occurred
at this factory.
Yours truly,
(Signed) H. D. Snowball,
General Manager.
Banbury, Oxon.
Hayle
In reply to yours, 25,000, dated February 12th, 1919,
one of the two dogs was kept at Pinhoe, and the other at
Monks Road, Exeter, to assist in guarding stores of cordite
at those places. On arrival of the dogs, the guard of each
place was reduced from two N. CO. 'sand twelve men to one
N.C.O. and seven men. There was a barbed wire entangle-
ment round each store (formerly brick works), and the dog
was kept inside the entanglement. There is no recorded
instance of aggression having been prevented. The dogs
were very intelligent and well trained, and quite well suited
for their work.
(Signed) William Thomas, Capt.,
O.C. No. 251 Protection Company, R.D.C.
Hayle.
198 British War Dogs
Georgetown, Paisley
I am pleased to inform you that the work of the war
logs on this station has been entirely satisfactory. To
begin with, we had twenty-four dogs, three of which died,
so that all through we have had twenty-one dogs, which
were employed by night only on the loneliest and most
dangerous posts to accompany the sentries, and relieve
them of as much strain as possible. Each dog was attached
to a long wire, which ran the length of the sentry's post.
Had there been no dogs, it would have been necessary
on many of the posts to have employed double sentries,
so that the saving in man-power has come to about twenty
men per night. There has been no occasion on which
aggression was prevented by the dogs, although on many
occasions their own aggression was a source of great incon-
venience to visiting rounds.
(Signed) P. Forrest, 2nd Lieut.,
For O.C. No. 202 Protection Coy., R.D.C.
Georgetown, Paisley,
Colchester
The unit under my command finds the guards at three
ammunition dumps, and I have had a war dog at each.
The dogs have been on a running chain, and have enabled
one post at least, at each of the dumps, to be dispensed with.
They have only been employed at night. The dogs have
released for other duties at least nine men.
I have no knowledge of any instances of aggression at
any dump.
(Signed) I. H. Cross, Major,
Commanding 69th Protection Coy., R.D.C.
Colchester.
Guard Dogs 199
Dorchester
I beg to report that there have been two dcjgs attached
to guaras under my command : one a chow, with the
detachment guarding the Hamworthy Magazine ; the other,
a mastiff, with the detachment guarding thu Verwood
Magazine.
The Officer i/c of these guards reports that both these dogs
have done excellent work ; by their use I have been able
to release six men on each guard.
(Signed) J. Worth, Major,
Commanding Prison Guard, R.U.C.
Dorchester.
Bourne, Lincs.
Four of the dogs were utilized as sentries at the Holwell
Magazine and proved most useful, particularly during the
darkness of the winter months, and it was only necessary
to have one post, employing three men by night and by
day, the dogs doing the rest, thereby saving at least nine
others.
At Dudley, where only one dog was utilized, the same
thing applies, the saving of three men from sentry go.
Yours obediently,
(Signed) Capt.
O.C. 165th Protection Coy., R.D.C.
Manor House, Bourne, Lincs.
Newport, Mon.
The number of men employed as sentries, on the police
patrol system, was four for one post.
To effectively guard the magazine without the aid of
the dogs would have necessitated twelve men for three
200 British War Dogs
posts, so that it may be taken that eight men were in th
way released for other duties.
The dogs were employed to give warning to the sentry
on duty of the approach after nightfall of any person to
the vicinity of the barbed wire fence surrounding the
magazine enclosure. They were placed one dog on each of
the four sides of the enclosure inside the fence, and attached
to a wire run of about twenty-five yards, parallel to, and
about three yards from, the fence.
No instance of actual aggression has been reported to me,
but I have no doubt that the dogs acted as an effective
deterrent, and may be considered as effective for the class
of work on which they were employed.
(Signed) M. Bruce, Lieut.,
O.C. Det., 331st Protection Coy., R.D.C.
Athletic Grounds, Newport, Mon.
Glenfield
Five dogs were used here to guard the ammunition dump.
They always gave warning of the approach of any strangers.
The guard used to consist of eighteen men before the
arrival of the dogs, and only nine after their arrival.
(Signed) Pte. ,
For O.C. Det., 136th Protection Coy., R.D.C.
Heather Brickworks, Glenfield.
St. Thomas
I have to report that the dogs at this depot were used
for guarding the premises, which at that time consisted of
several scattered buildings and a large yard. Without
these dogs it would have been necessary to have a standing
guard of six men and one N.C.O. ; with these dogs it was
Guard Dogs 201
only necessary to keep one man on night duty. This I
consider was of groat service, and proved a great saving
to the pubHc.
(Signed) S. Bird, Lieut., R.A.S.C,
Officer i/c Supphes, Exeter Sub-District.
R.A.S.C, Haven Road, St. Thomas, Exeter.
At certain centres the dogs were used by the sentries on
patrol duty, when they were usually taken out on the leash.
The following reports illustrate this method of working :
Salterforth
In reference to your order re dogs, the duty which the
above were doing was magazine watch dogs ; each dog did
about one mile patrol on a lead with a man. They proved
satisfactory in every way, also whenever a civilian came
near they would bark. The dogs were not on a loose wire,
but always on a lead.
(Signed) T. A. Aston, Sergt.,
For O.C. 153rd Protection Coy., R.D.C.
Salterforth.
Newcastle-on-Tyne
Two dogs which are being returned to 200th Coy., on the
1 2th inst., have been at Stockton Hay Storage, where they
performed very useful work by giving assistance to the
sentries under a very difficult patrol, on which there was
a considerable amount of trespass. The dogs accompanied
the sentries on their patrol, being on the leash, and almost
invariably gave warning of an approach before the sentries
heard it themselves.
202 British War Dogs
The dogs were used alternately on the Stock Yaid, which
was a very large one, and on the chopping shed and
loading wharves.
The latter was really a very difficult patrol, as the shed
had, as well as the chopping machinery and supplies of
forage in it, a lot of disused iron-rolling machinery, and
covered a large area.
(Signed) James Brand, Capt.,
151st Protection Coy., R.D.C.
Handysides Buildings, Percy Street,
Newcastle-on-Tyne .
Aberdeen
I have the honour to report that the work of the dogs
with outlying detachments of this company has been
satisfactory.
It was estimated that these dogs were equal to one
sentry, and a reduction in personnel of ten men was attri-
butable to their presence.
These dogs are doing patrol work along with sentries
on night duty, and were also employed inside barbed wire
entanglements to prevent approach of unauthorized
persons to certain Government property.
No active aggression has been attempted, but notice
was always given by the dogs barking freely at any
strangers approaching, and also of people loitering in the
vicinity.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(Signed) M. Taylor, Major,
Commanding No. 214 Protection Coy., R.D.C.
Fonthill Barracks, Aberdeen.
Guard Dogs 208
BiNFIELD
The watch dog at Binfield Magazine was worked as
follows :
Acted as sentry from 5 p.m. until 5 a.m. He used to
patrol the magazine with sentries at the time of clocking
up the tell-tale clock every hour. No strangers dare come
near — he always gave warning. Owing to his work, the
guard was reduced from one sergeant and twenty-eight
men to one corporal and six men. He did his work most
satisfactorily, and we are sorry to lose him.
For O.C,
6th Battn. City of London Regt.
The report of the dogs used at the Chislehurst Caves
shows how useful they can be for searching this enclosed
sort of ground :
Report on Two Dogs used at Chislehurst Caves
These two dogs were used on patrol, and did the work
in searching out the dene holes, undergrowth of the woods,
and throughout the woods. On the word " Search," the
dogs searched the undergrowth to look for suspicious
persons, and I consider the work of the dogs was excellent.
They were used for guarding ammunition stores in the
caves.
At night, \vithout the dogs, it would have been impossible
to patrol the woods. In these holes any persons could
easily be concealed.
(Signed) Corpl. Spark,
For O.C. 103rd Protection _Coy., R.D.C.
204 British War Dogs
Chislehurst
I have the honour to report that war dogs which were
under my command at Chislehurst were invaluable in the
work they were used for.
They were taken on patrol work, and used to search
undergrowth and dene holes where it was impossible for
a man to obtain a foothold.
In this case they did not release any men, the guard
having been reduced before the dogs arrived.
(Signed) E. H. Rinsey, Lieut.,
For O.C. No. 103 Protection Coy., R.D.C.
Chislehurst.
It was found that these dogs very quickly distinguish
between soldiers and civilians.
Report on Watch Dog at Verwood
This dog was on duty from dark to daylight, working
on a steel wire 140 yards in length ; he took the place of
one sentry by night. He was a very valuable dog in his
services, being very dangerous to civilians and not allowing
anyone in or near the magazine.
(Signed) Pte. Gow,
For O.C. 254th Protection Coy-, R.D.C.
Verwood.
Ratby, Leicester
Three dogs were used for guarding the munition dump ;
they were on wires during the night, but taken off during
the day and fed once in the morning. If any civilians
came near, they always gave the alarm, and would have
attacked. Two sentries patrolled alongside the dogs at night.
(Signed) Pte. ,
For O.C. 156th Protection Coy., R.D.C.
Ratby, near Leicester.
Guard Dogs 206
Report on Watch Dog at Daktford, Kent
This dog has been on an attached post at Fort Halstcd ;
he was used with the sentry on a lead from lo p.m. to 6 a.m.
He distinguished well between civilians and men in khaki,
and he even knew the steps of the relieving sentry at night,
but did not take any notice, while he always barked at the
footsteps of civilians.
(Signed) Rogers, Corpl.,
For O.C. iiSth Protection Coy., R.D.C.
Dartford, Kent.
Dringiiouses
The following four dogs, which were sent to Middleton
Colliery, I found to be fierce when approached by a civilian.
They were all capable of the duties for which they were
intended :
Black smooth-haired retriever, black curly-haired re-
triever, black and tan Airedale terrier, black and white
cross-bred Pom and English terrier.
(Signed) A. Humphries, Corpl., N.C.O. i/c Guard,
For O.C. 200th Protection Coy., R.D.C.
Dringhouses, York.
The moral effect of the presence of the dogs in most
neighbourhoods seemed to be strong, as is shown in the
following report :
Oldbury
The establishment of this detachment guarding Tanks
and Tank testing ground, was, previous to June 3rd, 191S,
three N.C.O.'s and twenty-eight men, providing four posts,
the men doing ordinary sentry go, two on and four off.
With the advent of the dogs we were able to release
206 British War Dogs
eight of these men, the remaining twenty doing patrol
work, four hours on and twelve off, mounting the dogs
with them at dusk and relieving them soon after daylight.
There were no particular instances where aggression was
actually prevented, but the moral effect was great, as the
general impression prevailed in the neighbourhood that it
would be preferable to encoanter an armed sentry than one
of the dogs.
(Signed) O. Stafford Lambert, Lieut.,
O.C. Det., 261st Protection Coy., R.D.C.
Site " C," H.M. Factory, Oldbury.
There is strong evidence to show the greater sense of
security which was felt by the sentries as the result of the
presence of the dogs :
Loughborough
I was in charge of six watch dogs at 156th Protection
Company, Normanton Hills, Loughborough. I had six
dogs on four posts ; they were posted just before dusk. The
dogs were on wire runs about twenty yards in length,
guarding a T.N.T. compound. They were satisfactory,
and gave warning of any approaching strangers. The
sentries felt more secure with the dogs than without them.
(Signed) Bring, Corpl.,
For O.C. 156th Protection Coy., R.D.C.
Loughborough.
Report on War Dogs' Services with 154TH Protection
Company. R.D.C.
(i) Barnbow.
10 runs.
6 sentries dispensed with.
(2) Middleton.
4 runs.
2 sentries dispensed with.
(3) Loisterdyke.
5 posts.
I sentry dispensed with.
(4) Coidre Vale.
2 runs.
I sentry dispensed with.
Guard Dogs 207
Work Done :
Guarding. (i) Munitions factories.
(2) Explosives magazine.
(3) Forage store.
(4) Picric acid store dump.
How placed. i, 2 and 4, on wire runs adjoining
sentr}^ posts.
(3) Fixed posts.
Value placed on dogs'
services. Useful work done, particularly by
night, as additional ears and
eyes for the sentries.
Ipswich
I am pleased to report that the dogs have been very
serviceable on their duties as watch dogs over ammunition
dumps. In all cases where they have been in use, I have
been enabled to reduce the guard by half ; they have
always given due notice of anyone approaching the post,
besides being a source of security to the guards and patrols.
Posts and wire have been in use in different positions, and
the dog put on different wires at different times ; this has
worked well.
(Signed) E. H. Coombe, Major and O.C.
Ipswich.
RiNGWOOD
I beg to report that the dog which is in use at this store
as watch dog is certainly a success, as the animal does not
only give confidence in the night watchman in discharging
his duties, but I should say also releases three men for
such duty. The dog is comfortably housed, but up to the
present there have been no aggressors.
For your information, please.
Yours obediently,
(Signed) Harry Bailey, Corpl.
Storekeeper, Hay Store, Ringwood.
208 British War Dogs
Leighton Buzzard
I beg to report that the work. of the dogs on the Woburn
Sands Magazine has been very effective.
They are very keen on their work, and their continued
use reduces the strength of the guard required there to a
minimum.
(Signed) J. W. Gregory, Lieut.,
O.C. Det., 70th Protection Coy.. R.D.C.
To:
O.C. 70th Protection Coy., R.D.C,
Leighton Buzzard.
A reduction in the hours of duty of the sentries is here
noted :
With reference to the work of the War Dog, attached to
a detachment of this battalion, stationed at Binfield, the
following is a statement made by men of the guard :
With the aid of this dog, it was possible for each sentry
to do six hours on duty instead of two hours on and four
hours off. This probably means the release of three or
four men.
The duty engaged on was guarding a magazine at
Binfield.
The dog was with the sentry while at his post, preventing
anyone approaching, and going the rounds with the guard,
preventing anyone loitering near the magazine.
The men state that the dog was extremely useful, and
a very valuable sentry.
(Signed) C. Clay, Capt. and Adjutant,
For Officer Commanding,
6th (R.) Battn. City of London Rifles.
Bramley.
Guard dog guanlin.g a inagaziiR'.
Morning l'^"-^"l'"'^"^"''''°»'-
ITi'/'ia i>. -»>>.
A <>i()iii) of trained uuard doos.
rr
inn"
4 ^ Mf^MiMiife*
t
iVJI
;\Iorning parade of war dogs
Guard Dogs 209
Some very fine Airedales were sent also to the Base
Headquarters in Italy. The officer in whose charge they
were wrote to me :
" I am satisfied that the dogs have been a complete success.
They have taken the place of four N.C.O.'s and twelve
men daily."
The following report deals with the last work of the guard
dogs before they were demobilized :
With reference to your visit wdth the O.C. Troops and
your queries as to the usefulness of Watch Dogs, I have to
report that I find these dogs of the greatest assistance in
closed stores.
When I took over the supply depot two months ago, I
was having stores broken into nightly ; but since the
advent of the dogs, there has been no case of a store being
broken open.
On two occasions stores had been tampered with, and it
is evident the persons attempting the entry of the stores
had thought better of it, on discovering the canine occu-
pants.
Lieut. -Colonel Sykes,
O.C, R.A.S.C, Bulford Sub-District.
Bulford.
The follov/ing were the official regulations issued to each
centre where Guard Dogs were employed :
Regulations for the Care and Management of Guard
Dogs employed at Vulnerable Points
The employment of Guard Dogs enables an enclosure to
be adequately guarded with the minimum of sentries or
14
210 British War Dogs
watchmen, and owing to the dogs' keen sense of hearing
and smell, gives greater security than can be obtained by
men alone.
The presence of dogs becomes a well-known deterrent.
(i) Selection of Dogs.
The selection and training of dogs is undertaken by the
Commandant, War Dog School, Shoeburyness, who will
dispatch them on demand to complete an authorized
establishment.
(2) Dogs on Wires.
The best method of using dogs is to attach them to run-
ning wires placed along or around zones or buildings it is
desired should be protected.
The wire can, if need be, be placed so that there is a con-
tinuous ring of wire, with one dog just able to meet the
next dog at each end of its wire. This is the most invul-
nerable method.
There should be a clear space between adjacent runs.
The run wire may be of light steel rope ; it should be
tightly strained between stout pickets about one foot from
the ground, and of suitable length, not exceeding one
hundred yards.
(3) Sentry Duty.
The approach of an intruder will be heard by at least
one of the dogs, which will at once give the alarm to the
others ; it is then the sentry's duty to at once investigate
the cause.
(4) Dogs required.
The number of dogs required will depend on the amount
of ground which requires protecting.
(5) Kennels.
The dogs should be provided with kennels of some sort,
Guard Dogs 211
when on duty, placed beside the running wire, where they
can retire in the event of very inclement weather.
(6) Patrol Dogs.
A dog on a slip lead may accompany a sentry or watch-
man on beats (whicli cannot well be protected by a running
wire) in guarding railway sidings and trucks on them.
(7) Prevention of Poisoning.
In the event of dogs being required to guard a building
surrounded by a fence or wall, their running wires should
be placed away from the fence and near the building, so
that " Poison " cannot easily be thrown to them.
While the danger of poison cannot be wholly eliminated,
it will be difficult for this to be administered if the sentry
does his duty, by investigating the first alarm given by the
dog. And so far, experience goes to prove that this danger
can practically be discounted.
(8) Dogs off Duty [Daytime).
The dogs are to be taken away during the daytime, and
put to rest in a closed shed or stable. They should be fed
on coming off duty once in twenty-four hours, and then
chained to a bed of straw, to induce them to lie down and
sleep. They should be kept isolated from people except
their own keeper.
(9) Dogs on Duty [Night).
On going on duty at night they should be exercised
for a short time before being chained to the wires ; they
will then be alert and fresh after their rest, and ready for
duty.
(10) Selection of Keepers for Dogs.
A man excellent for his knowledge of dogs should be
detailed to attend to them. He should keep the sleeping
and running places clean, and prepare the dogs' food. He
also should exercise them, and take them to and from duty
14*
212 British War Dogs
at stated hours. He should also keep them nicely groomed
and see that the bowls of water for each dog, at both day
and night positions, are kept filled with clean water.
The selection of keepers in charge of guard dogs is of
high importance. They should be chosen from men who
have been gamekeepers, shepherds, or Hunts' servants.
(ii) Attention to Dogs' Comfort.
(i.) The day and night quarters should be thoroughly
cleansed once a day and occasionally cleaned out with
disinfectant.
(ii.) The dog should be brushed with a hard brush and
combed once daily.
Should the dog get wet on duty, he should be rubbed
dry.
(12) Feeding.
(i.) The feeding of each dog is according to the Govern-
ment ration, i.e., one pound of biscuits per diem, plus
I pound of cooked horse-flesh.
(If horse-flesh is not obtainable, an equal amount of meat
refuse from the men's dinners can be substituted.)
(ii.) The dog must have the above ration per diem.
(13) Cooking.
These should be cooked together. If it is difficult to
provide the biscuits and horse-flesh, the meal may consist
of ij lbs. of cookhouse offal, which should be composed of
soup, bread scraps, meat, etc., etc.
(iii.) A bowl of clean water should always be in reach of
the dog.
(iv.) A dog on duty by day should be fed by night.
(v.) Dogs used for duty at night should be fed imme-
diately on coming off in the morning, but on no account
must be fed before going on duty.
(14) Ailments.
Guard Dogs 218
(i.) It should be borne in mind that the less medicine
given to the dog, the better he is.
(ii.) In case of wounds, broken limbs, etc., apply to the
Army Veterinary Corps.
(15) Supervision.
The dogs are under the supervision of the Officer Com-
manding the area vulnerable points.
He will be responsible that officers of the R.D.C. see that
all men in charge of guard dogs are provided with a copy
of these instructions, and sec that the same are carried out.
(17) Bedding.
It has been decided that bedding shall be provided for
War Dogs during winter months and during sickness.
Wood shavings and bracken should be used if available,
but, if not, straw may be demanded from Supply, at the
scale of five lbs. per week.
CHAPTER VIII
SENTRY DOGS
" The unwearied watch their list'ning leaders keep,
And couching close repel invading sleep,
So faithful dogs their . . . charge maintain. . . .
They start, they gaze around, watch every side, and turn to every
sound." Homer's Iliad.
THERE should be a great future for the Sentry Dog,
which must be understood as quite apart from the
Guard or Defence Dog. The duties of the two dogs differ,
in that the guard dog is required to defend a certain area,
while the sentry dog has to take up its duties with any
soldier and at any spot. This is more difficult work, and
calls for increased intelligence, hearing and scent on the
part of the dog.
During the first few months of the war, before any official
action had been taken in the direction of training military
dogs, I had supplied a good many to the armies on the
Western Front, and also to the expeditionary forces in
Egypt and Mesopotamia.
An Airedale I suppHed to an officer of the Berkshire
Regiment was taken on patrol one night. It suddenly
stopped and began to growl. The party heard and saw
nothing suspicious, but the officer ordered the men to lie
flat. Immediately afterwards, an enemy patrol passed
by, close to them, without noticing. Our patrols then rose
noiselessly, and captured them all.
214
Sentry Dogs 216
Some dogs that were sent out to an infantry regiment
in Egypt, averted what might have been a serious disaster.
It was on the same day as the Yeomanry were so severely
attacked, and when there was a dense mist. The infantry
were also attacked, but the dogs were too quick, and so
clearly indicated the approach of the enemy, that an order
was given to fire into the mist. This had an immediate
effect, and the attack was checked. When the mist cleared
away, large numbers of enemy dead were found.
I also sent some good Airedale sentries to the flooded
areas of the Belgian front, and they were much appre-
ciated, and there were eighteen Airedales with the South-
West African Force. General Botha was very pleased
with these, especially on one occasion, when they were the
means of warning of a large enemy ambush, and whereby
a considerable capture of the enemy was effected.
Sentry dogs are particularly suitable, where the con-
ditions are those of open warfare. For this reason, there
was not so much interest taken in them for the Western
Front as time went on, and the position of our army became
more entrenched. On certain parts of the front, however,
which were not so consolidated, and especially towards the
end, the}^ would have been useful.
I have mentioned already that some sentry dogs were
trained at the War Dog School, and were sent out to
Salonica. Airedales had been especially asked for, so
they were all of this breed ; but, as I will point out further
on, it would be a mistake to limit the choice of dog to this
kind. They formed a very handsome contingent, and
went out in charge of some specially trained men. Ver\^
good work was done after arrival, and no doubt very large
use would have been made of this sort of sentry aid on this
front, as it was found that on forward posts in the moun-
216 British War Dogs
tains, the dogs were of great service in detecting enemy
movement at night. About this time, however, the fight-
ing began to subside. There is not the sHghtest doubt,
that these dogs would always be of inestimable service at
all isolated posts, open to enemy attack at night.
On the North- West Frontier of India, for instance, there
should be an organized permanent sentry-dog service. It
would be extremely difficult for a sentry to be approached
at night, even by the most subtle rifle thief, without the
dog giving him sufficient warning to put him on his guard,
and the fact that he had such an ally by his side would
give him greatly enhanced confidence.
Among Army officers I have found many objectors to the
idea of using dogs with sentries, and the arguments they
advance are always the same ; I should say, however,
that the objections come in every case from those who
have not tried the dogs. I have not found any of the
objections proven in actual practice. I will admit at
the same time, that this work in the Army must always
be administered by an expert. The dogs must be properly
trained at the training-school, and the whole service super-
vised and controlled by an officer, who thoroughly under-
stands the necessities of the work from the dog point of view.
I will here mention the arguments of the objectors :
1. That there is danger in the fact, that a sentry,
having a dog to depend on, will be tempted to be
careless in his work.
2. That the dog's barking would reveal the position,
and draw the enemy fire.
My answer to the first objection is, that under those
conditions, where there is no particular danger to life from
enemy attack, and where the sentry might, therefore, not
feel the same necessity for alertness, the work is likely to
Sentry Dogs 217
be better done, if a dog is posted with him. If the sentry
is naturally lazy, or open to bribes, there is no remedy,
if he is by himself ; whereas the dog cannot be bribed, and
does not sleep, so that, at all events, the situation is ren-
dered more difficult for the intruder, as he can never count
on the dog, even if he thinks he might undermine the
sentry's alertness or fidelity.
In the case of active warfare, the sentry, in his own
interests, is less likely to sleep, and the danger of a man
doing so, owing to undue fatigue, or any other cause, is
greatly lessened if he has a dog with him.
The sentry dog does not sleep at night, and will either
keep his sentry awake, or wake him up, and, in fact, repre-
sents the second string to the bow.
The whole matter may be summed up by emphasizing
the obvious fact, that where it might be difficult to approach
a sentry post with only a man on duty, it would be a hundred
times more so, if there is also a trained sentry dog to reckon
with.
In dispensing with these dogs, it may be said, that a
very effective means of defence against unwarned attack is
neglected.
In the case of the second objection, that the dog would
give warning and draw the enemy fire, it may certainly be
admitted that there are occasions when absolute silence is
essential. At these times it would be safer not to post the
dog, although even here, by the use of a strap muzzle,
any noise which the dog would make could be controlled
to a great extent, while by its alert attitude, it would give
the sentry warning long before he himself was aware of
enemy movement. Apart from this, there are scores of
occasions, when no risk whatever is incurred by the dog
growUng, or even barking.
218 British War Dogs
The Saving of Man-Power
Sentry dogs can also be the means of greatly reducing
the sentries, and are thus a valuable asset for the reduction
of man-power.
The Type of Dog
The qualities required in these dogs are, acute hearing
and scent, sagacity, fidelity, and a strong sense of duty.
Any dog showing these attributes can be developed into a
good sentry dog, provided it is the right size, which must
be that of a collie or Airedale, or large Irish terrier — in
fact, middle size. Anything smaller is not so able to stand
long marches, nor would be sufficiently powerful in other
respects.
White dogs should be avoided, and, as a whole, dogs are
better than bitches. There are exceptions to every rule,
but I find that dogs are rather more aggressive, and less
self-centred than bitches, which are of a milder and less
alert disposition.
It seems to be supposed that Airedales are essentially
the best for this work, but this is not necessarily the case,
as many other breeds of this size are equally good. The
Airedale standard is certainly a good one, as the hardiness
and fondness for the master exhibited by this breed are
excellent quaUties on which to start work. But many
collies and retrievers, of the rugged sort, are first-rate, as
well as crosses of all these breeds. A good weather-
resisting coat is necessary, even if the dogs are for service
in a hot climate, as during the hot weather it is easy to clip
them, and the hair can be allowed to grow again as the cold
weather approaches.
Sentry Do^s 219
The Training
The training of these dogs must be carried on at the
official training school, and must be under expert manage-
ment. It is useless to imagine that any dogs, picked up
here and there, can be utilized by a unit for its sentries.
The dogs, to understand the work properly, must be care-
fully trained, and this must be done at night at the school.
The training commences at dusk, when the dogs are led
from their kennels by soldier keepers to various posts in
isolated spots. Persons representing the enemy are in-
structed to approach from various directions. Accurate
note is taken of the time and the distance at which the dog
first takes notice, and how much ahead he is of the sentry,
in detecting the approach of the enemy. After a course
of this training, the dog becomes well aware that he is
expected to be on the look-out, and his senses, already
naturally acute, are developed in a remarkable way. The
training is somewhat slow, as it is not possible to do more
than two or three attacks each night, and a good deal of
patience and understanding is required in the trainer, and
in those in charge. Day training is not necessary, as it is
essential that the dog should rest during the day, so that
it may be thoroughly alert at night. In any case, in the
daylight, the sentry can easily detect the enemy himself
from afar, so that he has no need for the dog at this time.
Feeding and Kennelling
Sentry dogs, both when under training, and after they
are drafted from the training school to the various units,
must be kept, during the day, in a quiet and isolated spot,
and unvisited by anyone except the men told off as keepers
to attend to them. These men should be selected on
account of a previous knowledge of dogs, and when posted
220 British War Dogs
to a unit, supervision over both men and dogs should be
carried out by a specially detailed officer. The isolation
of the dogs is a most important point, as if they become
accustomed to see strangers constantly, they lose their
alertness and sharpness. A good way is to place their
kennels, which should be the ordinary box variety, in a
stable, or compound, which can be locked up. They
should be made very comfortable with straw in their
kennels, so that they rest well.
Their meal should be given, on coming off duty, in the
very early morning, and should be ample. They must on
no account be fed at night.
Correct Posting and Management
When sentry dogs are first drafted from the training
school to any unit, a Httle consideration must be shown
them in the first instance on arrival. They must be
allowed time to settle, and the first tests must not be too
severe. After a few days, the dogs will have developed the
possessive sense for their new environment, and the sentries
will also understand the method of handling them. It
will be understood, that these dogs will have already gone
through a considerable period of training, and all that is
necessary now, is, that those who have the handling of
them, should be themselves sufficiently educated in the
methods of communication employed by the dog, to be
able to interpret those signs. Therefore, the training of
the sentries should also include definite instruction on the
rules to observe when sentry dogs are employed. It should
be pointed out, that the effect of employing dogs, and of
carefully observing the rules of management, will- be to
greatly safeguard the sentry himself, and to enable him to
carry out his duty with increased efficiency.
Sentry Dogs 221
Rules
1. The dog should be posted at dusk or after dark, and
must go off duty in the early hours. It is highly important
that they must never be on duty at an hour or spot where
there is much traffic, as they thereby deteriorate.
2. The dog must be handed over to the sentry by the
keeper, who will have attached a leather lead to the dog's
collar, and the sentry, who should have been previously
instructed on his procedure in connection with the dog,
will lead it away, and will keep the dog beside him on the
lead all the time. It has been suggested that it would
be a good plan to picket the dog a hundred yards or so
beyond the sentry, so that it can give warning ahead, but
this is a mistake. The dog should be close to the sentry,
so that the latter can study and feel its movements, as it
will be found that the dog will begin to give warning by its
attitude alone, long before it actually makes any sound.
The sentry will find that the dog at this hour of nightfall
is in a high state of tension and suspicion. All its senses are
doubly acute, and even if it is quite dark, he will feel the
sudden cessation of movement, the muscular tension, and
the rising hair on the part of his companion. These signs
will indicate that some suspicious sound has been heard.
It is his duty then to give his full attention to this warning,
and to listen intently himself. If the dog gradually assumes
a normal attitude, the exciting cause, whatever it was, has
passed away ; if it commences to give low growls, the sentry
can be quite certain that there is cause for extreme watch-
fulness, and must be prepared for immediate action. It
should be clearly emphasized, how greatly the sentry's own
Safety is enhanced by this observance of the dog's move-
222 British War Dogs
ments, as the latter will give signs of uneasiness when the
enemy is yet a long way off, and thus give plenty of time
to prepare. It will not bark outright, as a rule, until the
foe is much closer.
By having the dog close at hand also, the sentry can
control it easily, and can, if necessary, adjust the muzzle.
Patrolling
The instructions in Rules i and 2 apply equally when
a dog is attached for duty to a patrol. It should be led at
the head of the patrol, and, except under exceptional
circumstances, should not be allowed off the lead. The
exception would be, when it can be put in charge of some-
one with whom it is well acquainted, and when the party
is passing through enclosed country. The dog should
only be allowed to beat a few yards ahead.
3. Where there are permanent outposts, it is easier for
the dogs, if each one is taken nightly to the same post.
They thus get to know the lie of the ground well.
4. Equipment : The sentry dog, when on duty, should
be equipped with a good strong collar with a brass plate,
on which is the dog's official number, and also the number
of the unit to which it is attached. A strap muzzle with
adjustable straps, and a leather lead are also required.
I have already stated that on such frontiers as the North-
West Provinces of India, where a more or less permanent
state of war exists, sentry dogs would be invaluable at all
times, and our investing troops in Mesopotamia would find
them very useful. In all countries under our control,
where there are unciviHzed, or semi-civilized, populations,
there should be permanent services of dogs. In war, they
are particularly useful in jungle, and savage warfare, when
Sentry Dogs 223
the troops are advancing through enclosed country, and are
Hable to be ambushed.
I here give a statement, written by a non-commissioned
officer, who saw service in German East Africa in the war.
He afterwards came for instruction at the War Dog School,
and the article was written after his course, and when he
thoroughly understood the possibihties and limitations of
this sort of dog service :
Uses of Dogs in Savage Warfare
PATROL
In savage warfare, where patrols have to penetrate
dense bush, and are liable to be ambushed any time, two
dogs accompanying the advance guard, and allowed to go
freely ahead — say, 150 to 200 yards — and also permitted
to wander into the bush, would practically eliminate any
risk of the main patrol party being cut up. (Patrol parties
usually are about fifty strong in dense bush country.)
One instance I may quote was at a post named Bura,
East Africa, on the military railway from Voi to Maktau.
A large body had to patrol the roadway, which ran
parallel to the railway, and on the return journey came
back along the railway track. In November, 1915, a
patrol were on the above-mentioned duty, and everything
went all right, until a very dense part of the forest was
reached, where two trails crossed. The advance party
were allowed to pass unmolested, but immediately the
main body of the patrol arrived, a large force of Germans
opened fire, and practically annihilated our patrol. If the
advance guard had been accompanied by two dogs, (not
on leash), the possibility would have been that the enemy
would have been detected, and the patrol saved.
224 British War Dogs
With Mounted Infantry
Dogs running loose, accompanying a mounted patrol,
would be of great assistance, as the dogs would be able to
detect any enemy waiting in ambush, or enemy scouts
seeking intelligence, as it is a most difficult problem to
solve, how to deal with the Intelligence Department of an
enemy in a dense tropical bush, where so much cover is
afforded a scout.
Two good reliable dogs with a mounted patrol, entering
dense bush, would no doubt betray the presence of anyone
in hiding, and would also be of great assistance in tracking
the enemy when stealing away.
Guarding Railways
At the construction of the military railway from Voi
to Maktau, in East Africa, there was great difficulty ex-
perienced in checking raiding parties of the enemy, who
penetrated our guards and blew the line up. If there had
been dogs used, at various intervals along the line, during
the night patrol, I am sure the Germans would not have
been able to have accomplished their dynamiting opera-
tions. Paul J. Rainy, Esq., the American sportsman, was
at Voi with a few Airedales, and used them to track the
raiding parties after the damage was done, and, as far as
I know, he was quite successful.
Blockhouses
A dog, posted at night with a sentry, at the blockhouse,
would enable the sentry to detect the advance of an enemy
with greater sharpness, and at a much longer distance
than any sentry could possibly do.
,|no on (lul;
.Scnti-y (log miardiii- kit (;i) \N\sUtm 1-n.iit
[ /■«/..<■-•/>.•.••.• I.
Sentry (Iol; This (log went out with the Expeditionary Force in 1914,
and was killed on the Aisne
^;::' • rv^
,Snitry dog on Wcslern J'ront, sent 1o Belgian Army in 1914.
[To /aft p. 22.-).
Sentry Dogs '2..'r>
Outposts
A dog with an outpost, or outlying picket, would be of
great assistance in savage warfare, as the bush being so
thick it is next to impossible to detect an enemy creep-
ing up to give a surprise attack, and, of course, the picket
would, unless great vigilance is exercised, be taken by
surprise, and possibly the result would be disastrous ior
the encampment, as once a picket is done away with with-
out much noise, the camp could easily be susceptible to
a surprise attack in force. So with the assistance of a
good alert dog with each picket, the danger would greatly
be eliminated.
Guarding a Camp
A camp pitched in the midst of a dense bush is always
liable to surprise attack, unless a very strong cordon of
pickets is posted. Dogs, placed a distance of half a mile
from camp, at intervals of thirty yards apart, would, on
the advance of an enemy, give the alarm to the out-line
or in-line pickets, as the case may be, and, therefore, the
camp would not be taken by surprise. Furthermore, dogs
picketed as mentioned above would certainly save life,
and do away with a large number of sentries, especially if
the force was depleted in strength by sickness, as is often
the case in the tropics.
The colonel of a British infantry regiment made the
following statement to me :
Dogs for Mesopotamia
" I think that as watch dogs to replace sentries, they
would be invaluable.
15
226
British War Dogs
" The Arab, especially south of Kut, is a born looter, and
no one, who has not had practical experience out there,
can realize the ease, with which an Arab can outwit the
very best sentry, be he Indian or British.
"Dogs, with their keener powers of smelling and hearing,
would be most useful in the guarding of dumps and
magazines.
" I would suggest that they be trained to kill noiselessly,
if possible."
(Signed) Whittall, Lieut. -Colonel
i/c Oxfordshire Light Infantry.
I think the follov»^ing argument of a correspondent to
the Glasgow Herald, in favour of sentry and scout dogs,
is clearly put :
" It has always been my opinion — with all deference to
those who will dismiss the theory without discussion, but
with the comment of ' Rubbish ! '—that, had our troops,
when marching to the fatal Magcrsfontein, had the assist-
ance of a few reliable sentinel or scouting dogs, that
engagement, instead of being the cause of much humilia-
tion and sorrow to our country, would have been another
added to the list of glorious victories inscribed on the
colours of our Highland regiments. If anyone would say
there is no food for thought in this statement, let me ask
him, in the first place, if he knows anything about dogs ?
Then he may consider how near to the enemy's rifles our
men had come when they were first fired on, and, as a
matter of fact, ambushed and trapped. How much
farther away would a trained sentinel dog have warned
them that they were coming nearer to the enemy than
they thought, and, finally, had our troops been warned of
the Boers' whereabouts, five minutes before they were.
Sentry Dogs 227
what the chances of the battle would have been then !
WTiat our gallant fellows did, even though surprised in
unreadiness by a cunning enemy, is common knowledge
to the world. An outcast cur marching with our force
that night, might have been the cause of the frustration
of the enemy's well-laid plans. And a great many of us
can remember the fearful times for our regiments during
the Zulu and Sudanese wars.
" The awful nerve tension of our sentries during dark
nights, the straining of the feeble human senses of hearing
and seeing to prevent a savage and fiendish foe from sur-
prising and butchering the main body of our army, while
snatching a few hours' rest on the veldt, or in the zareba,
would have been much lessened, and the sense of security
of the resting warriors more real, had a few dogs with their
marvellous sight, scent and hearing, been assisting the
British arms. A careful scout, assisted by a trained dog
he knew, and which knew him, could scarcely fall into
ambush."
While speaking of the American Army later on in this
volume, I mention the fact, that I had laid before the
American War Office, at their request, a scheme for the
employment of trained military dogs. This was before
the Great War. My recommendations were not adopted,
and the result was, that when their army arrived in Europe,
they had no dogs whatever, and had to borrow from the
French and English armies, who could ill spare them.
It appears that another officer had already made recom-
mendations on the subject, and I give his statement :
" An American officer. Captain M. F. Steele, of the 6th
Cavalry, after varied experience of the conditions of warfare
in the Philippines, strongly urges that dogs should be
15*
228 British War Dogs
attached to the army. He says that ' Dogs are the only
scouts that can secure a small detachment against ambush
on the trails through these tropical jungles. The bush is
so dense, that flankers are out of the question, and the
trails are so crooked, and over such rough territory, that
the leading man, at one or two hundred yards, is out of
sight of the main party. The insurgents, lying in ambush,
usually or often let the leading man pass, and open with
a volley upon the waggons, and main party of the escort.
They open from apparently impenetrable jungle, and at a
range of from thirty to two hundred yards. They fire one
or two volleys, then usually run away. Sometimes, never
a man of them can be seen, and our men have simply to
fire into the jungle, and trust to luck.
" ' The orders at present from the superiors are, that
the insurrectors shall not attack in parties less than fifty,
and they shall attack none but very small parties of
Americans, and that they shall always make use of am-
buscades.' This officer possessed a dog named ' Don,' and
he asserts that, up to date, no detachment, with which it
has been out, has fallen into ambuscade. ' He went with
us last winter on General Schaen's long southern campaign
and lived for more than a month on scraps of hard bread
and bacon. He covered six times as much ground every
day as any man of the column.' "
The following is an interesting result obtained by a dog
in quite a different part of the world, and is written by a
gentleman in Java. The dog was a black Newfoundland :
" One evening, returning from a party, the dog attacked
a Dutch soldier on guard duty, with the result that the
Dutch officials gave me twenty-four hours' notice to remove
the dog from their territory.
Sentry Dogs 229
" At this time the Dutch were at war with the Atchinese,
and, fortunately for me, a few companies of regulars were
leaving for the front, and one of the officers offered to buy
the dog, to save me further trouble.
" The dog accompanied the regiment, and was the means
of saving three officers, and about forty men, from a sur-
prise, which the Dutch Government promptly recognized,
by decorating the dog with a silver collar and medal."
I have mentioned elsewhere, that sentry dogs were sent
out to our troops from my own kennels for use in the Abor
Expedition in North India.
It may, therefore, be of interest to include the report on
the work of these animals, which appeared in the London
Press at the time. This class of warfare is always with us,
in connection with the preservation of our extended Empire.
" Before the encounter of November 7th, one of the dogs
accompanying the advance guard, gave timely warning
of the presence of Abors. The dogs are also employed at
night-time, being used by the Gurkha sentries, who keep
them on a chain to supplement their own vigilance."
On another occasion the dispatch sent was as follows :
" The expedition has now reached Rotung, a gathering
place of the Abors, which was found to have been burned.
After marching unopposed to the limit of the made road,
the striking force began the ascent of the rising ground
beyond the Lelek river, through a thick bamboo forest.
" Information had been received to the effect that a
stockade might be met with, and the Gurkha scouts, who
were accompanied by Major Richardson's war dogs, were
accordingly ordered to keep a sharp look-out.
" The dogs again proved their efficiency, as they gave
230 British War Dogs
warning to the outposts, of the presence of the enemy's
scouts, before they were seen by the Naga coolies."
Another report also brings out the point of view I am
advocating, namely, that sentry dogs should be considered
the natural accompaniment of the sentry :
I beg to forward a report called for, on the value of
the dog presented to my company by Major Richardson.
The dog— an Airedale terrier— arrived just before brigade
training. Major Richardson forwarded full instructions
as to its care, feeding and training. On three occasions I
had the opportunity of using the dog on outpost duties at
night. Each time I found the presence of the dog to be of
the greatest value. He either remained beside the sentry,
or went with a patrol. His value consists in the fact, that
he can, and does, detect the approach of human beings
some considerable time before the eye or ear of the average
man can distinguish anything. The result is, that the
sentry or patrol is fully on the alert, and it is impossible
for them to be either ambushed or rushed.
The dog is no expense, as he feeds on the remains of
the men's dinner. He is never allowed to run loose in camp
or barracks, and no one is allowed to feed him except the
man in charge of him. I am of opinion that it would be
a very valuable asset to have four of these dogs attached
to every infantry battalion for service in the field. I hope,
at next company training to make more extensive trials
of his usefulness. I should add, that his method of indi-
cating the approach of anyone at night is nearly silent. It
consists of a low growl, and a stiffening of his body, almost
like a pointer.
(Signed) A. C. Temperley, Captain,
Commanding No. 4 Coy., Norfolk Regiment.
September 23rd, 1912.
Sentry Dogs 231
In another part of this book, I describe tlic system of
dogs' service in the German Army during the war, and
draw attention to the fact, that the chief testing ground
which led to such a greatly increased interest in the wliole
subject by the German higher command, was that of the
Herrero Campaign in South-West Africa, in which such
remarkable results were obtained, that the wliolc of the
trained dogs in Germany were placed on a war register,
ready for the stupendous conflict, which had been planned
for years.
The country of the Herreros is covered, to a great
extent, with dense scrub, and the sentry dogs were of
the greatest service, in preventing the troops falling into
ambuscades.
It will be noted, in the following testimony, related by a
German soldier, in that campaign, and which appeared in
a German magazine, that both he and his dog, had previous
training and experience with the police. It can, therefore,
be conceived, how enormously valuable were the pcjlice
dogs of Germany, which existed in large quantities, on the
outbreak of the Great War. They actually constituted
part of the German armament, and had been taken into
account seriously as such, in preparation for hostilities :
" At the outbreak of the disturbances in South-West
Africa, I was serving as sergeant of police at Eisleben. I
was called up as a reservist, and posted to the ist Regi-
ment of Field Force. By order of the War Office, I took
two dogs, one of which I had for police duty, and another
the present of the German Sheepdog Society. After
landing at Swakopmund, I was sent with the dogs imme-
diately to the interior.
" In spite of the long journey, want of exercise, change
232 British War Dogs
of climate, long periods of want of water, the stony ground
and sharp grass, my dogs were, with the exception of a few
days, always fresh and ready for work, and always on the
alert. My dogs showed their excellence as sentry dogs.
I handed over one to First Lieutenant Bahr, of the roth
Dragoons, whose duty it was to clear the country of
straggling Herreros. This dog accompanied him in all his
expeditions, and proved himself entirely reliable and
useful, and was always in good health.
" The sentries were only posted a very short distance
in front of the pickets, and there was no use for messenger
work. As sentries the dogs did excellent work, in occupied
posts, at wells and cattle posts, and such-like, and pre-
vented many surprises and stealing of cattle.
" It must be absolutely laid down that dogs' feet are
absolutely hard, and that they are accustomed to work all
day, or they are useless.
" Captain Hinsh, Headquarters Staff, reports his dogs
are a great protection to the column to which he was
attached. Lieutenant V. Doring, 2nd Field Regiment,
19th Dragoons, stated his dogs have given excellent results
on patrol, in action and in camp and on the march."
I remember the Kaiser, in one of his characteristically
flamboyant speeches, just about the time of the outbreak of
the Great War, stating that, in the event of the enemies
of Germany attempting to dictate to that State, " every
dog and cat in the country would march for the defence
of the Fatherland."
This was naturally taken as a mere figure of speech,
in this country, and Punch gave an amusing description of
probable eventualities in such a case, in which it was sug-
gested that care need be taken, that the regiments of
Sentry Dogs l>.}3
cats, should not precede the regiment of dogs, or the rcMilt
would be disastrous to the former !
While recognizing that anyone w(juld naturally be aumsed
at this joke, there are two lessons, nevertheless, that can
be learned from it, namely, the average attitude of levity
in this country towards the serious assistance that can be
obtained by using dogs with the troops, and also the fact
that, at that very moment, several hundred highly-trained
dogs were being hurriedly mobihzed from the (Jerman
police and other bodies, and sent up with the army in the
field, where they would, without doubt, be of the greatest
service. With regard to the dogs, certainly the Kaiser,
while no doubt intending that his speech should be taken
merely to emphasize the national attitude of his country,
knew perfectly well, that this was no empty boast, but
an actual fact. The cats also, as a matter of fact, were
carefully organized later on, and no doubt many of them
did duty as serviceable waistcoats for chilly Boches !
In studying a clever handbook on scouting recently, I
read with interest the difficulties to be encountered by the
scout, when carrying out his duties on active service, and
the excellent advice offered as to the best method for
overcoming them. In one sentence the author mentions :
" There will usually be a dog in the background of a farm-
house."
Glancing further with interest to see what j^roposals were
offered, in view of such a serious obstacle, I fmd, however,
that none whatever are forthcoming. If anyone, on reading
this, should remark : " Let them poison the dog," my
answer to that would be : Let them try to get near enough
to do it !
CHAPTER IX
THE EMPLOYMENT OF DOGS IN FOREIGN ARMIES
The French Army
" With eye upraised his master's look to scan,
The joy, the solace, and the aid of man.
The rich man's guardian, and the poor man's friend,
The only being faithful to the end."
Crabbe.
AS I have already mentioned, the French had been
experimenting in a semi-official manner for several
years before the war. In 19 14, the enormous amount of
affairs of extreme urgency which confronted the French
War Office, submerged the question of the employment of
dogs for the army, and those patriotic Frenchmen, who
had been working so hard to bring the matter to official
notice for years, had very disheartening experiences to go
through, before the actual urgency of their efforts were
appreciated. One of the dog clubs sent a number of dogs
to the front, but so badly managed was the working,
through lack of facilities and official backing, that the whole
scheme came near to breaking down altogether.
In December, 19 14, the French newspaper Le Temps,
drew attention to the fact that the Germans were using
large numbers of trained dogs with their troops, and the
question was asked why the same aid was not organized
for the benefit of the French soldiers. This announcement
234
Dogs with Foreign Armies 235
drew forth quantities of letters from officers and men in
the army, explaining how extremely useful in many positions
dogs would be to them, and asking urgently that trained
specimens should be supplied.
Again another effort was made, and General Castelnau
accorded facilities for the employment of dogs with his
army. Great difficulties were again met with, by those
responsible for this new effort, chiefly owing to contrary
and confusing directions, and also to the difficulty of
obtaining authority to demand suitable men to act as
keepers for the dogs. The scheme was for the second
time, within measurable distance of failure. There is food
for reflection in this, as showing the extreme importance
of correct organization, if dogs are to be employed at all.
The reason is plain. Owing to the highly sensitive tem-
perament of the dog, the question of his use in war, must
be approached in the same manner, as when proposing to
utilize a highly delicate and scientific instrument. If done
so in this spirit, the very sensitiveness of the means employed
will be found to be an advantageous asset. If careful rules
are formed, all of which tend to protect and encourage this
delicate instinct of the dog, the results will be found to
justify all efforts in this direction.
In the meantime the fact remained that the Germans
were using successfully large numbers of dogs in the field,
and the question was again asked in France, if the French
Army was to be behindhand in this matter?
At this point Monsieur Megnin, of Paris, intervened.
He had been for some years interested in the training of
dogs, and had used his influence to encourage the use of
police and army dogs. Having, therefore, a good deal of
practical experience, when he obtained permission from
General de Maudhuy to form a kennel of trained d(jg3 for
286 British War Dogs
the French Army, he was sufficiently instructed, and by
this time officially supported to initiate and administer a
scheme, whereby four principal training kennels were
formed. At these kennels, dogs were trained as sentries,
as messengers, and also as porters. This last form of dog
service was never utilized for the British Army. It would
most certainly have been much more difficult for us to have
instructed the soldiers in the management of such dogs,
than for the French instructors, the reason being, that in
France, dogs are so extensively used in civihan life in this
connection, while in England it is actually against the law
to use dogs for draught purposes, and the working man
has, therefore, no understanding of this exceedingly useful
method of traction. I would here mention, that I do not
consider the use of dogs for this purpose entails at this
period any question of cruelty to the dog. Having studied
the subject carefully abroad, I find it certainly the case,
that the draught dog takes the liveliest interest in its
duties, and thoroughly enjoys the arduous work involved.
It must be remembered that dogs are very fond of exercise
for one thing, and, further, that a dog with an object in Hfe
is very much happier than an " habitual loafer." These
dogs not only draw their master's goods from place to place,
but also guard them as well, and it is most interesting to
watch the behaviour of a dog, when it is left in charge
during the absence of the owner. Taking up a position of
supervision, either on top of the cart or underneath it,
it maintains an absolutely unassailable attitude towards
any attempts at approach on the part of strangers. When
the master reappears, the dog, delighted at the prospect of
movement, leaps to its feet, and on the word of command
throws all its strength into the collar, sometimes rounding
a corner at express speed, and yet with wonderful calcula-
Dogs with Foreign Armies 237
tion as to avoiding collision with tlie kerb. Whatever may
have been the treatment accorded to their dogs by the
French in the past, it is certain, that at this time, they look
upon their draught dogs as very valuable assets in con-
nection with their work, and they treat them well.
These four kennels were the embryo of the entire messenger
dog service in the French Army. From them arose the
large training establishment at Satory, which corresponded
to that started for our own army at Shoeburyness about
the same time. The Commandant of the French School
was Captain Malric, an officer who had before the war
devoted a considerable time to the study of trained dogs,
and had experimented with them as sentries while on
service in Madagascar. The method of recruiting the dogs
in France was rather different from that employed for our
own army. The dog clubs of France were asked to co-
operate for this purpose, and each club took over a certain
section of the country, from which they drew the suitable
and available dogs. Many of these were gifts and others
were strays. There is not the same choice of suitable
material in France as in England, as there are not so many
varieties of breeds, but the different types of shepherd dogs
— fde Brie, de Beauce, and Alsatian and Belgian)— were
excellent for the purpose, and as many Enghsh Airedales
and Scotch collies were obtained as possible. These were
all sorted out, according to their capabilities, and trained
as messengers, as sentries and patrols, or as draught and
pack dogs. The proportion of dogs cast altogether was
smaller than in the British training school, owing to the fact,
that so many dogs, which were incapable of learning the
first two duties, could quite easily be trained for draught
work. Two dogs easily drew two hundred kilos., and they
were harnessed to little carts. The pack dogs were able
238 British War Dogs
to carry twelve to fifteen kilos., and they were used for
carrying dixies of soup, etc., and also ammunition to the
front line. These were considered of the greatest service
to the troops, and gradually, as in England, the whole
organization of the dogs of war began to reflect the import-
ance with which the authorities regarded it. There was
this difference between the two countries, however. The
French gave the whole subject great publicity, being thor-
oughly aware, that by doing so, they would enlist the sym-
pathy of the public, and obtain thereby a steady supply of
suitable dogs for the work. Every opportunity was, there-
fore, taken, both by illustration and account, of bringing
the progress of the organization to the notice of the Press.
This was a very good thing from the point of view of the
recruiting of the dogs. In England, on the contrary, strict
secrecy was for a long time maintained on the subject by
the authorities, and while our own papers gladly accepted
the very excellent photographs, etc., which came across
the Channel, they had no information whatever, until near
the end of the war, as to the dogs of our own army. In this
way, an erroneous impression was prevalent, that the
French effort in connection with Army dogs was much
greater, and on a much larger scale, than was that of
the British authorities. Such was, however, not the
case.
At the Armistice, every army of the French forces had
its kennel of trained dogs.
In an article commenting on the work of the French dogs
in an illustrated paper called Larousse Mensue-l, Monsieur
Megnin quotes a statement made by a colonel commanding
in the field as follows :
" The Lieut.-Colonel commanding the 52nd Regiment
of Infantry desires to record the fact to all, of the death
Dogs with Foreign Armies 239
of Sentry Dog ' Lion/ number 147, and of Messenger J)og
' Lion,' Number 164, both killed at Hill 304.
" These two faithful comrades of the soldier had rendered
on numerous occasions the most precious services to the
regiment."
I herewith give a statement on the employment of dogs
with the French Army, which is signed by General Gouraud,
who is a firm believer in military dogs. The endorsement
from such an eminent leader in the field gives great
encouragement to those who have been struggling with
indifference, if not with actual opposition, in many direc-
tions :
Headquarters, Fourth Army,
Third School, No. 3133,
September 8th, 19 17.
On the Employment of Dogs of War (French
Armv)
" The Minister of War places at the disposition of the
army, sentry dogs, dogs for patrol and for attack, dogs for
draught and pack purposes, ambulance dogs and ratting
dogs, and also messenger dogs.
The sentry and patrol dogs can only render useful service
when the distance between the opposing trenches is suffi-
cient to ensure that the sounds of the enemy do not come
to them too continually. This condition was only realized
occasionally on the front, as, for instance, on those sectors
on the Aisne.
After experience it has been found that ambulance dogs
can only render service to the wounded in a war of move-
ment.
The messenger dog, on the contrary, appears to be a
valuable auxiliary.
240 British War Dogs
Messenger Dogs
The dog, more rapid and a much lesser mark than a man,
can on many occasions replace the runner.
There is no reason to fear that the messenger dog will
run to the enemy. As a matter of fact, animals very soon
acquire a sense of danger. Horses, donkeys, mules, which
become loose, hurry to the rear. The dog, owing to its
aversion of a human race with which it is not famihar, and
which it distinguishes by a totally different scent, does not
hesitate, if it does not succeed in finding its starting post,
but proceeds to the rest-kennel, far from the explosions and
noises of battle, rather than cross the dangerous zone of
the battlefield as a deserter.
The Training of Messenger Dogs at the Army
Kennel
All the training of messenger dogs depends on the utihza-
tion and development of the most important quality of this
animal— namely, its fidelity and its attachment to its
master. This highly-developed instinct, its strong sense
of scent, its sure sense of locality, its rapidity of move-
ment, render it possible for the dog to find him in very
difficult circumstances.
The Employment of the Dog Corps
The position for the services of the messenger dogs
cannot be decided too definitely. Certain units use them
regimcntally, and at other times with the divisions. The
result of this experience enables a great economy of couriers
to take place."
I here interrupt the report to comment on this subject
of the proper placing of the messenger dogs in the field.
Dogs with Foreign Armies 241
In the British Army, the whole messenger dog service had
been concentrated under the signal service (Royal Engineers).
This was quite a good method, as far as it went, and in tlic
urgent necessity of the hour, was perhaps the best that
could be devised, in order to ensure rapidity of organization ;
but there is no doubt, that while it was highly important
that the signal service should receive its full complement
of dogs, it would also have been of great value, if each
division of our army had also had corps of dogs indepen-
dently of the signal service. I know several divisional
generals were strongly of this opinion, and had the war
continued much longer, additional organization, along these
lines, would, no doubt, have been instituted. The dogs
would then have been available for different corps in the
divisions, such as the Machine-Gun Corps, with which they
would have been exceedingly useful. I had many applica-
tions from officers of this corps for messenger dogs. They
stated, that when a machine-gun party was sent out with
the attacking troops, they had very often no means of
knowing if it had reached its objective safely, and they
would have been very glad of a dog to send up with the
party to be slipped with the necessary information. In
any future organization I should certainly recommend
a wider concentration of the Dog Corps.
To return to General Gouraud's report :
" It is to the interest of all to assist in the period of
stabilizing during the dog's training. The training thus
accomplished, the dog is capable of fullilling its mission
during the attacks, or during the war of movement.
On all occasions it isnecessary to follow these directions :
The dog which it is desired to use as a messenger must be
conducted to the point of departure by a stranger ....
i6
242 British War Dogs
there no one troubles about him, no caresses, no feeding.
He is at once installed in a dug-out during the shelling.
When he is required, someone who is a stranger to the dog
approaches, and places the dispatch in the metal box,
which is attached to the collar. The dog is then loosed,
and the direction he is to follow is indicated by a wave
of the hand. The dog departs at once, and despite all
obstacles, rejoins his master. On arrival, the dog is re-
warded, caressed, petted. He also finds nourishment await-
ing him, and his desired friend.
This method of procedure is always attended with the
best results.
The allocation to the infantry regiments is fixed at six
dogs per battalion — these numbers can be augmented
if the results are satisfactory.
The division has fifty dogs to dispose of. They are to be
considered as being attached to the corps, and not to the
sector. They are established at a well-chosen rest-kennel,
well isolated. Here all newly-issued dogs are delivered,
and also those dogs held in reserve, or which require rest.
Personnel
The direction of the rest-kennel is entrusted to a non-
commissioned officer. He is charged to superintend the
training and exercising, and to watch the satisfactory
working of the messenger-dog service in the division. He
pays frequent visits to the trenches to inspect the work.
All the personpel requires selection with discernment.
Men who have been in the habit of using dogs, and living
with them should be recruited from the corps, such as
huntsmen, shepherds and trainers. Two men per company
suffice or four or six men per regiment, under the orders
Dogs with Foreign Armies 213
of a corporal. These men are then sent to tlic kennel of
the army, to take over their dogs, and to get to know them
and to receive instruction in their management. Tiu-y will
stay for a period of eight days.
Feeding of the Dogs
The corps do not receive any payment for the feeding
of the dogs. Their nourishment is derived from the
ordinary regimental refuse. The soup is to be made from
the refuse, and served to them tepid.
A receptacle containing clean water is placed in the
vicinity of each animal.
Equipment of Dogs
Each dog, on leaving the Army kennel, carries a collar,
a chain, a metal cylinder to hold the dispatches, and a
muzzle if he is noisy. Each dog has a register, which is
sent with him to his corps, and is returned to the army
kennel if he dies, or is lost.
The Demands for Dogs
The divisions should make their applications for dogs
to the Army Headquarters. They should be received
before the fifteenth of each month.
All dogs incapacitated from illness, wounds, or other
causes, are to be restored to the Army kennel.
Beside messenger dogs, the Army kennel will also provide
a certain number of sentry dogs, also some ratting dogs,
and, under certain conditions, dogs for attack, and draught
and pack dogs.
Each month a report will be made to Army Headquarters,
as to the work done by the dogs.
i6*
244 British War Dogs
Discipline
Commanding officers will not arrive at satisfactory results
with messenger dogs, unless the personnel is very judiciously
cliosen, and also that the strictest observance of the regula-
tions connected with the dogs is maintained. All officers
and men should be made to understand, that they only
serve to impede the work, and prevent the dog succeeding
in its object, if they call it, caress it, or give it to eat. The
dog belongs to one sole master, and everyone else should
treat it with indifference.
All commanding officers are asked to collect from their
sectors all stray dogs, and send them to the Army kennel.
They will thus assist in the recruiting of the dogs, which
is often difficult."
(Signed) Gouraud.
Headquarters.
I have quoted this report pretty fully, as it gives a fair
idea of the weight and importance attached to the war dog
service for the French Army, and the care and attention
bestowed on the details by those of the highest commands.
I here give some reports sent to Headquarters by French
commanding officers :
Sentry Dogs
First Cavalry Corps. — Very useful. The sentry dogs
in this unit rendered very valuable services.
Ninth Regiment of Cuirassiers. — During the night of June
25th the two dogs growled forty minutes before the garrison
was aware of the approach of two strong patrols of the
enemy, which intended a raid on our lines.
^lylh Regiment of Infantry. — The dogs have rendered
Dogs with Foreign Armies 245
service on reconnaissance duty, notably on the nights
24th and 25th March, in front of Vendcuille. when they
revealed the presence of the enemy.
236^;* Regiment of Infantry.— On May 29th, 1917, the
dog " Rusee " gave notice of the presence of the enemy,
which had managed to slip behind our rear, and had
attempted to seize a sentry.
One dog is notified as having rendered valuable services
on the Somme, in a listening post, by giving warning of
the approach of enemy patrols. Another dog, employed by
1st Regiment Zouaves, rendered good services as a watch
dog. The dogs were especially useful during the attacks on
Mont Haut, when the troops were exceedingly fatigued.
They averted a surprise from an enemy attack.
On the night of February 2ist-22nd, 1916, the sentry
dog " Lutu " prevented a raid on the Post Saint Joseph,
sector de Celles.
On the 26th April, 1916, at dawn, the sentry dog " Polol,"
8th Company, 115th Regiment of Infantry, prevented an
enemy attack on our lines.
With the 2^8th Regiment of Infantry, the dog " Titi "
averted a strong enemy attack, wdiich tried to penetrate
our lines on the Fecht, before the sector Mattle Sud. By
its growling and by its disturbed attitude, the dog enabled
the outpost to divine the approach of the enemy. (Night
of 31st August, 1916.)
165^^ Regiment of Infantry.— In the sector Tete de Fau.v,
the dog " Dick," belonging to the loth Company, notified
three times by his growlings, the presence of the enemy
in front of our lines.
On the i6th April, 1917, during the reconnaissance of a
patrol, " Dick " detected the presence of an enemy patrol,
thus preventing our own from falling into an ambuscade.
246 British War Dogs
With the Sth Army, during the month of May, five enemy
patrols were detected at a good distance ; also a group of
signallers working at their wires.
During the month of June, in spite of the fact that the
number of dogs in the line had been much reduced by the
removal of a number of units, a dog with the 315th Regiment
of Infantry, which was on patrol, detected the presence of
the enemy, and immediately attacked him.
The i^yth Regiment notifies that a dog detected the presence
of an enemy patrol directed against one of our working
parties. (Sector Grande Carriere, Berry-au-Bac, May, 1917.)
The dog " Souck," of the 328th Regiment, perfectly
indicated the approach of the enemy in their direction, at
the end of April, 1917.
With the 20th Division, during the attacks in Champagne,
on the 2nd and 3rd of May, 1917, the dogs prevented many
surprise attacks on the part of the enemy.
With the 3is^ Corps of the Army, a sentry dog, with the
329th Regiment, in March, 1916, at the Etang de Varge-
vaux, detected an enemy patrol and prevented a surprise.
Patrol Dogs
A dog for attack was placed at the disposal of Lieutenant-
Commander of the Prisoners' Workshops, on account of
the thefts that had taken place by the prisoners. The
results obtained were excellent, and this practice will be
extended.
Messenger Dogs
On the attack on the Moullin de Laft'aux a messenger
dog carried two very useful messages between the reserve
battalion and the colonel, crossing through the barrage.
gih Regiment of Cuirassiers.— In the same aftair, a dog
Dogs with Foreign Armies 247
made the journey four times between the front line and
the officer commanding the battahon, and during a viijlent
barrage. The messages were brought by the dog, in about
forty minutes, while a runner took one hour and ten
minutes.
The 24th D. I. organized a service of sentry and mes-
senger dogs, in the sector Neuville St. Vaast, at the end
of 1 916, under difficult circumstances. It was at Maison de
Champagne that the dogs were the most distinguished.
Four dogs covered a distance of fifteen hundred metres in
eight minutes several times during the day, under a bom-
bardment of gas and high-explosive shells. At x\uberrive,
the dogs of several companies very usefully doubled the
telephone and runner methods of communication. The
dogs followed their masters in the conquered trenches, in
the new sector at Auberrive.
With the 8th Army, during the month of February, 191 6,
the messenger dog, " Pacht," conducted by two soldiers
to an observation post at the Fort Regnault, carried mes-
sages over a ravine bombarded b\' artillery and machine-gun
fire.
On the night of 19th April, 191 7, at the Camp de
Colardeble, with a reconnoitring party, before a contem-
plated attack, communication was estabhshed by the dog
" Dagon," who carried the first communication from the
patrol, who had no other messenger.
During the night of i6th April, 191 7, communication
was established by this dog, " Dagon," under a very violent
bombardment. The dog arrived at Headquarters with a
request for reinforcements long before the message was
received by telephone.
With the i^th Army Corps.—Good results were obtained
with messenger dogs, particularly in front of St. Quentin.
248 British War Dogs
From a letter from Colonel Gaube. — I interest myself parti-
cularly in the messenger dogs, which went backwards and
forwards innumerable times, and gave very good results
at Bezonvaux. (Signed) Gaube.
The Belgian Army
Before the war, the Belgian Army had considered, to a
certain extent, the emplo3'ment of dogs in war. As the
tendency in that country is to employ so many dogs for
draught purposes in civihan life, it was natural that the
attention of the military authorities should be directed to
the adaptation of this form of service to army needs.
Therefore, one of the chief forms of military service the
Belgian dogs rendered, was in drawing small carriages
containing machine guns. Two dogs were harnessed to
each carriage, and during the first months of the war in the
retreat from Liege, this proved a very valuable service,
when every form of traction was of immense value to the
retreating army. After this, it was diihcult to maintain
this form of dog service, owing to the fact that the harness
and formation of the carts was only adapted for dogs of a
certain size, and these dogs had also to be of equal size
and of considerable stature. Belgium being almost com-
pletely overrun by the enemy, recruiting of this particular
type of dog, of which a speciality is made in that country,
was impossible, and soon afterwards the requirements of
the French Army pretty well absorbed all dogs of this type.
A kennel was, however, started in France, and placed in
charge of an officer expert at the work, to cater for the
needs of the Belgian Army. Here a certain number of
sentry dogs were trained, also some messenger dogs, but,
again reverting to the national form of dog service, mostly
dogs for draught purposes.
Dogs with Foreign Armies 249
The principal objection to the vehicle-drawinf; dn^s is
the fact, that good roads are needed to enable them to get
their loads along, and pack dogs are, therefore, in most
circumstances on the battlefield, the more useful.
The Italian Army
The warfare of the Italian Army having been mostly
confined to the mountains, it was found that the quickest
way of organizing a service of dogs, was to utihze those
dogs already accustomed to these regions. These were
the large sheep dogs used at all times by the inhabitants of
those parts for protecting their flocks, and also their
premises. Some of these are very savage, and can be
adapted as excellent sentry and guard dogs. Except for
these, of which full use was made by the Italian Army,
both as sentries and as draught dogs, no other form of
training seems to have been initiated.
The American Army
The American Army had no official organization whatever
for the training of military dogs when it entered the war.
On arrival in France, the troops were thankful to avail
themselves of the services of the British and French war
dogs, whenever they could do so. I may say also, that as
far as our own army dogs were concerned, the keepers
found the American officers and men very pleasant to work
with. That is to say, they recognized that the work was
decidedly technical, and, therefore, if success was to be
obtained, all must unite in observing the regulations con-
cerning the dogs. In this way matters proceeded har-
moniously, and much good work was done with the
American troops by the dogs.
It might be as well, however, if the American Army
250 British War Dogs
authorities devoted a certain amount of attention to this
subject, in view of the fact, that it will, in the future, be
increasingly difficult for America to remain outside the
responsibilities of the civiHzed races of the rest of the
world. A year or two before the Great War, when the
American Army was sent down into Mexico, it struck me
that dogs would be exceedingly useful to their troops at
that time, and hearing that an American staff officer was
in my neighbourhood, sent over by the American Govern-
ment to inspect some new form of searchlight, I took the
liberty of seeking him out, and laid before him certain
suggestions, which I was certain would be of great use to
the American Army for the war in Mexico. He asked me
to make a full report, which I did, with maps and illus-
trations. I, however, never heard an3rthing more of the
matter. It would have been well, had the American War
Office taken up the subject seriously then, and they would
have been prepared to supply their troops with trained
dogs, when the great testing time of the nations came.
The German Army
There is no branch of the German war machine that
reveals the thoroughness of enemy organization down to
the smallest details in preparation for this great war that
was expected to place Germany on the pinnacle of success,
than the method in which the dog-power of the country
was organized as an auxiliary to the army. For some
years the Government had encouraged the institutions
for training military dogs, and these were' open for all the
world to see. But there was much more behind this, which
did not appear to outsiders. For one thing, the large
organization of pohce dogs, was a camouflaged system of
service, always available in the event of war. Besides
Dogs with Foreign Armies 251
this, there was a very elaborate association of dog clubs.
These were at one time separate institutions, each one
standing for a particular breed of dog, and they were
much on the same basis, as are the dog clubs in this country
at the present time, which do not pretend to do more
than improve the breeds from a show point of view, and
to arrange dog shows. The Germans have, however,
always made a feature of training dogs in connection with
their clubs. In our own country, we have our gun dog
and sheep dog trials, but this particular aspect of the
education of dogs is carried on in Germany on a much
larger scale. During the Herrero War — the German West
African Colony — sixty trained dogs were sent out with the
troops from Germany, and many experiments were made
with them. These tests must have been considered to be
of a promising nature, as after that time, the whole ques-
tion of dog training in Germany was taken up much more
seriously, and under Royal and official patronage.
All these aforementioned dog clubs were now amal-
gamated, and formed one huge Association, which called
itself " Der Verein fiir Deutsche Schaferhunde." The
Crown Prince was president, and the affairs of the organiza-
tion were directed by military officers. Branches were
inaugurated all over Germany, and in Austria as well, and
shows were constantly held to display the training standards
attained. The association kept and issued annually a list
of dogs under training, and against each entry was inscribed
notes relating to that particular animal's capabilities.
This book was open for all to purchase, who wished to do
so, but the fact was that the whole association was a war
organization, and each of the branches was ordered to keep
a secret register of those dogs considered especially suitable
for war purposes.
252 British War Dogs
When war broke out, those dogs which were already with
the army, went with their regiments straight to the front,
while the owners of those dogs which had received approval
at the exhibitions of training skill, and whose names appeared
in the association lists, were ordered to mobilize imme-
diately. This represented the reserve army of dogs. In
the meantime, vigorous recruiting work for dogs went on
all over Germany and Austria, and as these were collected,
they were sent to training establishments, which were
opened at various principal towns in Germany. Here they
were trained by especially qualified men, under expert
military officers. When trained, the dogs were drafted to
the x'Vrmy kennels. Each army had its kennel, and from
these centres, the dogs were issued to the troops in the
line. In the first advance into Belgium, and France, the
enemy lost no opportunity of seizing all suitable dogs,
and sending them into Germany to be trained. Not only
this, but they even offered to purchase dogs for the work
from owners in Germany, and gave up to fifty marks per
dog. Also, in Germany, as in France, the greatest pub-
licity was given to the subject of the war dogs, and both
by illustration and account of the exploits performed by
the dogs in the field, the public were encouraged to interest
themselves in the matter, and to help on the work, much
in the same way that the propaganda in aid of the Red Cross
in this country was carried on. This publicity given to the
subject must have made the work of the dogs in the field
much easier, both for the dogs themselves, and for those
who were training and handling them, as the full object
of their utiHzation would be understood by all ranks, and
all would unite together to assist the good work. There is
no doubt that the work in the British Army was con-
siderably hampered for some time by the policy of secrecy
Dogs with Foreign Armies 253
pursued, and I should certainly recommend that this
should not be adopted on a future occasion. ()win.i< to this
clever method of encouragement and registration pursued
before the war, it has been stated, that at the commencement
of hostihties, Germany was able to put into the field almost
immediately about six thousand dogs, which were utilized
on both fronts. Ludendorff gave his signed order for this
concentration and utilization, and, furthermore, detailed
an officer on the Headquarters Staff, to direct the wIhjIc
movement. It will be seen from this, the very great
importance which was attached to this work.
For many years before the war I had been aware of the
fact that German agents were constantly at work in this
country, studying our various British breeds, and importing
certain of them in large numbers into Germany, for use with
their military and police establishments, those with the
police being convertible at short notice into military
dogs. Scotch collies and Airedales were much sought after,
and at one time a man — a German — carried on a steady
export trade of these dogs to his country. It is with a
certain measure of satisfaction, that I recall the fact, that
it was the sense of exasperation which I felt at the exploita-
tion of our dogs for their own purposes, that spurred me
on to persist, in spite of every discouragement, in the
furtherance of the work of police dog and military dog
training for our own country. This, and the absolute
conviction that some day the wonderful qualities
of the dog, as an aid to man under every condition
in which man might be placed, would be recognized and
utilized.
I here give a translation of a document dealing with the
work of the war dogs in the field, which was captured from
a German Headquarters :
254 British War Dogs
THE EMPLOYMENT OF MESSENGER DOGS
DIRFXTIONS FOR TRAINING MESSENGER DOGS
L — 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 battahon, 6. The allotment is made by the
Messenger Dog Sections {Meldehundstaffeln) 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 hie)
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 he accepted
who have a genuine love of dogs. On this essentially the
animals performances depend.
Dogs with Foreign Armies 255
Should divisions be transferred from the army con-
cerned during the men's period of instruction, the m>n will
remain until the end of their instruction and then he
returned to their division.
Messenger Dog Sections are collecting centres for all
information relating to messenger dogs within their own
army area. All reports of successes, failures, suggestions,
etc., are to be communicated to them. The closest co-opera-
tion is requisite between commanders of Messenger Dog
Sections and Signal Commanders.
The War Dog School [Knegs-Hunde-Schitlc) in the zone
of Army Detachment A is directly under the officer com-
manding the Director of Signals.
Its duties are :
(i) The supply of all drafts of dogs.
(2) The distribution of drafts of dogs (untrained) among
the various Messenger Dog Sections, as directed
by the CO. of the Signal Service.
(3) Training of officers to command Messenger Dog
Sections.
(4) Instruction of men as staff-trainers.
(5) Formation of a reserve of trained dogs (directions will
be issued from time to time) .
The War Dog School further performs the duties of
Messenger Dog Section to x\rmy Detachment A. In this
capacity it is placed under the orders of the Headquarters
of this Detachment.
Headquarters of Army Groups decide which divisions
or independent units are to be provided with messenger
dogs.
Regiments are required to keep the register of dogs handed
over to them by Messenger Dog Sections, and it is their
duty to report, when required, on the dogs' performances
256 British War Dogs
and present stations to the Messenger Dog Section from
which the dogs allotted to them are drawn. Dogs in replace-
ment of those lost are delivered by the Messenger Dog
Section to that army to which the unit in question belongs
at the time. All losses of messenger dogs are to be notified
in writing to this Messenger Dog Section, the register of
dogs, and, if possible, the equipment being forwarded.
III. — Breeds
The following are the breeds chiefly employed as mes-
senger dogs : German sheep dogs, Dobermannpinschers,
Airedale terriers and Rottweilers.
IV. — The Transmission of Messages
The dog runs backwards and forwards between two
attendants (attendant file, consisting of attendant and
assistant attendant). Both attendants must be well
known to the dog. In order to make the dog famihar
with the stretch of country over which messages are to
be carried, the assistant goes with the dog from the end
where the attendant is waiting to the other end. From there
he sends back the dog, which finds its way again to the
starting point by its sense of locality. The dog is now
ready for use, and may be sent backwards and forwards
between the two men of the file. Each end of the route may
be occupied by a dog. The information to be sent is placed
in a tin case, or dispatch bag, on the dog's collar. Dis-
patches brought by the dog may only be taken from it by
its attendants.
A change of route inside the same sector is to be avoided,
as the dog is otherwise inclined to run off on the earher
route.
Dogs with Foreign Armies 257
The attendant and his assistant must remain at o^jposito
ends of the route. Where this is not the case, and one of the
attendants is forced to leave his post, owing to patrols,
for example, it is still possible to use the messenger dog ;
but its work in such cases is essentially unreliable, as it is
obliged to pick up and follow the man's trail by smell.
This, as a rule, is rendered very difficult owing to many
external influences. In such a case, moreover, the dog
would have to be specially trained in tracking."
I here interrupt the report to point out that the system
of training here advocated, is that of the liaison, or the
two-keeper method. I have elsewhere discussed the ad-
vantages and the disadvantages of this system, as against
the one-way-return-to-keeper method. Of course, much
depends on the rapidity of output demanded. Germany
had such large quantities of dogs, fully trained and ready
to put into the field, at the outbreak of war, that there
was not the same urgency placed qn the training staff, and
they could pursue the slower' form of training ; but, as
I have already said, there are, apart from rapidity of output,
several other distinct advantages to be obtained by special-
izing, certainly for the greater number of messenger dogs,
in the one route method.
V. — Tactical Employment
" No special preparations for carrying out communication
by messenger dog are necessary.
Communication by messenger dog should be attempted
in all cases where the transmission of written information
(or sketches) of value and relief for other means of com-
munication or runners are desired, especially
In difficult country (marshes, mountains, snow).
17
258 British War Dogs
In exposed sectors under enemy observation.
When technical means of communication fail.
When the telephone is not to be used from danger
of tapping.
Its employment is suitable as a permanent communication
between two fixed points, e.g., the Commander of front-
line troops and battle headquarters of a regiment, regi-
mental battle headquarters and telephone exchange, an
O.P. of an important formation and telephone exchange,
or between a iixed and moving point, e.g., the leader of a
raid and an advancing patrol.
Messenger dogs may also be used in cable-laying, and
in sending forward carrier-pigeons, ammunition and
rations.
A dog must be accustomed at practice to all disturbances
that are likely to arise under service conditions, e.g., diffi-
culties of the ground, battle noises, etc. Unusual disturb-
ances, e.g., the smell of a bitch on heat, painful wounds and
drum-fire, may, nevertheless, cause the animal to refuse
to work.
A dog must run its message route two or three times a
day. This must be done for practice, even when there
is no occasion for sending information. Too frequent
running without a rest exhausts a dog and makes its work
untrustworthy. Even when a dog has finished its training,
it must continually have further practice. Therefore,
when the unit is at rest, attendant files should be given
opportunities of exercising the dogs as part of their duty
(general training and practice journeys).
The efficiency of a dog mainly depends on the choice of
Us attendants and their special instruction. Faulty treat-
ment very speedily lessens the efficiency of the animals.
Dogs with Foreign Armies 25(1
VI.— Administration of the Messengkk Dog Service
IN A Regiment
The number of dogs not kept for service purposes should
be strictly limited. Stray dogs (especially bitches on heat)
easily lead messenger dogs to refuse to work. Officers and
men should have this explained to them, and also the
object and use of messenger dogs.
Only those principles of training and working messenger
dogs taught at Messenger Dog Sections are authoritative.
Officers and men should be forbidden to have any dealings
with the dogs, or to interfere in the execution of their
training. Intentional troubling of dogs by the troops
should be strictly punished.
In the case of a dog giving up, the attendant himself
should be used as a runner. In any case, the attendants
should be employed solely in the Signal Service, e.g., as
pigeon attendants, at pigeon stations.
In no case may messenger dogs be used for other pur-
poses than transmission of information.
The men composing an attendant file should not be
changed.
A dog will only work in a trustworthy manner between
men of a file who are instructed and known to it. On
emergency, the trained supernumerary attendant takes
his place in the file."
It will be observed from the last paragraph the serious-
ness with which any interference with the dogs at work by
the troops was viewed, and that it was to be regarded as a
strictly punishable offence. The regulation also, that it
the dog failed in bringing in a message, the keeper was
to be used as the runner to replace it would certainly
17*
260 British War Dogs
have the effect of " gingering " up things all round, and
is another instance of the way Germans make war !
" Immediately the dog reaches the attendant, or his
assistant, its dispatch collar should be taken off and not
put on again until the moment that the animal is sent
back. The putting on of the collar will thus be a sign to
the dog that its journey is beginning. Should the attendant
have to take the message brought by the dog a little further
(e.g., from the telephone exchange to battle headquarters),
the dog should not be taken with him, but tied up and left
behind at the terminal point of the route, in order that
this point may be retained by the dog as a fixed datum for
its return.
Should a dog not be sent back immediately on its arrival,
attention must be given to its kennelling, and, if necessary,
its cleaning and drying.
The attendant and his assistants must, if possible, com-
pare their watches daily.
Dogs which have repeatedly failed, bitches on heat, as
well as animals which cannot be worked on account of ill-
ness, wounds, and so on, must be sent for exchange to the
Messenger Dog Section of the Army Headquarters con-
cerned, accompanied by the dog-registers, equipment and
attendant file.
Bitches should not be crossed, nor dogs used for breeding.
VII. — Protection from Gas
As a protection from gas, it wiH generally suffice to keep
the messenger dogs in dug-outs which are protected by
gas-proof roofing from the penetration of poison gases.
Experiments are being conducted with a view to the
provision of a gas-mask for dogs.
Dogs with Foreign Armies 2iU
VIII. — Care and Feeding
Care should be taken that the dogs are wrll housed.
The animal must, as far as possible, have a dry kennel, free
from draughts and bomb-proof. It is advisable to make
a small excavation for the dog in the dug-out. It must
always be kept on the chain and only taken out for exercise.
In order to maintain the eificiency of the dogs, careful atten-
tion and feeding are very important. Dogs should be
brushed and combed daily, and fed only by their attendants.
In winter they may only be washed when heated rooms are
available. After being washed, they should be rubbed dry
and thoroughly brushed. Dogs must be taken to a veteri-
nary surgeon regularly — the most convenient time being
in connection with horse-inspection — so that infectious
diseases may be discovered in time, or prevented.
Regulations for feeding are laid down in Army Order 45
of September 15th, 1917, as follows :
Daily food ration for service dogs :
1. The Deputy Intendance of the IV. Army Corps will
serve out dog biscuits to the Field Army through
the Supply Depot. This food having been served
out, the daily ration comprises : 750 gr. of dog
biscuit and i litre of men's warm rations (the
vegetable portion, taken from field-kitchens, etc.,
if possible, containing 100 gr. of pearl barley, groats,
or similar substance).
2. Failing dog biscuit, there will be served out :
{a) 500 gr. of offal, or, if this be not obtain-
able, 500 gr. of meat, with 300 g^- "^ P^*^^^
barley, groats, or similar substance, added, or.
where necessary, 1,000 gr. of mashed potatoes.
262 British War Dogs
(6) When offal, or meat, is absent, 600 gr. of dried
horse meat (or sinewy offal), with 250 gr. of
pearl barley, groats, or the like, added, or, if
need be, 1,000 gr. of mashed potatoes.
[c] When there is absolutely no offal, or meat, 50
gr. of fatty matter, with the addition of 400
gr. of pearl barley, groats, or the like, or, if need
be, 1,500 gr. of mashed potatoes and 500 gr.
of crushed pulse foods.
The weight is reckoned in the uncooked state, with
potatoes unpeeled.
The portions of offal to be used are : embryos, vaginae,
walls of stomach, BnMungen of slaughtered animals, con-
demned meat, and other butcher's offal not affected in a
way injurious to health, but out of the question for human
food (navels, buttocks, testicles, ovaries).
li it be necessary for bread to take the place of vegetable
food, it is to be served out in quantities of, for {a) and (6),
250 gr., and for (i), 500 gr.
Food is to be cooked and served lukewarm. Attention
should be paid to variety in vegetable food where possible.
Bones are to be given as a special addition.
If necessary, the dogs receive their food from the field
kitchen (men's daily ration).
IX. — Veterinary Service
The chief veterinary surgeon has issued the following
regulations for the veterinary service of Messenger Dog
formations in Order No. 3015 of the 17th September, 1917 :
The regulations for the veterinary service in Messenger
Dog Sections are laid down by the Army veterinary sur-
geons, for the messenger dogs of infantry regiments by
Dogs with Foreign Armies 2«3
divisional veterinary surgeons. Any veterinary surgeon
may be called in for urgent assistance, or the advanced
collecting stations of veterinary hospitals may be used.
For more serious surgical action, veterinary hospital surgeons
will give their services.
In Messenger Dog Sections it is advisable to erect a
kennel for sick dogs with an infectious kennel separated
therefrom, and also that too large detachments of dogs be
not housed together, in order that the spread of any infec-
tious disease may be limited.
The most usual dressings for wounds are in charge of
the shoeing smiths, or veterinary assistants, attaclied to
the first-line transport. All other drugs required will be
demanded by the veterinary surgeon concerned, and will
be obtainable, in cases where they are not to be procured
from the veterinary supply waggons, or bearer companies,
from the advanced depot of medical stores.
At the suggestion of the competent veterinary surgeon,
a small store of the most necessary drugs and dressings
may be kept at Messenger Dog Sections in a small medicine
chest made for the purpose. The storage of a small quantity
of " Kamala " (for curing worms) at advanced depots of
medical stores will be arranged for.
Distemper serum, as well as all other drugs, is to be
applied for by the competent veterinary surgeon through
the divisional veterinary surgeon, or the army veterinary
surgeon, as the case may be, from the advanced depot of
medical stores, which will obtain the scrum from the Berlin
Army Veterinary School."
It is apparent from the carefully-thought-out details of
this report that very great importance was attached to
the messenger dogs by the German Higher Command.
CHAPTER X
MANAGEMENT AND POLICY OF WAR DOCx SCHOOL
" Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy
herds." — Proverbs.
IN considering the question of the general management
and policy of the War Dog School, it has to be remem-
bered that as a nation we have not hitherto placed military
preparation in the forefront of our national policy. It
seems unlikely that this attitude will be altered to any
extent in the future, therefore, in the event of this organiza-
tion of War Dogs being again required on a large scale,
much the same conditions and problems will again be
encountered, by those officers, whose duty it may be to
work the scheme up again. A few remarks and sug-
gestions might, therefore, be of assistance in the hght of
future requirements. Were a definite organization kept
running permanently in peace-time, even though on a quite
small scale, it would always be a great assistance in national
emergency, as it would keep a nucleus of officers and men
in training, and, of course, a certain number of dogs. I
mention the personnel of the school first, as being in every
way the most important part of the whole work. The
question of the supply of dogs takes quite a secondary place.
The great difficulty that arises at the outset, to those chiefly
responsible for the success of the whole work, is the risk
of success being endangered, by the obstruction or control
264
Management of War Dog School 205
of those, who are uninitiated in, and, therefore, unable to
appreciate the necessary conditions for obtainin,^ that
very success. In giving an account of the work in the
French Army I mention the fact, that twice over, the
scheme was practically closed down, owing to this lack of
understanding, and duality of control. If this happened
in France, where there has always been a greater tendency
to consider subsidiary schemes in the Army, it must always
be recognized as a possible danger at any time in this
country. The fact is, that very few people indeed really
understand and appreciate the capabiHties of the dog
sufficiently, to be in any way quahfied to adjudicate on
the management of the Dog School of Instruction, or on
the management in the field, without advice of those
technically instructed from this point of view. It would,
therefore, be as well, that this should be thoroughly recog-
nized, and that those responsible for the training of the
dogs, should also be made responsible for the entire working
in the field, and for the necessar}^ regulations governing
them up to that point. In this way, much valuable time
will be saved. Dogs are not machines. They are e.xtremely
sensitive, and, in fact, in some directions are much more
so than man himself. Those who undertake to train and
handle this delicate instrument, know that certain essen-
tials must stand in the forefront of all regulations governing
its actions, right down to the actual work in the field.
Duality of control is, therefore, to be avoided.
There is always one point that would, in the future, be
of great assistance in taking up this work again. That is,
that the fact, which has been reiterated again and again
for so many years, namely, the usefulness of the dog to
the soldier, has been proved. There can be no further ques-
tion on this score, and, therefore, the many struggles in
266 British War Dogs
the first months of the War Dog School, against distrust
as to the possibihties of the work, would not be met with,
in the same degree, ever again. But there is one point
that needs to be emphasized, and that is, the importance
of propaganda work on behalf of the dogs. This is neces-
sary for two reasons. Firstly, with a view to interesting
the public in the work, and of obtaining from this source
gifts of suitable dogs for training, and also so that the
soldiers should understand this means of aid, and of the
methods necessary for the successful working. Co-opera-
tion on the part of the soldiers is very essential, and they
are very quick to respond, when once they understand the
fact, that something is being done to help them. When
once the French authorities understood that their dogs
were to be a success, the Censorship's restrictions were
relaxed at once, and Press reporters and photographers
were allowed to acquire what information they required.
This wise discernment on the part of the French War Office,
was of the greatest assistance to those training the dogs,
and also to the dogs themselves when in the field, as very
soon every poilu came to recognize the War Dogs, and
to respect them as working comrades. This propaganda
policy was carried on also in every way that would touch
the imagination of the public, and every now and then
various animals, which had particularly distinguished
themselves in the field, were decorated in public.
The Germans also made a great point of publicity in
connection with their War Dogs, and accounts of their
prowess, and the necessity for procuring large quantities
from the public as gifts, was emphasized. As a matter
of fact, as I have explained this propaganda work had been
going on in Germany for some few years before the war,
under another name. The fact of the usefulness of the
Management of War Dog School '2(17
dog to the soldier, and of the importiince of the subject,
had never been lost sight of in that country in peace-
time, and the machinery of the organization was in working
order when the war commenced. PubHcity was part of
the machinery.
The policy of restraint and secrecy which was deemed
advisable, at first, by our authorities, made the work very
difficult, and although the restrictions were relaxed to a
certain extent, as time went on, even up to the Armistice
there was always a tendency to keep things dark, and the
necessity for active propaganda was never fully recognized.
From first to last, the policy of secrecy was a mistake, and
the working of the dogs was only hampered thereby. While
a good measure of publicity will ensure a knowledge of the
work the dogs do percolating through all ranks in the Army,
it is also advisable that there should be a certain number
of officers and non-commissioned officers, under instruc-
tion at the school, whose duty it would be to superintend
the work of the dogs and the keepers, when with the
various units to which the latter might be drafted. The
instruction given to these would be, of course, of a different
nature, to that given to those men who were to be drafted
into the actual dog service, which, of course, would be more
technical, and therefore longer. The period of instruction
for the visiting officers and N.C.O.'s would be f'^r seven
days, and during that time, they would watch the training
of the dogs, and be instructed in the reasons for the regula-
tions governing the service in the field. In the case of the
messenger dogs, this would apply to officers and N.C.O. s
of the Signal Service, and if further organization of mes-
senger dogs is inaugurated in connection with each army
corps, then representatives from the various units should
be sent to the school. Lectures sh(juld be given, both at
268 British War Dogs
the school, and also to the troops at the front. This instruc-
tional work is also highly important, in connection with
the sentry dogs, and guard dogs. Those, whose duties
bring them in contact with this class of dog, should also be
instructed in management. In this case, apart from the
mere fact of learning the reasons for, and the necessity of
observing, the regulations concerning the feeding, exer-
cising, and training, etc., they would also be taught laws
which govern sound, wind and scent, and by means of
plans, would be shown the various methods of posting the
dogs in the trenches, and also in relation to buildings, etc.
All this is highly technical, and needs expert understanding,
in order to bring out the full measure of successful working.
Therefore, the importance of the instructional branch of
the War Dog School, to those who manage the dogs in the
various units, should in nowise be neglected.
Kennelling and Feeding
There are one or two points as to the kennelling and
feeding which I would like to emphasize. As the War Dog
has to do his work out of doors, and under every sort of
weather-stress, it is no use taking any methods of kennelling
into consideration, that will not contribute to hardening
him up, to meet the conditions. Therefore, no form of
elaborate indoor or built kennels should be utilized. As a
matter of fact, after a very close study, and long experience
of the subject, I find the average built kennel, which is
supposed to spell the last word in luxury, is really a very
unsatisfactory arrangement. First of all, it cannot be
moved. Secondly, the actual kennel is always too high
in proportion to the size of the dog. The result is, that
one cannot change the ground, and also that the dog is
Management of War Dog School 200
not sufficiently warm inside the kennel in winter time.
Artificial heat is, of course, out of the question, and would
not be practical, even if available ; therefore the heat
emanating from the dog itself should be utilized, and a^n-
served, for its own advantage. As the greater portion of
our climate is either wet or cold, the provision for this
aspect is more important than for conditions of heat. I
have found, that a good strong, box kennel is, from every
point of view, the most inexpensive, and also the most
comfortable for the dog, and I find it preferable to the most
expensive and seemingly luxurious pattern. The size of
the kennel should be such, that the dog is able to stand up,
and turn round easily, but should be no bigger, for the reason
that the warmth of the dog's body will establish a com-
fortable temperature for it, in this amount of cubic space.
All the air that is necessary, will come from the ventilation
holes, or from the doorway. Any extra space is unneces-
sary, and only takes away from the warmth. I may say
here that I believe warmth at night, good food and clean-
liness, to be the most important factors in keeping :dl
animals in health and strength. The roof, which should
be sloping, must be made to open for cleaning purposes,
and a door to open and shut is important. Besides this,
there should also be, for each kennel, a platform shelter.
This must not be attached to the kennel itself, but must
be movable, and the position for it is against the front of
the kennel. The shelter is a great protection to the animal,
both in rain, and sun, and wind. In summer time, the door
can be permanently left open, but in winter time this
should be shut the last thing at night, and plenty of straw
supplied. It is advantageous, especially in winter, to have
a surplus number of kennels, so that the dogs can be
shifted frequently to fresh kennels, which have been
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 any 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
Management of War Dog School 271
the duty each has to perform. The messent^'cr do},' should
be chained with an eight-foot chain. It gets so miu-h exer-
cise during the twenty-four hours, that it is unneccss;iry,
and, in fact, undesirable, that it should have any further
liberty than this chain affords, as it is really brought to the
kennel to rest. The guard and sentry dog, while under
training, should have its kennel placed beside a wire fifty
yards in length, and the dog should be attached to this by
an eight-foot chain, and a running ring, so that it can run
up and down. When drafted out for duty, provision must
also be made for exercising each dog, apart from the exercise
it gets on the wire, with which each will be provided.
Feeding
A good nourishing diet is of great importance for the
dog under training, and the best staple food for the
daily menu is cooked horse-flesh and biscuits. The man
responsible for the cooking of the food must be a very
responsible character, as there is a good deal of judgment
and care required in this duty, so as to make the fare
tempting. The meat must be fresh, and must be very
thoroughly boiled in large boilers. The soup resulting from
this, should be very strong and good, and the biscuits should
be put in a large receptacle, and the boihng soup should be
poured over them. The meat should then be cut up in
small pieces and mixed with the soup and biscuits, and
the whole stirred well together by a spade. The mixture
can then be left to cool. The amount of food accorded
to each dog is one pound of dog biscuit and half a pound
of horse-flesh, and when this is cooked together it will
be found, with the soup, to fill a dog's feeding bowl
to the brim. For the average dog, this is quite enough.
272 British War Dogs
but for those of the smaller size, less will be sufficient, and
the surplus amount will be available for the dogs of the
very large varieties, on the guard dogs section, which
require at least a bowl and a half. There are always a
certain number of dogs which arrive at the school in an
underfed, poor condition, and these will require extra
feeding. Therefore, a second service of food must always
be available daily. The great test as to whether the head
cook is doing his work satisfactorily, is to be found in
observing if there is any food left in the bowls as a whole,
apart from those apportioned to dogs which may be tem-
porarily off their food. If the food has been properly
cooked and mixed, the bowls will be found to be quite
empty, but if there is any left over, inquiry should at once
be made into the capabihties of the head cook. The dogs
that require extra feeding, should, in most cases, be placed
under his particular care as to their food, and he should
carry on this treatment in conjunction with the head
nurse kennelman, who will also be watching the general
health of these animals which require this extra attention,
while not actually needing removal to the hospital. During
the war, it was, of course, impossible to obtain milk, or fish,
for extra feeding purposes, or for sick dogs ; but it was
found, that by utilizing the best portions of the meat,
and making strong soups, wonderfully successful results
were obtained with weakly dogs. Much of this success,
however, depends on the intelligence and capacity of the
head cook, and he is a very important person indeed in
the War Dog School, as the welfare of the entire kennel
is, to a great extent, in his keeping. A meal of raw meat
makes a change, which the dogs enjoy very much, and
Sunday is a good day to select for this, as it involves less
labour. A feed of plain, uncooked biscuits can sometimes
Part olthf ti
inino on.un.lal llir \V:m !•.- -.I.
[Tv 'ntrp.
la^-'^-
OIT to the trainino oround.
'J'raitiino war doi-s to cross obstacles
iTofaiep. 1'73.
Management of War Dog School l»78
be given, as the hard food is good for the dogs' teeth ; but
this should not be given often, as most dogs do not rehsh
it, and do not eat enough.
It is highly necessary that all the dogs, especially the
running dogs, should be well nourished. At the end of
their training, under proper conditions, and when the work
is not too much hurried, each dog should be fairly stout,
but not fat, and with well-developed muscles. It will be
understood that when once the fact of the necessity of the
dogs was established, great pressure was brought that dogs
should be turned out as rapidly as possible, and therefore
the question of getting them quickly into fit, hard condi-
tion, under which the}'' could profit by their training, was
a very anxious and difficult one. I certainly found, that
the most rapid and successful results were obtained by
keeping the food and warmth question to the forefront, in
dealing with the young recruits, and keeping a strong control
over all methods of dosing and doctoring. In training the
permanent staff of the War Dog School, most of whom were
selected from among gamekeepers and hunt servants, I
had, in every case, to impress this form of treatment very
firmly, as it is a curious fact, that the usual method of
treating a new acquirement in the dog line, is to imme-
diately begin to doctor it in some form or other. Every
expert has an infallible nostrum of his own. This ten-
dency must be severely repressed, on behalf of the victim
—the dog. It may be said-, that the kennel, where there
is a large, and very complete, much-used medicine chest,
is badly managed, and the expert who can show empty
medicine shelves, is much more likely to have healthy,
happy dogs. I may say, also, that those men who turned
out the best keepers in the school, very soon came to see.
that the results obtained, by not treating the dog as a sort
i8
274 British War Dogs
of sieve for tonics, purges, etc., but by adopting a simple,
practical process of management, were much more satis-
factory, rapid and wholesome.
The only building, where it is satisfactory to have artifi-
cial heat, is in the hospital, for severe cases of illness. A
hut, warmed by stoves, will be found useful. The floor
should be concrete, with easily flushed drains, and the
movable kennels should be carried in here, as required.
They can be placed as near to the stoves as may be neces-
sary, according to the condition and temperature of the
animal. The dog may be left to rest quietly in its kennel
in this pleasant warmth, and with a soft, comfortable
bed of straw, will be likely to throw off its complaint. It
is also advisable that it should wear a coat. This warmed
house will, however, only be needed in winter. In summer
time, the open-air treatment is far the best, and the hos-
pital should then take the form of a section of movable
kennels, well removed from the rest of the school, and
placed in a grass field. The worst cases can be chained to
their kennels in the ordinary way, but those which are con-
valescent can be placed on the running wires, of which there
should be a number. There should be more wires than
dogs, so that the latter can be shifted about, and the
ground should not be allowed to get too much used.
A few words as to the best position to choose for the
Training School might be of service. There are many con-
siderations to be taken into account, and certain unforeseen
difficulties may arise, small in themselves, but which may
upset all the other advantageous conditions. First of all,
the surface of the ground must be of such a variable
character, that it presents every sort of feature, which a
battle-field possesses. Thus, broken ground, with ditches,
water-courses, bogland, etc., is very suitable. The ground
Management of War Dog School 275
at Shoeburyness, where the War Dt)g School was first
started, was extremely satisfactory from this point of view,
as all these features were represented in the marshes by
the sea. It was unfortunate that the area was too con-
fined when, later on, a greatly increased establishment
was ordered by the War Office. The change, however,
to the New Forest was in no way disadvantageous in this
respect, as the trackless woods, deep heather, bogs and
streams, all added to the difficulties of the messenger dogs'
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 were
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 \vet,
(which many dogs do), it will come in time to plunge into
a canal or river, and come home to its kennel to rest, with-
out taking any harm, having been hardened up to this
point, by being first trained through wet grass or heather,
and across shallow streams. A paragraph from an official
report which bears on this point, when referring to the
working of the messenger dogs, may be quoted :
" The average distance from battalions to brigades, was
about three and a half kilometres, and the time taken
averaged twenty minutes. The best time was twelve
minutes for three and a half kilometres. . . . There were
one or two obstacles to be surmounted, viz. : m some
cases two lines of ^vire, and in others, a canal to be crossrH.
Most of the dogs swam across."
lo*
76 British War Dogs
When under training, the newly-arrived dog, however,
should be hand-dried, if it comes in with its coat thoroughly
wet, as just at first they are apt to get chilled, from this
unusual condition. In winter time, also, all the dogs
under training must have good warm beds of straw to dry
themselves in. Those of more hardened condition, can be
allowed to dry themselves in the straw, but it is a good
plan, if it is very cold weather and they are very wet, and
have been long journeys, to shut the doors of their kennels
for a couple of hours, as they dry much more quickly in
this way, and warm themselves up better. This advice
applies also to wet days, as well as wet ground. If the
weather is very wet, it is better to defer the training until
it has cleared. When the dog is thoroughly broken and
hardened, it will be able to stand any sort of weather
condition without harm, but with several hundred dogs in
varying degrees of training and health, the Commandant
will be wise to defer the work for a few hours, even at the
risk of losing this valuable time, (and in war-time every
half-hour is of importance), if he wishes to avoid a crop of
chills and complaints in a certain proportion of the dogs.
During heavy rain, in fact, they should have the doors of
their kennels closed. This may seem unduly pampering,
but it is my experience that if care is exercised at this
period of training to keep the dogs warm and dry when at
rest, they harden much more quickly than if they are asked
to face too severe conditions at first. In summer time, of
course, this question of chill and damp does not so much
arise, and usually the sun is hot enough to dry the coats
after April ; but even in the summer the dogs under training,
messenger dogs especially, should not be allowed to stand
outside their kennels in heavy rain,
^r Another extremely important point, in regard to the
Management of War Dog School -77
training ground is, that it should be within reach of vil-
lages, and of roads along which heavy traflic may be
expected, as the messenger dog has to meet all these con-
ditions at the Front. The villages present the greatest
temptation to the dogs on account of the ash-heaps, food-
shops and also the allurement of pleasant chats with local
canine busybodies, who thoroughly delight in holding up
a messenger dog, which may be conscientiously endeavour-
ing to do its duty. The difficulty of the village dog at the
front was one, which had to be taken seriously into con-
sideration, and it would be better in future to face this
situation in a more practical manner. In France, there
were such large numbers of stray dogs in the devastated
areas, that their presence was sometimes a serious menace
to the successful working of the messenger dogs. In order
to remedy this state of affairs, large numbers of these dogs
were ordered to be destroyed by the G.O.C. in the various
districts. This order was, from many points of view, con-
sidered a stern necessity at the time, but was a pity, as if
it had been realized at first, how valuable the services of
dogs would become to the Army, and how unequal would
be the available supply to the demand, ever}' one of these
dogs would have been of use in some form or otliL-r,
either to the British or the French Army. It should,
therefore, be remembered in future, that while all dogs
should be cleared from the war area, so as to leave the
neighbourhood free for the military dogs, they should n(jt
be destroyed, but should be sent to the training centre,
there to be adapted to the needs of the Army.
While under training, the messenger dogs must be run
as much as possible through the villages, and it is a good
plan to station a man in the village street, to see the dogs
pass through, and to note the behaviour of each one under
278 British War Dogs
temptation, and to make a report on the matter to the
instructor. I found it convenient, also, to have a good,
trustworthy member of the training staff detailed to follow
the working of the dogs on a bicycle. On this he was able
to make a rapid survey of a large number of dogs, when
on their homeward journey, and also to notice if the men
themselves, who were sent to the school for training, and
whose duty it was to take the dogs outward, were reliable.
This man should be a non-commissioned officer, and should
be especially chosen, as one likely to do his duty in this
respect honourably, and fearlessly. It is for him to report
any irregularity whatever, as to the conduct of the men on
the road, either by dishonesty on their part in not going to
the outward posts as ordered, or loitering on the way, or
as to any rough treatment towards the dogs. It is advisable
also that one of the officers of the training establishment,
should also make unexpected rounds, either on a bicycle,
or in a motor, as it is only by ceaseless vigilance, that
a true estimate of the character of the men who are to
handle the dogs in the field, can be obtained, and I have
several times spoken of the extreme importance of allowing
none but the very best characters, to pass into the Mes-
senger Service. The natural tendency of the men to shield
each other, has always to be taken into account, but it
is fortunate that, in war-time especially, the sense of
obligation to King and country will, with an ordinary
upright soldier, override any personal temptation to screen
a dishonest keeper.
There are some dogs which, while they are very plucky
in every other direction, have a strain of timidity in their
natures in relation to strange people, and these dogs often
avoid villages if they can, and put themselves to great
trouble to go round them instead. This disposition in the
Management of War Dog School 279
messenger dog is of great value, as it is, thcrcf.^ro, saved
much temptation.
There should certainly be some high roads within reach
of the school, along which lorry traffic travels. These noisy,
lumbering vehicles are apt to scare a young dog, especially
on a narrow road or street, and they have to learn to go
past them under all circumstances. Dogs, when running
by themselves, are much more careful, than when they arc
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 training,
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 reverberations
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 surface,
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 availabihty 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 met
in places where there are no guns.
280 British War Dogs
I have frequently emphasized the importance of propa-
ganda work amongst the troops, on behalf of the dogs,
and I would also mention the extreme urgency, that the
G.O.C. of corps should take an interest in them. That he
should personally inspect them occasionally, and call for
reports on their work. The official report of the officer in
charge of messenger dogs in the iield sa^^s :
" Wherever the G.O.C. of a corps took interest in the
kennels, allotted to his corps, good work was obtained from
the dogs. This was especially noticeable with VIIL, XIX.,
XXXII. Corps."
Another excellent recommendation is as follows :
" Commanders lack confidence in this means of com-
munication until actually proved, and, therefore, every
opportunity must be utilized of employing dogs during quiet
periods between battles."
This process of education of public opinion on behalf
of the dogs would be part of the propaganda I have already
recommended elsewhere. Seeing, however, that it is now
stated that dogs should be used as a means of communica-
tion, this will always help greatly in the future in impress-
ing the fact, that they are considered one of the necessities
of modern warfare, and officers who have never had their
attention directed in this direction before, will now be com-
pelled to inquire into the subject. That they will be
repaid by its interesting nature, I can well assure them.
There is little doubt, but that dogs as an auxiliary to
the soldier, have come to stay in our army, at all events,
in the case of operations on a large scale, but that their
use should be greatly extended in various directions in
time of war, and that they should also remain on the per-
manent estabhshment of the peace-time army, so that the
training work can be experimented upon and perfected
Management of War Dog School i»si
and that there may not again be that dilliculty. and strain
of collecting and training hundreds of dog^ in a very sliort
period, is an argument I would very strongly urge as being
worthy of consideration by our authorities. The heavy
weight of indifference and prejudice, that had to bo over-
come, in the first years of the war, in the mind of the average
British officer, and the fact, that when the subject was
actually endorsed by the War Office, all form of propaganda
was practically forbidden, resulted, that even up to the
signing of the Armistice, there was an enormous propor-
tion of our officers and men, who took no interest what-
ever, in the matter, chiefly because they were quite ignorant
as to the results obtained. It must, therefore, be taken
into consideration, in the future, that there is at present,
a large section of public opinion, which might be incHned
to express an opinion on the subject, which is really not
qualified to do so, because insufficiently instructed. Tlie
fact must also always be remembered, which I have several
times pointed out, that whenever anything new is being
considered in this country, the national attitude of mind
is generally that of inquiring as to whether it has ever been
done before, and if they cannot fmd any evidence on this
point, to condemn the whole thing out of hand. There is
a tendency to regard with suspicion things that are new,
simply because they are so. As a matter of fact, the em-
ployment of dogs in warfare is not new, but the average
person is not aware of that.
I well remember meeting a distinguished General, some
years before the war, who had a good deal of power to bring
progressive measures to the notice of the highest military
authorities of the time. I ventured to suggest that it
might be worth while to devote some study to the question
of Army dogs. He replied, that he was not only not
282 British War Dogs
interested in the subject, but strongly disapproved oi such
measures.
" My own action as a commanding officer would be to
prohibit, under all circumstances, the use of dogs, in any
connection, with a regiment in the field."
It is with the deepest regret that I remember this con-
versation, in view of the fact, that later this officer's
cherished only son was killed in the war, under circum-
stances, that could probably have been reversed, had the
regiment, to which the poor lad belonged, been provided
with a few messenger dogs.
An important question arises when selecting a suitable
training site, in connection with live stock. No time must
be wasted by breaking the dogs to sheep, cattle, etc., for
the obvious reason, that they do not have temptations of
this sort on the battlefield, all herds and flocks having
been cleared by the fleeing inhabitants or by the enemy.
Therefore, the immediate vicinity of the training ground
must not be too much of a pasturage ; thus the young dog,
when it commences its training, is not distracted by any
temptation to chase. Later on, when the idea of its work
is fairly firmly established, and it is beginning to make
journeys from the surrounding country further afield, it
will not be so likely to interfere with any animals, as it
will, by this time, have one definite idea implanted in its
mind, to the exclusion of others. It will thus be seen,
how similar is the dog to man in the fact, that when
doing useful work, its thought does not stray to evil,
and the well known verse of the friend of our child-
hood— Mr. Watts — applies to the canine race as well as
to our own :
" And Satan finds some mischief still.
For idle hands to do."
Management of War Dog School 'jhs
During all the months of training', whon lumiln-tls •>(
dogs had been running for miles nnmd the tl■ainin^' ^,'round,
there were only about four or five complaints of animals
being molested, and I have seen the dogs pass throuf^li
chicken yards, flocks of sheep, and herds of cattle %vithout
noticing them. But in order to attain this state of recti-
tude, they must not be tempted too early in the trainint,',
and all flocks should be ordered off the immediate noi,t,'h-
bourhood of the kennels, and also for this reason downland,
where the sheep can be seen for miles, would not be suitable
territory to select.
CHAPTER XI
CONCLUSION
" The poor dog, in life the firmest friend,
The first to welcome, foremost to defend.
Whose honest heart is still his master's own.
Who labours, fights, lives, breathes for him alone."
Byron.
AT the present time the energies of our statesmen are
directed to the conservation of the nation's finances,
and rightly so. Hereby is necessitated the wholesale
closing down of the countless departments that owe their
being and growth to the exigencies of war. I would, there-
fore, like to point out, that there may be danger in this
policy, in that certain branches, which in themselves make
for economy, may be swept out of existence. In the case
of the army dogs, it may be said, that it would be difficult
to find a department from which such a standard of money-
saving output, could be procured at such a low cost.
On a peace footing, the Training School could be run
on a very economical scale, and a steady supply of guard,
messenger, and sentry dogs could be sent out at small
cost as required. I think I have shown, by what is pre-
viously stated in this book, that one of the chief advantages
obtained from the employment of dogs, has been the great
saving of man-power. Now this advantage would always
be maintained relatively, no matter how much the army
may be reduced.
284
Conclusion 285
It would, therefore, be advisable that a certain nucleus
of the school should be maintained at one of the miUtary
training grounds. Here, under expert supervision, a
certain number of dogs would be kept in training ready for
drafting to any unit at home or abroad. All expeditionary
forces to any part of the world should be supplied with a
certain number of dogs of the three classes mentioned, and
all our home stations, where there are vulnerable points
of any sort, and which need guarding, should requisition
dogs from the school. It would be found that large
economies would be effected, by the safeguarding of valuable
material, as the guard work would be very much more
efficiently done with the aid of dogs, and also that the
numbers of sentries could everywhere be reduced.
I would, however, again emphasize the very important
fact, that this work can only be effective if carried on under
expert management, as has been done during the war.
Supervision requires to be kept up over those dogs drafted
out, and this the O.C. at the Training School docs by
inspection or reports. The dogs need changing at times
for the purposes of rest, or are not properly managed
or posted, and this is soon rectitied under correct
control.
I may say that I had experience before the war, which
confirms the above remarks. A certain official depart-
ment bought some dogs from my kennels for guarding work
at certain vulnerable areas. These dogs gave great satis-
faction, and it was proposed to extend the idea. I was
anxious to help, and offered them dogs at a price which
was then under their actual value to me. The department
officials, however, undertook to carry out the work on their
own understanding, and procured a number of dogs. Tlicse
were not properly trained or managed, and I heard c<»rn-
286 British War Dogs
plaints were expressed afterwards. Without expert super-
vision th>e work need not be attempted.
The 'War Dog School might also be affiliated with the
police force of the country, whereby trained patrol dogs
could be served out for use in disturbed areas, in the
suburbs and all lonely beats. The dogs thus trained could
always be quickly mobilized for the army in time of war and
would be of the highest service at all times.
In utilizing dogs for war purposes, there are sometimes
protests expressed by those who think that this dear friend
of man should not be drawn into the conflicts of man's
making.
There is a story told that soon after the Creation, a great
chasm began to open up in the ground, and man found
himself on one side of it while all the animal creation was
on the other. All the animals remained indifferent and
acquiescent to the separation. The dog alone betrayed
despair. With pitiful whining and imploring gestures,
it strove to attract the man's attention across the widening
chasm. The man gazed at the dog's wistful eyes and said :
" Come ! " The dog jumped, and just reached the other
side with his front paws. " You shall be my comrade,"
said the man, and reached out his arm and drew the dog
up to safety beside him.
One"7hay smile at this legendary story, but, nevertheless,
the gulf which separates the intelligence of the dog from
that of any other animal is very marked, and one notices
this more than ever when one commences to train animals.
The first and most striking difference is the joy of service.
One may train other animals, such as horses, donkeys,
cats, etc., and they will attain high standards of obedience
and usefulness, but their work is all done more or less under
compulsion, and with a sense of toil. The dog, on the
Conclusion mk7
other hand, leaps to his master's side when then* is a
prospect of working with him or for him. Hon; is n.> tc.il,
but joy and fervent co-operation, and a great sons** of
honourable calhng. The moral sense is very highly deve-
loped in the dog, and is very much appealed to when dog
is asked to work for man. Willingness to servo, and a
strong sense of right and wrong, are characteristics mani-
fested from which many human beings might draw inspira-
tion for their own actions. The good trainer will work on
these two qualities, in the first place, and to these will soon
be added unlimited love from the pupil. It is on this basis
that all training work should be done. Coercion never
accomplishes any reliable results. This statement is
obvious, when it is recognized that those qualities which
should be appealed to in the dog are immortal and actual,
and are not subject to variableness, but rest on their own
foundations. As these are cultivated there is delinite
reliability to depend on, which exists of itself as apart from
any will power on the part of the trainer. No whips should
exist in the training school and are never necessary ;
gentle, steady routine work is the right method of impressing
the dog's intelligence, and kindly encouragement and
caresses, will meet its desire to understand, better than
coercive measures or rebukes.
It should clearly be understood, therefore, that the trained
dog considers himself highly honoured by his positi(»n as
a servant of His Majesty, and renders no reluctant service.
From my observation along this line I have, in fact, come
to the conclusion that a dog trained to some deJinitc work,
is happier than the average loafing dog, no matter how
kindly the latter may be treated. I certainly found this
to be the case with the army dogs. Their intelligence very
much increases as the training work proceeds, and thoir
288 British War Dogs
demeanour of alert happiness equally so, while the working
hours are eagerly looked forward to. Where the average
person may not be in a position to observe the truth of
this statement with regard to military dogs, he can always
verify it to the extent of watching a shepherd's dog at work
with the sheep. How seriously it takes its duties, how
ardently it devotes its whole intelligence and attention to
the sheep ! One can imagine how heart-broken it would
be at being prevented from doing this work 1 Could many
human beings surpass it in sincerity and determination of
faithful purpose ? Could many even equal it ?
Recognizing this wonderful living tie between man
and dog, the question may be asked : Is it not right and
just that in this great War for Principle, when everyone
who is brave and good in the Empire, has given of his
best, that the dog — man's faithful, loving " pal," — should
also be allowed to take part in the great Cause ? The British
Army will never fight except in a righteous cause, and the
dog can safely be allowed the great honour of assisting.
THE END
Printed at The Chapel River Press, Kingston, Surrey.
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