At the present moment most of the modern armies employ dogs, although
naturally opinions differ as to the most suitable type of dog. The
Russians have adopted the Caucasian dog; Austria, Dalmatians; Turkey,
Asiatic Sheepdogs; France and Belgium, the smugglers’ dogs of the
Belgium frontier; while Germany uses Collies, Pointers and Airedales. So
far the British Army has ignored the value of trained dogs, though the
Admiralty some five years ago instituted a scheme for the use of dogs in
naval stations ashore. Major Richardson believes that the only really
useful dogs are the Airedale, Sheepdog, and Bloodhound.
What part dogs will play in the present great conflict time only will
show, but that it will probably be a large one may be gathered from the
fact that the German army alone possesses over 6,000.
[Illustration:
_Corps of Sentry Dogs_
]
The importance of determining some efficient and economical form of
traction for Infantry machine guns had been under consideration in
Belgium before the war. Up till recently, pack-horse transport had been
considered the most satisfactory system. Exhaustive trials between this
method and that of wheel traction by a pair of dogs of a breed known in
that country as the Belgian Mastiff, have, however, resulted in favour
of the latter, and the final adoption of this mode of transport for the
Machine Gun Units of the Belgium Army. This form of traction is not
novel in Belgium in civil life. According to the Journal of the Royal
Artillery the breeding of dogs for light draught purposes has long been
in vogue in that country, for the purpose of conveying farm produce from
the country into the towns. Dog traction is employed by the country
people—milkmen, bakers, greengrocers, and many artisans with light
carts—in conducting their trade and business. There are reckoned to be
50,000 dogs available for this purpose in Belgium, of which 10,000 are
in Brussels alone. They are found to be admirably suited for the
purpose. Their bodies are thick-set, loins strong, and they have deep
chests, and muscular limbs. A dog of 110 lbs. weight is capable of
drawing on a good road a load of 880 lbs., and a horse 1,100 to 1,300
lbs. (or ten times and upwards the weight of one of these dogs), cannot
draw much more than the equivalent increase of his weight. With an
average load of 660 lbs. behind the team on good roads, a dog can keep
up for long distances a pace of 4 or 5 miles an hour; for several
hundred yards he can attain a speed of from 6 to 7 miles an hour.
The price of a pack-horse is not less than £40, and his daily forage may
be reckoned to cost about ¼–½ a day, without taking into consideration
the construction and upkeep of his stable. The pack-saddle costs about
£15, whereas dog harness can be purchased for the pair of dogs for
something less than £4. A male dog costs £4, and his food per day
amounts to about 4½d. Finally, the small carriage for the machine gun or
ammunition cart costs about £8, and the net cost for construction and
upkeep of kennels is something small. Moreover, as the dog does not
require shoes, lameness is rare, which we well know from the enormous
distances he can go when hunting. He is intelligent and docile, and puts
all his heart into serving his master faithfully under all
circumstances. The length of his military service may be taken at from
eight to nine years. The discipline of the trained dog is such that an
untrained dog, harnessed with him, would be compelled to submit to all
the movements of the former. On the march, and under fire, one can rely
on his working till absolutely exhausted or mortally wounded. These are
the qualities which can be developed in the breeding kennel, and in his
subsequent training. The four wheels of the little gun carriage are made
of tubes of steel, light, low and stable, and fitted with pneumatic
tires. The carriage complete does not weigh more than 220 lbs., and is
easily dragged by the team of two dogs, or eventually carried by the
four members of the detachment. Its height and breadth are each about 31
inches. The trials were carried out to test the following: Visibility,
mobility on roads and across country, overcoming obstacles, and
resistance to fatigue. They lasted three weeks in bad weather, during
which a distance of 250 miles was covered. The six pack-horses were
wither-galled, and had to be successively replaced but not so the dogs.
On the march across country, or commons, of from 1½ to 3 miles, where
the ground presented obstacles or was broken up, the dogs gained without
doubt in mobility and speed over the horses, especially when ditches,
hedges and low walls had to be negotiated. The teams crossed with ease
ploughed land and crops, copses and banks. Assisted by the detachments
they crossed over deep ditches and steep slopes. The horses showed signs
of fatigue long before the dogs. The latter were afraid of nothing, and
followed perfectly the member of the detachment charged with leading
each team. They lay down or resumed the order of march on a signal,
without even barking, and in perfect order.
The smallest fold in the ground concealed the teams, and at 300 yards
distance, nothing of them could be distinguished. Coming into or out of
action was more rapidly effected than in the case of the pack-horses.
[Illustration:
_Dog Harness_
]
The regiments to which they were attached had three sections, each of 2
guns and 4 ammunition carts, requiring 36 dogs for the 18 vehicles.
In action the dogs gave every satisfaction, and whilst halted in
positions of readiness for often considerable periods, they lay down
quietly waiting in their harness.
In coming into action the Nos. 1 had sometimes to creep on in front,
accompanied by the team driver of each gun, in order to choose their
positions in actions. At a signal, the teams moved quickly up into the
emplacements when, the detachments having brought the guns into action,
the empty carriages with their drivers proceeded to the rear and
rejoined the ammunition carts under cover.
The trials indeed were so successful that orders were issued to erect,
for all infantry regiments, kennels for a dozen dogs per unit, and at
Beverloo a remount and training establishment for these dogs was to be
formed.
It is even reported in the course of the campaign, in Belgium that the
war dogs of the machine guns took a still more active part by “going
for” German soldiery.
[Illustration:
_The Ambulance Dog at Work_
]