Dogs as Beasts of Burden:

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 17, 30 April 1908, Page 31

Dogs as Beasts of Burden :

In maray parts of the Continent dogs .are freely used as beasts of burden, and in Brussels V& numfcter of specially trained dcgo are enrolled in the police force; and accompany the night - men on their rounds. Some of the Continental armies are also busy experimenting as to the use of dogs in tine of war. Writing in the ' Windsor Magazine,"] Mr. Irving . Montagu' ,gives -a chatty account of jwhat is being done in this direction. In Silesaa the* German military authorities have conducted a series of most interesting experiments for testing the value of watch dogs, their capability for carrying back a message from a reconnoitring party to the rear, conveying ammunition to a given point, and barring— even in some cases * pointing '—on the discovery of wounded men who would probably have been unseen" owing to roqky or w°oded surroundings, or, otherwise playing some new or' useful part in" connection) with future campaigns. The doa^s experimented- with- arer German pointers, sheep- dogs, • collies, • . spaniels, ' fooarhoundsi, St. Bernards, and Russian Borzo hounds.' For ambulance work and • for- carrying -ammunition and stores light carts are used. A certain ..Signor de Rossi", who is ■ much interested in +he subject, has invented, ongst other things, a canvas satchel, which is carried, on the acfitnal's' loins, and is intended to be used in ccn'-eyinrr ammunfition to the- front-. In th<* Alpine' branch of thb Italian army, the lonely sentinel's com- ' pantfon ■ through, the night is Ms -dog, and many instances might be quoted in which this four-footed patrol has been of great service. -