Courier And Message Carrier Dogs

It is safe to say that the average man or woman has no conception of the extremely important part played by the dog in war.

For generations we have called the dog the friend of man without thinking very deeply, perhaps, just what that friendship entails. In war it means going with man into the turmoil of battle, without regard to danger, suffering, freezing cold and burning heat simply because, having elected to work with man, he refuses to desert him, come what may.

It is easy enough to claim that the dog does these things because he has no imagination and cannot therefore count the cost of his sacrifice. But is that quite fair? Perhaps not. So rather than question the source of his bravery, let us give credit where credit is due for a measure of selfless devotion to man's cause unmatched by that of any soldier of the battlefield.

Consider the courier or message-carrier dog. To name just a few of his duties, he transports pigeons, draws telephone wires, delivers ammunition to the front, and carries myriad small articles necessary to the conduct of the war. And he performs these services with a precision that is amazing.

Training for work of this type must be painstakingly done for mistakes would be costly; and it includes as a vital cog in the wheel, the selection of trainers particularly well fitted for handling highly intelligent dogs. The ideal trainer is a soldier who regards dogs with affection but not sentimentalism; in other words, a man who knows how, by kindly methods, to get the utmost in performance from his canine pupils. More, as these trainers work in teams, they must be men who can get along well with each other.

As distinctly opposed to other types of training, a courier dog work demands the assignment of two guides to each dog. AH three—the two men and the dog—start by spending considerable time together because it is essential that each learn as much as possible of the other's personality, temperament and reaction to various situations.

The initial step, and a highly important one, is for both guides to gain the confidence of the dog. This is the foundation stone upon which is built proficiency in the exercises to come. Let the guides take turns in reviewing with the dog the fundamental exercises of heeling on and off leash, sitting, stopping on command, etc., occupying two or three 30-minute periods per day for several days. And bear in mind that the guides must work as a team, by acquiring the habit of issuing commands identical as regards speech and gesture. Then, after the dog has been under perfect control of the two guides for at least two weeks, he may proceed with his real courier education.

The Messenger (Courier) Dog is equipped witha waterproof container in which the message is inserted and carried by the dog.

The Homing-Pigeon Carrier Dog carries two pigeons with him on his runs for messages for long distances, behind the battle lines.

The guides are stationed in an open field about twenty feet apart. The dog remains with one guide who plays with him for a few moments.The guide then orders the dog to the sit position and, as he watches him, rolls into a long, cylindrical shape a large white handkerchief to be used as a collar.This the guide fastens around the dog's neck. With the sharp command REPORT, he points with his right hand in the direction of the other guide twenty feet away.

(By means of the handkerchief, we play upon the dog's natural desire to please. The handkerchief differs markedly from all other appurtenances with which the dog has been trained to work. Large, flashy, eye-arresting, it points up this exercise in his mind. It is something entirely new which he "will want to carry in order to please his master.)

At first the dog will not understand. Though he has heard the order, he may do nothing but sit exactly as before. He may even attempt to tear off the strange collar, but this the guide must be quick to prevent. The dog's natural indecision at this point must be anticipated and corrected by the other guide who, immediately upon hearing his confederate order REPORT, calls the dog to him. Since the dog is equally familiar with the other guide, he will not hesitate to respond.

He starts out in the direction of the second guide, even as the first guide continues to issue the command REPORT interspersed with words of praise and encouragement. This tends to speed the dog on his way and when he reaches the second guide he should assume the sit position.

The second guide then praises the dog, meanwhile using rather spectacular gestures as he unties the handkerchief from the dog's neck. To relieve any possible tension, the guide plays with the dog for just a moment before ordering him again to the sitting position. Now he goes through once more the procedure of his team-mate in fastening a handkerchief on the dog's neck. But, the same handkerchief is not used for the return trip. Each guide in this exercise uses his own.

HOMING-PIGEON CARRIFR   IN ACTION
Left—the  basket  containing   the   pigeon,   carried   by   the   dog,  is opened.
Right—the pigeon is released and the dog watches it as it flies away.

Repeated several times the first day, the lesson is practiced daily thereafter, with the   distance   gradually increased until the guides are more than one hundred feet apart. Up to this time, the two guides have remained within sight of each other. However, as soon as the dog understands fully his mission in this exercise; that is, when he knows that he must proceed upon command directly from the dispatching guide to the receiving guide, then the call from the second or receiving guide may be eliminated and the trip made only under the stimulus of the command REPORT.

We have dealt up to now with the very simplest form of the exercise under consideration. When the rudiments have been mastered, we proceed to make the exercise more difficult by adding an obstacle. Both guides walk along with the dog. Suddenly Guide A leaves, goes off about fifty yards or so and hides behind a house, a haystack, a trench or some such obstacle. The dog is then dispatched to find Guide A.

It cannot be emphasized too highly that the same obstacle should never be used twice in succession, else the dog will expect to go to that place in anticipation of finding the guide in that particular spot. A wide variety of obstacles must be utilized at this point in the training so that no obstacle,—house, barn, haystack or whatever—becomes familiar.

The dog's sole attention must be directed to contact with the second guide; that is all that concerns him. He must find the other guide, even though he cannot see him when he starts out, and even though in order to find him he must circumvent buildings or obstructions of any kind,
size or shape.

And, to prevent confusion in the dog's mind, the distance from the dispatching guide to the obstacle or obstruction should not be too great at first, otherwise the dog may grow uncertain and be tempted to return without having reached his objective.

When this much of the exercise has been perfected, the distance is increased and another obstacle added. The dog must now learn to pass two houses in order to find the missing guide. Gradually the exercise is elaborated by an increase in the number and variety of the obstacles, and an increase in the distance also, until finally the dog locates the guide a mile or more away.

As soon as this much has been accomplished, a change is made to the dog's regular collar, an ordinary collar with an aluminum or similar container used to keep messages safe from dampness, dirt and possible loss.

The Messenger Dog with his high speed is a difficult target.
 
Throughout the entire period, the three members of the unit—the two guides and the dog—have been working constantly together with one purpose: to fix on the dog's mind the idea that he must find the missing master. Often conditions on the field of battle render teamwork impossible, and guides arc frequently separated. But if the dog knows what is wanted of him, he should be able to locate the missing master even at great distance, without undue difficulty, when sent in a given direction.

A somewhat different, and withal useful development of the exercise is as follows: Guide A hides a short distance away. The dog does not know where he is for he has not seen him go. Guide B gives the usual command and sign—REPORT, accompanied by the raised right arm and pointing hand—at the same time walking a few steps in the direction the dog is to proceed.

Should the dog show reluctance, as he may, to take the indicated direction, Guide B must encourage him forward by following slowly, though at the same time trying to increase the distance between the dog and himself. Gradually the dog will assume the lead, farther and farther in advance of Guide B.  In any case, the dog should read'

Guide A before Guide B reaches him, despite the fact that in order to encourage him the latter may have had to traverse the entire distance. When the dog finally reaches Guide A he will naturally jump up on him to express his joy. Guide A must respond m kind by showing just as great delight in the dog as the dog has shown in him. In this slight variation of the exercise also the distance is gradually increased up to about one mile.

Training directions for the return trip are unnecessary. Both guides have been working constantly with the dog: each has taken his turn in the intricacies of all procedures. Consequently the dog's training will result in this single idea: That when he is sent in a given direction, he must find one of his masters. Since he works equally well with both, he will respond to REPORT even from the master he has just reached with a message.

However, care may well be taken not to send the dog back immediately. Don't let him get the notion that he is not wanted; that he is being, shall we say, chased back? He must be taught by word and gesture that the master he is sent to find is as happy to see himas he is to see the master. In fact, a tangible reward for finding is a good thing. Let the receiving guide offer a piece of meat or other tidbit in recognition of the dog's successful journey.

The routes used for training purposes, and the type of terrain also over which the dog travels must be changed as frequently as possible, lest a certain kind of route become fixed in the dog's mind as associated with this exercise.   This is of especial importance in modern warfare with its absence of entrenchments and its constant mobility.

Receiving the Dog.

Since the primary object of the training we have just discussed is to present a pattern of behavior for the dog on the battlefield, the noise and confusion of actual warfare should be simulated. Gunfire, cannon shots, the sound of airplanes, the roar of tanks, all are valuable accompaniments to training. The smells of battle too should be present—gun smoke, gasoline fumes, blood. Useless indeed would be a type of training given only amid quiet surroundings when the training was designed for actual combat.  

Dispatching the dog in a given direction. The command: REPORT.

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