DOGS AS DETECTIVES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7450, 26 May 1911, Page 5

DOGS AS DETECTIVES

Mr 0. J. D. Clarke describes the use of dogs as policemen, in the “Pall Mall Magazine” for February, Ho says that the idea of organising a force of police dogs , at Hull was suggested by a visit of the cnief goods manager at Hull to Ghent two years ago, where he was struck with in© work done by the Belgian dogs. The Ghent canine police consists of forty highly-trained animals of a kind of Flemish sheep dog breed. They are almost all mongrels. After much difficulty, the JNorth Eastern railway police were induced to try the experiment. „ The inspector in charge at Hull preferred the Airedale I brood, and secured a couple .of good | specimens. Prom these two the numbers have been added to until efficient forces aer now working, not only at Hall, but at Liverpool and Tyne dock, -and they are to bo extended throughout the railway system. The predominant feature of the Airedales is their aggressiveness. The Paris dog police were fhostly, mixtures of the retriever and Newfoundland breeds, but they have lately adopted dogs of greater pugnacity to deal with the Apaches. The dogs at Hull are only taken out at night when nono but policemen ouerht to be about the docks They are trained to fly at any civilian. They sally forth, muzzled, led by a policeman, but in cases of necessity simple pressure of the thumb will release the muzzle and leash When they first started, they used to turn out fifty or sixty tramps a night, but now “there is not enough to do to keep them in order.” The most obdurate trespassers surrender to the potree when the officer threatens to fake the* dog's muzzle off. So far, however, the threat has been sufficient. No prisoner has yet been bitten.