TRAINED DOGS FOR TRACKING CRIMINALS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 16

TRAINED DOGS FOR TRACKING CRIMINALS.

AN OTAKI MAN'S SUGGESTIONS. (From Oub Own Cobbespondent.) WELLINGTON, April 19. Some of the incidents in the hunt for Powelka drew suggestions from many; quarters as to the use of dogs in tracking criminals and other "wanted" persons. It was (says the Post) distinctly affirmed! that if suitably-trained dogs had been put on the scent while it was fresh Powelka would not have been so long at large as he was—they would soon have tracked him down to his lair. Some confirmation of this argument was given to a Post reporter by tests of trained dogs witnessed yesterday. The dogs belonged to Mr A. J. Knocks, an old Tesident of Otaki, who has made a hobby of training the animals. They were two— Watch and Wag, father and son. Watch is a purebred Russian collie, somewhat like a retriever in has build, with black curly hair, but different in the shape of the head and the shaggy locks about his muzzle. Wag, whese mother is a Scotch collie, is utterly unlike his father, being in colour a sort of pinky grey, and in hair very long and shaggy all over. The special capacity of these animals for tracking .was discovered by Mr Knocks some time ago, when Mrs Knocks was in the hospital at Otaki. The dog Watch disappeared one morning, and returned shortly afterwards bearing in his mouth a handkerchief which Mr Knocks recognised as belonging to his wife. To make sure he sent the dog away with a note to the hospital, asking his wife to say if the dog had called. The hospital is more than a mile away from, the homestead, but within 12 minutes the dog was back with a note from Mrs Knocks to say it was quite true tha*b he .had called and would not go away without some token. From that time forward Mr Knocks began to train Watch. He sent him up regularly to the hospital with flowers, getting a note back in return. Then he taught the dog to lead Ms horse back home from. the township to Otakd. to pick np parcels, and bring iheia to hi? master., and generally to Bee almost human intelligence. Examples of this the Post representative saw yesterday. He saw the dog. -which was sent after a hyy. fetch ikhrf ba.dk as readily as possible. boldine on by his coat sleeve. He saw t£e doa: retrieve a leather saddle-bag laid by his master on th& opposite side of the Basin Reserve under a fence when the dog's hesd was kept turned the opposite way all the time so that he should not see which way his master went, and this was in a. place where the scent wss verv liable to be broken by a number of small boys crossing and recrossing the line. Again both dogs would retrieve eggs without breaking them—a really clever feat, —nicking them up in their mouths and bringing them considerable distances. Mr Knocks says that on the farm at Otaki the dog Watch will often ero out and fetch in eggs laid out in the bush, and he has never known a breakage to occur. Another gift they have is to tap at the door with their tails. Their intelliffence is unmistakable here, as they will continue knocking till the dbor is opened. As to actual tracking, Mr Knocks says this: If. for instance] Powelka or any ■other escaped prisoner. were assumed tobe in a certain place the dogs would be loosed near that place. Thev would follow the freshest scent, and in the open country round a place like Palmeraton would quickly run the man down, and once they cornered a man they would never leave him. Mr Knocks considers that every police station should be equipped with at least a: couple of dogs so: trained. They would be found of the greatest use.