Defense Work with the guard Dog

DEFENSE WORK WITH THE GUARD DOG

CHAPTER VIII

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I. GENERAL

0pinions differ as to the best methods of teaching manwork. This diversity is due partly to the variability of service requirements. If impetuosity were to become a habit with a police dog, the animal would be a danger to the police service.

The police dog used for escort service should not at first be trained to show hostility to strangers in the presence of his master but only to remain neutral. Hostility should not be shown until the handler utters a certain auditory signal. When the dog hears this he begins to observe strangers and takes up a hostile attitude if they make any hurried movement. He will oppose any attack or flight by the stranger by seizing him with his teeth.

These requirements will seem contradictory only to those who fail to understand canine aptitudes. Canine powers of apprehension, though very limited in comparison with those of a grown man, do enable the animal to act on the receipt of certain stimuli. While the handler is present strangers are not enemies at first. The auditory signal alters this pattern and produces in the dog a hostile attitude to strangers. The consequence is, not that the animal will bite, but that he will watch a stranger's movements and bark at him. This change in behaviour does not, of course, occur through the working of the dog's intelligence. His attitude is the result of events which have become connected with the auditory signal in previous exercises. A naturally friendly and good humoured dog may thus be turned, in a trice, to a hostile one. This behaviour is indispensable in a police dog; it may also be appropriate in a mere housedog. But training alone is not enough; the dog's temperament must be right. Timid animals, for instance, are always suspicious and therefore hostile and prone to bite.

Methods of training the police dog and the housedog differ in the following way. The handler of a police dog has weapons that strike and shoot, while the householder is usually unarmed.

The latter's dog therefore is his only protection, apart from his own strength. Those who hold anthropomorphic views on 'brave' and 'cowardly' dogs may wish to have a dog with the attributes often shown in working trials. Here he may appear to be the 'bravest' animal in the world, not to be diverted from his purpose by the blows of a stick administered by a sham criminal in protective clothing, but ready to defend his master 'to the death'. The expert knows, however, that these heroes of the trial ground may well prove useless bundles of nerves on active service. Their actual lack of interest in defense may in fact have been effaced by regular experience of fights involving no danger, and victories over a 'criminal' in protective clothing who is always the same man. It may be urged that this type of dog is clearly showing 'mettle' under test, since he does not flinch under blows from the stick. But, in fact, these blows excite just enough pain to stimulate highly the animal's resentment and resistance. It is possible to make even timid and sensitive dogs indifferent to the stick up to a certain point, for it should be remembered that resentment drastically lowers sensibility to pain. How will a dog which 'stands up to sticks and blows' get on with a real test? He will then be exposed to the greatest danger, for a real criminal will wield a heavy cudgel with all his strength. And a dog attacking a criminal armed in this way usually gets hurt and is unable to help its master.

This is the first reason why a service dog should be given training in a different type of defense. An absolutely necessary condition of his work is that when he is attacked with a stick in the absence of his handler he should not retaliate with his teeth but evade the blows and run round the assailant in a circle, or remain near him, barking. It is necessary to differentiate between the position of a householder and that of the service dog handler. The former is concerned with unconditional defense against the assault of a criminal who is perhaps threatening his life. Only in such a case could a very impetuous animal be of use. But the handler of a dog in the public service is called on to deal with different kinds of situations. His animal is required not only for defense against possible personal attacks, but is also employed to search tracts of open country for human beings or inanimate objects. Where the former are concerned it is important that the dog should not bite, but stand and bark. For this reason alone the training given to a service dog must be of a special kind. Innocent people may well be found in the district being searched. What would happen if a dog that 'stands sticks and blows' is hit by an innocent man out of fear? Apart from this, the service dog completely meets requirements, even in the case of dangerous criminals, if he merely evades the blows and circles round barking, so long as the handler is still absent. If the dog finds a harmless individual or an actual criminal in the district, it will fulfil its purpose if it stays near the man barking, but not biting and not retaliating. An innocent man will then remain where he is until the dog's handler arrives and as for the criminal, here, too, the primary requirement is that he should not be attacked by the animal, providing he submits quietly to arrest.

The criminal, once brought to bay, can then either stand still and submit to arrest, remaining unmolested by the animal, or attempt to evade arrest. If he takes to flight, the dog will seize him, if he attacks the animal, it will again start to circle round him or retreat step by step, avoiding any blows. In this way the dog will thwart the criminal's flight and the animal has fulfilled its purpose perfectly, for its armed handler is coming as fast as possible. On his arrival the criminal has two adversaries on his hands. The fact that the master is armed, combined with the dog's attitude, usually enables the arrest to take place without resistance. But if the criminal should then turn to attack the dog's master, the animal seizes the aggressor of its own accord, while if he attacks the dog the master is able to intervene, in his turn, without risk. Resort to blows or firearms is usually avoided in this way and arrest is ensured without risk to the handler. The animal has then fulfilled its second important task.

Training can never wholly exclude all risk to the handler, and one cannot count on security against even the slightest risks by having a dog which, in that magnificent phrase, 'stands up to blows and sticks'. Reasonable security can only be achieved by the type of training just described, which is indispensable in the service dog. Outside the service one can take any course one chooses. It is necessary, of course, to make sure just where one stands with the law if a dog oversteps the permitted limits in its actions.

Training for man work may be undertaken, either exclusively with fictitious malefactors in ordinary clothing or with assistants in protective clothing.

The latter would certainly be inadequate training for the real thing, since the dog would be trained to pay attention mainly to the protective clothing, and would remain indifferent to persons in ordinary clothes. Consequently, when training is carried out in protective clothing, other people in ordinary clothes must also take part. They should not be used, however, until the dog has become expert at work with protectively clad 'criminals'. If this precaution is taken there will be no risk of persons in ordinary clothes being hurt when they join in the training. When the dog is trained for man work without protective clothing it is, of course, exclusively concerned with people dressed as they would be in a real case, but great knowledge is needed before one can judge whether the dog which has behaved perfectly during training can be relied upon to act as required on active service.

The trainer should have a clear idea of his responsibility when he begins an exercise with an unprotected fictitious criminal and a dog which has not been thoroughly tested for absolute submissiveness an indispensable quality for manwork. It might be thought that even the dog trained in subordination prior to man work may prove insubordinate in the great excitement aroused by such work. It is this work, however, which teaches the animal a great part of the submissiveness it has to learn.

Protective clothing also offers advantages which should not be underrated. The dog can practise actual seizing from the start and the trainer is given the chance, whenever necessary, of bringing about the extremely important, immediate action of letting go.

The one sided attitude at first taken by the dog with manwork in protective clothing does not entail any kind of disadvantage on active service if training has been properly carried out. One may compare the way in which reconnaissance for objects or 'seeking' is developed from the retrieving lesson. Retrieving, too, is at first leant purely by rote. It takes place at a certain definite spot and is concerned with a single object, the dumb bell, which is always thrown on these occasions so that the dog can see it clearly when it falls. It is not until retrieving by rote has been satisfactorily leant that the tran sition is made to the retrieving of different kinds of objects and in seeking the use of the nose of the animal for finding objects which, because of their shape and color, are not easily distinguishable from the ground. just as the dog, when seeking, does not look for the dumb bell, on which alone his attention had previously been concentrated, so with man work he does not look for the man in protective clothing with whom his experience has so far been limited not, that is, if the correct procedure has been followed in training.

Training of the kind now being considered should be govened by the following rules. First, when protective clothing either a whole suit or padded sleeves is worn, a spot should be chosen specifically for this exercise, and the assistant acting as criminal should not be changed. (An assistant who understands the results to be expected will enable the dog to make the most rapid progress.) Secondly, in all training the fictitious criminal must be seen by the dog at the very beginning of the exercise. Thirdly, it will not be until complete control of the dog is assured in all possible circumstances connected with work in protective clothing that exercises without this clothing may begin, and it should never be carried out where the former work was done. In later training both locations and assistants should be frequently changed. Further details are given in the next chapter, on seeking. It is a great advantage to begin man work, with or without protective clothing, on the very first day of training. This procedure is particularly desirable with wholly untrained animals or with those newly taken over by the trainer and unknown to him. Training will of course proceed, for so long as necessary, while the dog is on the lead. Daily companionship between the trainer and his dog in aggressive action rapidly leads to the closest association of both within the 'pack'. The dog's confidence, dependence and submissiveness will then be won in no time. A further advantage will be that the dog's aggressive spirit will increase as the exercises go on. This will steadily reduce his depression, arising from the successive daily training in submissiveness, which, since it cannot be carried out without compulsion, must at first inevitably be independent of and separated from man work.

The anthropomorphic conception that the dog must first of all be put through obedience exercises so that he may learn to behave 'to order', and that not until then will he be ready for man work, is, as already stated, quite wrong.

The excitement and eagerness felt by the dog in the presence of the fictitious criminal enable the trainer to use the lead most effectively in inducing the animal to refrain from undesirable behaviour, and to bring it to a condition of absolute submissiveness. It is in man work that the dog learns most rapidly when to bark or bay. Aggressive activity is, of course, itself the origin of the animal's impulse to do so.

The baying of the hunting dog, which was at one time taken as the stereotyped pattern for baying by the guard dog, comes into a different category. The hunting dog first learns to give tongue as described in Chapter IX, Section 3. The next step consists of displaying a deerskin in front of the dog each time he gives tongue at an auditory signal. After a good many repetitions the skin comes to work as a secondary inducement, like the auditory signal. The habit developed in this way entirely by memory does not, of course, originate the impulse to bark, as happens in man work, which naturally incites the animal to bark and bay.

The following essential requirements for man work should be kept well in mind; only if the criminal takes to flight or resists in the Presence of the dog's master should the animal be allowed to seize him. The dog should then do so of his own accord, without any prompting from the handler. The dog must immediately and spontaneously let go as soon as the malefactor's flight ends and his resistance ceases.

The dog must not seize the criminal in the absence of its trainer.

Training that merely makes a rogue biter of a dog can never be sufficiently strongly condemned.

The dog's requisite determination in seizing can obviously never be induced by compulsion. The animal's pugnacity can only be brought out by experience in fighting by the methods described in the next Section.

On the other hand, inducements must be provided so that the dog refrains from seizing and lets go whenever circumstances demand it. Compulsion is used for this purpose, since it is the only effectual way of controlling the dog's great excitement and suspense in man work. Depression ensues at first but soon disappears if there is a clear separation between compulsion and its cessation. The excellent opportunity afforded by man work for practice in submissiveness should not be missed, One final word: man work should always be stopped immediately the dog shows fatigue.

2. SELFDEFENSE OF DOG WHEN ALONE

No auditory signal.

The dog is more ready to defend itself against human beings in an environment it knows than in one it does not. He will be more resolute on familiar ground. His defensive instinct is also influenced by his distance from his trainer and by the time that he has been separated from him. The longer this is, the weaker his defensive instinct. A dog within the pack is more resolute than the animal alone. Yet the defensive instinct of a dog in strange surroundings and without its trainer is employed for a number of purposes. For example, a guard dog may bring a man to a standstill during reconnaissance before its handler can come up with the baying animal. The dog then, though left to itself, has to seize the man if he tries to get away and remain, even if attacked, close to him, baying.

As means to this end, training which promotes self defense by the dog on strange ground, and without the trainer, will be useful. Apart from appropriate training in man work, it will be helpful to accustom the animal to be left to itself in various strange surroundings. As this procedure can only be carried out by persons in ordinary clothing, the dog has to be on the lead.

For this purpose a stake is driven into the ground and the dog fastened to it with a strong chain (never a strap). The chain must be substantial enough to hold against the continual powerful jerks produced by the vigorous defensive movements of the animal and should be provided with a spring to take the strain imposed by the jerking. A further necessity is a special collar, strong in all its parts and about two inches wide. This will prevent the dog suffering pain as it lunges and pulls.

Training should never take place when the dog is left lying loose, nor when he is tied up by ordinary methods. There are two reasons for this. The first is that the usual equipment is not sufficiently resistant to pulling, and this may entail risk for the assistants. The second is to avoid such undesirable associations as might be formed when the dog, tied up with the usual equipment, anticipates strangers showing a hostile attitude and is led to molest innocent people. This contingency may be overcome by the special means described, which, by the rattling of the chain, cause a particular kind of stimulation. To make the distinction thoroughly clear to the dog, he should be frequently tied up in the usual way, care being always taken in the exercise then done, that he does not encounter people taking up a hostile attitude to him.

The exercises described below were at one time given the name of 'Object Guarding'. This title promises too much and makes the means an end in itself. A dog should not be made to he, while off the lead, near an object for the purpose of guarding it. Such training necessarily makes the dog take up a hostile attitude to people who approach him and the object. Innocent persons who do so with no evil intent may then be endangered by the dog. For it is, of course, impossible to ensure that the animal will limit its hostility to growling, and warn off strangers without doing them any injury. Yet to put a tied﷓up dog to 'object guarding' would mean exposing the animal to danger, for a single blow with a stick, or the throwing of a heavy stone, might well render the animal incapable of defensive action.

he aim of training is to reinforce the dog's defensive instinct on active service in unfamiliar surroundings, and whether the handler is near or not the dog has to bay a cornered individual and if necessary seize him.

Defensive instinct cannot be reinforced by compulsion. This resource is also out of the question in work with a fictitious criminal. Nor can the primary inducements which provoke this instinct be given by the trainer. His part is played by the assistants and success depends solely upon their work.

The animal should begin to bark as soon as a stranger starts to approach it or attracts its attention. It should not, however, bark if the stranger merely passes quietly by at a certain distance or stands still looking at the dog. In order to achieve this it will be necessary for the assistants never to operate in protective clothing but always to be dressed in a normal, inconspicuous way. As soon as the dog's defensive instinct has been roused to the highest pitch by a single adroit assistant, he must leave the scene and the other assistants must be changed so frequently that the dog will not recognize them, even if the same man should be used twice. The ground for training should be constantly varied, to prevent the dog always adopting the same attitude in a known environment.

From the start the assistant must never show hostility directly he begins to approach the dog. Exercises should always be initiated with the assistant quietly walking past the dog for some time, out of stick range, and occasionally stopping to face towards or away from the animal. During these inducements any barking should always be repressed of course only by the trainer in this case. The special collar and chain should frequently be used in tying the dog, in the absence of all the assistants, and the exercises should never be undertaken with the normal strap or collar.

To begin with, the trainer remains near the animal so that the dog's defensive instinct may be intensified. Fondling and sounds of encouragement are also a feature of these preliminary exercises. The auditory signal may be dropped as soon as the animal begins to act defensively.

The assistant's inducements take the form of his irritating the dog, mainly by being evasive and behaving as though he were afraid of the animal. Whenever the dog's defensive instinct flags the assistant should at once break off and run rapidly away in a straight line. He should stamp on the ground, run round the dog and dart to and fro in front of it, in such a way that the animal can pursue him, and frequently make sudden, swift backward movements. He should strike the ground with his stick and finally make off at a run.

As soon as the defensive instinct has been thoroughly roused, attacking movements are introduced, but if the animal's instinct flags at all attack should turn to flight. In this way the dog is led to feel that it has been victorious. Whenever the defensive instinct flags, the trainer encourages the dog, though never with the auditory signal 'Bark'.

The more the defensive instinct is roused, the more seemingly vigorous the assistant's attack should become. He should lunge, raise an arm to strike, with or without the stick, but should actually only strike near the dog, while uttering such sounds as 'Bah!', 'Stay', 'Get it', etc. If the dog gives ground or shows submissiveness to the assistant when he employs auditory signals, evasive movements must follow at once to stimulate the animal afresh.

When the dog's defensive instinct has reached a high pitch through these methods (owing to the lack of disagreeable experience) the exercise may be intensified as follows.

The trainer must gradually move farther and farther away from the dog until he eventually gets beyond the range of the animal's vision and scent. But he must keep the dog continually in sight. The farther off the trainer goes and the longer the period of separation, the less eagerness will the dog at first show in defence. The assistant must then return to his evasive movements and the trainer give encouragement from a distance.

Since on active service the dog may sometimes be enticed and not attacked physically, he must also be rendered proof against this method. For this purpose an assistant approaches the animal and starts off by making enticing movements. Directly the dog attacks with less than its usual vigour these movements are instantly replaced by the teasing gestures. The dog then learns, among other things, that enticement is a preliminary to teasing. The enticing treatment is now intensified, in the first place by protracting it and secondly by the assistant repeatedly uttering the dog's name in a caressing tone and making encouraging sounds. Special importance is attached to these exercises, as many dogs yield to protracted enticements, particularly when the trainer is absent.

Finally, it should be repeated that it is most important to change both the assistants used and the practice ground as often as possible.

3. MAN WORK WITHOUT PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

A fictitious criminal in ordinary inconspicuous clothes

I. Training should be carried out in accordance with this Section or the next (4), but not both.

Shows himself in the open, with no cover. He carries for defensive purposes a stick about two feet long and about as thick as one's thumb. It is provided with a thin leather loop at the handle, which is fastened round the wrist during work to prevent the stick slipping out of the hand, leaving the man defenseless against the dog. The stick is held close to the body, pointing downwards as the arm hangs relaxed. One must ensure from the start that the dog does not come to regard the stick as characteristic of an individual who is to be cornered and bayed. It should, therefore, be quite inconspicuous, both in the way it is held and in its color. Nor should it ever be used in such a way that the dog is able to bite it.

The fictitious criminal himself stands motionless. The trainer, about fifteen yards distant, holds the dog on a short lead at his left side. The ten yard leather lead used, the collar and its separate parts must all be of special strength to resist the heavy strain.

The primary inducement proceeds from the 'criminal'. He stimulates a hostile attitude in the dog by stamping on the ground, making short retreating movements and, if necessary, striking his boot with the stick, by a flick of the wrist not by raising his arm. Meanwhile he utters abusive shouts.

As soon as these inducements have attracted the dog's attention to the 'criminal', the trainer gives the command.' At him' and at the same time makes rapid gestures with his arms in the direction of the 'criminal'. He may also, to begin with, run a few steps towards the man as a special further inducement. Many dogs will then make a hostile dash at the 'criminal'. If the dog does not do so the 'criminal' should intensify his inducements by walking or running backwards, at the same time striking the stick against the ground. As soon as the dog moves for the attack, the trainer lets the lead run through his left hand and follows the animal as long as it shows any timidity. The trainer should try not to diminish the space between himself and the dog more than may be required by the increase of the animal's defensive impulse or may be necessary for him to make the requisite inducements with the lead, which will be described shortly. A dog which is still advancing with some timidity will stop of its own accord a short way from the 'criminal'. One that is straining at the lead should only be given sufficient freedom to manoeuvre beyond the range of the assistant's stick. The animal should never be allowed to jump up at the assistant or bite him, though one should try to make the dog bark. The inducement to bark comes from the 'criminal', while to begin with the trainer should prevent the dog jumping up at the man and biting him. The main point is that the 'criminal' should never use any stronger teasing inducement than will make the dog bark.

As soon as the dog barks, the assistant stands still again, his arm and stick dangling; but he renews the inducement directly the animal stops barking. By alternating action in this way prolonged barking, or baying, is caused, while no strong encouragement is given to the animal to bite.

Should the dog bark while on the lead near the 'criminal', the trainer stops any attempts at jumping and biting by jerking at the lead and exclaiming 'Bahl'. These inducements to bark and to refrain from biting last no longer than one minute. The trainer then retires with the dog and after a few minutes, at a different spot, engages in a repetition of submissive training. Cornering and baying exercises should not be resumed till an hour later and then in a different place and, if possible, with a different assistant. The changing of 'criminals' and environments as frequently as possible lessens the chances of the dog always reacting in the same way to a particular set of stimuli, the appearance and scent of one particular person and one particular environment.

As soon as the dog's timidity in face of the assistant has been overcome, the assistant acts as principal trainer and prevents jumping and biting. One of his objects is to make the dog stick shy when the 'criminal' strikes at him in the absence of the trainer. For this purpose the dog has to be struck while in this state of stimulation. The force of the blows is made proportionate to the capacity shown by the dog; it has to be strong enough to suppress the impulse to bite in any circumstances. The point to remember is that the animal is to be rendered stick shy, not 'steady under stick or blow'. On the other hand, one must not frighten the dog to such an extent that its impulse to comer and bay is obliterated. For this purpose avoid striking certain parts of the body, namely the head, forelegs, tail, hind legs, and the abdomen, and to vary the force of the blows according to the individual dog. Each time the dog retreats under a blow, or several blows, the criminal' draws himself up and stands motionless, with hanging arms and the stick pressed to his body. To prevent the dog's attention being drawn to the stick instead of to the man, the animal must never be allowed, as has already been emphasized, to bite the stick. Striking the dog's back, chest and hindquarters help to make the animal refrain from jumping and biting on the one hand and lead to the protraction of baying on the other. Attempts at jumping and biting are also countered by the trainer by jerks at the lead and the exclamation 'Bah!'.

When the dog has become fairly well used to baying near the 'criminal' without biting him, the trainer may drop the lead and let it drag on the ground. He must, however, always remain within reach of it, to pick it up if necessary. Complete freedom from the lead cannot be allowed at this stage of training.

The fictitious criminal works on the dog as before. If the lead is trailing on the ground, and the animal is free of the trainer, the dog often abandons the assistant after the initial cornering instead of remaining near him and baying. He must then intensify his inducements, making, in particular, movements of retreat. He may also run a few rapid steps backwards from the dog, with his face towards the animal. The trainer should simultaneously encourage the dog by the signal 'At him'. If this also fails, one must return for a time to work with the lead.

If the dog makes good progress, the distance between animal and trainer is gradually increased and the period of baying is slowly extended to as long as five minutes. At this stage the dog will be leaping round the assistant to avoid his stick. In this way the act of circling, barking, round the criminal' develops. As training continues to progress the assistant will assume a number of different attitudes. For example, he may he or sit down and the trainer, meanwhile, keeps within the dog's sight. Training is carried on until the dog barks continuously even when the 'criminal' remains perfectly motionless. Occasional interruptions of the baying are countered by the assistant moving as described. By this means the dog gradually learns that when it stops barking the 'criminal' will make a teasing movement and prolonged baying will eventually be achieved.

If the dog bays for five minutes without any inducement from the assistant, and with the trainer fifty yards away, training proceeds so that the animal, though at first still fairly near the trainer, can neither see nor scent him. These exercises are very important, since they make the animal familiar with conditions on active service.

The search of the 'criminal', which on active service often follows cornering and baying, should now be introduced. The dog must then, on the command 'Still" cease baying and stand at a stick's length from the cornered man. The dog must not change its attitude while the man is being searched, to enable this to be carried out without disturbance. Even if, during the separate submission exercises forming part of man work, the dog has already been made to stand still simply on the command 'Still' the attractive force the 'hostile' assistant provides is so strong that it will at first be necessary to return to the primary inducements to make the dog stand motionless. For this reason the dog must remain on the lead during search exercises until it will stand near the criminal without making any mistake. The trainer holds the barking dog at the full stretch of the lead, then gives it an abrupt jerk and simultaneously utters a long drawn and commanding 'Still'. From that moment the 'criminal' must always remain absolutely motionless. This exercise is repeated in quick succession until the dog stands still and ceases to bay whenever the lead is slackened. The trainer then calls 'Hands up!' to his assistant, who slowly obeys. The leather loop on the stick is kept round the wrist so that the stick hangs down from the 'criminal's' raised arm and is almost invisible. He then always has the stick ready for defense.

If the dog does what is required and ceases to bay, the trainer slowly approaches the assistant and the dog. He keeps the lead taut so that he can, if necessary, give it a sharp jerk by way of correction. On arrival, he takes the lead in his left hand, just behind the collar. Any attempt by the dog to move, bark or bite is countered by short, vigorous jerks at the lead and a sternly uttered 'Still'. Meanwhile the trainer searches the 'criminal' for about three minutes. The exercise should be repeated again and again until the dog keeps perfectly quiet while it is in progress. One need have no hesitation in administering strict compulsion, which can be applied without any ill effects, if the animal cannot be controlled in any other way. When the dog stands still and ceases barking on the word 'Still', training may proceed with the lead trailing until the animal does what is required. One should, however, return to work on the lead as often as seems necessary.

The 'criminal' has now to be taken into custody. This training is necessary to accustom the dog not to bite a cornered man when his movements are slow. On active service anyone cornered by a dog is told that the dog will be let loose if an attempt to escape is made. The talking required here must be imitated during training, for talking to the assistant starts a fresh set of stimuli and unless it is rehearsed beforehand many dogs will be likely to bite.

The 'criminal' goes off in whatever direction may be indicated by the trainer, who follows about five paces behind, picking up the trailing lead and holding it taut. In darkness the distance between trainer and assistant is reduced to two paces. The exercise should not be undertaken in the dark until work with the 'criminal' in daylight has proved thoroughly satisfactory. The assistant, on the orders of the trainer, may turn right or left and later cross streets where traffic is running, then enter a house and go upstairs into a room.

Attempts at flight by the 'criminal' should also be practiced while he is being taken into custody. If the dog is not given this experience it will find that search of the cornered man is never followed by arrest and may, in consequence, abandon its hostile attitude and cease to protect its handler.

If the cornered man takes to flight, the dog has to pursue him, comer him again, bark and on active service, if necessary, seize him with its teeth. Attempts at flight are practiced as follows.

The 'criminal', in sight of the dog, takes refuge behind a bush or other cover. The trainer immediately lets go of the lead. If the dog does not at once dash behind the bush of its own accord the trainer encourages the animal, running himself, calling 'At him' and using the visual signal. The trainer should, however, remain in the background as much as possible, but the distance between him and the dog should be reduced so that he can follow the animal and incite it to bay and stay close to the cornered man.

If, on cornering the 'criminal', the dog attempts to bite him, the man strikes the animal with his stick as already described. If the dog persists in trying to bite, the trainer counters such attempts from a distance by jerks at the lead and the sound 'Bah!. If necessary, the animal must be pulled away vigorously.

Work with the trailing lead and, later on, with the dog completely loose, is not started until the animal is used to refraining from biting even when provoked by an attempt at flight. Standing still at the signal 'Still' is also practiced during these 'flight' exercises. On the word 'Still', the assistant, as already stated, invariably ceases to move.

Exercises involving cornering and baying, search and arrest, with and without attempts at flight, should be performed in a regular sequence, so that the dog may become familiar with the various sets of stimuli as they may arise on active service. Training should also include the cornering of several criminals in standing, lying and sitting positions.

It frequently happens that the dog finds, comers and bays people who are subsequently proved to be harmless and may, therefore, be permitted to go their way. This contingency must also be rehearsed and always in connection with the down. The dog has to learn by practice that there will never be any struggle after he has been put down; the cornered man invariably going quietly away. The consequence will be that on the down the dog will cease to be subject to the tension which sets in when the animal stands still on the command 'Still', because of the exciting events then expected to ensue. To put it another way, the sound 'Still' signifies 'Stand still, refrain from barking, watch the cornered man', while the sound 'Stay' means 'Lie down, continue lying and cease to watch the man cornered'. The exercise is undertaken as soon as it is possible to work with the dog off the lead and the animal has already learnt to down at the sound 'Stay'. But in the present exercise the dog must be on the lead to begin with for, the hostile 'criminal' being present, it will at first be necessary to return to the primary inducements for the down. Strict compulsion may be used right from the start, without any undesirable consequences.

On the dog being put down the assistant is always allowed to move off at a quiet walk, every attempt of the dog to rise being repressed. Nothing teaches the animal to remain lying down so well as the regular experience that the down is never succeeded by any further excitement.

Attacks by the 'criminal' on the trainer are not desirable, as they would unduly stimulate the dog's impulse to bite. They would also promote continual restlessness while the man is being taken into custody. Defensive work with the fictitious criminal as described will arouse the animal's defensive instinct quite sufficiently to make it adequately perform the services required of a guard dog.

4. MAN WORK IN PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

Command: 'At him'.

The assistant Plays the Part of a hostile assailant.

The 'criminal' stands in the open, perfectly visible, in a peaceful attitude, i.e. motionless, with hanging arms and the defensive stick held vertically in the right hand, close to the body and pointing downwards.

The trainer walks towards the 'criminal' in a casual and leisurely manner, with the dog at his left side on a long lead, which is, however, as in heel work, held short.

After the trainer and his assistant have conversed together quietly for one or two minutes, the assistant without warning takes the part of a hostile assailant. He smacks his stick rapidly against his protective suit or his boot, at the same time uttering menacing sounds and retreating steadily, at a walking pace, in a straight line with his face towards the dog. Alternatively, he may apply stronger inducements by striking a series of blows on the ground to right and left of the dog, moving steadily backwards as before. If the dog does not charge readily enough, flicks of the stick may also be directed at its forelegs, but only to the extent necessary to stimulate its impulse to attack.

In this exercise, as throughout man work, the animal must not be given any opportunity of seizing the stick.

The trainer incites the dog at the moment of the 'criminal's' attack with fondling and encouragement (not the expression 'At him'), as well as by aggressive Movements towards the assistant, while he simultaneously allows the dog to charge though still holding the lead in such a way that should the animal attempt to seize the assistant it can be immediately restrained.

When the 'criminal' takes to flight the dog may seize him, but only if he still tries to escape.

As soon as the dog becomes exasperated and charges, the 'criminal' suddenly makes a sharp turn about and dashes off, keeping to a straight line. As he does so he takes the stick in his left hand and, raising his arm, holds the weapon high up close to his body.

If the intention is to train the dog to seize the right arm, this can be brought about as soon as the dog pursues without hesitation and seizes the man. In such a case the 'criminal', at the beginning of his flight, makes a series of abrupt, sideways movements with his raised right arm. Later on he lets it drop and simply makes the ordinary arm movements that accompany running.

If the dog shows hesitation in following the escaping 'criminal' and either does not seize him at all or only does so timidly, arm training should not be begun until the animal has overcome its nervousness. Before that stage the dog may be allowed to seize the man at any part of his body, but a high leap at the face or chest should be countered in the usual way.

The time taken to obtain the requisite degree of pugnacity and the requisite duration of animosity will vary according to the technical efficacy of the inducements used by the trainer and the 'criminal'. It will vary, too, with the aptitude of the individual dog. The age of the dog and its past experience will also affect the rate of learning.

The stage at which the exercises now to be described should begin depends upon whether the dog's fighting spirit has to be stimulated or lowered and upon the animal's progress in discipline.

At the commencement of the escape the trainer gives the dog a free rein and repeatedly utters the phrase 'There's a good boy', as they both pursue the escaping 'criminal'. The trainer keeps the lead loose, never allowing it to tighten, for otherwise the dog would at first become alarmed and its impulse to attack would depreciate accordingly.

If the dog hesitates in the pursuit and only seizes the man half heartedly or not at all, the man merely runs another ten or twenty paces, then stops.

If the animal holds the man fast, taken and flight then ceases.

The sound of encouragement is not used if the dog's pursuit and seizure leaye nothing to be desired.

When flight ceases, the dog must immediately let the 'criminal' go and bay him just outside the range of the stick.

Cessation of flight may be defined as the abrupt end of the run and the simultaneous assumption of the 'peaceful attitude' already described. If, when this happens, the dog seems at a loss, the following steps should be taken to incite the animal to further action.

The 'criminal' turns as he runs, again teases the dog as already described and then immediately takes to flight once more. Alternatively, he may resume his teasing directly after the cessation of flight and only subsequently run off again. In this exercise, as throughout the teaching of man work, there must never be any over tiring of the dog.

If, when flight ceases, the dog does not instantly let the criminal go, it must be trained to do so at once. The trainer pulls the dog by means of tugs at the lead, away from the 'criminal' to beyond range of the stick, uttering the sound 'Bah !'. This action is immediately succeeded by the repeated call 'Bark, bark, bark'. The lead is then instantly allowed to run out, but the dog, as it plunges forward, is pulled back, with a further 'Bark, bark, bark'. This is repeated several times.

In this way it will be possible not only to induce immediate release after cessation of flight, but also the dog's spontaneous retreat beyond stick range and the initiation of baying; this last being necessary on active service, when during darkness or in broken country, for instance, it may be some time before the dog's handler comes up to the cornered criminal.

Important as it is to stress release by the dog, it does not matter much, to begin with, whether baying follows release or not. This development cannot be rushed. It will arise gradually from the experiences given to the dog during man work at a later stage, when the animal will be brought into conflict with the 'criminal' in the absence of its master. Nevertheless, we may mention at this point certain inducements to effect baying of the 'criminal' and connected with the dog's release of him.

The object to be achieved is the creation and retention in the dog when flight ceases of a mood of expectation which powerfully excites the animal. No such attempt should be made on the casual cessation of man work to be described later.

The way will already have been prepared for the mood of expectation by the 'criminal', directly after ceasing flight, exciting the dog and then resuming his flight. If the dog's hostility has been reinforced by repeated experiences of this kind, the dog need not be excited before renewed flight, and flight may be resumed immediately after its cessation, that is, while the 'criminal' is still in the 'peaceful attitude', the moment the dog shows signs of relaxing its hostility. On cessation of flight, however, inducements must always be applied by the trainer to effect release and baying as already described.

Alternatively, on cessation of flight, the 'criminal' may excite the dog as soon as it shows the slightest sign of being at a loss, in the following way. Without raising his right arm, he may strike his protective clothing or boot by flicking his wrist, at the same time stooping, as he faces the dog, and stamping vigorously. An abrupt retreat, while still looking towards the animal, will further stimulate its impulse to attack.

During these inducements the trainer stands by the criminal', holding the dog on a tight lead out of range of the stick and only lets the lead run out when the assistant assumes the 'peaceful attitude'. Then, if the dog plunges forward, the trainer uses the lead to keep the animal beyond range of the stick and cause barking.

In principle, the dog should never be more powerfully excited than may be necessary to achieve the behaviour required, and excitation should always stop as soon as the animal behaves as desired. Teasing should be renewed the moment the dog shows the slightest sign of relaxing. In this way the desired mood of expectation is soon brought about and at the same time progress is made towards the object of training: persistent barking at the cornered criminal.

Flight and release exercises are brought to a close by the trainer retiring, with the dog on the lead, from the assistant, who remains in the 'peaceful attitude'.

Taking the 'criminal' into custody.

Taking into custody may be initiated as soon as the dog has reached the stage of pursuing the escaping 'criminal' and resolutely seizing him, without it being necessary to tease the animal before flight takes place.

Baying need not yet be induced. In the approach of the trainer to the 'criminal', heel on lead in various directions is undertaken and from this point on inducements are applied to prevent the dog barking during the approach.

On contact being made with the 'criminal' the dog is made to lie down just out of stick range, to the right of, or behind, the assistant. As soon as the animal is lying silently and quietly the trainer has a brief interview with the 'criminal' and then takes up a position to his right or some paces behind him, while the dog remains lying down. Shortly afterwards the auditory signal 'Heel' is given, accompanied, if necessary, by a jerk of the lead.

As training proceeds, search of the 'criminal' may follow directly upon the down.

Flight or attacks by the 'criminal', representing exciting events following the down, should not be practiced until a late stage of training and then only rarely, otherwise reliability on the down may be seriously prejudiced. When training ends, exciting experiences should never be allowed to follow the down.

Not until the dog's behaviour after the down is all that can be desired will the teaching of taking into custody begin.

The dog has to learn neither to bark nor to show signs of attacking, so long as the assistant walks quietly on and does not make any rapid movements. The animal should keep close to the trainer's left side, without deviation. The inducements required for this are as follows:

Firstly, since the dog is a far keener observer than man, he notices those bodily movements preceding flight which are made unconsciously immediately before running begins, but which may be so insignificant that the trainer does not notice them. The dog at once interprets them as the beginning of flight and, because of its previous experience, regards them as the signal for seizure. The experience deeply impressed in this way upon the animal's memory will be drastically disturbed if the trainer, who does not see these initial signs of flight, assumes that the dog is behaving undesirably and consequently applies a correction which is basically wrong.

To prevent such an error on the part of the trainer, the 'criminal' must be careful not to make introductory movements of the body and take to flight as abruptly as possible.

Secondly, the various exercises in connection with taking into custody must never begin until the dog has been escorting for at least twenty paces in exemplary fashion. During this process the sound of encouragement is not employed.

Thirdly, care must be taken not to practice the exercises regularly in the same order. This rule applies to all types of training where undesirable associations may be formed in consequence. For example, if during the process of taking into custody one says to the 'criminal', 'Off you go 1' and he immediately takes to flight, the sound 'off you go' will come to be interpreted by the dog as a signal to seize.

Exercises in connection with taking into custody.

The flight from the dog is at first made straight ahead, followed by cessation of flight and the ensuing inducements, ending with the resumption of custody. If the dog works satisfactorily in this exercise, flight to one side or to the rear is attempted.

Next, the dog must experience attacks by the 'criminal', while in custody, on the trainer. As a preliminary, the assistant secretly takes the stick in his left hand. He turns to the trainer suddenly and rapidly, lifting his left arm quickly, as if to strike, stab, or shoot. If, when this attack takes place, the dog does not instantly seize the 'criminal', the trainer lets himself be pushed back in a straight line, so that, from the dog's point of view, the adversary is giving ground before it and the animal's instinct to attack is therefore stimulated.

The 'criminal's' attack, which may be practiced in various forms during taking into custody, ends abruptly with his assumption of the 'peaceful attitude' and subsequent inducements by the trainer as required.

An exercise involving the fall of the assistant must also be practiced, both before he is caught and seized by the dog and during actual seizure. The trainer then applies the inducements for immediate release, while the assistant remains quietly lying on the ground. The man then slowly rises, no exciting experience being allowed to affect the dog directly after this action.

Each time a man work practice is concluded, the dog is made to down just beyond the range of the assistant's stick, while the 'criminal' maintains the 'peaceful attitude'.

One takes advantage of this opportunity as early as possible to release the dog from the lead. The trainer slowly retires from the dog, as it remains down, at first going only a few paces. He stands still and shortly afterwards calls the animal. Then, with the dog either on or off the lead, he walks away from the assistant, who preserves the ' peaceful attitude' for some time, P so as not to excite the animal.

The repetition of this series of experiences: lying down, being called, leaving the 'criminal' while he maintains the peaceful attitude', eliminates the dog's mood of expectation which was formerly required but in the present case is not. It also renders it easier to call the dog away after it has been lying down, or even to call it away without previously making it down, an exercise which has to be practiced later on.

Here is a further suggestion about how frequently the criminal' should take to flight or attack during taking into custody. The general rule is that whenever the dog's vigilance in relation to the 'criminal' relaxes at all, the animal must promptly be provided with an exciting experience. On the other hand, the period of taking into custody must steadily increase in length to make it more realistic.

Cornering and baying a visible assistant on the auditory signal 'At him'.

It was laid down in detail in the first part of this chapter that in the presence of the trainer the dog should seize the I criminal' when he attacks or resists, but not in the trainer's absence unless flight takes place. The corresponding discovery by the dog that it is never defeated while the trainer is present, stimulates its impulse to attack to such an extent that on these occasions he seizes practically blindfold. When, therefore, as training goes on, the dog frequently confronts the 'criminal' alone, our second requirement has to be met: that in this situation the dog should not seize the 'criminal' who attacks it, still less if the assistant is preserving the 'peaceful attitude'. This is met by lowering the dog's degree of fearlessness, when left to itself, to the extent that it feels defeated and loses the impulse to seize the 'criminal' when he is not in flight. The means to this end are provided, by blows from the assistant's stick.

Some dogs, it is true, retain their fearlessness even in the trainer's absence. In this case the trainer alone should operate if mistakes are made. As a rule, however, the dog's impulse to attack at once begins to wane when the distance between the animal and the trainer increases and as the period of separation lengthens.

With regard to the cornering of the 'criminal', the following exercises may be begun as soon as the dog develops a prolonged hostility towards the protectively clothed assistant ' provided the animal has received a fairly comprehensive grounding in discipline. Regular work on the long lead and strict compulsion soon bring this about.

On the words 'At him' which are used for the first time in cornering, the dog runs up to the assistant, who stands in the open, and bays him, out of range of the stick, without showing any inclination to seize.

Until the dog is used to this, training is only undertaken at short distances of about fifteen to twenty paces, and a return is made to these distances when the animal's performance leaves anything to be desired.

The trainer approaches to within fifteen to twenty paces of the 'criminal', who is standing in the 'peaceful attitude'. The trainer then makes the dog sit near him, or stand at his heels. Any attempt by the dog to run up to the assistant before 'At him' is uttered is repressed.

On the sound 'At him' the trainer runs forward a few steps, making the lead long and saying 'There's a good boy'. He comes to a halt as soon as the dog sets off towards the 'criminal'. If necessary, the latter uses the attractive type of inducement, uttering menacing sounds, striking the ground with his stick and at the same time retreating. Such inducements are, however, given up at once, and the assistant assumes the 'peaceful attitude', the moment the animal charges him. If baying takes place beyond range of the stick, no inducements ensue.

If the dog does not bay, or if baying slackens, or the animal shows too little hostility, it is teased by the 'criminal', as described earlier on.

If the dog comes within range of the stick, he is given a blow across the back, chest or hindquarters. The force of these blows must prevent the dog's hostility from weakening but at the same time teach him to avoid them and to keep out of range of the stick. These blows follow immediately upon the 'peaceful attitude' and are given in rapid succession if necessary. The assistant straightens up directly afterwards and resumes his former attitude, but at once uses the stick again if the dog comes too near.

The trainer encourages the dog, if it is half hearted, from a distance. If the animal shows pugnacity, only the assistant provides inducement. It is only when the 'criminal' cannot keep the dog off, despite the blows he gives, that the trainer intervenes from a distance with 'Bahl' and jerks at the lead. To begin with, inducements to leave go and only bark last one or two minutes, after which the following exercises may be added.

Firstly, the trainer, holding the lead short, approaches the assistant. The nearer he gets to him the more the dog's impulse to attack is stimulated. At about five paces from the 'criminal' the trainer must apply inducement and at the same moment the assistant assumes the 'peaceful attitude'. Then comes taking into custody, with or without a previous down, followed by departure from the 'criminal' when the final lesson concludes.

Secondly, after inducements have been applied by the criminal' to the dog set on him at the sound 'At him', the trainer attempts from a distance to make the animal down, doing this when the assistant has assumed the 'peaceful attitude'. As soon as the trainer calls 'Stay' a simultaneous jerk at the lead will be helpful here the 'criminal' must assume or maintain the 'peaceful attitude' and all inducements are then applied by the trainer.

If the trainer does not succeed in making the dog down from a distance, he approaches, holding the lead short, near enough to the assistant to put the dog down, during which the dog should remain perfectly silent.

In these exercises inducements to down ought not immediately to succeed the meeting of dog and 'criminal'. For then the dog would in time lie down of its own accord on arrival before the cornered man, instead of baying, having formed an undesirable association. If the down is obeyed from a distance, it is followed by calling off or by another exercise.

Calling off the baying dog, without previously dropping him, can also now be taught, provided the 'criminal' assumes the 'peaceful attitude'.

Thirdly, after the dog has been sent forward to comer and bay the assistant, with the trainer ten or fifteen paces away, the 'criminal' suddenly darts off in a straight line, whereupon the trainer lets the lead out, calling out repeatedly 'There's a good boy'. The dog, left to itself, will as a rule pursue and seize without the impetuosity and resolution it would have in the trainer's presence.

There is nothing to worry about if during the first lessons the dog pursues with hesitation and does not seize the man. To increase the animal's impulse to attack, the trainer may, in addition to making sounds of encouragement, run after the escaping 'criminal' and reduce the distance between himself and the dog. If this is not effective, the trainer may catch up the assistant, who turns and attacks him. At this point the exercise may be repeated or some other lesson initiated.

Exercises with the assistant in the absence of the trainer are a great help in preventing the dog from seizing the man it has cornered. They also facilitate training in prolonging baying.

The following procedure is adopted when the assistant is unable to attract the dog to the extent required in the absence of the trainer. At the start of the exercise the distance between 'criminal' and trainer is shortened. The moment the trainer calls 'At him' he runs forward with the dog and the assistant regulates his flight so that the animal is able to seize its man at once. This exercise, however, should only be undertaken in the case of really lackadaisical dogs, for otherwise the object of training would be prejudiced by reinforcing the dog's tendency to seize those who are to be cornered even when they stand quite still.

Training off the lead.

Work off the lead is started either with calling off after the down or with direct calling off from the 'criminal' at the end of each exercise. A test is first made of the behaviour of the dog, while off the lead, during taking into custody. If the animal does not remain at heel, the lesson is at once interrupted. Both 'criminal' and trainer come to a halt and the trainer recalls the dog with the word 'Heel'. If the animal continues to misbehave during taking into custody, it must be put on the lead and the necessary inducements of strict compulsion applied. This is also required when trouble ensues in other man work when the dog is off the lead. It is important, when working with a dog off the lead, not only to bear in. mind the system outlined in the present chapter, but also to ensure perfect performance by the dog of the recall and, in particular, of the down. These exercises are, therefore, specially recommended for study. Exercises which improve man work. Hitherto the dog has only been attacked by the 'criminal' in the trainer's absence, through being teased and frightened out of any attempt to seize by the stick. The dog now has to undergo the further experience of being attacked, when by itself, far more vigorously by the 'criminal'. In this case he walks or runs up to the animal and strikes it with the stick whenever it comes within range. The object of training here is to ensure that instead of running away from a man intent on attack, the dog circles round him baying or remains baying near him out of stick range thus preventing the flight of the 'criminal'. The dog is set on the 'criminal' standing no more than ten or fifteen paces away. The trainer stands at an equal distance from the animal. After the dog has been baying for some time the 'criminal' suddenly walks, or at a later stage of training runs, menacingly up to the dog, but immediately goes straight on and runs away from the dog. As soon as he has passed the animal, the trainer, in order to encourage the now permissible action of seizing, calls out 'There's a good boy', repeating the phrase as often as necessary. If the dog hesitates at this lesson the trainer runs up to the 'criminal' who then attacks him thus reviving the animal's impulse to attack. The exercise may be intensified by the 'criminal' tackling the dog, after cornering and baying have taken place, in such a way that he remains continuously facing the animal, thus moving round in a circle. If the dog shows the slightest uneasiness at this type of aggression the 'criminal' turns round and runs away in a straight line, whereupon the dog repeatedly hears the sound of encouragement from the trainer. The point is, that so long as the assistant faces the dog, the animal is not to seize him but stay near him baying, out of stick range.

The exercise in which the 'criminal' attacks the dog before the animal reaches him after the signal 'At him' may also, occasionally, be practiced. If the dog has behaved timidly, it should be given several opportunities to make a resolute seizure at the dose of the exercises.

Training with assistants not in protective clothing.

These lessons may begin as soon as the dog has proved thoroughly reliable in man work with protective clothing.

On the words 'At him' the dog, without any further inducement, must comer the 'criminal', but not attack him if he remains quiet, and bay him out of range of the stick for about five minutes, even though the trainer may be about fifty yards away.

Without any inducement the dog must also seize the 'criminal' whenever he tries to escape or attacks the trainer, and must release him again when he remains still of his own accord.

This will be the first time the dog learns to behave in the same way when cornering persons in ordinary clothing as when confronting the protectively clothed 'criminal' on the training ground. Training with assistants in ordinary clothing is indispensable, since it serves to train the animal directly for active service. These lessons are never held on the training ground and the locality, as well as the assistants, must be frequently changed. Until the dog has become expert the assistants must be fully familiar with all the inducements, which will still be necessary.

A 'criminal', equipped with the stick, stands in the 'peaceful attitude' in open country, where the dog can see him, having at first, as a precautionary measure, some form of cover, a tree for instance, behind him. If it is later intended to train for reconnaissance (see Chapter IX), trainer and dog must always be to one side of the 'criminal', generally about ten paces away. The dog, which is at first held on the lead, is sent off on the words 'At him', the trainer at the same time running sideways to corner the man.

The sight and also the smell of the 'criminal' will at first be unfamiliar to the dog, so that it will not, as a rule, behave exactly in the same way as before. Both trainer and assistant must, therefore, at first employ the same inducements as were applied to the dog when it was starting work with the protectively clothed assistant particularly during cornering and baying. If this is done the dog will soon get back into the former routine.

When flight takes place during taking into custody, the trainer runs with the dog, holding the lead in such a way as to prevent the animal from seizing. This is about as near as one can get to active service, and the inducements used by assistant and trainer are sufficient to take the dog to the stage of training necessary for the real thing.

The cornering and baying of persons in the lying or seated positions, alone or in groups, may now also be undertaken, as well as the baying of persons in buildings or in darkness, including women. In reconnaissance children may also be used.

If training has hitherto proceeded as indicated, the sound 'At him' will cause a fully trained animal to run up to the person to be cornered and bay him, without doing him any harm provided he remains quiet.

This effect of the 'At him' signal is also important in all cases of unresisted arrest at close quarters. The sound 'At him' alone will then be sufficient to make the animal adopt the required attitude. From that instant the dog will watch every movement of the person in question and secure its master against any surprise attack.

As soon as the dog has completed its course with 'criminals' in ordinary clothing, it is ready to learn reconnaissance. Manwork in protective or ordinary clothing should continue to be practiced from time to time.

5. SO CALLED STICK SURENESS

Unless we provide dogs with armour, we should never train them to be steady under the stick, for a single well directed blow will always be enough to render them incapable of self defence. A dog with its limbs broken can be of no further use to its master. In trials, steadiness under the stick is only shown under conditions in which the stick used and the force of the blows are calculated to spare the dog's bones. This may result in his attacking blindly on active service and thereby cause him to run into trouble.

On such a dog it may be said, "Well, he did his duty." But has the animal in reality performed any service to its master when it is struck down by the cudgel of a man it has attacked before being able to seize him? The only result is that the master is deprived of his dog's assistance. It is surely far more to the purpose so to train the animal that it will evade the blows of a man laying about him with a cudgel by merely circling round him barking or remaining barking near him. Surely the dog would have done all that is required had he brought the man who has to be arrested to a standstill and then cornered him? A dog trained in this way will seize the man in question should he attack its master with a stick, thus providing the latter with far more valuable service than the so called 'stick steady' animal. We must also be quite clear on the point that the dog's inclination to bite is so heightened by practice of the so called 'steadiness under the stick' that an animal thus trained will be liable to become more of a liability than an asset through its biting tendencies.

Although we have stated earlier that the dog must be protected from the effects of careless blows, so that he may attack an assailant unhesitatingly when the real test comes, this does not mean that the animal must never be hurt. One may and should increase the weight of blows up to a certain point during the course of training. But the object of training will not be to render the dog indifferent to blows with a stick, but, on the contrary, to teach him to have a wholesome respect for them. Let us make the point perfectly clear by saying that the dog must remain stick shy in the absence of the trainer. The force of blows during training should be sufficient to bring this about. Some dogs, however, are so tough that their pugnacity is positively augmented by the heaviest blows that their bones can withstand. In the case of such animals the impulse to seize cannot be weakened to the desired extent. To prevent them from biting anyone standing on the defensive the trainer himself must apply inducements of the most strictly compulsive character.

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