OCR Text |
Show CANINE COMMANDOS t; - v.. ,rA L m.-'Vi. -.- . ...v.... ,-4,,iif'- --l-il .-HHHIH I tf ill llrtMffl The Canadian Army's newest recruits are four dogs of mixed breed who are learning to use their fangs for guard duty. The dogs will grab an intruder and pin him down until help arrives. Inset shows Lou Abfalter, a well-known dog trainer, who is teaching the canines commando tactics. FOUR of the newest recruits in Canada's Army we youngsters of 15 to 18 months, averaging about 65 pounds In weight and from two feet to 18 inches in height, answering answer-ing to the names of Privates Buster, Ping, Rex and Postum. Altogether they form a sort of canine United Nations. Rex is an even mixture of husky and collie Buster is half Labrador retriever and half airdale; Ping is 50 per cent collie and 50 per cent chow. Postum, who looks like an alsatian, claims that his place in Dogdom's nationality is a military secret. Training for guard duty with the Army, the four dogs are undergoing undergo-ing a four-weeks' course in canine commando tactics. They are learning learn-ing to be suspicious of everyone except ex-cept their keepers, four members of I the R.C.O.C. Pte E. M. Brenan of Ottawa has teamed up with Rex; j Pte. A. Dennis of New Brunswick I with Buster; Pte. T. W. Jones of Winnipeg with Ping; and Pte. J. G. Mclntyre of New Brunswick with i Postum. ' The dogs are learning to attack an intruder by seizing his arm and pulling him down. An instructor wears a heavy two-inch-thick pad, from his shoulder to his finger tips for the Job. When he approaches,, the dogs are Birpposed to leap upon him and get a good hold on the padding. pad-ding. They all respond in the approved ap-proved manner except Buster, who1 fakes a bite at the padding and then tries to sink his teeth Into the in-, structor's ankles. According to the' trainer It's a neat trick that Buster; himself developed but it's a little tough on the instructor. I Meals for the dogs consist of S; pounds of cooked meat for every 25 pounds they weigh. They are given one serving a day. They are fed, groomed and taken on their patrols by only one man. The presence of a second person anywhere within their! sight will meet with a hot reception.' The dogs are trained to reRpoDd; to verbal commands and gestures. They are never struck nor whipped even though in the early days of their training they disobey orders. : Nature has given them thick heavy coats, ideal equipment for duty during cold winters. |