DIY History | Transcribe | World War I Diaries and Letters | Conger Reynolds newspaper clippings, 1916-1919 | The American Magazine: "The Hottest Four Hours I Ever Went Through" by Floyd Gibbons

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Conger Reynolds newspaper clippings, 1916-1919

The American Magazine: "The Hottest Four Hours I Ever Went Through" by Floyd Gibbons - Page 4

What I have learned By A. De Corte
These little fellows are about two months old. Training does not begin in earnest until they reach seven months.
These dogs were used in various ways during the war, This one is shown ready to take carrier pigeons to advance parties. One bird is carried in each basket. The bird is quite comfortable, as it can stretch its head through an opening at the end; but it cannot escape.
36
People are always quoting the famous writer who said that the more she knew about people, the better she liked dogs. Sometimes I feel that way myself. But whether there is good cause for it or not, I am very sure of one other thing; the more I know about dogs, the better I understand people -- especially if I see them together.
I have about forty dogs in my kennels, now, all of one breed, the Belgian shepherd dog, or police dog. In Belgium we use them in guarding sheep, in hunting criminals, and in drawing our little vegetable and milk carts. They are trained to recognize one master and to protect whatever they are told to guard.
when I am going to take a stranger out to the yard and let the dogs loose, I explain to him that they will act rather wild, but that they will take their cue from me. They will know that he is my friend and, therefore, they will not harm him.
As soon as I open my back door bedlam breaks loose. The dogs yelp and bark, leaping and dashing around in the separate enclosures. The moment I let them out into the yard they rush at us, jumping in the air and acting as if they mean to tear is to pieces. Immediately the man with me begins to show his character.
If he is cool and quiet, speaks calmly and gently, puts his hand down without nervousness  so that the dogs can nose at it, which they do in spite of their antics, I know that man is reasonable, confident, fearless, master of himself. If he jerks his hands up, edges away, keeps turning around trying to face the dogs, he has no confidence in himself, he doesn't know how to control others, and his mind and his body do not work together.
I have already explained to him what to expect. Either he doesn't understand men enough to realize that I have told him the truth, or else he lacks self-control and confidence. Before he has been five minutes in my yard, I know some vital things about his character. A good man with dogs is pretty sure to be a good man with human beings; because you need the same qualities in dealing with booth -- courage, self-confidence, self-control, firmness, gentleness, consistency.
A very interesting point is that some men who have these qualities do not like dogs, and cannot, or rather will not, get along with them. I believe you will find that those men do not like to handle other men. They are not good "mixers" as you say here in America, They

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What I have learned By A. De Corte These little fellows are about two months old. Training does not begin in earnest until they reach seven months. These dogs were used in various ways during the war, This one is shown ready to take carrier pigeons to advance parties. One bird is carried in each basket. The bird is quite comfortable, as it can stretch its head through an opening at the end; but it cannot escape. 36 People are always quoting the famous writer who said that the more she knew about people, the better she liked dogs. Sometimes I feel that way myself. But whether there is good cause for it or not, I am very sure of one other thing; the more I know about dogs, the better I understand people -- especially if I see them together. I have about forty dogs in my kennels, now, all of one breed, the Belgian shepherd dog, or police dog. In Belgium we use them in guarding sheep, in hunting criminals, and in drawing our little vegetable and milk carts. They are trained to recognize one master and to protect whatever they are told to guard. when I am going to take a stranger out to the yard and let the dogs loose, I explain to him that they will act rather wild, but that they will take their cue from me. They will know that he is my friend and, therefore, they will not harm him. As soon as I open my back door bedlam breaks loose. The dogs yelp and bark, leaping and dashing around in the separate enclosures. The moment I let them out into the yard they rush at us, jumping in the air and acting as if they mean to tear is to pieces. Immediately the man with me begins to show his character. If he is cool and quiet, speaks calmly and gently, puts his hand down without nervousness so that the dogs can nose at it, which they do in spite of their antics, I know that man is reasonable, confident, fearless, master of himself. If he jerks his hands up, edges away, keeps turning around trying to face the dogs, he has no confidence in himself, he doesn't know how to control others, and his mind and his body do not work together. I have already explained to him what to expect. Either he doesn't understand men enough to realize that I have told him the truth, or else he lacks self-control and confidence. Before he has been five minutes in my yard, I know some vital things about his character. A good man with dogs is pretty sure to be a good man with human beings; because you need the same qualities in dealing with booth -- courage, self-confidence, self-control, firmness, gentleness, consistency. A very interesting point is that some men who have these qualities do not like dogs, and cannot, or rather will not, get along with them. I believe you will find that those men do not like to handle other men. They are not good "mixers" as you say here in America, They