Tags
chinese dogs, 狼犬, german shepherds, GSD, kunming dogs, liangyou, malinois, police dogs, training, young companion
From a spread entitled “Training Police Dogs” 警犬之訓練 in the November, 1935 issue of The Young Companion [Liangyou 良友], a Shanghai-based illustrated monthly magazine. Photographs by WEI Shouzhong 魏守忠.
Apologies for the fuzzy picture quality (click to enlarge). The dogs in this article appear to be primarily Shepherd dogs (Malinois, GSD, etc.) that are generically translated as “wolf dogs” (狼犬) whether or not they have actual wolf ancestry. Not all the text is clearly visible either. I’ve transcribed what I could below. There was one significant portion that was not translated into English, so my rough translation is included in italics.
Overcoming Obstacles
警越礙練 － 為本時攝犬障物習此跳牆所。
本誌北平特約記者魏守忠君於寄此項照片時，附兩中有云：‘此犬為蔣斌先生私人畜養，得蔣先生之許可，並由王教練員指導各犬表演拍攝。警犬之訓練，完全為訓練者與犬發生精神上之聯合，用威情訓練。犬之一切動作，皆忠心於主人，不顧一切，達到其命令而後已。警犬與傳藝犬不同者，傳藝犬訓練法，只有二種：既責打與食物之引誘。一切動作非犬忠心主人，乃貪食物或怕責打而行之。此法於警犬則不能用。警犬之賞罰，完全靠精神之表現，否則負命外出，中途因食物或駭打而停止工作，則無用奕。
When this magazine commissioned these pictures from the reporter, Mr. Wei Shouzhong in Beiping (Beijing), attached to two were these notes: “These dogs are being raised privately by Mr. Jiang Bin. The dogs’ performances were photographed with his permission, and under guidance of trainer Wang. The training of police dogs depends entirely on the synergistic energy of the trainer and his dog, using a combination of authority and affection. The dog’s every action comes from his devotion to his master, with no concern for anything else. Achieving the command comes first; all the rest follows. The difference between police dogs and traditional dogs is that there are only two ways to train traditional dogs: with punishment by beating and with the lure of food. None of their actions come from their devotion to their master, but rather from their desire for food or their fear of punishment. These are not methods that can be used on police dogs. The reward and punishment of police dogs is entirely dependent on spirit of behavior, or else when it comes time to put their life on the line, they may stop mid-path for want of food or fear of blows, and thus be rendered useless indeed!
‘蔣君所訓練之犬，皆西洋種，因其性情靈敏，記憶力強，身體健康。我國之犬，因種之關係，血統邁近，所產之犬XX呆本，不宜警犬。除非國內之犬種加以整理，有系統之配合，幾十餘年之後，則犬種漸佳，或可選用。西洋不但對犬之血統有精神密之配合，其他如牛羊馬等等亦然，我國一切仰給外洋，不加努力，如一雞一犬，亦以外洋為佳，X可恥也。
警犬對於警務有極大之助力，因其嗅覺靈敏，可助人不能之事。吾等常於電影中略見一班。。。。。。
“The dogs trained by Mr. Jiang are all Western breeds, because they are quick and intelligent in spirit, strong of memory, and hale of body. As for dogs of our country [China], because of [canine] race relations, and the closeness of bloodlines, the dogs bred are dull and stupid, and thus not appropriate to become police dogs. Unless we organize the breeds in our country, employ a systematic method of breeding, after ten or so years, it would follow that breeds would gradually improve, and could be used selectively. The West not only attends to the pairing of canine bloodlines with precision, [livestock animal husbandry] of cows, sheep, horses, etc. is also like this. We rely on foreign countries for everything. If we don’t increase our efforts, foreigners will have the advantage even when it comes to a single chicken or dog — a disgrace indeed.
Police dogs provide a tremendous assistance to police work because their exceptional sense of smell can accomplish what humans cannot. We often get a glimpse of this in the movies…
To find the smell of a stolen object
尋犯所匿物，犬聞者氣，尋其藏件。覓者藏之件使嗅犯之味再覓所物。
Running
警犬之奔馳練習。
Crawling
使伏爬練，便尋人時為手見犬地行習以於緝犯不敵所。
Keen watch over his master’s possessions
警防物之練主指地犬伏件，為守犬守件訓，人定點即物前嚴看。
To rescue a bonded person
警犬之救人訓練解縳時之攝影。
Jumping over fences
警犬上梯之訓練。
Climbing ladders
警犬跳越低欄之訓練。
Daily outdoor exercises
警犬每日照例午操，以鍛鍊其體魄
The House of Two Bows 雙寶之屋 
Thanks for all the work that went into the transcribing and translating.
“The dog’s every action comes from his devotion to his master, with no concern for anything else. Achieving the command comes first; all the rest follows. The difference between police dogs and traditional dogs is that there are only two ways to train traditional dogs: with punishment by beating and with the lure of food. None of their actions come from their devotion to their master, but rather from their desire for food or their fear of punishment. These are not methods that can be used on police dogs. ”
Ahead of their time. This is the way modern police and military dogs are being trained today; fascinating to see the sentiment being expressed 80 years ago.
Yes, I found that detail fascinating, as well! Also the attention paid to inbreeding, even if it’s just to provide a crude contrast between “native” practice in favor of “Western” methods. I suspect actual practices weren’t quite so clear cut… just as the training of police dogs may not all have been completely punishment-free. It is, however, significant that they are presenting this as a viable training philosophy to a popular audience, even if only in non-specific terms.