Napoleon hand raises a group of puppies into fierce, violent dogs that guard him and do his bidding. He uses them to consolidate and enforce his power. He first instructs them to chase Snowball from Animal Farm:
At this there was a terrible baying sound outside, and nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. They dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place just in time to escape their snapping jaws.
They pursue Snowball across the farm and almost catch him. He escapes but dares not return, so Napoleon is able to become all powerful. Snowball, Napoleon's only real rival, is intelligent, dedicated and resourceful, but no match for Napoleon's willingness to employ raw force.
When the hens protest having to lay 400 eggs a week, Napoleon cuts off their food supply and decrees any animal giving them so much as a grain of corn should be put to death. This threat of violence works and the hens eventually capitulate.
Napoleon also uses the violence in his show trials. He has the three hens who were the ringleaders in protesting the increased egg quota confess that they were incited by Snowball in a dream to disobey Napoleon's orders. Napoleon has the three hens, "slaughtered," along with some other animals who also confess to having been led astray by Snowball. This demoralizes and frightens the rest of the animals, who creep off, "shaken and miserable."
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