War Dog History
A war dog is trained for warfare. The history of war dogs is long and detailed, stretching from ancient times to conflicts ongoing. Their use as scouts, sentries and trackers have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military usage.
War dogs were used by the Egyptians, Greeks, Britons and the Romans. The Molossian Canis dog of Epirus was the strongest breed known by the Romans, and was specifically trained for battle. However, when fought against the broad-mouthed, powerful mastiff of Briton they were outmatched. The Romans exported many of this breed of mastiff to Rome and then disseminated them over the known world. Often they would be sent into battle with large protective spiked metal collars and coats of chain mail. The Romans had attack formations made entirely of dogs. Native Americans also used dogs, though not on this scale.
During the Middle Ages, Molosser dogs were used in campaigns. Gifts of war dog breeding stock between European royalty were seen as suitable tokens for exchange throughout the Middle Ages. Other civilizations used armored dogs to defend caravans or attack enemies. Spanish conquistadors used dogs when they invaded the land controlled by South American natives. The British used dogs when they attacked the Irish. Later on, Frederick the Great used dogs as messengers during the Seven Year War in Russia. Napoleon would also use dogs during his campaigns. Dogs were used up until 1770 to guard naval installations in France.
The first official use of dogs for military purposes in the United States was during the Seminole Wars. Dogs were used in the American Civil War to protect, send messages, and as mascots. There are numerous memorials dedicated to war dogs, a couple being March Field Air Museum and The Infantry School, Ft. Benning.
Dog teams are used world wide in today’s military. They perform everyday duties while stationed in the U.S. to include; building searching, scouts, foot patrols, vehicle search, traffic stop, police calls (assault for example) they help out local police agencies with bomb threats and other police related calls. Military dogs also get attached with the Secret Service to execute presidential missions.
Dog teams have a huge role in today’s war, working long hard hours. Military dogs get sent all over. Their roles in the war include primarily searching for bombs and weapons caches. Today’s military dog is a true hero!!
