Attila the Hun used giant Molossian dogs (precursors of Mastiffs), as
well as Talbots (ancestors of the Bloodhound), in his campaigns, circa
A.D. 500.
In Europe during the Middle Ages, Great Danes and Mastiffs were
outfitted with armor and spiked collars. They frequently defended supply
caravans.
An English Poodle named Boyce was the first famous war dog,
accompanying his owner, Prince Rupert, throughout the English Civil War.
He was so famous that Oliver Cromwell's opposing troops used pamphlets
to vilify the dog.
During the Seven Years' War, the army of Frederick the Great used
Russian dogs as messengers. Dogs became associated with national
identity at this time to such an extent that in Holland the human "Keezens,"
who rose up against the House of Orange, were named after the national
dog of Holland, the Keeshond.
In the early part of the fourteenth century, the French navy used
attack dogs in 51. Malo, France, to guard naval dock installations. Such
use of dogs was abolished in 1770 after a young naval officer was killed
by one of these dogs.
Dogs, probably Mastiffs, helped the Spaniards conquer the Indians of
Mexico and Peru. later on, native North American Indians trained dogs
for pack and draft work, as well as for sentry duty,
The first recorded American Canine Corp was formed during the
Seminole (Indian) War of 1835, when the army used Cuban-bred Bloodhounds
to track any Indians and runaway slaves in the swamps.
Early in the nineteenth century, Napoleon posted dogs as sentries at
the gates of Alexandria, in Egypt, to warn his troops of attack. During
the Napoleonic Wars, a Pug named Moustache delivered messages between
the empress Josephine and Napoleon. Moustache was Later decorated for
his valiant service.
During the American Civil War, dogs were used as messengers, guards,
and mascots.
In 1884, the German army created the first organized military school
to train war dogs at Lechernich, near Berlin. Thus, "Schutzhund," a very
strict form of dog training for mostly Doberman Pinschers and
German Shepherd Dogs, was established.
In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, Theodore Roosevelt's
"Roughriders" used dogs as scouts in the jungles of Cuba.
By the early part of the twentieth century. most European countries
were using dogs in armies and for police work,
In 1904, imperial Russia used ambulance dogs during the
Russo-Japanese War. These dogs were trained by a British dog fancier who
established England's first army dog at the start of World War I.
The United States didn't have an official dog training program when
World War I broke out. Their forces bartered with the French, Belgian,
and English armies for trained sentry and courier dogs, The most famous
war dog of World War I was Stubby, a Pit Bull Terrier who became the
mascot of the 102nd Infantry and distinguished himself in various
battles in France, It was at this time that an American soldier rescued
a German Shepherd Dog puppy who went on to become the matinee idol Rin
Tin Tin.
As dogs continue to shape our folklore, they become associated with
issues of national identity and patriotism, In the United States and in
Great Britain after World War I, the German Shepherd Dog was renamed the
Alsatian in order to disassociate it from the enemy.
By World War II, American forces were ready. The army's K-9 Corps was
established in 1942 and quickly set up facilities across the
country, beginning with a station at Fort Royal, Virginia. The U.S.
Marines and the Coast Guard quickly followed suit. Dogs had already
proven to be of considerable value on the front lines, not only as
sentries and couriers but also for the companionship they provided to
soldiers. The canines performed brilliantly, with many achieving
legendary status
Almost all military dog training centers were closed by 1944 due to
budget considerations and a general lack of interest. The army's
Twenty-sixth Scout Dog Patrol was the only military dog training center
active during the Korean War, AU told, its members were awarded more
than forty-five commendations for meritorious service. York, a German
Shepherd Dog, was the most famous service dog of the era. He completed
148 combat patrols,
In 1965, dogs trained by the army, the air force, and the Marines
began arriving in Vietnam. More than 4,000 canine sentries, scouts, and
trackers acted as successful deterrents to Vietcong attacks on military
installations.
When the Berlin Wall came crashing down on November 9, 1989, the
Communist East German government used more than 5,000 dogs just to
patrol the wall.
During the Gulf War, at least 1,177 highly trained German Shepherd
Dogs were used by the French forces to guard and protect their troops,
supplies, and aircraft.
