War Dogs: Heroes Throughout History

Dogs have served alongside men in war throughout the history of the world. They were used by Native Americans, Egyptians, Persians and the Romans. The Romans used a breed of mastiffs, clothing them in coats of chain mail and protecting them with heavily spiked collars before sending them into battle.

War dogs were so valuable that, in the middle ages, breeding war dogs was actually used on a barter and trade scale.

Dogs in Wars

The Conquistadors used armored dogs that were specifically trained to kill. Dogs were used by the British in their attacks against the Irish, who in turn used their Irish Wolfhounds to attack the mounted knights. Many times a pair of wolfhounds would drag an armored knight right off his horse. In the Seven Years' war, dogs were used as messengers and used to protect the naval bases in France until the late 1700s.

During World War I and World War II, the dog again proved itself in combat. Many Europeans had dogs that were trained to pull small carts and the armies quickly put these animals to good use. They pulled cannons and supplies to the front lines, and pulled wagons of wounded soldiers. They were also trained to go from one handler to another, quietly and quickly carrying vital messages. Some dogs were also trained to detect mines.

During the Vietnam War roughly 4,000 war dogs were deployed as sentries, to bark or growl and alert their handlers to intruders. It was estimated that the war dogs saved over 10,000 American lives. The US withdrew its ground combat forces from South Vietnam in 1973 and the several thousand remaining war dogs were crated.

Sadly US military officials decided to classify these war dogs as equipment and left them all behind. They were ultimately either given to the South Vietnam Army or they were euthanized after every war dog unit was meticulously and tactically disabled.

Today's War Dogs

Today's war dog is an entirely different breed of animal that is quite highly trained in mine and bomb detection, tracking, and search and rescue missions as well as sentry duties. One of the more recent war dog stories in the news is that of Teo, a service dog in the British Army, who was recently awarded the Dickin Medal for his brave and loyal service in the Afghanistan war.

Over 1600 service dogs served in the United States Air Force during the 1970s. Today, the number is closer to 500 due to cutbacks in personnel.

In a testament as to how deeply these brave dogs have touched the hearts of the men they have served, laws were passed which allowed military dogs to be adopted upon their military retirement. The first war dog to be adopted to a new home was Lex, whose handler was sadly killed in the Iraq war.

War Dog Breeds

War dogs come in a variety of breeds, from the large mastiff of Roman days to the Irish Wolfhound and the German Sheppard. Of all the duties that these dogs have had over the years during times of war, their greatest service has always been that of both mascot and friend. Whether it is a mutt adopted by the unit or one of the service dogs working with them, these animals not only save lives, but they also lift spirits as well.

If you wish to honor a war dog, or give support to any of the many dogs giving who lost their lives in battle, there are many ways you can choose to help. There are many online sites that will accept donations.

Such donations will go, not only to supporting the dogs in combat, but also to providing for their long-term care once they have returned home.

For more information, it is recommend that you visit the website of The United States War Dogs Association.

Photo Credit:Beverly & Pack