Did you know that our canine companions have been fighting alongside us as far back as 600 B.C.? The military working dogs you see today have come a long way since their first battle alongside man, but their respect and loyalty has never waivered over the years. Let’s take a look at how the military working dog has changed over the years and what it takes to become a war dog.

While dogs have been used in war by the Egyptians, Greeks, Persians and Romans, the earliest recorded use of war dogs was with the Lydian King who used them against the invading army of Cimmerians to help break up their attack. The dogs were used to break up enemy formations, charging into the ranks and tearing down as many enemy soldiers as possible. But, as warfare began to modernize, so did the service of dogs.

In the late 19th century, Germany created military dog-training programs and during World War I, the European armies used dogs to find wounded soldiers, carry supplies and act as messengers. Germany and the United Kingdom would have dogs work with the Red Cross and called them “mercy dogs.” These dogs would aid the Red Cross in helping to locate wounded soldiers on the front lines, alerting their handlers by bringing back a piece of clothing or displaying other signals. In the United States, dogs have worked alongside soldiers since the Civil War but it wasn’t until World War II that the first K-9 corps was created and officially recognized in the U.S. on March 13, 1942.

The first dog to ever rank was a brindle bull terrier mutt named Stubby who served as the mascot for the 102nd infantry regiment in World War I. Stubby saved multiple soldiers from mustard gas attacks and helped the wounded in more than 17 battles during the war. His most daring feat had Stubby catching a German soldier by the leg and incapacitating him until US forces arrived after infiltrating US-controlled territory to map trench layouts and troop positions. Due to his heroism, Stubby was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.

While Stubby managed to be the first dog to rank in war, the most decorated military working dog (MWD) came in World War II in the form of a German Shepherd, Collie and Husky mix named Chips. Chips was a DoD-trained sentry dog with the 3rd Infantry Division alongside handler Private John P. Rowell. One of his most infamous feats was when he broke away from his handler and jumped into an Italian machine-gun nest during the invasion of Sicily, where he managed to injure four Italian gunners inside who were forced to flee their position and captured by US forces. Chips made it out with only a scalp wound and minor gunpowder burns and went on to assist in the capture of 10 more Italian soldiers that day. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, eight Battle Stars and the Purple Heart for his bravery alongside his fellow soldiers.

Today, there are over 1,600 military working dogs working at the US and Allied installations around the world. Unlike in earlier times, the dogs today are treated as valuable and respected soldiers on four legs. The U.S. military uses dogs in all branches of service and they are trained for specific jobs including tracking, explosive detection, patrol, search and rescue and attack.

Training for these dogs takes four to seven months where they are paired up with a handler and learn everything from basic commands to how to attack someone threatening their handler without a command. Typical training scenarios for these dogs can include having to detect explosives in a caravan of 10 or more vehicles, with decoys such as sausages and bacon setup to create a more distracting environment. Under these conditions, a trained detection dog should be able to detect an explosive in under two minutes. The price tag to get a dog ready for battle has definitely gone up since earlier times, with the average cost for training a military dog ranging from $20,000 to $40,000. If you want to prepare a dog to be an explosives detection expert, it can cost over $150,000. All military dogs and their handlers are trained at the 341st Training Squadron at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

A large percentage of military working dogs are purchased from specialized breeders in Germany and the Netherlands. The top dog breeds for tactical military working dogs include German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds and Belgian Malinois. While the German Shepherds provide the larger size and more muscles, the Malinois’ smaller size is perfect for tactics involving parachuting and rappelling. The Malinois has become the favorite of the US Navy Seals and other elite forces around the world due to their compact size.

While the aforementioned breeds are among the top picks when it comes to military working dogs, the sporting breeds, such as Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are usually enlisted as great dog breeds for sniffing and odor detection. Dogs don’t need to be close to detect a bomb or IED inside a vehicle; in fact, dogs have an almost superhuman sense of smell with ten to twenty times the number of receptors on their nose than a human. Often, dogs can signal a bomb’s presence from 50 feet away, which is a huge help when it comes to them approaching and searching an object without putting their handler or fellow soldiers in harm’s way all thanks to their nose. On top of their superhuman smelling, dogs can have little to no wind and still have the ability to detect intruders using their sense of smell and hearing.

Caring for these dogs in the field is a major concern and the responsibility for providing veterinary first aid should the dog be wounded has fallen on the handler for many years; however, the Department of Defense has taken steps to ensure that these canine heroes get the care they need in the field and beyond. Military working dogs are seen by the troops today as fellow warriors deserving of the same quality of care and medical attention as their human counterparts; which is why the military has moved to training medics on how to treat wounded working dogs. With medics being trained on animal first aid, it provides the dogs a chance to become stable enough to transport for more advanced veterinary medicine.

Before November 2000, military dogs were considered “military surplus equipment” and deemed unfit to adjust to civilian life once their term of service was done. It was very common for these military dogs to be euthanized at the end of their service or left behind. Thanks to Robby’s Law that was passed by President Bill Clinton in November of 2000, handlers and their families were allowed ‘first dibs’ at adopting military animals at the end of their service. The dogs are also offered to law enforcement and then adoptive families so they have a chance at finding their fur-ever homes they deserve.

Another positive development for military working dogs and their handlers came in 2016 with the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which mandates the return of retiring military dogs to U.S. soil and the first rights of adoption go to former handlers and their families. Before this act was passed, handlers who wanted to bring a dog home after their tour duty was over could do so, but they had to pay for the transportation for the dog, which was very expensive.

While we honor and celebrate the brave men and women who have served, sacrificed and continue to defend our country, we should show the same respect to the four-legged soldiers alongside our brothers and sisters fighting for freedom. These loyal and brave canine companions deserve to be recognized and honored for all of their heroism on the battlefield as well as shown what a true and loving home is once their duties have been fulfilled.

If you’re looking to show your canine companion a little extra love, why not give them what they want - extra outside time! The colder weather may be a little uncomfortable for you, but your pup still needs that playtime to burn off their excess energy with some fresh air. Contact Going Mutts Pet Services to let one of our paw-sitively pawsome dog walkers help you and your dog out by lining up some daily walks and playtimes! Let’s set up a free Meet ‘n Greet to customize a plan for your dog to get more fresh air outside and less time doing destructive behaviors inside.

Sources:

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/what-are-military-working-dogs/

https://armedforcesentertainment.com/news/14-fun-facts-you-may-not-know-about-military-working-dogs/

https://www.military.com/undertheradar/2017/03/brief-history-dogs-warfare

https://www.army.mil/article/56965/military_working_dogs_guardians_of_the_night