War dog
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A war dog is a dog trained for war. The dog has been used in wars since ancient times. Their jobs have varied over the years, from being trained to track with their acute sense of smell, to bringing down infantry or even horses by biting into the hamstrings of their targets.
The history of war dogs is long and detailed, stretching up to conflicts as recent as Vietnam. In ancient times, they disrupted battlelines and frightened soldiers. They were not rendered useless as the ages drew on, however. Stubby, a war dog of World War I, was promoted to the rank of sergeant. Chips, a German Shepherd mix, and Smoky, a Yorkshire Terrier, were honored for service in World War II.
Gifts of wardog breeding stock between European royalty were seen as suitable. Wardogs were used by England against the Celts in Ireland and by many European forces, such as Spanish Conquistadors, in the New World.
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[edit] History
Wild wolves were domesticated around 10,000 B.C. in Southwest Asia, China, and North America. Wolves' highly structured pack behavior made them ideal for domestication because they were eager to please. Eventually, domestication greatly changed the appearance and behavior of the animals, making them what we know today as dogs.
Their first responsibilities were primarily as hunting companions, bed warmers, and food sources. Over the years, breeds became specialized for more complicated tasks, giving us the breeds we know today.
Dogs have been used in war for a very long time. Some ancient civilizations that used war dogs included the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Romans. The Molossian 'Canis Molossus' dog of Epirus was the strongest known to the Romans, which were specifically trained for battle by the military. However, when fought against the broad-mouthed, powerful Mastiff called Pugnaces Britanniae found in Britannia, they were out matched. The Romans exported many of this breed of Mastiff to Rome and then disseminated them over the known world. Often war dogs would be sent into battle with large protective metal collars from which spikes and curved knives protruded at all angles and wearing coats of chain mail. Romans had attack formations made entirely of dogs. These proved to be effective machines of war at the time. Native Americans also used dogs, though not on this scale.
Dogs were also used for military purpose during the Middle Ages. Atilla the Hun used giant Molossian dogs in his campaigns. Other civilizations used armored dogs to defend caravans or attack enemies. Spaniards used dogs when they invaded the land controlled by South American natives. The English used dogs when they attacked the Celts. War dog breeding was highly valued.
Later on, Frederick the Great used dogs as messengers during the Seven Years' War in Russia. Napoleon would also use dogs during his campaigns. Dogs were also 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.
[edit] Historical examples
Whoever wants to write the history of the war dog must write the history of human development from the beginning, since the dog has always been man's closest companion. History offers a wealth of reports of fighting dogs. Here are some samples:
- 2100 BCE - Hammurabi equipped his warriors with huge dogs.
- 628 BCE - The Lydians deployed a separate battalion of fighting dogs.
- 525 BCE - Kambyses used huge fighting dogs against Egyptian spearmen and archers.
- 490 BCE - Battle of Marathon - A brave fighting dog was immortalized in a mural.
- 385 BCE - Siege of Mantineia - Fighting dogs cut off enemy reinforcements.
- 101 BCE - Battle of Vercellae - Large Kimber dogs led by women defend their laagers.
- 50 - Rome conquers Britannia. Giant fighting dogs called Pugnaces Britanniae are discovered and exported for integration into the military of ancient Rome.
- 101 - The Romans employ one fighting dog company per legion.
- 1525 - Henry VIII exports 400 mastiffs to support Spain.
- 1580 - Elizabeth I sends 800 fighting dogs to fight in the Desmond Rebellions.
- 1799 - Napoleon assembles large numbers of fighting dogs in front of his reserves.
[edit] Uses
Dogs have been used for many different purposes. Different breeds were used for different things, but always met the demands of the handlers.
[edit] Sentry dogs
Sentry dogs were used to defend camps at night. They would bark or growl to alert civilian or military guards of a stranger's presence.
[edit] Scout dogs
These dogs were trained to silently locate booby traps and concealed enemies such as snipers. The dog's keen senses of smell and hearing would make them far more effective at detecting these dangers than humans.
[edit] Mine dogs
These dogs were used to locate mines. They did not prove to be very effective under combat conditions.
According to Lt. William Putney DVM, USMC War Dog Platoon, GUAM, WW2, mine detecting dogs were trained using bare electric wires beneath the ground surface. The wires shocked the dogs, teaching them that danger lurked under the dirt. Once the dogs' focus was properly directed, dummy mines were planted and the dogs were trained to signal their presence.
Dr. Putney related that while the dogs effectively found the mines, the task proved so stressful for the dogs they were only able to work between 20 and 30 minutes at a time. The mine detecting war dogs anticipated random shocks from the heretofore friendly earth, making them extremely nervous. The useful service life of the dogs was not long.
In an experiment with rats which received random shocks from a grid underfoot which they were required to cross to get food, the rats eventually huddled in a corner, refusing to attempt crossing the grid, even to the point of near starvation.
[edit] Messenger dogs
These dogs were used to carry messages in battle. They would be turned loose to move silently to a second handler. This required a dog which was very loyal to two masters, otherwise the dog would not deliver the message on time, or at all.
A Russian war dog was sent to deliver a message during the battle of Stalingrad. The dog travelled for about 10 kilometres and was wounded nine times during the trip.
Some messenger dogs also performed other jobs, such as pulling radio lines from one station to another.
[edit] Anti-tank dogs
During World War II, the Soviet Union trained dogs with the anti-tank role in mind. These dogs were taught to seek food under tanks. They were then starved until a battle occurred, during which they would be released to seek food. When they ducked under a tank, a set of explosives on the dog's back was set off, destroying the tank. These dogs were successful at disabling a reported 300 German tanks. They were dangerous enough that Panzergrenadiers were ordered to shoot all dogs on sight. However, the dogs were unable to distinguish allied from enemy tanks, and were easily scared away from battle despite their hunger. The project was eventually abandoned.
[edit] Attack Dogs
In ancient times, dogs, usually large ancient mastiff and rottweiler-type breeds, would be strapped with armor and spiked collars, and sent into battle to attack the enemy. This strategy was used by various civilizations, such as the Romans and the Greeks. This type of military dog is not in use today because modern weapons would allow soldiers to kill them before they could do any harm to the enemy and for ethical reasons.
[edit] In fiction
Even in military science fiction, the use of war dogs is somewhat rare. Two notable exceptions are the Killzone video game series and Robert A. Heinlein's novel Starship Troopers. In the former, the Helghast were said to employ dogs in their campaign on Vekta. The dogs did not appear in the first Killzone game, but do in the PlayStation Portable game, Killzone: Liberation.
In Starship Troopers, the Terran Federation use genetically engineered dogs called Calebs, which are formed into a K9 Corps. The Corps was decimated at the Battle of Klendathu when a large number of the dogs committed suicide upon encountering the Arachnids for the first time.
In Command and Conquer: Red Alert, Soviet commanders can train and use attack dogs to kill infantry units in one bite. Also in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 both the Allies and the Soviets can train dogs that kill infantry, sniff out spies, and are useful in exploring the map.
In the game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, dogs are used as sentries and can detect you by smell.
In the game Age of Empires 3, players are able to train dogs to explore or to attack other players.
In the game Wolfenstein 3D, the player is confronted with Nazi attack dogs. In the Nintendo version of the game, the dogs were replaced with mutant rats due to complaints from animal-rights activists.
[edit] See also
- Ancient warfare
- Canes Pugnaces
- Pugnaces Britanniae - War Dog of Britain
