This has been an interest of mine for a long long time, since I am a dog lover and this has always fascinated me. I am trying to find the War Dog manual...which is proving a challenge anyway, I thought I would start a discussion about the War Dogs.



War Dogs were used from WWII all the way into Vietnam from what I have learned from reading and other people. I have always wanted to do a War Dog impression...with maybe a German Shepard, Rottweiler, or Pinscher, have also heard Boxers were used as well. I know atleast one guy brings horses out to battles...what about dogs? The dogs would have to be given hunting training and some type of ear protection...but it'll probably never happen lol.



Here are some links that I found interesting, Also the story of Chips who survived with the war with the 3rd ID from N. Afrika, Italy and into Germany.



Someone told me that when the war was over that they shot all the dogs because they were trained to see all other humans as enemies...that was not the case at all.


USMC Raiders - Bougainville 1943



http://www.qmfound.com/K-9.htm

http://www.qmfound.com/wardog.htm

http://community-2.webtv.net/Hahn-50thAP-K9/K9History3/

http://www.uswardogs.org/id25.html

Martin's dad was part of a 5 man combat tracker team that used dogs. He said that the dogs saved guys lives on numerous accounts. THe dogs weren't shot because of the human enemy aspect. Alot of times it's that the environment does a number on the dogs health and it's a disease risk to take them back to the states. THat was the case in Nam anyway. Dogs out in the jungle, they get diseases that won't mix well with civilization. See: Aztecs Vs. Spanish kind of thing.

I read we also supplied ARVN with dogs, and close to 90% of all the animal deaths were attributed to malnutrition on the part of ARVN, because it cost more to feed the dog than a soldier! And yeah, I can see dogs playing hosts to all kinds of things...

My older brother works for the army in TX at a rehabilitation center for war dogs that get injured in the call of duty. It's a state of the art center, and really probably cost too much money to put together, but I'm glad they're taking care of our canine soldiers too.

Sorry for necroposting, but: