WASHINGTON, January 10, 2013 - Working dogs form an important
part of today’s military. Dogs have been used in warfare by
ancient Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Slavs, and Britons. During
the Roman Empire dogs were arranged in columns and wore armor
and spiked collars. Dogs were also used by Attila the Hun and
Frederick the Great. Napoleon chained dogs to the walls of
Alexandria to warn of enemy attacks. Dalmatians were used on the
borders of Dalmatia to warn of Turkish attacks from Croatia. By
the early 1900s, France, Belgium, Russia, and especially Germany
used military dogs for scout duty, to warn of enemy attacks,
find the injured, and to carry supplies and messages during
combat. Even though dogs were used in the Spanish-American War
and Civil war, the US officially began training dogs for the US
army in 1942. During WWII, 15 war dog platoons served overseas
as part of the army’s K-9 Corps. Dogs have served in Korea,
Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan, and Iraq with bravery and
distinction. Today, military