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{{Redirect|War dogs|other uses|War Dogs (disambiguation){{!}}War Dogs}}
{{Redirect|War dogs|
[[File:Belgian Shepherd Malinois on top of tank.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|A [[U.S. Air Force]] dog atop an [[M2 Bradley|M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle]] in Iraq in 2007.]]
[[File:Garnisonen i Sør-Varanger dog.jpg|thumb|upright|Dog of the [[Garrison of Sør-Varanger]] during a simulated arrest]]

'''Dogs in warfare''' have a long history starting in [[Ancient history|ancient times]]. From 'war dogs' trained in combat to their use as scouts, sentries and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military usage.

{{TOC limit|limit=2}}

==History==
War dogs were used by the [[Egyptians]], [[Greeks]], [[Persia]]ns, [[Sarmatians]], [[Alans]], [[Slavs]], [[Britons (historical)|Britons]], and the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]].<ref name="K9hist">{{cite web |accessdate=2008-11-25
|url=http://community-2.webtv.net/Hahn-50thAP-K9/K9History/
|title=K-9 History: The Dogs of War!
|last=Newton|first=Tom
|publisher=Hahn's 50th AP K-9}}</ref><ref name="NYT">{{cite news |accessdate=2008-11-26
|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D00E2DE123FE233A25752C2A9649C946496D6CF
|title=Dogs of War in European Conflict; Egyptians and Romans Employed Them in Early Warfare &mdash; Battle Dogs in 4000 B.C
|date=February 21, 1915 |page=S3
|work=[[New York Times]]}}</ref>
The [[Molossian]] 'Canis Molossus' dog of [[Epirus]] was the strongest known to the Romans, and was specifically trained for battle.<ref name=PitBull411>{{cite web
|accessdate=Novembeg 26, 2008 |url=http://www.pitbull411.com/history.html
|title=History of the Pit Bull|
last=Morral|first=Timothy|publisher=Pitbull411.com}}</ref> Among the Greeks and Romans, dogs served most often as sentries or patrols, though they were sometimes taken into battle.<ref>E.S. Forster, "Dogs In Ancient Warfare," ''Greece & Rome'' 10 (1941) 114–117.</ref> The earliest use of war dogs in a battle recorded in classical sources was by [[Alyattes of Lydia]] against the [[Cimmerians]] around 600 BC. The Lydian dogs killed some invaders and [[rout]]ed others.<ref>[[Polyaenus]], ''Stratagems'' 7.2; Forster, "Dogs in Ancient Warfare," p. 114.</ref>

Often war dogs would be sent into battle with large protective spiked metal collars and coats of [[mail (armour)|mail]] armor.{{citation needed|date=March 2012}} [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]s also used dogs as pack animals and to pull travois.<ref>[http://maic.jmu.edu/journal/5.1/features/minedogs/challenge.htm The Journal]</ref>

During the [[Late Antiquity]], [[Attila the Hun]] used giant [[Molosser]] dogs in his campaigns.<ref name="K9hist" /> Gifts of war dog breeding stock between European [[Royal family|royalty]] were seen as suitable tokens for exchange throughout the Middle Ages. Other civilizations used armored dogs to defend caravans or attack enemies. The Spanish conquistadors used armoured dogs that had been trained to kill and disembowel natives.<ref name=Stannard>{{cite book
|title=American holocaust: the conquest of the New World
|first=David |last=Stannard}}</ref>

Later on, [[Frederick II of Prussia|Frederick the Great]] used dogs as messengers during the [[Seven Years' War]] with Russia. [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] also used dogs during his campaigns. Dogs were used up until 1770 to guard naval installations in France.{{Citation needed|date=March 2011}}

The first official use of dogs for military purposes in the United States was during the [[Seminole Wars]].<ref name="K9hist" /> The American Pit Bull Terrier was used in the [[American Civil War]] to protect, send messages, and as mascots in American World War I propaganda and recruiting posters.{{Citation needed|date=March 2011}}

==Timeline==
The use of dogs in warfare have been used by many civilizations. As warfare has progressed, their purposes have changed greatly.<ref name="icani">{{cite book | title=I cani in guerra. Da Tutankhamon a Bin Laden | publisher=Oasi Alberto Perdisa | author=Todaro, Giovanni | year=2011 | isbn=978-88-8372-513-5 | language=[[Italian language|Italian]]}}</ref>

* Mid-7th century BC: In the war waged by the [[Ephesus|Ephesians]] against [[Magnesia on the Maeander]], the Magnesian horsemen were each accompanied by a war dog and a spear-bearing attendant. The dogs were released first and broke the enemy ranks, followed by an assault of spears, then a cavalry charge.<ref>Aelian, ''Varia Historia'' 14.46; Forster, "Dogs in Ancient Warfare," p. 115.</ref> An epitaph records the burial of a Magnesian horseman named Hippaemon with his dog Lethargos, his horse, and his spearman.<ref>P.A.L. Greenhalgh, ''Early Greek Warfare: Horsemen and Chariots in the Homeric and Archaic Ages'' (Cambridge University Press, 1973, 2010), p. 145.</ref>
* 525 BC: At the [[Battle of Pelusium (525 BC)|Battle of Pelusium]], [[Cambyses II]] uses a [[psychological warfare|psychological tactic]] against the Egyptians, arraying dogs and other animals in the front line to effectively take advantage of the [[Ancient Egyptian religion|Egyptian religious reverence]] for animals.<ref>Polyaenus, ''Stratagems'' 7.9; Forster, "Dogs in Ancient Warfare," p. 114.</ref>
* 490 BC: At the [[Battle of Marathon]], a dog follows his [[hoplite]] master into battle against the Persians and is memorialized [[Stoa Poikile|in a mural]].<ref>[[Claudius Aelianus|Aelian]], ''On the Nature of Animals'' 7.38.</ref>
* 480 BC: [[Xerxes I of Persia]] is accompanied by vast packs of Indian hounds when he [[Battle of Thermopylae|invades Greece]]. They may have served in the military as well as being used for sport or hunting, but their purpose is unrecorded.<ref>[[Herodotus]], ''Histories'' 7.187; Forster, "Dogs in Ancient Warfare," p. 115.</ref>
* 1500s: Mastiffs and other large breeds were used extensively by Spanish conquistadors against native Americans.<ref>J.G. Varner and J.J. Varner, ''Dogs of the Conquest'' (University of Oklahoma Press, 1983)</ref>
* 1914–1918: Dogs were used by international forces to deliver vital messages. About a million dogs died in action.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} [[Sgt Stubby]], an [[American Pit Bull Terrier]] mix was the most awarded dog of World War I and became the first dog to be given a rank (of Sergeant) when he discovered and alerted the Allies to the presence of a German spy.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}
* 1941–1945: The [[Soviet Union]] used [[Anti-tank dog|dogs strapped with explosives]] to destroy invading German tanks.
* 1943–1945: The [[United States Marine Corps]] used dogs, donated by their American owners, in the [[Pacific War|Pacific theater]] to help take islands back from Japanese occupying forces. During this period the [[Doberman Pinscher]] became the official dog of the USMC; however, all breeds of dogs were eligible to train to be "war dogs of the Pacific". Of the 549 dogs that returned from the war, only 4 could not be returned to civilian life. Many of the dogs went home with their handlers from the war.<ref>http://worldwar2history.info/Marines/dogs.html</ref>
* 1966–1973: Approximately 5,000 US war dogs served in the [[Vietnam War]] (the [[United States Army|US Army]] did not retain records prior to 1968); about 10,000 US servicemen served as dog-handlers during the war, and the K9 units are estimated to have saved over 10,000 human lives. 232 military working dogs<ref>Burnam (2008) p. 288-293</ref> and 295<ref>Burnam (2008) p. 281-288</ref> US servicemen working as dog handlers were killed in action during the war. It is estimated that about 200 Vietnam War dogs survived the war to be assigned at other US bases outside the US. The remaining canines were euthanized or left behind.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/02/12/war.dogs/index.html?hpt=C1 CNN special report]</ref><ref name="Burnam 2008 p. XIV">Burnam (2008) p. XIV</ref>
* 2011: [[United States Navy SEALs]] used a [[Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois)|Belgian Malinois]] military working dog named Cairo in [[Death_of_Osama_bin_Laden#Operation_Neptune_Spear|Operation Neptune Spear]], in which [[Death of Osama bin Laden|Osama bin Laden was killed]].<ref name=seal>{{cite web|last=Viegas|first=Jennifer|title=A U.S. Navy Seals' Secret Weapon: Elite Dog Team|url=http://news.discovery.com/animals/a-us-navy-seals-secret-weapon-elite-dog-team-110503.html|publisher=Discovery.com|accessdate=5 May 2011|date=2 May 2011}}</ref><ref name=dogname>{{cite news|last=Brammer|first=Jack|title=Obama thanks special forces for daring bin Laden raid|url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/mobile/?type=story&id=2014986679&|accessdate=7 May 2011|newspaper=[[Seattle Times]]|date=7 May 2011|author2=Steven Thomma}}</ref>

==Roles==
[[File:SP4 Bealock and scout dog Chief.jpg|right|thumb|U.S. Army SP4 Bealock and scout dog "Chief" on patrol in Vietnam.]]
Dogs have been used for many different purposes. Different [[Dog breed|breeds]] were used for different things, but always met the demands of the [[Animal handler|handler]]s. Many roles for dogs in war are obsolete and no longer practiced.

===Historical===
====Fighting====
[[File:Working dog in Afghanistan, wearing a bulletproof vest, being trained-hires.jpg|thumb|Military working dog wearing [[Ballistic vest|body armor]], undergoing escalation of force training in [[Afghanistan]].]]
{{main|Attack dog}}
In ancient times, dogs, often large mastiff- or molosser-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 [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]]. This approach has been largely abandoned in modern day militaries due to the fact that modern weapons would allow the dogs to be killed almost immediately, as on [[Battle of Okinawa|Okinawa]] when U.S. soldiers quickly eliminated a platoon of Japanese soldiers and their dogs.<ref name=Astor1996>{{cite book
|last=Astor |first=Gerald
|title=Operation Iceberg: The Invasion and Conquest of Okinawa in World War II
|publisher= Dell |year=1996 |isbn= 0-440-22178-1
|isbn-status=May be invalid - please double check}}</ref>

Another program attempted during World War II was suggested by a Swiss citizen living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. William A. Prestre proposed using large dogs to kill Japanese soldiers. He convinced the military to lease an entire island in the Mississippi to house the training facilities. There the army hoped to train as many as two million dogs. The idea was to begin island invasions with landing craft releasing thousands of dogs against the Japanese defenders, then followed up by troops as the Japanese defenders scattered in confusion. One of the biggest problems encountered was getting Japanese soldiers to train the dogs with, as few Japanese soldiers were being captured. Eventually, Japanese-American soldiers volunteered for the training. The biggest problem was the dogs; either they were too docile, did not respond to training teaching them to rush across beaches, or were terrified by shellfire. After millions of dollars were spent, the program was abandoned.<ref>{{cite book|pages=166–168|title=1942: The Year that Tried Men's Souls|author=Winston Groom|publisher=Atlanta Monthly Press|year=2005|isbn=0-87113-889-1}}</ref>

====Logistics & communication====
About the time [[World War I]] broke out, many Europeans used dogs to pull small carts.<ref name="Ouida">{{cite book
|last=[[Ouida]]
|title=[[A Dog of Flanders]]
|publisher=[[Chapman & Hall]] |year=1872}}</ref>
Many European armies adapted the process for military use.<ref name=Dyer2006>{{cite book
|last=Dyer |first=Walter A. |authorlink=Walter Alden Dyer
|title=Pierrot the Carabinier: Dog of Belgium
|publisher=Diggory Press |year=2006
|isbn=978-1-84685-036-3}}</ref>
The [[Belgian Land Component|Belgian Army]] used dogs to pull their [[Maxim Gun]]s and other supplies or wounded in their [[cart]]s.<ref name="WILL">{{cite book
|title=First World War
|last=Willmott |first=H.P.
|publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2003
|page=59}}</ref> The French had 250 dogs at the start of World War I. The [[Netherlands|Dutch]] army copied the idea and had hundreds of dogs trained and ready by the end of World War I (the Netherlands remained neutral). The Soviet army also used dogs to drag wounded men to aid stations during WWII.<ref name="WWIIdogs">{{cite web|accessdate=
|url=http://community-2.webtv.net/Hahn-50thAP-K9/K9History21/
|title=World War Two Combat: Axis and Allies
|publisher=Hahn's 50th AP K-9}}</ref> The dogs were well-suited to transporting loads over snow and through craters.

Dogs were often used to carry messages in battle. They would be turned loose to move silently to a second handler. This required a dog that was very loyal to ''two'' masters, otherwise the dog would not deliver the message on time, or at all. Some messenger dogs also performed other communication jobs, such as pulling telephone lines from one location to another.{{Citation needed|date=December 2008}}

====Mascots====
{{Main|Military mascot}}
Dogs were often used as unit [[mascot]]s for military units. The dog in question might be an officer's dog, an animal that the unit chose to adopt, or one of their canines employed in another role as a working dog. Some naval dogs such as [[Sinbad (USCG)|Sinbad]] and [[Judy (dog)|Judy]] were themselves enlisted service members. Some units also chose to employ a particular breed of dog as their standard mascot, with new dogs replacing the old when it died or was retired. The presence of a mascot was designed to uplift [[morale]], and many were used to this effect in the trenches of World War I.

====Medical research====
{{main|Animal testing}}
[[File:Mansbestfriendww2.jpg|right|thumb|Medical researchers, and their allies in the armed forces, awarded military-style medals to animals in laboratories to emphasize the martial significance of animal experimentation. Here, Army Surgeon General Major General Norman T. Kirk, on behalf of the Friends of Medical Research, bestows medals upon research dogs Trixie and Josie "for outstanding services to humanity."]]

In World War II, dogs took on a new role in medical experimentation, as the primary animals chosen for medical research.<ref name=NLM_20061024>{{cite web|accessdate= 2008-07-08
|url=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/animals/canine.html
|work=History of Medicine: Animals as Cold Warriors |title=Canine Heroes and Medals
|publisher=National Library of Medicine, NIH |date=October 24, 2006
}}</ref> The animal experimentation allowed doctors to test new medicine without risking human lives, though these practices came under more scrutiny after the war. The United States' government responded by proclaiming these dogs as heroes.

The [[Cold War]] sparked a heated debate over the ethics of animal experimentation in the U.S., particularly aimed at how canines were treated in World War II.<ref name=NLM_20061024/>
In 1966, major reforms came to this field with the adoption of the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act.<ref>{{cite journal |accessdate=2008-07-08
|last=Buettinger |first=Craig
|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-13506650.html
|title=Antivivisection and the charge of zoophil-psychosis in the early twentieth century
|journal=The Historian|date=January 1, 1993}}</ref>

====Detection & tracking====
{{Main|Detection dog}}
Many dogs were used to locate [[Land mine|mine]]s. They did not prove to be very effective under combat conditions. Marine mine detecting dogs were trained using bare electric wires beneath the ground surface.<ref>Putney, William. (2001) ''Always Faithful: A Memoir of the Marine Dogs of World War II'', New York: Simon & Schuster Inc. ISBN 0-7432-0198-1</ref> The wires shocked the dogs, teaching them that danger lurked under the dirt. Once the dog's focus was properly directed, dummy mines were planted and the dogs were trained to signal their presence. 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.{{Clarify|date=December 2010}} The useful service life of the dogs was not long. Experiments with lab rats show that this trend can be very extreme, in some tests rats even huddled in the corner to the point of starvation to avoid electric shock.

This is the result of variable schedule [[operant conditioning]]. Rather than shocking the entire ground surface, the electric shock components should be placed directly over the mine detonation area. This would teach the dogs and mice that only sections of ground over mines are dangerous, not all of the ground.

Dogs have historically also been used in many cases to track fugitives and enemy troops, overlapping partly into the duties of a scout dog, but use their olfactory skill in tracking a scent, rather than warning a handler at the initial presentation of a scent.

[[File:Marine-war-dogs.jpg|thumb|right|[[Marine Raiders]] take scouting and messenger dogs to the frontlines on [[Bougainville Island|Bougainville]], late 1943]]

====Scouts====
[[File:VietnamCombatArtCAT02AugustineGAcunaScoutDog.jpg|thumb|250px|left|SCOUT DOG by Augustine G. Acuna, [[Vietnam Combat Artists Program]], CAT II, 1966-67. Image courtesy of [[National Museum of the United States Army|National Museum of the U. S. Army]].]]

Some dogs are trained to silently locate [[booby trap]]s 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. The best scout dogs are described as having a disposition intermediate to docile tracking dogs and aggressive attack dogs.<ref name="SCOUT"/>

Scout dogs were used in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam by the United States to detect ambushes, weapon caches, or enemy fighters hiding underwater, with only reed breathing straws showing above the waterline. The US operated a number of scout dog platoons (assigned on a handler-and-dog team basis to individual patrols) and had a dedicated dog training school in [[Fort Benning]], Georgia.<ref name="SCOUT">''{{cite journal|accessdate=
|url=http://www.qmfound.com/scout_dogs.htm
|title=Scout Dogs - Enemy's Worst Enemy..
|last=Rubenstein |first=SP4 Wain
|journal=Danger Forward |volume=3 |issue=2
|month=June | year=1969 |publisher=U.S/ Army Quartermaster Museum}}</ref>

====Sentries====
{{main|Guard dog}}
One of the earliest military-related uses, sentry dogs were used to defend camps or other priority areas at night and sometimes during the day. They would bark or growl to alert guards of a stranger's presence. During the [[Cold War]], the American military used sentry dog teams outside of nuclear weapons storage areas. A test program was conducted in Vietnam to test sentry dogs, launched two days after a successful [[Vietcong]] attack on [[Da Nang Air Base]] (July 1, 1965). Forty dog teams were deployed to Vietnam for a four month test period, with teams placed on the perimeter in front of machine gun towers/bunkers. The detection of intruders resulted in a rapid deployment of reinforcements. The test was successful, so the handlers returned to the US while the dogs were reassigned to new handlers. The Air Force immediately started to ship dog teams to all the bases in Vietnam and Thailand.

The buildup of American forces in Vietnam created large dog sections at USAF Southeast Asia (SEA) bases. 467 dogs were eventually assigned to Bien Hoa, Bien Thuy, Cam Ranh Bay, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Tuy Hoa, Phu Cat, Phan Rang, Tan Son Nhut, and Pleiku Air Bases. Within a year of deployment, attacks on several bases had been stopped when the enemy forces were detected by dog teams. Captured Vietcong told of the fear and respect that they had for the dogs. The Vietcong even placed a bounty on lives of handlers and dogs. The success of sentry dogs was determined by the lack of successful penetrations of bases in Vietnam and Thailand. It is estimated by the United States War Dogs Association that war dogs saved over 10,000 U.S. lives in Vietnam.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-07-08
|url=http://www.qmfound.com/War_Dogs.htm
|title=War Dogs
|date=January 9, 2007
|publisher=U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum |location=Fort Lee, Virginia}}</ref> Sentry Dogs were also used by the Army, Navy, and Marines to protect the perimeter of large bases.

===Modern uses===
[[File:K-9 Andy.jpg|right|thumb|U.S. Army military working dog searches among rubble and trash outside a target building in Rusafa, eastern Baghdad, Iraq.]]
Contemporary dogs in military roles are also often referred to as [[police dogs]], or in the United States as a Military Working Dog (MWD), or K-9. Their roles are nearly as varied as their ancient cousins, though they tend to be more rarely used in front-line formations. As of 2011, 600 U.S. Military dogs were actively participating in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.<ref name="six hundred">{{cite news|title=A Bin Laden Hunter on Four Legs|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/science/05dog.html?_r=1|publisher=The New York Times Company|accessdate=5 May 2011|author=Gardiner Harris|date=4|month=May|year=2011|quote=There are 600 dogs serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that number is expected to grow substantially over the next year.}}</ref>

Traditionally, the most common breed for these police-type operations has been the [[German Shepherd]]; in recent years there has been a shift to smaller dogs with keener senses of smell for detection work, and more resilient breeds such as the [[Belgian Malinois]] and [[Dutch Shepherd]] for patrolling and law enforcement. All MWDs in use today are paired with a single individual after their training. This person is called a handler. While a handler usually won't stay with one dog for the length of either's career, usually a handler will stay partnered with a dog for at least a year, and sometimes much longer.

The latest canine tactical vests are outfitted with cameras and durable microphones that allow dogs to relay audio and visual information to their handlers.<ref>{{cite news|date=2011-05-17|url=http://militarygear.com/blog/war-dogs-k9-storm-armor-protects-canine-soldiers/ |title=War Dogs: K9 Storm Armor Protects Canine Soldiers|publisher=Military Gear News}}</ref>

In the 1970s the [[US Air Force]] used over 1,600 dogs worldwide. Today, personnel cutbacks have reduced USAF dog teams to approximately 530, stationed throughout the world. Many dogs that operate in these roles are trained at [[Lackland Air Force Base]], the only United States facility that currently trains dogs for military use.<ref name=NationalGeographic_Mott_20030409>{{cite news|accessdate=2008-07-08
|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/04/0409_030409_militarydogs.html
|title=Dogs of War: Inside the U.S. Military's Canine Corps
|first=Maryann |last=Mott |date=April 9, 2003
|work=[[National Geographic Society|National Geographic News]]}}</ref>

Change has also come in legislation for the benefit of the canines. Prior to 2000, older war dogs were required to be [[euthanized]]. Thanks to a new law, retired military dogs may now be adopted,<ref name=NationalGeographic_Mott_20030409/> one notable case of which was [[Lex (dog)|Lex]], a working dog whose handler was killed in Iraq.

There are numerous memorials dedicated to war dogs, including [[March Field Air Museum]] in [[Riverside, California]];<ref name=WarDogs.com>
{{cite web|accessdate=
|url=http://www.war-dogs.com/
|title=War-Dogs.com}}</ref> the Infantry School at [[Fort Benning]], Georgia;<ref name=WarDogs.com/> at the Naval Facility, Guam, with replicas at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville;<ref>
{{cite web|accessdate=
|url=http://www.vet.utk.edu/wardog/
|title=War Dog Memorial
|publisher=The University of Tennessee}}</ref> the [[Alfred M. Gray]] Marine Corps Research Center in [[Quantico, Virginia]];<ref name=StarsStripes_Simpson_20070922>{{cite web|accessdate=July 23, 2010
|url=http://www.stripesguam.com/content/war-dog-memorial-tells-little-known-tale
|title=War Dog Memorial Tells Little-Known Tale
|first=Tara K. |last=Simpson
|date=September 22, 2007
|work=[[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars and Stripes]]}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> and the Alabama War Dogs Memorial at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in [[Mobile, Alabama]].<ref name=awdm.org>{{cite web|accessdate=
|url=http://www.awdm.org/ %7CAlabama War Dogs Memorial
|title=Alabama War Dogs Memorial. The most recent Working Military Dog memorial, and the only one west of the Mississippi was dedicated on April 16, 2011 at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas, California
|date=July 23, 2010}}</ref>

====Law enforcement====
[[File:MWD HMX-1.jpg|thumb||A dog inspects baggage for loading aboard an [[HMX-1]] aircraft.]]
{{main|Police dog}}
As a partner in everyday [[military police]] work, dogs have proven versatile and loyal officers. Police dogs can chase suspects, track them if they are hidden, and guard them when they are caught. They are trained to respond viciously if their handler is attacked, and otherwise not to react at all unless they are commanded to do so by their handler. Many police dogs are also trained in detection as well.

====Drug and explosives detection====
{{main|Detection dog}}
Both MWDs and their civilian counterparts provide service in drug detection, sniffing out a broad range of psychoactive substances despite efforts at concealment. Provided they have been trained to detect it, MWDs can smell small traces of nearly any substance, even if it is in a sealed container. Dogs trained in drug detection are normally used at ports of embarkation such as [[airports]], checkpoints, and other places where there is high security and a need for anti-[[contraband]] measures.

MWDs can also be trained to detect [[explosives]]. As with narcotics, trained MWDs can detect minuscule amounts of a wide range of explosives, making them useful for searching entry points, patrolling within secure installations, and at checkpoints. These dogs are capable of achieving over a 98% success rate in bomb detection.<ref name=QMFound>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-07-08
|url=http://www.qmfound.com/War_Dogs.htm
|title=War Dogs
|publisher=U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum}}</ref>

====Intimidation====
[[File:Abu Ghraib 56.jpg|thumb|right|A bound prisoner in an orange [[jumpsuit]] is intimidated with a dog by a U.S. soldier.]]

The use of Military Working Dogs on prisoners by the United States during recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has been controversial.

'''[[Iraq War]]''': The U.S. has used dogs to intimidate prisoners in Iraqi prisons.<ref name=SeattlePI_Goodman_20070829>{{cite news
|accessdate= |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/opinion/329528_amy30.html
|title=Gonzales' tortured legacy lingers |first=Amy |last=Goodman
|date=August 29, 2007|work=[[Seattle Post Intelligencer]]}}</ref>
In court testimony following the revelations of [[Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse]], it was stated that Col. Thomas M. Pappas approved the use of dogs for interrogations. Pvt. Ivan L. Frederick testified that interrogators were authorized to use dogs and that a civilian contract interrogator left him lists of the cells he wanted dog handlers to visit. "They were allowed to use them to&nbsp;... intimidate inmates", Frederick stated. Two soldiers, Sgt. Santos A. Cardona and Sgt. Michael J. Smith, were then charged with maltreatment of detainees, for allegedly encouraging and permitting unmuzzled working dogs to threaten and attack them. Prosecutors have focused on an incident caught in published photographs, when the two men allegedly cornered a naked detainee and allowed the dogs to bite him on each thigh as he cowered in fear.<ref name=WashingtonPost_White_20050726/>

'''Guantanamo Bay''': It is believed that the use of dogs on prisoners in Iraq was learned from practices at [[Guantanamo Bay Naval Base]].<ref name=WashingtonPost_White_20050726>{{cite news|accessdate=
|title=Abu Ghraib Dog Tactics Came From Guantanamo
|date=July 26, 2005 |work=Washington Post |page=A14
|first=Josh |last=White
|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/26/AR2005072601792.html}}</ref>
The use of dogs on prisoners by regular U.S. forces in [[Guantanamo Bay Naval Base]] was prohibited by [[Donald Rumsfeld]] in April 2003. A few months later following revelations of abuses at [[Abu Ghraib prison]], including use of dogs to terrify naked prisoners; Rumsfeld then issued a further order prohibiting their use by the regular U.S. forces in Iraq.<ref name=USAToday_Diamond_20040719>{{cite news
|accessdate=
|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-07-19-iraq-dogs_x.htm
|title=Top commanders in Iraq allowed dogs to be used
|first=John |last=Diamond
|date=July 19, 2004
|work=[[USA Today]]}}</ref>

====Retirement====
Traditionally, as in [[World War II]], US military working dogs (war dogs) were returned home after the war; to their former owners or new adopted ones. The [[Vietnam War]] was different in that US war dogs were designated as expendable equipment and were either [[euthanized]] or turned over to an allied army prior to the US departure from [[South Vietnam]].<ref>Burnam (2008) p. XIII-XIV</ref> Due to lobbying efforts by veteran dog handlers from the Vietnam War [[United States Congress|Congress]] approved a bill allowing veteran US military working dogs to be adopted after their military service. In 2000, President [[Bill Clinton]] signed a law that allowed these dogs to be adopted,<ref>Burnam (2008) p. 270-272</ref> making the Vietnam War the only American war in which US war dogs never came home.<ref name="Burnam 2008 p. XIV"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Demand for adopting retired military dogs soars after SEAL raid|url=http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/998309--demand-for-adopting-retired-military-dogs-soars-after-seal-raid | location=Toronto | work=The Star|first1=Julie|last1=Watson|date=May 27, 2011}}</ref>

====Other roles====
Military working dogs continue to serve as sentries, trackers, [[Search and rescue dog|search and rescue]], scouts, and mascots. Retired working dogs are often adopted as pets or [[therapy dog]]s.

==Images==
<gallery>
Image:Iraq dog.jpg|A U.S. soldier and his dog wait before conducting an assault against insurgents in [[Buhriz]]
Image:K-9 Unit.jpg|U.S. Naval Security Force K-9 Unit training
Image:Working dog in Afghanistan, wearing a bulletproof vest, clears a building.jpg|U.S. Army working dog wearing [[Ballistic vest|body armor]] clears a building in [[Afghanistan]]
Image:World war 2 cartoon dog.jpg|Post World War II cartoon emphasizing the importance of canines in medical research
File:Ambulance Dog.JPG|Ambulance dogs search for wounded men through scent and hearing
File:Belgian dogs trained to draw quick-firing guns.JPG|Belgian dogs trained to draw [[machine gun]]s
File:German dog handler during a demonstration by the German Army 04372.jpg|German [[Bundeswehr]] dog demonstration
File:US Navy 030212-N-8937A-004 Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Donald Reinhart, assigned to Fleet Activities Sasebo Security Department, fires off blank rounds of ammunition during a training exercise with his military working dog, Goof, .jpg|A Navy [[Master-at-arms]] fires [[Blank (cartridge)|blank ammunition]] to condition his dog to the sound
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Ancient warfare]]
*[[Animals in War Memorial]]
*[[Dogs of Roman Britain]]
*[[List of individual dogs#War dogs|Examples of dogs that gained notability in war]]
* [[1st Military Working Dog Regiment]]
* [[List of Labrador Retrievers]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|title=Pierrot the Carabinier: Dog of Belgium
|first=Walter A. |last=Dyer |isbn=1-84685-036-3 |publisher=Meadow Books |year=2006}}

*{{cite book|last=Richardson|first=E.H.|title=British War Dogs; their training and psychology|publisher=Skeffington|location=London|year=1920}}

* {{cite book |title=Rags, The Dog Who Went to War |year=2006
|first=Jack |last=Rohan |publisher=Diggory Press |isbn= 978-1-84685-364-7|oclc=1348025 |location=Liskeard}}

* {{cite book |title=Dogs of the Conquest |year=1983
|first=John |last=Varner|coauthors= J.J. Varner|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |isbn= 978-0806117935 | location=Norman, OK}}

* {{cite book|title=Only A Dog: The True Story of a Dog's Devotion to His Master During World War
|first=Bertha |last=Whitridge-Smith |year=2006 |publisher=Lightning Source|isbn=978-1-84685-365-4}}

* {{cite book|title=Captain Loxley's Little Dog And Lassie The Life-saving Collie: Hero Dogs of the First World War Associated With The Sinking of H.M.S. Formidable|isbn=978-1-905363-13-1
|last=Wood |first=E. S. |coauthors= R. M. Franklin |location=Burgress Hill |publisher=Diggory Press
|year=2005 |oclc=62306949}}

* {{cite book|title=Dog Tags of Courage: Combat Infantrymen and War Dog Heros in Vietnam
|first=John C. |last=Burnam |isbn=978-1-882897-88-9 |publisher=Lost Coast Press |year=2006}}
* {{cite book|title=A Soldier's Best Friend; Scout Dogs and their Handlers in the Vietnam War|first=John C.|last=Burnam|publisher=Sterling Publishing|isbn=978-1-4027-5447-0|year=2008}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Military working dogs}}
*{{cite web|accessdate=|url=http://www.qmfound.com/K-9.htm
|title=Quartermaster Dog Training Program
|first=K. M |last=Born |date=January 8, 2007
|publisher=U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum |location=Fort Lee, Virginia}}

*{{cite news|accessdate=
|url=http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/08/ap_wardogs_070812a/
|title=Dogs in war receive loyalty, top care
|first=Jeff |last=Donn |agency=Associated Press
|date=August 12, 2007 |work=Army Times}}

*{{cite web|accessdate=
|url=http://community-2.webtv.net/Hahn-50thAP-K9/K9History/
|title=K-9 History: The Dogs of War!
|format=not an official military site
|publisher=50th Air Police K-9 Section|location=Hahn Air Base, West Germany}}

*{{cite web|accessdate= |url=http://www.militaryworkingdogmemorial.com
|title=The Military Working Dog Memorial}}

*{{cite web|accessdate=
|url=http://www.uswardogs.org/id16.html
|title=U.S. war dogs remembered |work=K-9 Heroes - Remembered
|first=2ndLt. Mike |last=Pitts |year=1966
|publisher=The United States War Dogs Association}}

*{{cite web|accessdate= |url=http://www.vspa.com/k9/bases.htm
|title=Vietnam Security Police Association K-9 pages}}

*{{cite web|accessdate= |url=http://www.qmfound.com/War_Dogs.htm
|title=War Dogs
|date=January 9, 2007
|publisher=U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum |location=Fort Lee, Virginia}}

*{{cite web|accessdate=|url=http://www.bulldoginformation.com/war-dogs.html
|title=War dogs, military service dogs, battle dogs
|publisher=The Bulldog Information Library}}

*{{cite web|accessdate= |url=http://www.qmfound.com/War_Dogs_Bibliography.htm
|title=War Dogs: Reference Bibliography
|publisher=U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum |location=Fort Lee, Virginia}}

*{{cite web|accessdate= |url=http://www.visualintel.net/Special_Topics/776096
|title=Military Working Dog Public Domain Images Collection}}

*{{cite web|accessdate= |url=http://www.awdm.org |title=Alabama War Dogs Memorial Foundation}}

*{{cite web|accessdate= |url=http://www.loyaltyofdogs.com/LargeView.aspx |title=Dogs of the American Civil War: A Tribute}}

* {{Internet Archive short film|id=gov.archives.arc.2569698|name=Big Picture: Canine College}}

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[[Category:Working dogs]]
[[Category:Dog training and behavior]]
[[Category:Military animals]]
[[Category:Warfare by type]]

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