San Carlos War Dog Training Center

San Carlos War Dog Training Center
Marine Raiders take US Army scouting and messenger dogs to the frontlines on Bougainville, late 1943
Location	San Carlos, California
Coordinates	37°29′44″N 122°16′00″W
Area	177 acres
Built	1942 (closed 1944)
Architect	US Army
Location of San Carlos War Dog Training Center in California

The San Carlos War Dog Training Center also called the Western Remount Area Reception and Training Center was located at San Carlos, California. Then was built at the old H & H Ranch. The US Army opened the 177 acre center on October, 15 1942. The center was used to train US Army dogs. The US Army ended the land lease on November 1, 1944. The land was built in to family homes in the 1950s.

San Carlos War Dog Training Center was one of five US Army dog training centers. The center was operated by the US Army Quartermaster Corps. Trained dogs were an important part of the World War 2 efforts. German Shepherds, Belgian Sheep dogs, Doberman Pinschers, farm Collies and Giant Schnauzers were trained at the center. At the center dogs were trained to be guards, scouts, messengers, mine detectors, sled and pack dogs. The training took 8 to 11 weeks, the dogs and the trainers were housed at the center. Training was at first basic dog training, then advanced to dog being at easy with gunfire, riding in military vehicles and wearing gas masks. At is peak there were 550 troops, 15 civilian contractors and up to 1,200 dogs at the center. By the end of the war 4,500 dogs and 2,500 men were trained at the center.

See also

• Dogs in warfare
• Ancient warfare
• Animals in War Memorial, London
• Dickin Medal, UK honour awarded to animals "for gallantry"
• Dogs of Roman Britain
• Examples of dogs that gained notability in war
• List of Labrador Retrievers
• List of individual dogs
• National War Dog Cemetery, Guam
• Police dog

External links

• Born, K. M (January 8, 2007). "Quartermaster Dog Training Program". Fort Lee, Virginia: U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum. Archived from the original on 2013-01-20.
• Donn, Jeff (August 12, 2007). "Dogs in war receive loyalty, top care". Army Times. Associated Press.
• "K-9 History: The Dogs of War!" (not an official military site). Hahn Air Base, West Germany: 50th Air Police K-9 Section.
• "Military Working Dog Teams National Monument".
• Pitts, 2ndLt. Mike (1966). "U.S. war dogs remembered". K-9 Heroes – Remembered. The United States War Dogs Association.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
• "Vietnam Security Police Association K-9 pages".
• "War Dogs". Fort Lee, Virginia: U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum. January 9, 2007. Archived from the original on May 23, 2008.
• "War dogs, military service dogs, battle dogs". The Bulldog Information Library.
• "War Dogs: Reference Bibliography". Fort Lee, Virginia: U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum. Archived from the original on 2007-10-08.
• "Military Working Dog Public Domain Images Collection".
• "Alabama War Dogs Memorial Foundation".
• "Dogs of the American Civil War: A Tribute".
• "Irish Examiner article".
• "Dogs in Warfare".
• The short film Big Picture: Canine College is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.
• Webcast Presentation by Marine Corps Sergeant Mike Dowling about Sergeant Rex his memoir about his deployment to Iraq in 2004 along with military working dog Rex