K9 Veterans Day: Military Working Dog History
K9 Veterans Day – Military Working Dog History
March 13th is K9 Veterans Day. Military working dogs play a significant role in today’s military. Their roles span from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to training with troops in the states.
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During World War I, over a million dogs served in the military, carrying messages and comforting soldiers.
After World War I, the US moved away from training dogs. However, as the US entered World War II, the American Kennel Association and a group called Dogs for Defense began a movement to mobilize dog owners. Their efforts were aimed at getting the dog owners to donate animals to the US Army.
On March 13th, 1942, the US Army began training dogs for the new war dog program, the “K9 Corps.”
Training started in the Army in March of 1942. By that fall, they were training dogs for the Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. Today, there are over 2,000 military working dogs (MWDs).
Military Working Dog Breeds
Many MWDs are German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, or Belgian Malinois. These breeds are chosen because they can be very aggressive, smart, loyal, and athletic. In the past, they have also used breeds such as Doberman Pinschers, Collies, Siberian Huskies, Malamutes, and Eskimo Dogs.
The most famous “military dog” would have to be Rin Tin Tin. He was found as a puppy in France during World War I in 1918 by a US soldier. He was taken to the US in 1919, was taught tricks, and became a movie star. His film debut was in 1922, with the silent film, The Man From Hell’s River.
The US Postal Service released Military Working Dog stamps to commemorate these working dogs.
Dogs today are used for patrol, drug, and explosive detection, and other specialized missions. In the 21st century, the United States Navy SEALs used a Belgian Malinois working dog named Cairo in the operation where Osama bin Laden was killed.
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