Throughout man's history, dogs have served in wartime. Dogs were used by invading armies to haul supplies and herd the "food on the hoof." They were even known to fight when necessary, to act as messengers and sentries, and to guard soldiers.

At the beginning of World War I, dogs were being used to haul loads, work on guard and sentry duty, and to locate injured soldiers. When the United States became involved in the conflict, it was decided to use dogs for similar purposes; however, there was no supply of trained dogs prepared for this type of work and the war ended before any significant use of the dogs was made.

When the United States entered World War II, again there were no dogs trained for war duty. Nazi Germany, on the other hand, had trained hundreds of thousands of dogs for war work. Quick work on the part of enthusiastic people resulted in the formation of an organization called Dogs for Defense. The dogs serving in the United States Armed Forces formed the K-9 Corps. Initially, Dogs for Defense carried on exclusively in procuring, training, and shipping dogs to where they were needed. Once these trained animals proved their worth, the Army took over training of the large number of dogs required, while Dogs for Defense continued to procure the dogs.

The training program prepared dogs for sentry duty, scout work, messengers, sledge and pack dogs, and for mine detection. Although, at first, many breeds were tried, only five proved acceptable. They were:

German Shepherds
Belgian Sheepdogs
Doberman Pinschers
Collies (farm type)
Giant Schnauzers and
Crosses of these breeds

For sledge work, Malamutes, Eskimos, and Siberian Huskies were used, and St. Bernards and Newfoundlands were favored for pack work.

Throughout their war service, the K-9 Corps served admirably. There are numerous stories of the heroic feats performed by these four-footed soldiers.

When World War II ended, the dogs were "demilitarized", and Dogs for Defense helped in retraining them for civilian life.

The Korean War again called on dogs, and they served faithfully as scouts and as patrols on the front. Today, dogs are an indispensable part of our Viet Nam forces.

Currently, military dogs are trained to fulfill one of five different functions—Sentry Dog, Patrol Dog, Scout Dog, Tracker Dog or Marijuana Dog. A brief description of each function follows:

Sentry Dog
The sentry dog team is used to increase security of such areas as distant perimeter posts, ammunition dumps, warehouse areas and isolated radar sites. When on post, a sentry dog's primary function is that of a detection and warning device. This function has been performed when the sentry dog detects and alerts his handler to the presence of an intruder. A secondary function of the sentry dog is to pursue, attack and hold any intruder who attempts to evade or escape apprehension.

Patrol Dog
The patrol dog is a composed, discriminating, controllable and observant animal, capable of detecting and detaining unauthorized personnel in both combat and criminal situations. The patrol dog is trained to work with a combat unit or among base personnel and their dependents, on or off leash and with complete safety. In addition to performing sentry duties the dogs are trained to locate hidden persons in large buildings or open areas by airborne scent. They can be used to track criminals from crime scenes, or find lost children by following scent tracks which may be 24 hours old or more. They are capable of locating lost, abandoned, or hidden articles, no matter how small. They will attack only on command, without savaging, and can be called off an attack if necessary. Finally, they can be used with complete safety to control crowds or disperse large, unruly mobs.

Scout Dog
The scout dog, used primarily by the U.S. Army is trained to provide a warning capability for forces engaged in offensive operations against the enemy. Normally used at the squad or platoon level of operations, the scout dog team provides point detection for the partol force and insures protection from ambushes, booby traps, etc.

Tracker Dog
The tracker dog, a Labrador Retriever, is trained to pursue ground scents in support of Army Combat Tracker teams. A most difficult training procedure, the dogs selected for this program must meet strict temperament criteria and must display an active interest in tracking.

Marijuana Dog
Being trained on an experimental basis by Army and Air Force training units, German Shepherd dogs are being trained to detect the presence of marijuana in support of law enforcement and border clearance activities. It is anticipated that the successful use of these dogs will greatly enforce the control of marijuana within the Armed forces.

Military Dog Training
Responsibility for military dog training for the U.S. Armed Forces was transferred to the Air Force from the Army in 1958, and the function was assigned to the Dog Training Branch at Lackland AFB, Texas. Dogs also are trained at Kadena AB, Okinawa, and Wiesbaden AB, Germany. The Air Force is the sole Department of Defense user of patrol dogs. Sentry dogs are used by the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps.

Patrol dog handlers receive 12 weeks of training while the sentry dog handlers attend an eight-week training course. In addition to actual training with a dog, they also receive instruction in psychology of dogs, prevention of canine diseases, first aid and care of dogs, and principles of dog training.

Breed of Dogs Used
The German Shepherd was selected as the breed best suited to needs of the Armed Forces. This determination was based on the breed's demonstrated traits of keen sense of smell, endurance, reliability, speed, power, tracking ability, courage, and adaptability to almost any climatic condition.

The German Shepherd is a workdog; strong, agile, well-muscled, alert, and full of life. It has a distinct, direct, fearless, but not hostile expression; a self-confident personality; and a certain aloofness that does not lend itself to indiscriminate friendship. His long effortless trot covers maximum ground with a minimum number of steps. The dog is capable of learning about 100 commands.

Behavior and Instincts
The dog's world differs from the human's hi specific ways. His vision is inferior to the human's although he can detect movement, however slight. He depends less on visual impressions than on his superior senses of hearing and smell. A dog's hearing ability is about 20 times better than man's; he can detect sounds above and below the frequencies a human is capable of hearing. If a dog wishes to examine an object, he moves downwind to take advantage of his keenest sense—smell—and then moves in close.

Training
Once the handler-dog relationship has been established, motivation which finds its roots hi the sentimental attachment of canine and man is brought into play. The entire training of dogs is based upon a proper use and development of the natural instincts of the animal. They are:

• Instinctive companionship for man is turned into comradeship with his handler;

• Instinctive response to human attitudes is used as the basis of training; the dog is praised and encouraged when he does well and is corrected and reprimanded when he does badly; and

• Instinctive urge for prey is heightened by agitation, and allowing him to pursue the agitator.

Vocal commands are given firmly and clearly. The tone and sound of voice, not the volume, are the qualities that will influence the dog. Patience, coupled with firmness, is one of the prime requisites of a good dog handler. The trainer must never lose patience or become irritated. If he does, the dog will become hard to handle.

From the very beginning of training, the dog is never permitted to ignore a command or fail to carry it out completely. He is never allowed to suspect that there is anything for him to do but obey. Laxity may result in an attitude or mood of disobedience that means difficulty and delay hi training.

A dog does not understand right and wrong according to human standards. Rewards and punishment are the means of teaching him the subject areas desired. Real punishment is inflicted as a last resort and only for deliberate disobedience, stubbornness, or defiance. The word "no" is used to indicate to the dog that he is doing wrong. "No" is the only word used as a negative command. A dog is never slapped with the hand or struck with the leash. The hand is an instrument of praise and pleasure to the dog and he must never be allowed to fear it. Beating with the leash will make him shy of it and lessen the effect of its proper use.

Patrol Dogs
To the uninformed, little distinction can be drawn between the patrol dog and a sentry dog. In both cases, the German Shepherd is chosen; the difference rests with the training.

The Air Force first became interested in the use of patrol dogs during tests at Andrews AFB, Md., hi 1968 hi conjunction with the Washington, D.C., Police Department. Later, 30 security policemen from Vandenberg and Castle Ah Force Bases hi California, and Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., completed a 14-week training course with patrol dogs at Lackland. Subsequent evaluation at the three bases proved the dogs far superior to the sentry dogs hi meeting Air Force security needs.

Initial classes for dogs and handlers began at Lackland in August 1969. After assignment to a Security Police unit, continuing obedience training is provided the dog. Training objectives for the new patrol dog seek a composed, discriminating, controllable animal for detection of unauthorized intruders, and for subsequent attack at the command of the handler.

The patrol dog is not disturbed by the approach of another person and discriminates between a definite threat and acceptance of the person by the handler. He remains alert, but is not excited by strangers moving about him. He willingly enters vehicles with other persons and dogs without becoming hostile.

The patrol dog has the same degree of obedience when off-leash as on. He may be sent by his handler into an empty building to search for hidden persons or to cover an area to find a lost or concealed object. He will press an attack of another person at the command of his handler with the same aggressiveness as the sentry dog, but unlike the sentry dog, may be called off the attack at any point.

Training methodology for the patrol dogs differs from the sentry dog procedures.
• Basic obedience drills are continued daily;
• Training aspects are introduced earlier; and,
• Several training procedures may be practiced in a sequence.

Agitation and attack drills to build the dog's confidence and increase the biting power of his jaws (400-700 pounds per square inch) are important objectives.

Sentry Dogs
A "sentry dog team" consists of a handler and dog. Normally, the handler is drawn from security and law enforcement personnel of the service he represents. As a sentry or patrol dog handler, he does not lose his identity as a policeman, but rather, he receives additional training which qualifies him to employ an item of special equipment—his dog.

Designed as a defense against the possible saboteur or espionage agent, the sentry dogs are trained to be hostile and aggressive toward all persons except then-regular handlers. The dogs can be retrained, however, to accept a new handler when the original handler leaves the unit.

Procurement of Military Dogs
At present, the Air Force procures only German Shepherd dogs in support of the Military Working Dog Program in the continental United States and overseas. It is neither economical nor practical for the Armed Forces to raise their own dogs. The Air Force prefers to obtain its dogs from private owners, since dogs are more easily trained if they have been raised hi a home environment. The Ah" Force accepts donations or pays up to $150 for acceptable dogs. An owner agrees in writing that once he sells or donates his pet, it becomes the property of the U. S. Government. An unacceptable dog, however, will be returned to the owner at Government expense, unless the owner prefers that his rejected dog be disposed of by the Air Force. When a dog can no longer work due to age or disease, it will be disposed of in a humane manner in accordance with military regulations.

Military working dogs receive excellent care and treatment from their handlers and are provided the best medical care possible from military dog veterinarians wherever they are assigned.