Military Dogs: Our Furry Heroes

The Mastiff dog breed is a wonderful military dog because of its ability to hunt and guard with their military humans. They have been hard workers for centuries, having been used in various wars by the Persians, Romans, Greeks and more. Not only are they great at guarding people and their camp, but they are known to attack enemies that they come across. They are easy to be intimidated by due to their size and power, but these two features are what make them some of the best military dogs.

The Greyhound is known as a race dog, but in the military field, their speed is used mostly for hunting. Their long and strong legs allow them to reach speeds upwards of 70 kilometers per hour. Currently, Greyhounds are not used in the military, but have been in the past, and as far back as a few centuries ago. Most notably, Christopher Columbus used Greyhounds, as well as Mastiff dogs, to hunt down Native Americans. He was not the only person to do this as many Spanish conquerors also used Greyhounds in this manner. In present times, Greyhounds are used as service dogs who work with those in the army that suffer from trauma and other disorders.

One of the most notable dog breeds that have served in the military would be the German Shepherd. This breed can do a variety of missions such as finding explosives, narcotics, and humans. They are a big dog breed, making them great for search and rescue missions. German Shepherds are smart, loyal, and determined dogs, that can easily follow orders and are very protective. They do need a lot of stimulation, both mentally and physically, but doing so for them keeps them sharp and hard working.

Airedale Terriers may be stubborn, not as well behaved as other breeds, and try to be independent, but they still make great military dogs because they are protective of their territory and do not tolerance strangers very well. This breed needs a lot of exercise, but they are easy to work with in the training department, and can be used in combat as a great asset to the team. The breed is very loving to those close to him and they love to play around. They make great messengers and have been used in search and rescue missions since the First World War

The Boxer dog breed is a very smart military dog that can adapt easily to an environment and can be trained in no time. They are used as hunters, and since they are known to bark a lot, can be trained to the barking as a signal. Not only that, but they are wonderful in search and rescue as well as finding explosive materials. The Boxer is also used to find hurt or killed persons and used as a sentry.

Originally, Bulldogs were created to fight bulls as a sport. They have turned into a wonderful dog for the home and military, due to their loving nature and love of playing. This little dog can be trained effortlessly and can learn to bring back items as evidence on the battlefield. Not only that, they can be trained to do search and rescue missions, finding hurt soldiers. They are limited to their missions, however, because they tend to be nice to everyone and do not protect their territory often. That means they would not be good at guarding, patrolling or scouting out things.

This lovable dog breed makes a great military dog because it is loyal and loving to those close to it. They were once used to herd cattle, which makes their herding nature great in the military world. The breed also feels a need to have a job to do, which, once trained, can make them perfect guard dogs as they will protect their territory. The Bouvier Des Flanders is mainly used for missions involving being a guard and protecting an area, as well as search and rescue.

When the military needs a messenger dog, they have no qualms about using the Irish Terrier. These dogs fear nothing, and are not afraid to chase or run when they need to. Since the First World War, this breed has been delivering messages to and from a location successfully. The downside with this breed is that they really do not do other military missions besides message delivery, despite being smart. They are too nice to everyone and bark too much.

The Alaskan Malamutes have been used by the military since World War II, being employed as sled dogs. This big dog breed likes to eat a lot and is very friendly and likes to play. The breed is great at pulling sleds in harsh weather and scary terrain. The breed is not trained to do much else for the military, except being a watchdog. They are very territorial and are great hunters, will bark, and are very strong.

The Siberian Husky makes a good military dog despite the fact that it is not trained easily, will be nice to strangers and do not keep great guard of their territory. They are, however, smart and loving, as well as highly adaptable to an environment. The military originally used this breed to be a sled dog in the Second World War They don’t do much else due to their tendency to hurt small animals and aren’t territorial. They need a lot of exercise and like to be with other dogs of their breed, so being sled dogs is a great job for them.