History of Our Canine Military Heroes

Canines with Courage at the Rosebowl
Salute to U.S. Military Working Dogs @ the 2013 Rosebowl Parade

For thousands of years, from the Roman war dogs with their spiked collars to the 2013 Tournament of Roses parade that featured a float honoring the service of these heroic canines, dogs have been a part of our lives and our battles.

Britain utilized mastiff-type dogs to attack the armies of Caesar, and Napoleon chained them to the walls of Alexandria to warn him of upcoming attacks.

WWII War Dogs

While used extensively during WWI by Germany, Great Britain, and France, military dogs did not serve alongside American forces until 1942, when the first use of canines was on sentry duty. Nevertheless, the Army quickly discerned some primary areas in which to use the dogs, including:

  • Sentry duty dogs assisted in guarding various military sites, including ammunition dumps, ration depots, and airfields. These dogs were kept on a leash and utilized to warn the handler of trespassers.
  • Attack dogs could work far from the guards or sentries and were used to apprehend people.
  • Scout dogs were trained to detect the enemy by way of scent quietly and to silently warn their handlers of the presence of an ambush or snipers.
  • Messenger dogs carried correspondence between two handlers. Most of the canines used for the job were on the smaller side, and they were trained to perform under the stress of battlefield conditions.
  • Casualty dogs sniffed out injured soldiers on the field and searched through bomb debris for injury victims.
Working K9 Thin Blue Line Paracord Dog Collar

Over 4500 war dogs were utilized during the conflict in Vietnam, solidifying the use of canines during wartime. In modern times, the duties of the dogs have been extended to both drug and bomb detection in all branches of the military and law enforcement.

In 2006, dedicated to all of our nation’s war dogs and their military handlers, the United States War Dogs Memorial was revealed. A beautiful bronze depicting a Vietnam-era soldier and his war dog guards the New Jersey Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial entrance.

Working tirelessly for the benefit of all of us, the canines and service members of the branches of our military have become an integral part of our Country’s defense.

We are always honored when we get to knot up items for our military and law enforcement K9s! Now, paracord collars, once only available to Military service dogs, are available for your K9 Hero too.

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.
Josh Billings