Hi /r/AskHistorians. My name is Hannah and I am a second year PhD student at Kansas State University. Here's a bit of info about me, at these two links: Women Also Know History and my Department Biography. I am also really active on Twitter.
My research is focused on the Dogs for Defense program and the war dogs of World War II. Before I start answering questions, I want to give a small overview of Dogs for Defense.
What was Dogs for Defense?
Dogs for Defense was formed in January 1942. The organization was formed by AKC Poodle breeder, Alene Erlanger, and other dog fanciers who believed that dogs had to be involved in the war. At the time of World War II, the US did not have a formal dog army. Erlanger had attempted to get a dog army during the World War I, but the legislation died in Congress. Congress believed that dogs could not be trained effectively and that the public would not support the effort. On March 13, 1942 the Army authorized the training of 200 dogs that were to be donated for Dogs for Defense and trained as sentries. It was the first time that dogs were formally recognized by the United States Military. Dogs were donated by their owners for military service. In all, 20,000 dogs were donated and around 10,000 dogs served. If we consider a division between 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers --- the number of donated dogs was enough to make an entire division. It's pretty amazing if you think about it.
Where did dogs serve?
Dogs served everywhere. You maybe familiar with the dogs who served in the Pacific Theater under the direction of the USMC and the Army. They are who we think of when we say "war dogs." However, dogs served in the European theater including the African and Sicily campaigns. Dogs also remained stateside and served with the US Coast Guard, patrolling the beaches of California.
What resources are there for Dogs for Defense and the war dogs?
Some of the literature and memoirs that have been published about Dogs for Defense and the war dogs include:
I will be answering questions from 3:30 to 5:30 EST. I'm excited to read your questions, and hopefully provide some answers. :)
Edit: Hi everyone. I am actually going to push this to 3:30-5:30 EST. I’m going to see if a few more questions roll in before I start answering :)
EDIT 2: HI everyone. I'm going to stop taking new questions, but I am going to be answering all the questions that I have here. Thanks so much for the support. This has been very fun.
Disclaimer: I am a US historian. Although I am familiar with how other armies used dogs in World War II, I do not feel comfortable answering in depth questions as they are not my focus. I would be happy to direct you to resources about the use of dogs by other armies if you have questions.
So many questions! Some time back I read an article specifically about 'Devil Dogs', and Caesar von Steuben stuck with me in particular, from a picture of him undergoing an X-ray (you probably know the one I mean?). It's been a topic I think is so interesting, but criminally undercovered in academic literature, so it is super cool to see it getting is due.
Enough gushing though, and I'll try to keep it to only a few Qs!
First off, I know that modern MWDs are bred for the role, but this obviously wasn't the case for WWII. How specifically did training focus on 'militarizing' them? Was there specific methods required to deacclimate them to the norms of civilian life, compared to modern training which simply raises them in that mold?
Additionally, did DfD remain the main pipeline through the war, or did the military attempt a breeding program by the end of the conflict to supplement it?
An old friend of my dad's was a handler in Vietnam, and would talk about the bond he had with this dogs and it seemed like a very focused role from what he told, but it was also a generation removed. What sort of specific protocols were made for handlers and their dogs when in the field? Were they soldiers who had a dog along with them as an additional role, or did they mostly have allowances to provide hyperfocus on that role?
Finally... I know they were all good puppers, but who is your personal goodest pupper of them all?
Hi Hannah, thank you for doing this AMA!
In every World War 2 film, allied prisoners are guarded by a fearsome German soldier with a submachine gun on his back and an angry German shepherd on a lead. Is this image accurate for the US as well? How were dogs used to guard POW camps?
I'm also curious how this became your speciality!
Hello Hannah! Was Dogs for Defense inspired by American police canine programs, or did police canine units in the United States take any inspiration from the military use of dogs?
How were dogs chosen? Were there certain, preferred breeds? Who trained them?
Hi! Thank you for doing this. What happened when the war was over? How were dogs retired?
Hello fellow Wildcat!
Today, we have separate categories of Military Working Dogs (the agressive ones) and Specialized Search Dogs (the bomb sniffing ones). Did similar separate training and units exist in WW2?
What were the working periods like? Our SSDs in Iraq were limited to a couple of hours at a time so the dogs didn't get bored or burnt out. This annoyed the ground commanders to no end.
Thanks!
Hi Hannah -
What an interesting niche! I always crack up at the image of a Coast Guard PO3 dog handler screaming profusely at an IDless George Marshall when he and his wife unknowingly violated curfew on a Florida beach - or did the author of that get the dog part of the story wrong since they were only in California? - during the first night of his only vacation during the war (which he took only because he received a direct order to do so.) Luckily, a few minutes later his lieutenant showed up and fortunately for all involved recognized exactly who he'd been summoned to arrest!
Here's my question: what do we know about the opposition to the program in WWI and how Erlanger got enough interest and support in the program to get it through in 1942? I'm curious partially because I recently addressed another somewhat obscure program, the Eyes for the Navy, and the story of why it existed is as interesting as the program itself!
Edit: Realized there's a second question based on my edit to the dog handler story, which is were there specific military dog handler ratings created once the program began, or were they mostly just added on to other MOSes?
Also, great cohort and topics you've got in your program. Please encourage them to come here to post some of their research as well!
What were popular dogs names and was there a difference with military and civilian doggos? Were they just 'standard' names like Rover and Spot or was there a political/patriotic trend with names like Ike or (Uncle) Sam? (I know a prof who teaches WWII history and has a dog named Ike so it made me wonder about historical dog names)
Love this topic! So specifically regarding the WW2 pacific US dogs, what kind of survival rate did they have, and what happened to the post-war? I’d imagine their handlers would be incredibly attached.
What were particularly notable operations or specific actions that war dogs participated in? I guess it'd be too much to hope that "Buddy the dachshund won the Battle of XYZ", but I'm just curious if there were any particularly important actions of individual dogs.
So how did Cat Island, Mississippi get picked as the K-9 training facility?
First of all- Thank you so much for doing this! Now onto my questions...
You said that the dogs were “donated” what was that process like? Did everyday people donate their household pets? or did breeders donate puppies? Or were they donated by shelter (idk if they even had organizations like that back then)
Did people donate dogs they just wanted to be rid of or ones they actually thought would be valuable assets?
Did they get their dogs back after the war (if they survived) or receive any information about what happened to the dog they donated? (e.g. notify them that Lassie was killed in action /performed a heroic deed etc)
Hello Hannah! Thank you for such a fascinating AMA! I'm very curious, what got you looking into pets in the 1940's and war dogs like this? It seems like a really cool topic!
what kind of treats did they get?
What were the most common jobs of military dogs in WWII? Statistically how dangerous were these jobs?
What dog food was used/recommended for front line dogs? Were there K-9 rations? Thanks for doing this - great subject.
I am a veterinary student and a member of the American veterinary medical history society. What books could you recommend to me about the veterinary side of the war dogs in WW2?
Thanks for doing this!
I seem to recall that in the British context, there was an honours system in place at least by the First World War to recognise acts of animal heroism. Was there an equivalent in the United States armed forces? Did any of your dogs get medals for being exceptionally brave boys, in other words?
Appreciating your disclaimer, how did the US's use of dogs compare with the other combatants in WW2? Was it a uniquely large focus or did it follow globally accepted doctrines?
A bit of a late question, but since you mentioned Chips, I'm curious if your familiar with the 1990 movie Chips, the War Dog. It dramatizes some of the challenges the DfD program faced getting startef, as well as exploring some of Chips fighting in Europe. If you are familiar, is there much actual historical accuracy to the movie. I always imagined it was largely fictional but wondered if you had any insights since you've actually studied the topic. Thanks, and it's really cool to hear someone researching such a unique and cool topic.
I recall reading once that dogs were trained to run underneath enemy tanks.
Then they'd strap explosives to the dog, light the fuse and let it go. It'd run under the tank and blow up the dog and the tank. But one time they lit the fuse and let the dog go and it ran under their own tank and blew it up. So they stopped doing it.
Did that really happen or am I mixing up stories?
I read every single comment and response in this thread. Thank you, Hannah.
I find this fascinating, thank you so much for the AMA. What training methods were used? And how often did dogs “flunk out”?
How exactly where dogs used in combat and other roles?
Extremely interesting topic!
At any point in your defense will you conclude that, historically, all dogs are good dogs?
Additionally, if any future films reference your research on defense doggos can you stipulate that any dog in the film must be the main character and cannot die, or even fake die?
You know like in homeward bound when Shadow make you think he gon die then he comes back at the end of the movie?
Both of these questions are from my dog.
Hi, Hannah! My question is this, what were the most common dog breeds used by the military?
Oh hey! What a fun topic to research!
My question is abt war dogs in the ottoman empire - do you have any good resources I can look up to learn more abt them? I know that they were used in war, and i’ve found some sources casually refer to them as “mastiffs,” but I’ve found no source directly dealing with these dogs, and u do wonder what breed they really were (i’m guessing the anatolian kangal? Maybe?) and where they were raised, and what the religious views on this was, and how and where the practice started.