Dogs Of War

The Dogs of War and Their Uses

You probably heard about the dogs of war, also known by many as the K9 or the war dogs. Well, the dogs of war have been employed by armies and authorities since the ancient times for their capability to detect and track leads easily and quickly through the use of their smell. The roles they performed have differed over the years with most of them first employed for tracking a number of targets, and to bringing down an infantry and even horses.

Today, the roles performed by the dogs of war still vary in great level depending on who are using them. In the military and naval forces, the dogs of war are employed as sentry dogs. They are sent out at night to defend and protect military camps. And, they perform such role by simply growling or barking in times of intrusion.

The dogs of war are also used to track or locate hiding enemies like snipers. For similar purpose, they are deemed useful for locating booby traps through the use of their smell and sense of hearing. Yes, the dogs of war have keen senses, then making them more effective in determining signs of danger than what humans can. Many of those who use dogs of war for this purpose usually call the breeds as scout dogs.

The dogs of war also play a very significant role in mining industries. In what sense? Well, mine operators since the early days have employed dogs for one particular cause – to locate mines. The dogs of war used at this operation, however, are less capable of performing tasks associated with combat. So instead of sending them off to participate in combat operations, mine owners have trained them to locate mines by using bare electric wires that are placed under the ground surface to scare and trigger the dog to act as if something dangerous is lurking beneath the dirt. It is through this training that most dogs of war are so sensitive.

The uses of war dogs do not just end there. Truth is, most of the dogs of war are employed to perform the tasks of a messenger. Yes, they are trained to carry and send messages from troops to another. This is basically what makes most dogs of war loyal to two masters, the sender and the receiver. In relation to this, many dogs of war have experienced transmitting messages or information from one station to another by simply pulling radio lines. The dogs that are employed to do this service are called the messenger war dogs.

Lastly, the dogs of war can be used to attack opponents. This notion first started when several army troops in the early days have clothed their dogs with armors to attack the enemies. The Romans and Greeks are the ones who started this trend, but today, it is becoming uncommon with more advanced weapons being developed and released for the troops to use.