Did you know that the earliest recorded use of canines in combat was by Alyattes of Lydia against the Cimmerians in the 6th century?

Dogs have fought alongside American forces in every conflict since the Revolutionary War, but only officially since WWII. In fact, the very first Marine War Dog Training School wasn’t set up until 1943, both headquarters and kennels situated in an old warehouse at Quantico Bay, Cuba.  Members of the Doberman Pinscher Club of America from Maryland and Ohio donated fourteen Doberman Pinschers, but the very first dog sworn in to be a canine member of the US Marine Corp was a Boxer named “Fritz.”

Traditionally, every military working dog is a noncommissioned officer. When training began in the early days, all the War Dog recruits were ranked as Privates. Within three months, successful recruits became ranked as a Private First Class. Corporal rank was achieved at one year, Sergeant at two years,  and Platoon Sergeant at three years. Four year War Dog veterans became Gunner Sergeants and one year later, they promoted to Master Gunner Sergeant. It was not uncommon for a War Dog to have a higher rank than their handler who might be fresh out of boot camp, and it’s said this custom was to remind handlers to treat their dogs well.

Image: Doberman Pinscher – Depositphotos