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The Military Use of Dogs

Abstract

The relationship between dogs and humans spans the course of history. However, the written
history of humanity not only highlights the religious, cultural, and artistic aspects of this
relationship, but also commemorates the role dogs have played in human conflicts – often as
instruments of destruction. The breed’s versatility, physical attributes, outstanding ability to
sense environmental changes, affection and devotion toward humans, as well as its capacity for
social learning and trainability, offer opportunities for training dogs in various fields. Given these
advantageous traits, the use of a purposefully trained dog emerges as an obvious solution to some
of the problems and challenges arising in military contexts, which I examine not in chronological
order but through the presentation of new forms of application and capabilities that emerged in
specific historical periods. A key feature is their sense of smell and the sensory capabilities they
demonstrate in this area – despite the massive technological advancements of the 20th and 21st
centuries – which ensures more flexible, compact, and, under certain conditions, more effective
task performance than any mechanised technology.