Although Doberman Pinchers started out as the Marines’ official combat dog, by the end of WWII they were replaced by German Shepherds (see my blog Dobermans Flunk Out of the War). An example of why Dobies were dropped is the experience of Clarence Rea when out on a mountain night patrol on Saipan. The dog did what it was supposed to do by stopping and pointing his nose at where a Japanese soldier was hiding. But then it turned and attacked Clarence, biting him on his side below the rib cage. Luckily for him, a cartridge belt prevented the Doberman’s teeth from penetrating his skin. Clarence believed that if he hadn’t had the belt on “my stomach would have been all over that mountain”. This shows that the stress of the job was often too much for Dobermans, and could make them act erratically. Next: Rags to Riches – A Yorkie in WWI.
