Unlike the U.S., Germany didn’t terminate its war dog program after World War 1. So the German army was equipped in WW2 from the get go with dogs that had attended training schools at around six months of age. The process started with testing of the animals’ potential for war dog tasks. This initial weeding out process required potential doggy recruits to follow his handler day or night across different terrain such as ditches and streams, go in dark houses without hesitation, and to function while hearing gunfire. Dogs that did not obediently perform these tasks, that were timid, or reacted poorly to loud noises were removed from the program. German Shepherds were the typically used breed, although other dogs were also used in lesser numbers. I’ve seen pictures of Dobermans and dogs that appeared to be Airedales. Incidently, Airedales – a large terrier, was Great Britain’s preferred war dog. Next: Stubby, The WWI Hero Dog.
