War Dogs

[Guest]

The missle question inspired this one. What do we know of war dogs in medieval and renassance time frame? How were they used etc?

[Randall Pleasant]

If I remember right from my archaeology days, DeSoto used them to great effect on Native Americans in the Southeastern US in the 1540s. Personally, I would not want to take on a large armoured dog with only stone age weapons while almost naked.

[Jake_Norwood]

I would...bring 'em on.


Okay, sorry.

Jake

[Shane Smith]

This is very fascinating as I'm quite interested in armoured combat in particular and medieval battlefield combat in general.I have to admit I've never seen an illustration or a picture of a period harness for mans best friend although I have heard of such things on many occasions and don't doubt they exist. Can anyone point me to a link that can provide images of this sort of thing?Thanks <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Laurent Marshall]

Here it is:

http://www.higgins.org/Research/hunting.shtml

Its the only piece of armor I've ever seen for a dog, but it was meant for hunting wild boar, not war.

[Brian Hunt]

I sure don't think my dog would put up with that outfit. Probably bite me, and then I would have a first hand experience of the dogs of war. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

LOL

Brian Hunt.

[John_Clements]

I’ve only heard of them used in war in the New World. Initially the Spanish conquistadores took dogs into battle with them, such as Irish wolfhounds and other similar breeds. Columbus’ companion, Diego Chanca, wrote: “a dog is as good as ten men against the Indians” while in 1500 a colleague declared “a Spaniard traveled as securely with a dog as if he took 100 men with him. Ponce de León’s dog reportedly killed more indians than any single soldier. In 1601 Antonio de Herrera stated that the indians were more afraid of ten Spaniards with a dog than of 100 without one. The dogs were frequently protected with quilted cotton armor resistant to arrows and darts. The Aztecs were so intimidated by wardogs that they ritually sacrificed several.

JC

[Casper Bradak]

I can see how they may not be much use against guys with metal weapons, armours, or shields.
That makes me wonder, were dogs used in open war unique to the west? Is it another drop in the bucket of western ingenuity and adaptation?

[Brian Hunt]

Hi Casper,

Instead of whether or not it is another adaption of western ingenuity, maybe we should ask the question of "who let the dogs out . . . ?" <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />

[ducks and awaits the reprimands from his fellow scholars for that one.]

<img src="/forum/images/icons/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Brian Hunt.

[Guest]

I had heard that dogs were use in ancient times, and even the Romans used them. This was nothing offical, mind you. I had never heard how they were used. I have a friend that used a tracking dog in Vietnam. They also had scout dogs that were used like police dogs today.

[scott adair]

I think there is a reference in "Carnage and Culture" about Cortez having war dogs when he was trapped in Mexico City.

Scott

[JeanryChandler]

The Russians used dogs in WW II, trained by Pavlov himself, the master of the conditioned response, to run underneath tanks with mines on their backs. Allegedly, it was tried on a large scale but backfired when the dogs fled the gunfire and hid under the Russian tanks familiar from their 'training'...

Which reminds me of another really bizarre scheme involving animals, when in WWII the US experimented with attatching small, timed incendiary bombs to bats, with the idea of releasing them over built up areas, the bombs going off after the bats had hidden themselves under awnings and inside walls etc... Supposedly they actually tested this successfully on an abandoned airfield in the midwest, but gave up on the idea when the Manhatten Project was clearly becomming successful.

Thats what you get for watching too much History channel...

JR

[JeanryChandler]

Here is an interesting link on "dogs of war" in Classical times

http://itsa.ucsf.edu/~snlrc/encyclopaedia_romana/miscellanea/canes/canes.html

[Casper Bradak]

I think animals, particularly dogs, have always been used by militaries in one capacity or another. What I want to know is when and where were they used in the role of directly attacking the enemy.