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15 Military Dog Breeds (With Info & Pictures)

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By Nicole Cosgrove

german shepherd police dog

In November 2019, a military service dog made international headlines when he was honored as a hero by President Donald Trump at the White House. Conan, a Belgian Malinois, was honored for assisting a U.S. Special Forces team in tracking down and killing ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Syria.

While the full details of Conan’s role in the mission will likely never be released, the president’s public praise gave the nation a rare glimpse at one of the important tasks that military working dogs play in modern warfare.

Yet, using dogs to assist the military is far from new. Accounts of dogs being used for such purposes go as far back as 600 B.C. to a battle in ancient Greece between Alyattes, King of Lydia, and the Cimmerians.

Over the centuries, military working dogs have been used in many roles, including as attack dogs, communications dogs, sentries, mascots, detection and tracking dogs, and, controversially, for medical research. Contemporary military working dogs are often deployed as guard dogs for drug and explosive detection, patrolling, and military law enforcement roles.

While the German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois are the most common breeds of military service dogs today, many breeds have worked for the military over the years.

Here’s an alphabetical list of 15 military dog breeds, including army dogs and other types of military dogs.

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Top 15 Military Dog Breeds:

1. Airedale Terrier

Airedale Terrier
Image Credit: Lumia Studio, Shutterstock

Though no longer used as a military working dog, the Airedale Terrier was one of the most common breeds used by the British military in World War I. These tough and loyal dogs were trained as communication dogs and carried messages back and forth across the battlefield.

They were trained to work with two handlers, one of whom would be sent to the front lines, and the other remained behind in the command position. When a message needed to be sent, it was attached to the dog’s collar and carried to the second handler by the Airedale Terrier.

Airedale Terriers were renowned for their ability to stay low and out of sight, their speed, and their devotion to duty. Before reliable mobile radios, they were an essential component of the British military’s command and communication system.


2. Alaskan Malamute

Alaskan Malamute in the snow
Image Credit: Liliya Kulianionak, Shutterstock

Alaskan Malamutes saw service with the U.S. Military in World War II as sled and pack dogs and were used to haul military equipment and supplies over harsh snow-covered terrain. Some also made a name for themselves as rescue dogs that could be sent out to search a battlefield to find survivors needing military aid.

When not being actively employed in either of these roles, the Malamute was also a great alarm dog and early warning system and saved more than a few American lives by warning U.S. troops about the presence of enemy soldiers.


3. Belgian Malinois

Belgian Malinois
Image Credit: Ekaterina Brusnika, Shutterstock

The Belgian Malinois is one of four varieties of Belgian Shepherds and one of the most popular dogs used by the military today. At first glance, they look similar to their close relative, the German Shepherd, and are brave, loyal, and highly intelligent dogs.

The Belgian Malinois is a slightly smaller dog than the German Shepherd, making them more suitable for traveling in military vehicles and parachuting or rappelling into operational areas with their handlers. The Belgian Malinois is also highly regarded for their exceptionally quick reaction time, fearless dedication to duty, and strong protective instinct.


4. Belgian Sheepdogs

Belgian Sheepdog
Image: Three Dogs photography, Shutterstock

Like the Belgian Malinois, the Belgian Sheepdog (also known as the Groenendael) is a variety of Belgian Shepherd. Although anatomically identical, the Belgian Sheepdog is no longer typically used as a military working dog due to their long, thick coats that make them less suited to the role than the Malinois with their short, low-maintenance tan and brown coats.

However, the Belgian Sheepdog saw service in World War I as an ambulance dog and messenger and again as a war dog in World War II.


4. Boxer

boxer wearing harness
Image: Pixabay

Smart, independent, and playful, Boxers were once the go-to breed when the military needed a communications dog. Much like the Airedale Terrier, the Boxer was trained to work with two handlers, running messages back and forth across the battlefield in the days before reliable mobile radio communications.

The Boxer has also been used in military search-and-rescue roles and as explosive-detector dogs.


5. Bouvier des Flanders

Bouvier des Flandres
Image: Tatyana Kuznetsova, Shutterstock

The Bouvier des Flanders is a large farm dog originally bred in an area of Western Europe that now encompasses parts of Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. They became war dogs for the Belgian Army following the onset of World War I when much of Belgium’s farming land became a battlefield.

Until then, the Bouvier des Flanders had been a general farming dog. In the dark days of the war, they became notable military stretcher-bearers and were employed to pull supply carts and as trackers.

While their first military service was more by convenience than design, the Bouvier des Flanders proved to be a natural at the role. The breed still serves as a general-purpose patrol dog with the Belgian military today.


6. Bulldog

brown american bulldog
Image Credit: Peakpx

The Bulldog is a medium-sized dog that was originally bred to drive cattle and compete in bullbaiting. Yet, despite their violent and bloody ancestry, Bulldogs have long since been bred to be calm and affectionate dogs. For this reason, their military service has been more in a support role than as a battlefield dog.

For many years, the Bulldog has been the mascot of the United States Marine Corps, and they have recently been used as companion dogs to help wounded U.S. service members recover from their injuries.


7. Doberman Pinscher

Doberman Pinscher
Image Credit: Doberman Pinscher, Shutterstock

 

The loveable Doberman Pinscher is another large and easily trainable dog that has seen considerable service as a military working dog. Over the years, the Doberman has served with the U.S. military in World Wars I and II.

Although employed mainly as guard dogs, Dobermans were also trained to find and rescue wounded soldiers, to act as messengers, and to be patrol dogs used to detect enemy locations and mines.

Dobermans have fallen out of favor as military dogs in modern times because they are less resistant to harsh weather conditions than the German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, and Dutch Shepherd.


8. Dutch Shepherd

close up dutch shepherd
Image Credit: Pixabay

Dutch Shepherds are growing in popularity as military service dogs. Together with the German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois, they round out the top three breeds currently used by the U.S. military.

Dutch Shepherds are similar in size and appearance to the German Shepherd and are often mistaken for the more popular breed. They are hard-working, loyal, and highly active dogs and make a name for themselves as general patrol and explosive-detection dogs.


9. German Shepherd

German Shepherd
Image credit: adamkontor, Pixabay

The German Shepherd is by far the most common dog in military service. Highly intelligent, strong, agile, and easy to train, these large dogs are moderately aggressive but are highly protective and can undoubtedly ramp up their aggression when required. More importantly, they can also adapt to almost any climatic condition.

While some other breeds exhibit many of these traits, none exhibit all of them as consistently as the German Shepherd.


10. Giant Schnauzer

Giant Schnauzer
Image Credit By: Eliska Zeiskova, shutterstock

Once a virtually unknown breed outside Bavaria, the Giant Schnauzer was originally bred as a farm dog but gained popularity as a military dog during World War I and World War II. Somewhat inexplicably, after World War II, Giant Schnauzers were not used for military service until 1980, when the U.S. Air Force introduced them again as bomb-detection dogs.

A U.S. Air Force Giant Schnauzer named Brock was part of President Trump’s security detail during his trip to Hamburg for the G20 summit 2017.


11. Irish Terriers

Irish Terrier
Image Credit: congerdesign, pixabay

During World War I, Irish Terriers were employed as communications dogs by Allied troops. They were also used as rat catchers and companion dogs to troops in the trenches on the Belgian and French fronts.

Catching rats may sound like a trivial task, particularly given everything that was happening at the time, but rodents were a massive problem for the troops. Unlike the troops, Rats loved life in the trenches and quickly bred in huge numbers, sapping morale and generally adding to the misery of the situation.

Thus, a solution needed to be found, and it came in the form of the Irish Terrier, a dog that relished the task of killing the rats and served as a great morale booster for the troops.


12. Labrador Retriever

red fox labrador retriever
Image Credit: Fred Lalkens, Shutterstock

During the Vietnam War, Labrador Retrievers were the U.S. military’s first choice of dog for combat tracking. In this task, Labradors were teamed up with four or five combat troops and sent deep into the jungle to rescue injured troops and find downed airmen.

The Labrador excelled at this task, and many American service members owe their lives to the keen noses of those Labrador Retrievers. Today, Labs are still used by the military, and they have served with distinction as explosive-detector dogs in Iraq and Afghanistan.


13. Mastiff

bullmastiff catching food and eating
Image Credit: Inna Astakhova, Shutterstock

The Mastiff is an exceptionally old breed, and their ancestors likely were some of the first dogs ever used in war. Mastiffs were known to have been used as attack dogs by ancient Roman and Greek armies, who fitted their dogs with heavy spiked armor and sent them into battle ahead of the troops to attack the enemy.

Today, Mastiffs are not typically used as military dogs. Yet, the tactic of letting a dog loose to chase down and attack an enemy has been adapted to the modern battlefield and is used by special forces troops as a method of subduing and capturing an enemy combatant.


14. Rottweiler

Rottweiler
Image Credit: Pxhere

Loyal, strong, and obedient, it is little wonder that Rottweilers were used by the U.S. military during World War I and World War II as messengers and guard dogs.

Employed in much the same way as other messenger dogs, Rottweilers were often tasked with carrying important messages from and to the front lines, and in that way, they had a significant impact on the success of many military operations and battles.


15. Siberian Husky

Siberian Husky
Image Credit: BARBARA808, Pixabay

During World War II, Siberian Huskies served with the U.S. military as sled dogs. They hauled military goods, vital supplies, and equipment to troops through snowy and icy conditions.

Though not actively used as a military working dog by the United States, they are still being employed in this role by the Russian military.

Conclusion

While we all love and care for our canine friends, few are as heroic and brave as the dogs that serve in the military. Some breeds are far more likely to be used for military tasks, but that’s only because their unique traits perfectly suit them for assisting troops in challenging environments.

See also:


Featured Image Credit: Africa Studio, Shutterstock

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