Dogs of War, or Dogs in War? The Use of Dogs in Classical Greek Warfare

Abstract

In 1941, E. S. Forster wrote a short article, published in this journal, which compiled all of the instances he could identify in the ancient source material that described dogs being used in a military capacity. G. B. A. Fletcher, who had identified a few obscure references that Forster had not cited, responded to Forster's paper later that same year. The purpose of both papers was simply the compiling of a list, a purpose that had been inspired by Forster's interest in the French army's recruitment of dogs on the outbreak of the Second World War. The result was a thorough catalogue of known examples, showing the ancient dog being used for a variety of purposes such as patrol work or observation duties, or being used as combatants or despatch couriers. The primary aim, according to Forster was to ‘make a comparison with modern practice’ – that is, the French practice he had read about; the only exception for which he could find no ancient evidence was what he called ‘Red Cross’ work.

Working Dog Training for the Twenty-First Century

“…Although the term "working dog" encompasses dogs that perform a wide range of functional activities, we have limited the scope of this review to three primary types of working dogs, which in present times reflect a majority of working dogs: protection/apprehension dogs, detection dogs, and assistance dogs. The use of working dogs for hunting, shepherding, and for some roles in war date back to at least classical Greek times (4,5). However, formalized training manuals and procedures did not become more common until the 20th century (6, 7), although early treatises on dog training had long been available (e.g., Xenephon's Cynegeticus).…”

“…Dogs have served, and currently serve, as shepherds, livestock guards, mobility assistants, therapy assistants, law enforcement canines, and supplement many more jobs. Some of the earliest reports of dogs in working roles involve assisting in hunting, dating back to at least 9,000 years ago ( 1 , 2 ), as well as managing livestock and serving to some degree in wars, dating back to the times of the ancient Greeks ( 3 , 4 ). Over the last 100 years, the practice of training working dogs and the science of animal behavior and training have both made significant advances.…”

“…The use of working dogs for hunting, shepherding, and for some roles in war date back to at least classical Greek times ( 4 , 5 ). However, formalized training manuals and procedures did not become more common until the 20th century ( 6 , 7 ), although early treatises on dog training had long been available (e.g., Xenephon's Cynegeticus).…”

“…However, formalized training manuals and procedures did not become more common until the 20th century ( 6 , 7 ), although early treatises on dog training had long been available (e.g., Xenephon's Cynegeticus). In ancient Greece, dogs' role in war is subject to debate, as either trained participants or simply placed in war, but their current duties include sentinel, tracking, protection, and detection work ( 4 , 8 ). Arguably, one of the earliest and most influential training manuals for the more modern use of protection dogs is Col. Konrad Most's “Training Dogs: A Manual” published in 1910 and reprinted in 2014 ( 7 ).…”