Dogs are said to be the best friend of humans. Their undying loyalty to their masters and their loving and caring attitude toward them is something every human should experience. This is why dogs have been used to aid soldiers in combat as well since they never leave the aid of their masters.
However, have you wondered whether they have received the same treatment back from us humans? Even though dogs will never hurt their human masters, there have been numerous tales of how badly they were treated in the heat of battle during the war. This is exactly what we are going to discuss in this blog here today.
How Are Dogs Used In The ?
Dogs are used in the military for various purposes. Some of the most commonly observed ones are:
1. Detecting And Tracking Enemies
Dogs are great recon dogs because of their great sense of sight, sound, and smell. They can sense the presence of enemies from a long distance because of their sharp ears and noses. This is why they are used for recon missions near enemy camps, where they can track enemies by hearing their footsteps and even smelling their scent and tracking them from miles away.
2. Combat
Dogs can be made stealth combat experts if they are given the proper training. Since dogs do not wear boots and are light on their feet, they can easily sneak into enemy camps and kill their targets as they are sleeping with a quick but strong bite to their necks.
3. Logistics
In battle, there can be situations where communication between soldiers may become unavailable due to bad radio signals. It is during such times that dogs can be sent across the battlefield pretty quickly to deliver important messages to ally troops for support and airstrikes.
4. Sentries
Dogs like the German shepherd are great watchdogs of ally camps because of their great senses of sound and smell. This is why they are considered by many to be great watchers and protectors of ally camp during the night times. Since dogs have good vision during nighttime, they are naturally good sentries and guardians when soldiers are resting.
5. Interrogation
One of the most controversial uses of dogs in the military was for interrogations. Used extensively during the war between Afghanistan and the USA, they were used to threaten enemy prisoners to give up valuable information about their camps and hideouts. These prisoners were often bitten by dogs to scare them more into submission.
How Are Dogs Treated In The Military?
While the best military dog treated us, humans, well during wartime in the military, the same can not be said in all sincerity the other way around. There have been numerous instances where dogs have been treated brutally by their masters.
This is mostly reflected in their legal status during wartime, where they have been labelled as objects. In a list of what a transportation truck was carrying to the battlefield, dogs were labelled as “equipment” and “technology” in the bill.
There have been numerous instances where they were treated badly by their masters. A Rottweiler was once beaten up and mutilated because his master did not like loud noises after returning from the battlefield. Even though the soldier was suffering from PTSD, it still did not excuse such behaviors.
In addition, many dogs were also abandoned on the battlefield, left to be captured and killed in the hands of the enemy.
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Conclusion
While military guard dogs give their life on the line for their soldier masters, they cannot be dais the other way around. While dogs were used as sentries and for recon missions across the battlefield, many humans abandoned them on the battlefield.
