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Jan. 24th, 2011
http://www.examiner.com/military-canine-in-national/the-establishment-of-dogs-for-defense-during-wwii (via shareaholic)
At the onset of WWII, the United States still had not considered the idea of war dogs, even though many of her Allies had been using them successfully since WWI.
Nonetheless, it took the attack on Pearl Harbor to initiate a group of civilians to get together and try to convince the US army about the value of dogs in warfare.
Alene Erlanger, dog breeder and exhibitor, along with dog fancier Arthur Kilbon got together and had a meeting with Leonard Brumby the President of the Professional Handler%u2019s Association, Dorothy J. Long an authority on obedience training, and Harry L. Ceasar the American Kennel Club Director. This meeting officially established Dogs for Defense in January of 1942.
The organization%u2019s focus was on sentry dogs for the United States and US coast lines. At the time, no thought was given to using dogs in combat. Organizations such as kennel clubs and dog trainers became a part of Dogs for Defense, and while the American Kennel Club supported the group, it did not officially participate in its affairs.
Even with the establishment of Dogs for Defense, the US military was not interested in using dogs in warfare. Finally, Maj. Gen. Edmund B. Gregory and Lt. Col. Clifford C. Smith, Chief of the Plant Protection Branch met to discuss army security. Smith had heard about the idea for sentry dogs and suggested the idea to Gregory. He agreed to try a dog training experiment with 200 dogs to see if it would work. On March 13, 1942 Dogs for Defense became the official agency in the selection and training of United States sentry dogs.
March 13, 1942 became the official day that the United States recognized the Military War dog. It marked the beginning of a new relationship between dog and handler, and would test the boundaries of trust, loyalty, and dedication.
At the onset of WWII, the United States still had not considered the idea of war dogs, even though many of her Allies had been using them successfully since WWI.
Nonetheless, it took the attack on Pearl Harbor to initiate a group of civilians to get together and try to convince the US army about the value of dogs in warfare.
Alene Erlanger, dog breeder and exhibitor, along with dog fancier Arthur Kilbon got together and had a meeting with Leonard Brumby the President of the Professional Handler%u2019s Association, Dorothy J. Long an authority on obedience training, and Harry L. Ceasar the American Kennel Club Director. This meeting officially established Dogs for Defense in January of 1942.
The organization%u2019s focus was on sentry dogs for the United States and US coast lines. At the time, no thought was given to using dogs in combat. Organizations such as kennel clubs and dog trainers became a part of Dogs for Defense, and while the American Kennel Club supported the group, it did not officially participate in its affairs.
Even with the establishment of Dogs for Defense, the US military was not interested in using dogs in warfare. Finally, Maj. Gen. Edmund B. Gregory and Lt. Col. Clifford C. Smith, Chief of the Plant Protection Branch met to discuss army security. Smith had heard about the idea for sentry dogs and suggested the idea to Gregory. He agreed to try a dog training experiment with 200 dogs to see if it would work. On March 13, 1942 Dogs for Defense became the official agency in the selection and training of United States sentry dogs.
March 13, 1942 became the official day that the United States recognized the Military War dog. It marked the beginning of a new relationship between dog and handler, and would test the boundaries of trust, loyalty, and dedication.
