Dogs have a very long history in warfare, beginning in ancient times. From being trained in combat, to their use as scouts, sentries, messengers, mercy dogs, and trackers, their uses have been varied, and some continue to exist in modern military usage.

Feb 3, 2018 · In Dogs in warfare and The Dogs of War, a number of examples are given where dogs were used in battle in ancient times. Polyaenus, in ‘Stratagems’, also gives a clear example (late 7th century BC): The Cimmerians, a people of great bodily size, made war on Alyattes.

Nov 8, 2012 · The first actual written record of war dogs comes to use from the ancient Kingdom of Lydia in modern day Turkey. The small empire’s first ruler, Alyattes, reportedly had his soldiers turn packs of dogs loose on Cimmerian troops in a battle sometime around 600 BCE.

Mar 24, 2025 · In medieval times, these dogs would’ve been seen as half-beast, half-myth, and all-power. The Cane Corso would’ve easily earned its place as a war dog in medieval ranks. Descended from Roman Molossers, this breed was used for guarding property and even aiding in …

Oct 3, 2019 · The people of medieval Europe were devoted to their dogs; one great French dog-lover declared that the greatest defect of the species was that they ‘lived not long enough’.

Jun 1, 2020 · So, what dog breeds were popular in the Middle Ages? 1. Greyhound. The greyhound is actually one of the oldest breeds of dog. They seem to have originated in the Middle East but they’re staples of European art from the Middle …

Historians showed that large-scale human migration, development of trade, and gifts between royal courts of valuable fighting dogs facilitated the spread of fighting dog breeds. Accounts of dog fighting in China date back to 240 A.D.Dog fighting can also be traced back to the Roman Empire.

Medieval knights draped their faithful hounds in chain mail and plunged into battle with the dogs by their side. At death, the knights, who loved the dogs dearly, had an image of these faithful hounds inscribed on their tombs, linking the two forever.

Aug 7, 2013 · Dogs were used on hunting expeditions and to guard homes, as domestic pets and as a source of food. They abound in surviving mythology and folk tradition and are well represented in religion, where they are often associated with divination, omens of …

Mar 8, 2021 · This article explores the military use of dogs in the west, principally from the thirteenth to the eighteenth century. It is argued that the use of ‘war dogs’ was a recurrent but essentially ad hoc, sporadic and localized practice, quite distinct from the regular dog handling units that were established in the late nineteenth century.