His Dobe standing vigil, a Marine Dog-handler sleeps.

Both Allied and Axis forces mobilized war dogs. British handlers and dogs prepared at the War Dogs Training Schools. The Soviets trained sledge dogs and placed mines on dogs that crawled underneath tanks prior to detonation. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, dog fanciers in the United States discussed the idea of establishing a system to identify and train war dogs for the military. World War I veteran Harry I. Caesar and poodle breeder Alene Erlanger communicated with quartermaster general Major General Edmund B. Gregory to form Dogs for Defense. This group encouraged patriotic Americans to donate dogs of suitable size and temperament for military service. Newspaper advertisements, posters, and movie reels promoted U.S. war dogs. Regional and state Dogs for Defense representatives recruited and evaluated the animals. Many people donated their dogs because they could not afford to feed them during the war. In any case, donors were not allowed any information as to the disposition of the dogs.

American Kennel Club dog shows sponsored war dog exhibitions and war dog classes to raise funds and identify dogs with qualities the military sought. War dogs were featured at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Throughout the country, war dog demonstrations and rallies were held, with themes such as “Back the Attack.” On the home front, war dogs guarded prisoner-of-war camps and defended industries from saboteurs. Other breeds, such as beagles, were used to assist in the rehabilitation of wounded veterans.

German-born trainers such as Willy Necker introduced effective training regimens at American war dog training and reception centers. Such facilities were distributed throughout the United States, with significant sites located at Front Royal, Virginia; San Carlos, California; and Fort Robinson, Nebraska. Necker left no doubt about his allegiance, teaching one dog to place its paw over its snout whenever it heard the name “Hitler.”

U.S. Marine war dog platoons trained at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and Camp Pendleton, California. Their mission was to locate enemy forces, mines, and booby traps. These dogs, mostly Doberman pinschers, guarded soldiers on patrol and alerted them to approaching enemy soldiers. The Marine dogs also transported supplies and messages. Each Marine division had an attached war dog platoon.

Germany mobilized an estimated 200,000 war dogs. Japan trained war dogs at Nanjing (Nanking) in China, and it had 25,000 trained before its attack on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese used black dogs for night service and white dogs to serve in snow.

After their service was completed, American war dogs were shipped to war dog centers for training to readjust to civilian life before returning to their families. Even after war dogs returned home, their owners did not know where their pets had served. War dog handlers formed closed attachments to their charges, and they often asked the dogs’ owners if they could keep the dogs with which they had served. Heroic animals were often praised in newspaper accounts. Chips, perhaps the war’s most famous dog, who helped capture Italian soldiers, gained notoriety for biting General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Newspapers reported awards presented to Chips and his handlers.