The K9 Corps was born just over 68 years ago.
On March 13, 1942, Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson signed a historic document. The letter officially allowed dogs in the military.
At the time, the US military did not have their own K9s. Many dog owners donated their animals for the war effort. After the attacks on Pearl Harbor, the American Kennel Association and Dogs for Defense encouraged even more private citizens to do the same.
Initially, around 30 dog breeds were accepted in the K9 Corps. This list was later narrowed down to 5, one of which is the German Shepherd. The military initially relied on donated dogs and then acquired their own for breeding as military K9s.
The first War Dog Reception & Training Center was opened in Front Royal, Virginia. Other locations were added, as the demand for war dogs grew.
Basic Military K9 training lasted from eight to twelve weeks. After learning the fundamentals of basic dog obedience, the dogs were then trained for their military experience. This included exposing them to gas masks, gunfire, muzzles and riding in military vehicles.
After graduation, the dogs were evaluated and selected for one of four specialized training tracks:
Dogs in the K9 Corps not only served to boost morale for war weary troops, they also saved countless lives. Due to their superior senses, they can detect danger that humans are unable to discern.
An effort is underway to establish March 13 as Military K9 Veterans Day. Let us honor these four legged heroes who put themselves in harms way to save our soldiers from countless ambushes and surprise attacks.
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