- Dogs have been a staple on seafaring vessels for 1000’s of years.
- The canine companions have been first given official US Navy duties throughout World War II.
- Scot Christenson, creator of ‘Dogs within the Navy,’ spoke to Business Insider about their historical past.
Man’s finest buddy will comply with him anyplace — even throughout the huge oceans.
Dogs had lengthy been a staple on seafaring vessels even earlier than the US Navy made them a part of the official crew throughout World War II.
Decades later, many dogs proceed to serve in military.
Scot Christenson, director of communications for the US Naval Institute and creator of the brand new e-book “Dogs in the Navy,” spoke to Business Insider concerning the longstanding canine custom.
Sea dogs date again 1000’s of years
Dogs have been becoming a member of people on boats for 1000’s of years, Christenson mentioned, citing Egyptian tomb work and older hieroglyphics that depict the animals on boats.
These canines initially accompanied their homeowners on voyages as mere companions, however have been later educated to be contributing members of a ship’s neighborhood.
Sailors educated their dogs to retrieve fishing nets and herd fish into pens in rivers, Christenson mentioned. The animals additionally offered safety for individuals crusing to unfamiliar shores, as dogs may detect potential hazard within the bushes and have been reliable hunters.
The animals additionally shared pest management duties with seafaring cats on board, in response to Christenson, who wrote a e-book on cats in the Navy earlier this 12 months.
Some dogs have been particularly bred to be useful on the water
Terriers have been bred to be fearsome rat catchers — a essential process to stave off illness on board a ship.
In some ways, terriers have been extra reliable rodent hunters than their feline counterparts as a result of cats had a bent to be temperamental and moody, Christenson mentioned.
“They could possibly be feeling lazy or possibly they weren’t feeling hungry,” he mentioned of cats. “Whereas, terriers are unrelenting and really environment friendly at getting rats.”
Some dogs have been additionally bred to be lifesavers, educated to dive into the water if a sailor went overboard.
But not all canine breeds have been profitable. The Russian Navy tried to breed water dogs a century in the past, however the animals have been too aggressive and even tried to attack and drown sailors within the water, Christenson mentioned.
Dogs have been a part of the US Navy since its inception
For the primary 150 or so years of the Navy, dogs merely served because the unofficial mascot of the army department (which is formally represented by a goat).
The Navy all the time acknowledged dogs’ significance to boat crews, Christenson mentioned. The animals helped scale back sailors’ blood stress, resulting in decrease ranges of tension and boosted morale on board.
The animals have been even educated to increase their paw and shake fingers with guests when Navy boats docked in international ports, he added.
But it wasn’t till World War II that dogs grew to become official Navy members
The Navy began a program throughout World War II that inspired residents to donate their well-trained dogs to the battle trigger, Christenson mentioned.
Several different international locations already had official canine applications inside their navies earlier than the US began its personal.
The US program was carried out after German saboteurs got here ashore US land and triggered a panic, Christenson mentioned. The Coast Guard responded by coaching dogs to patrol the shoreline and thrust back intruders, ultimately giving these dogs to the Navy and the Marines to serve a wide range of official duties.
Military dogs have been used to hold mail and ammunition, in addition to detect mines throughout Europe, in response to Christenson.
The canines acquired cost for his or her exhausting work
“The US Navy was the envy of different navies as a result of the sailors have been so well-fed,” Christenson mentioned. “But no sailor ate higher than the ship’s canine.”
Canines on board Navy ships have been repeatedly rewarded with a nightly steak, in addition to additional bones, Christenson mentioned.
But each infrequently, Navy dogs would get themselves into bother
Curious canines would typically go AWOL, operating off and disappearing at port, Christenson mentioned.
Other disobedient dogs may go to sleep on watch or get so excited by the scent of land that they dove into the water earlier than the boat had reached shore.
Naughty dogs can be punished by having their bone ration decreased and being restricted to the ship, in response to Christenson.
Captains had last say over what number of dogs could possibly be on board
It was as much as a ship’s captain whether or not dogs have been allowed on board, Christenson mentioned.
Captains had to attract a line to cease sailors from bringing each stray on board.
This inspired some sailors to get inventive, Christenson mentioned, citing a narrative of a bunch of males who introduced a canine on board and lied to their captain, telling him that they had named the stray after him.
Flattered, the captain allowed the sailors to maintain the canine — whom that they had truly named Scrappy.
Dogs typically served alongside cats on Navy ships
Both dogs and cats have been very important types of pest management on board.
Several ships employed each pets, Christenson mentioned, describing a number of images from the time interval that present cat and canine working side-by-side on deck.
Dogs have been a buddy to everybody on board
While cats are typically loyal to a particular territory — equivalent to one specific ship — dogs are extra typically loyal to individuals, making them much-loved companions amongst most males onboard, Christenson mentioned.
Some sailors even introduced their very own dogs on board, he added. The animals helped bond your entire crew.
The fates of many World War II Navy dogs stay largely unknown
Not so much is definitively recognized about what occurred to World War II Navy dogs after their voyages, Christenson mentioned. It’s assumed many sailors introduced the animals home with them after the battle was over.
But the donation program that led to a growth in Navy dogs throughout World War II additionally meant that the animals have been counted as authorities surplus when the battle was over — that means they legally needed to be put up for public sale as a substitute of being returned to their homeowners or sailors, Christenson mentioned.
It wasn’t till the 12 months 2000, that then President Bill Clinton signed a invoice permitting service dogs to be adopted by their handlers.
Many dogs nonetheless serve within the army as we speak
The Marines and Navy Seals most frequently employ the use of canine helpers within the trendy age, Christenson mentioned.
But Navy boats have lately began utilizing a brand new kind of canine — robotic dogs — to perimeter ships and bases.
