Dogs And Stirrups

[Germanicus]

Just wondered if anyone could advise me on this - and point me in the direction of a historical resource where they are mentioned - or dog soldier descriptions from any of the conquered nations would be good too.

[Caesar]

Hmm, I don't have any specific sources, but from what I can remember from reading Caesars books (Gaul, Civil War, etc.) there was mention of using dogs as scouts, and camp gaurds.

[PerfectimusPrime]

Well, acording to Rome : Total war, they did.

[Primus Pilus]

Please guys, lets not use video games, movies or TV shows as evidence. I don't recall ever seeing any written or archaeological evidence anywhere that the Romans used dogs as military units. This, however is not my area of expertise and I have never studied it specifically.

[longbow]

Molossian Hounds were used for war,but how effective can a couple of hundred dogs be in a battle with tens of thousands of troops? The dogs were used to attack the cavalry horses,but after the initial attack,the mutts would just bite left right and centre causing damage to there own troops.

Using Animals for war is unpredictable,you dont know what they will do!

Look at the damage Elephants do to there own lines once there spooked,the only Animals worth using in battles are Horses.

L

[Marcus Regulus]

Have to agree with longbow.

 

Dogs are pack minded and they react to defending their pack. War Dogs did exist, but everyone that used them was mindful of the fact that they were unpredictable. They were however a great terror type weapon that caused more fear than actual damage.

 

The best use for dogs in military situations is guard duty and scouting becasue this is something they do naturally. Fighting in packs has only one purpose surround one opponent and take him down from all sides. This does not work too well against formations of troops.

[PerfectimusPrime]

Please guys, lets not use video games, movies or TV shows as evidence. I don't recall ever seeing any written or archaeological evidence anywhere that the Romans used dogs as military units. This, however is not my area of expertise and I have never studied it specifically.

Yeah, Yeah....

[Jimbow]

Look at the damage Elephants do to there own lines once there spooked

 

 

Don't forget they were also drunk.

 

Jim.

[Lacertus]

Are the pictures that were found on vases, mosaics, wall reliefs to be evidence of using hounds in wars?

 

http://community-2.webtv.net/Hahn-50thAP-K...K9/K9History23/

 

There are archeological finds dated 1200-500 BC which directly point out that hounds were using for combat actions. May suggest they did not use later, at least there is not any reference on this theme.

[Germanicus]

Thanks Lacertus - that page had what I was after. Although I'd like to know where they got this pearler :-

 

The Legions of Rome, used both giant Mastiffs, & Molossian hounds, while civilizing the western world, according to their scribes.

 

 

At least there's this :-

 

And Pliny the Elder, wrote of squadrons of fierce dogs, that fought in the ranks beside the Colophonians, of Asia Minor, against their Ionian enemies. After the battle was over, they were harnessed to carts, hauling treasure back home.

[Julius Caesar]

I caught a few minutes of that dog show (Westminster is it?) and in just a few minutes several of the larger breeds were listed as being used by the Roman legions. The only one I remember is the Neopolitan Mastiff.

[MARCELLVS]

Can anybody indicate where in the commentarii belli gallici the war dogs are mentioned?

[Caesar]

I'm sorry, it might not have been in Caesar's books, I have read a ton of books on Roman history, including first sources, and I believe I caught something regarding the use of dog scouts. Caesar's books popped into my mind because I read "Civil War" most recently!

[wally1987]

I certainly recall reading something on the subject of using dog scouts......but i cant remember anything stating that they were used in battle situations, as they are too unpredictable and after a few incidences of them turning on their own side, they dropped the use of them in battle situations.

Plus in the defence of computer games, the developers try and research the subject as fully as they can, obviously it is not to be taken as 100% truthful or to be trusted fully, but parts of those such games have some true aspects to them......

[Augustus]

...but i cant remember anything stating that they were used in battle situations, as they are too unpredictable and after a few incidences of them turning on their own side, they dropped the use of them in battle situations.

Dogs in combat have proved to be reliable, more so than a lot of soldiers, if trained properly and handled by one person. During Vietnam the VC were sacred more of the "devil dogs" of the army than the of the soldiers, recently Soldier of Fortune had an article on Marine combal dogs and the only proplem the leather necks have had with the dogs is they tend to get sick in the extreme heat.

 

Think of it like this: if modern war dogs can handle the confusion of a modern battle field (with loud explosions that hurt their ears more than ours) a dog could handle the confusion of an ancient battle field.