Soldiers Sled Dogs

Sled dogs have been serving humans since they were first tamed and broken to the trace thousands of years ago. Their history of supporting soldiers is much more recent and, for all its drama and heroism, remains little known. This hundred-year history of canine military service from the frozen reaches of Alaska to the snowy battlefields of World Wars I and II is told fully for the first time in this book by former army officer and longtime sled dog aficionado Charles L. Dean. By way of original army documents, interviews with the last living dog drivers, and never before published photographs, Dean’s book tells a story that begins in Alaska, traverses two world wars and the Cold War era, and ends in the present-day Danish sledge patrol in Greenland. Here are the sled dogs drafted from Alaska and trained by French troops for use in the Vosges Mountains; improvised alpine sled dogs used by the Italians in the Great War; those deployed by the German SS in World War II; and others training in Montana’s Camp Rimini, Colorado’s Camp Hale, and Nebraska’s Fort Robinson. From the nitty-gritty of the making of a canine division to the high drama of dogs conducting daring rescues and parachuting to their destinations, this book richly supplies a missing chapter in military history and in the story of man’s best friend at war.

A loyal army of sled dog teams up with an unlikely pair of kids to help Allied forces win the Battle of the Bulge in the fifth book in this action-packed middle grade series! Perfect for fans of the Hero and Scout books. Boss the Alaskan Husky is parachuting into the middle of a snowstorm. As an army dog, it’s her job to bring supplies to Allied troops during the Battle of the Bulge. But when she finds a wounded sled dog and two lost kids, she knows she has to help them, too. As the blizzard bears down, can Boss complete her mission, escape the Nazis, and get the kids out of the storm alive?

Three fictional stories, told in graphic novel format, about soldiers in World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War who were aided by combat dogs. Based on true stories.

The incredible story of the War Dog program as seen through the eyes of Major, a World War Two soldier dog. During WWII, the U.S. Military established the Fort Robinson War Dogs Training Center in western Nebraska, training over 17,000 “dogs for defense” and deploying them to battlefields and installations all over the world. At the beginning of the program, without a ready supply of dogs to train, the U.S. government asked civilians throughout the region to volunteer their dogs for service. Thousands answered the call, and their pets served our country courageously as guards, scouts, messengers, sled runners, and more. Told from the point of view of Major, a border collie based on a real dog from North Dakota, Major: A Soldier Dog tells the incredible story of the War Dog program through his eyes, following him through the heartbreaking separation from his family, the training at Fort Robinson, his harrowing war service in Italy, his return home for detraining and discharge, and finally the tearful reunion with his family.

Minnesota author and dog musher Gary Paulsen reflects on the growth of his sled dogs as he and his animals discover the world around them.

With his older brother gone to fight in the Great War, and his father prone to sudden rages, 14-year-old Stanley devotes himself to taking care of the family's greyhound and puppies. Until the morning Stanley wakes to find the puppies gone. Determined to find his brother, Stanley runs away to join an increasingly desperate army. Assigned to the experimental War Dog School, Stanley is given a problematic Great Dane named Bones to train. Against all odds, the pair excels, and Stanley is sent to France. But in Soldier Dog by Sam Angus, the war in France is larger and more brutal than Stanley ever imagined. How can one young boy survive World War I and find his brother with only a dog to help?

"At the beginning of World War I, the only military working dogs the United States owned were sled dogs. In comparison, European nations in World War I used canines as sentries, messengers, ambulance, and draft dogs. In 1942, members of the American public, created Dogs for Defense Inc. to help recruit dogs for military use. By the end of the Vietnam War, dogs no longer were donated by the American public for use, rather the American military owned the dogs they deployed. This thesis examines the use of dogs by the American military from World War I to the Vietnam War. It explores the idea that the evolution of military technology and tactics are ironically tied to the increased use of military dogs in the period of modern warfare by the United States Armed Forces. The grassroots movement of the American public, and its desire to contribute to the war effort, helped to accelerate the creation of an American war dog program. Even with technology becoming increasingly important in warfare, dogs were needed to fulfill roles that humans and technology could not. The expansion of these duties is evidenced by their continued use in Vietnam. For the infantry soldiers serving on the frontlines, dogs saved lives and instilled a greater degree of confidence on patrol, all the while acting as man's best friend."--Boise State University ScholarWorks.

This book is an analytical account of how Roald Amundsen used sledge dogs to discover the South Pole in 1911, and is the first to name and identify all 116 Polar dogs who were part of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition of 1910–1912. The book traces the dogs from their origins in Greenland to Antarctica and beyond, and presents the author’s findings regarding which of the dogs actually reached the South Pole, and which ones returned. Using crewmember diaries, reports, and written correspondence, the book explores the strategy, methodology, and personal insights of the explorer and his crew in employing canines to achieve their goal, as well as documents the controversy and internal dynamics involved in this historic discovery. It breaks ground in presenting the entire story of how the South Pole was truly discovered using animals, and how deep and profound the differences of perception were regarding the use of canines for exploration. This historic tale sheds light on Antarctic exploration history and the human-nature relationship. It gives recognition to the significant role that animals played in this important part of history.

Provides information about dogs that have played an important role in the military and, like soldiers, have been wounded and yet survived.

During a raging Arctic blizzard, Granite helps Susan and the rest of the dogs brave the storm and win the Iditarod.