Reporting dog

Registration dogs of the Reichswehr in November 1930

When reporting dog was in Germany a 20th century dog called, the military brought messages. Reporting dogs were service dogs . It was the duty of the registration dog in the First and Second World Wars to maintain the connection between two posts. The reporting dog carried the military messages in a capsule , the so-called reporting capsule, which was attached to his neck. Reporting dogs also transported carrier pigeons in specially made harnesses . Reporting dogs were used to deliver messages because they were a smaller and more agile target than reporters or vehicles. Nevertheless, they too were shot at and killed. More than 30,000 war dogs in the First World War were used as reporting dogs. In many cases they were also recruited by private individuals .

education

The registration dogs were trained in different ways. The dog's sense of hearing and smell as well as its memory were addressed .

By calling back and forth between two dog handlers , the dog first learned to overcome short distances and to memorize the respective route. In the course of the training, the distance between the dog handlers was increased so that the reporting dog was ultimately able to cover distances of a few kilometers.

Instead of using its ears, the dog learned to memorize the reporting route with its nose, by laying out an odor trail using a drip can, which contained a pleasant-smelling liquid for it. Reporting distances of up to ten kilometers could be overcome in this way.

Dog breeds

The Doberman was used as the reporting dog . Likewise the Airedale Terrier . The German Shepherd Dog was also one of the dog breeds that were primarily eligible .

literature

• Rainer Pöppinghege: Animals in the First World War. Eine Kulturgeschichte , Rotbuch Verlag , Berlin 2014, ISBN 978-3-86789-200-1 .

Web links

• Thomas Jander: Animals in War Service. Racing pigeons and registration dogs 1914-1918 , accessed on September 8, 2018.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Doberman at War , accessed September 8, 2018.
2. ↑ Heike Krause: Dogs at the Front , accessed on September 8, 2018.
3. ↑ Isabel Stettin: How front dog Stubby became a hero , accessed on September 8, 2018.
4. ^ Doberman at War , accessed September 8, 2018.
5. ^ Doberman at War , accessed September 8, 2018.
6. ^ Doberman at War , accessed September 8, 2018.
7. ↑ Police Saxony: The service dog breeds , accessed on September 8, 2018.
8. ↑ Rainer Pöppinghege: Animals in the First World War. Eine Kulturgeschichte , Rotbuch Verlag, Berlin 2014, ISBN 978-3-86789-200-1 , pp. 48–49.