5 Instances Of Dogs As Weapons In War History

Such unfortunate use of an adorable animal.

Ansa

• Published in Animal Stories
• October 3, 2021

Dogs have been used as guards as well as for other purposes, throughout history. Even today, people in various parts of the world keep dogs in their houses and other places to guard them.

Similarly, for their fierceness and other abilities such as sniffing, etc, they are part of the military and other law enforcing agencies. There is a canine unit in almost all such organizations.

Although, nowadays dogs are mostly known for their faithfulness, companionship, and cuteness. But if we go through the pages of history, there are some types and breeds of dogs that are specifically used for fighting especially in wars.

Such dogs were specially trained and were used as weapons during battles. The breeds that are large and have big jaws were considered to be perfect for ripping apart flesh, leather, and bones.

They were used for purposes of criminal nature as well. For example, during a time in history when they were often let loose on indigenous people for the purpose termes as "for sport".

Dogs such as Becerrillo and its offspring Leoncico were quite famous war dogs back then. Let's take a look at five famous instances when dogs were used for war purposes in history.

1. Mastiffs used by Spanish soldiers

Mastiffs weighing around 250 pounds were used by the Spanish soldiers for the conquest of the Moors situated in Grenada. They had huge jaws which were perfect for the intended use.

2. Mastiffs used by Columbus

Christopher Columbus also used dogs specially mastiffs during his conquests. They were part of the weapons used against the indigenous people as evident from the ship logs.

3. Irish greyhounds used by Conquistadors

Irish greyhounds were used by the conquistadors for protecting their territories. They are known to use these dog weapons by letting them loose on indigenous people “for sport.”

4. Becerrillo

Becerrillo was a dog of Juan Ponce de León. He was known for his brutal nature.

In one instance he killed 33 people in just an hour. The witnesses said to have seen him “with his mouth dripping from the blood of his victims.”

5. Leoncico

The offspring of Becerrillo was called Leoncico. His owner was a man named Balboa who was a conquistador.

Leoncico was equally brutal s his father. Due to his effectiveness, he was given the status of a human, and his salary was equal to that of a crossbowman

Ansa