We did sometimes work with dogs we “borrowed” from other units, and SEALs had occasionally worked side by side with trained working dogs for decades. It wasn’t until 2004 that SEALs began to use dogs specially trained to meet the specific needs of the teams in house. I’m proud to have been associated with the early years of the development of dogs for use with the SEAL teams. The SEAL team dogs are now a part of the long history of warrior dogs. DOGS IN WAR FROM EARLY TIMES THROUGH WORLD WAR I It’s likely because dogs have a shared sense of community that they first adapted themselves to living near and then later with humans. Whatever warlike purpose dogs have served, from sentry duty to detection, they have been employed in some capacity for centuries. Since dogs ceased being nomadic and first became domesticated, humans have recognized and exploited the canines’ extraordinarily keen sense of smell, sharp eyesight, and razor-sharp hearing. Going as far back as 4000 B.C., there are murals depicting dogs being unleashed on Egypt’s enemies.
