War Dogs unsung heroes of WWI

As the West marks the centenary of World War I, countries are being asked to remember the thousands of dogs that were recruited into the war effort.

Mastiffs and Great Danes took on watch dog and guard roles.

More than 50,000 dogs were trained by the warring parties on the Western Front, sharing in the horrific conditions and strains.

While Michael Morpurgo’s story War Horse showed the plight of horses during the Great War, it overshadowed the role of dogs during the conflict.

Mastiffs and Great Danes took on watch dog and guard roles, while retrievers, collies and whippets were used for their speed, tenacity and sense of smell to carry messages, supplies or search out enemy soldiers.

Airedale terriers were particularly popular.

Dogs are still used in wars today, with sniffer dogs being used frequently in Afghanistan to detect explosives.