War Dogs and Other Tales of Courageous Canines

by Joanne Mattern

Soldiers, firefighters, and police offeicers are often heroic. Did you know that dogs can be heroes, too?

In this amazing collection of true stories, you'll meet:

-Stubby, the first American "war dog" hero
-Wolf, a German shepherd who kept hundreds of soldiers safe in Vietnam
-Dorado, who bravely led his blind owner down seventy flights of stairs to escape the World Trade Center on September 11
-Cairo, who helped the Navy SEALS bring Osama bin Laden to justice

From serving in our nation's wars to rescuing people trapped in disasters, these remarkable dogs have all been genuine heroes. Here are their incredible true stories.

Genres: Nonfiction

88 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Mattern is the author of many books for children. Her favorite topics include animals, biography, and history. She lives in the Hudson Valley of New York State.

Reviews

[Aj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today I am going to tell you a little bit about a book called War Dogs. The book is about 4 dogs that have all done something for their owners or other people they have been around. Their names are Stubby, Wolf, Dorado, and Cairo.
First, we will talk about Stubby. This dog was the first ever dog to become an American war dog hero. Wolf is a German Shepherd that was a very smart dog. Wolf was able to keep hundreds of soldiers safe in Vietnam. Dorado was a very smart and helpful dog as well. He was able to guide his owner down seventy flights of stairs, and that is not a little amount of stairs by no mean. Then we have a dog named Cairo, who was a very useful dog as to the rest of these. Cairo helped the Navy Seals bring Osama bin Laden back to justice.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that explores the history of the war dog in the United States through stories of individual animal's both well-known and lesser known individuals.

I am sad to see that the Civil War Sallie wasn't included as one of the first but otherwise I really did appreciate the correction and kind words that the author has for pitbulls instead of allowing old stereotypes to rule.

Furthermore the book did a phenomenonal job including 9(+) other dogs who may not be military but still serve to protect their fellow Americans and what it takes to get these dogs up to muster as well as Fast Facts that provides the reader with a brief paragraph that provides more relevant information based on that page's information.

My only complaints is I would have loved to have seen pictures for any that were safe to portray such as Stubby and Chips. And there was one military pup included that didn't really have a story, which makes me wonder why he was included in the line up.

Otherwise if you are into hero dogs or dogs in general this book although a bit graphic in some spots will be sure to make you appreciate man's best friends just a bit more.

[ari · Rating 2 out of 5]

4/10

I feel dumb being harsh on this book because it’s a children’s book about courageous dogs. But, this is called “war dogs” and only half the book is about war dogs. They literally ran out of stories after constantly saying that there were so many stories. The rest were about police dogs and search and rescue dogs. I love dogs as much as the next person but this just felt like war and dog propaganda. The author obviously LOVES dogs. Also, I felt like the author was talking to me like I was a child and yes it is a children’s book but I have read a bunch of those lately and have not felt that way at all.

[Alicia G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed reading about these brave dogs and their service to the military, in police departments, and in Search and Rescue situations.

[Kay Mcgriff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The inspiring stories of dogs and their handlers during war time will be a hit with my readers, especially those who,gobble down war stories. These short selections are quick to read and sure to impress. Readers will meet Stubby, the first dog hero of World War I. During World War II, the Dogs For Defense group trained dogs for military work. Whether serving in Europe or the South Pacific, dogs such as Andy, Caesar, and Chips saved the lives of American soldiers and braved enemy fire. Dogs continued their selfless service through Vietnam and Serbia and Iraq. In addition to war dogs, Mattern also introduces other service dogs such as dogs who sniff out drugs and bombs or human bodies. The last dog we meet is Cairo, who was part of the Seal Team who brought down Osama bin Laden.

[Melanie, Aaron, Annie, and Mary Project · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read by: Melanie
Genre: Informational
Author: Joanne Mattern
Interest Level: 4-6
Grade Level Equivalent: 3.0
DRA: N/A
Lexile: 940 L

Stubby was the first war dog, even though he was snuck into barricks and then to the war, he proved his bravery and loyalty to his men through many feats. He warned them of a gas attack and when an enemy spy had snuck into their camp, after his injury from a grenade Stubby did not serving and became a therapy dog for wounded soldiers. This book is filled with many touching stories of how dogs have warned their human counterparts and helped save lives through war times and use is police work. Students can gain knowledge of what jobs and acts of bravery dogs are used for.

[Jennifer Lavoie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea dogs were so integral in many of the different wars in history. I knew that in modern day Iraq and Afghanistan, many soldiers adopt the strays, but I didn't know that they were used in the war effort to help the soldiers. I found it fascinating that Stubby was from Hartford, so close to me!

This book will be of interest to any of my students who enjoy reading about war, who love animals, or who like nonfiction. It really was a great book that inspired me to learn more about dogs, their handlers, and the people who donated their family pets to help the soldiers during war.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about dogs that are brave and risk their lives for people in wars. For example, there were dogs that lead blind men down when 9/11 took place. There were also dogs that saved men in ashes when men and women were buried in piles of part of the building. You will love this book if you read this, if you think this book is bad maybe you have hate for dogs, maybe it will change your mind about them. You have to read this book if you didn't read it.Hope you like the book just like I enjoyed it. Rating this 5 stars is what I really think about this book.

[Erikat · Rating 5 out of 5]

GOOD STORY.

[Noah]

This is a good book