Stubby the War Dog: The True Story of World War I's Bravest Dog

by Ann Bausum

Move over, Rin Tin Tin. Here comes Sgt. Stubby! That German shepherd star of the silver screen may have been born behind enemy lines during World War I, but Stubby, the stump-tailed terrier, worked behind enemy lines, and gained military honors along the way. Private Robert Conroy casually adopted the orphan pup while attending basic training on the campus of Yale University in 1917. The Connecticut volunteer never imagined that his stray dog would become a war hero. He just liked the little guy. When Conroy's unit shipped out for France, he smuggled his new friend aboard. By the time Stubby encountered Conroy's commanding officer, the dog had perfected his right-paw salute. Charmed, the CO awarded Stubby mascot status and sent him along with Conroy's unit to the Western Front. Stubby's brave deeds earned him a place in history and in the Smithsonian Institution where his stuffed body can still be seen. Almost 100 years later, Stubby's great deeds and brave heart make him an animal hero to fall in love with and treasure all over again.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Animals, Dogs, World War I, Biography, War

80 pages, Hardcover

First published May 13, 2014

About the author

Ann Bausum writes about history for readers of all ages from her home in southern Wisconsin. Her works often focus on under-told stories from the past, and she frequently explores issues of social justice.

Her newest title, The March Against Fear (National Geographic: 2017), is her third work to examine the civil rights movement in the American South. In the case of these and other books, Bausum strives to bring the nation’s social justice history to life in ways that empower and inspire readers young and old alike. Her previous title, Stonewall (Viking: 2015), is among the first nonfiction books to introduce teens to gay rights history. Previous works have explored voting rights, immigration, and free speech, among other topics.

The almost-forgotten story of Stubby lured Bausum away from social justice history temporarily. She wrote twin titles about the stray dog smuggled to Europe during World War I who returned to a hero’s welcome. Both books were published in 2014 by National Geographic: Sergeant Stubby (for adult readers) and Stubby the War Dog (for children).

In the spring of 2017, the Children’s Book Guild of Washington, D.C., will honor the body of Bausum’s work by presenting her with its venerable Nonfiction Award. This award recognizes the consistent commendation earned by her individual titles through the years. Bausum’s books have appeared consistently on lists of recommended and notable titles and have earned numerous literary awards including a Sibert Honor Award, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, the Carter G. Woodson Award (on two occasions), and the SCBWI Golden Kite Award. In 2015, she was named the year’s Notable Wisconsin Children’s Author by the Wisconsin Library Association.

You may follow Bausum on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AnnBausum) and Twitter (@AnnBausum) or visit her online at www.AnnBausum.com

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a different story from the previous ones I've read by her, it's still told in the same well-researched & easy to read style. It was also a story I'd never heard before & I love reading about historical events that are new to me. This dog went to France & returned with a company of AEF soldiers from New England, then he went on to become famous. His eventual ending is quite fascinating & unexpected.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding chronicle of Stubby, the hero dog of World War I. Bausum's compelling narrative is throughly documented and illustrated with primary resources. This is an inspiring dog tale, but also an unusual perspective to an important period of American history.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

thoroughly researched and fascinating!

[Dawn Livingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading about this dog. His story might be romanticized somewhat but he clearly was a help and a comfort to the soldiers around him. He sounds like the kind of dog you could dislike even if you tried. Made me wish I could pet him. :)

This book is listed at my library as a teen book. There is another book by the same author that is shelved with the adult books and it's called Sergeant Stubby - How A Stray Dog and His Best Friend Helped Win World War 1 and Stole the Hearts of a Nation.

I first learned about Sgt. Stubby after having seen the case of an animated DVD based on him, called Sgt. Stubby. It looks like a kid's DVD but it was shelved with the adult stuff so it's most likely meant to be a family movie. I haven't watched it.

A good book to read. Interesting, charming, brief (62 pages with lots of pictures). This teen version is like the cliff notes of the adult version which is just short of 200 pages.

Borrow any of the Sgt. Stubby items from the library and if you're fond of dogs, this book wouldn't be a bad one to own.

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for young adults and preteens about a war hero dog named Sgt. Stubby. If you are looking for a in-depth war book, skip this one. It is about a dog, his actions protecting and keeping company with Private Robert Conroy during World War I."Private Robert Conroy casually adopted the orphan pup while attending basic training on the campus of Yale University in 1917." Book has a great collection of pictures throughout and a useful time line in the back. Only one draw back, author feels the need to tell about her bad experience with dogs and her lack of like for them, found this unnecessary.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful, quick read about a stray dog who became a hero! I will never tire of learning about Stubby and his bravery, loyalty, cleverness, and accolades. It is a true, heartwarming story that proves animals are capable of incredible things. Thank you for your service, Sgt. Stubby ::dog salute::

[Erin Krajenke · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story of Stubby seems like an interesting one (and I hope to be able to read more about this dog in the future) this story was not one I would recommend. It was not well written in my opinion. The author spent a bit of time talking about how she does not like dogs, describing how all of her dogs died horribly. Not something a dog lover (I imagine you are a dog lover if you are reading this book) wants to read. Also, the story itself was jumbled and unorganized. In the afterward, the author read a timeline of the events in the dogs life; something I thought should have been in the actual book itself as some of the timeline was verbatim to parts of the book.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This heartwarming tale details the life and brave wartime experiences of a stray dog and the man who adopted him during WWI.

interesting quotes:

"Through my grandfather and his dog, Stubby, I learned that being raised by dogs meant learning the meaning of unconditional love, being both trustworthy and faithful, living with dignity and without hesitation or regret, and caring for others less fortunate or in need." (p. 7)

[attributed to George G. Vest] "The one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog." (p. 10)

"Even with defeat, plenty of German soldiers felt like celebrating: They, too, had survived the war. After darkness fell, some of them improvised rounds of festive fireworks by shooting signal flares into the night sky. That evening the colors lost their wartime meanings of warning, attack, and distress. This time the intermingled rainbow of sparks signaled one thing and one thing only: The fighting is finished!" (p. 39)

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[Liz Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with Year 1 and 2 and they found it fascinating as did I. The children learnt about the war but with the emotional aspect of getting to know Stubby and relating it back to their own pet dogs. Lovely little read especially around remembrance day.

[Beth]

A great deal of research went into this book and the primary source quotations, pictures and artifacts help tell the tale.

[AnnieM · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. It got a little long at the end, but overall enjoyable. Better to be read. Not my favorite audio.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two things I love-dogs and reading about World War I. So this book, about a famous WWI dog, is right up my alley. It's almost maddeningly brief (I realize there is another version of the story, written for adults, but from what I can tell without actually reading that book, the extras are about WWI generally, not Stubby specifically). It's a true but unfortunate fact that in spite of Stubby's fame at the time of the war, not a lot of information remains about him. Ann Bausum does a good job presenting what information there is, along with speculation and legends about Stubby that can't be confirmed. My biggest complaint is that the book, more than once, refers to pictures of Stubby and his person, J. Robert Conroy, which are not actually included in the book. Why aren't they there? Did they not fit? Could they not get permission from the owner of the pictures (the Smithsonian)? And if you're not going to show us the pictures, why are you bringing them up??? I guess I will have to make a trek to the Smithsonian American History museum and see if I can learn anything else there.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The details of Stubby the War Dog (the much-decorated Sergeant Stubby) are making their way into a variety of books for young readers. In this case, the reliable Ann Bausum brings her award-winning research and writing skills to a youth-friendly, photo-rich version of the adult book she wrote on this topic. Using an appealing storytelling tone, Bausum finds both the heart and the power of this war-dog story. Dense with useful (and fascinating) back matter and sources, this is a great choice as an anchor reading for middle graders, supplemented by the growing number of simpler picture book approaches to this true story.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sergeant Stubby is a dog with an amazing tail. . .tale. He was a war hero, having tagged along with American troops to fight in WWI. He knew how to march with the soldiers, salute his superiors, chase rats out of the trenches and alert the soldiers to coming poisonous gas. But most importantly, he provided comfort and companionship in the most horrible of circumstances, the way only a dog can. This story has provided years of jokes in comparing Stubby to our own dog who can't even nudge a door open without getting his head stuck!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a dog named Stubby. Conroy was Stubby's owner who volunteered to be a soldier in WWI. The soldiers had to hide Stubby in a blanket from the colonel. The reason Stubby is famous is because he found a German soldier and captured him. He was recognized by the colonel and got an award.

Thus book was good but it takes a while to read. It is a pretty hard book but I personally enjoy reading about wars. I would recommend this book to Lydia. I would recommend this to her because she is reading a book about war dogs. Also she really love dogs and animals.

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stubby is a book about a dog that was found and smuggled into war as a mascot. Stubby was more than just a mascot though he helped sniff out bombs and poisonous gases. He also kept the soldiers company. He had a good sense of smell so he could sniff out the enemy and attack. He was also quite and could sneak up on them. Stubby became very very popular he even got his own jacket and medals.
He became so popular that after war some of the soldiers got jealous. But sadly he died of old age around 11 years old. I think this was a good book and rate it a 4/5.

[Aimee Fuhrman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone loves a good dog story. But when the story is true and the dog is a hero? Well, that's even better. Stubby the War Dog tells the true story of a stray who finds himself a part of an army unit headed to Europe during WWI. He becomes an integral member of the unit and a useful participant in the war effort.
Both endearing and educational, this book is not to be missed by animal lovers, history buffs, and everyone in between!

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book to a class of Year 1/2 children, and although they enjoyed it and found it interesting, I personally feel that this book would be better suited to Lower KS2 children. This is because a great deal of my class had no or very little prior knowledge about WW1 and so couldn't make any world-to-text connections, resulting in us having to stop reading often to discuss WW1. This affected the fluency of the story.

[Milena. Lorenzoni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review
Date: July 10, 2025

Title and Author
Stubby the War Dog by Ann Bausum

Review
I thought the book was interesting and inspiring. It had cool photos and real facts about the war. Sometimes the war details were a little hard, but the story was easy to follow and exciting.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes animals or history. Stubby shows that even a small dog can do big things.

[Andy Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relatively successful account of a dog smuggled along to WW1 when the Americans joined the action and the infantryman who took him, with a longish epilogue of what they both did after. There wasn't a huge amount of material for the author to use and there is a fair amount of padding and conjecturing. Charming though.

[Annie Oosterwyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very appealing , with lots of photos and descriptions of what life was like for a soldier and his dog in France, during WWI.
Ann Bausum is a fantastic writer of history. Her research is thorough, her writing is tight and interesting, and She documents everything. Lovely.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this in a goodreads giveaway- excellent story of Stubby the War dog. the details and references were amazing, would love to see the artifacts at the Smithsonian. thank you for telling J. Robert Conway and Stubby's story

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much more detail than the other book on Stubby I found. His human partner is the one who made him famous while in the Army in WWI and more so afterwards with public events and all info put in the Smithsonian. Dogs can assist military units and especially help with morale.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun easy read about the stray dog who ended up being a mascot of soldiers during WW I.
A young adult non-fiction, it included many photos and drawings, and can be enjoyed just as easily by adults as young readers.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute book- and great for such a wide age range. It covers the difficult topic of war very well and in a way that kids even as young as kindergarten would do ok having this book read to them. The addition of pictures from the scrap book really helps Stubby's experience come alive.

[Our Weekend Is Booked · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love history and it was pretty cool to learn about Stubby. My issue is that for a book geared towards kiddos with an awesome subject it was kind of boring. It did not hold my 8 year olds attention at all.

[Jacqi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of a young soldier and his dog, Stubby, that he snuck onto a naval ship when he was deployed. Stubby turned out to be a well-loved mascot in his unit. The book is filled with pictures and stories about World War I and the brave war dog.

[Kae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book may be small but it's packed with information and is no easy reader. It's middle-grade level. The story of Stubby is inspiring and heartbreaking, fascinating and engaging. Highly recommended for history and dog lovers!

[Natalie Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that this is true story and told from a dog’s point of view. Pets are so important to our lives. They love us unconditionally. I’m sure Stubby helped so many soldiers through injury and homesickness. Easy read.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, short, true story about a dog and the soldier that he adopted in WWI. It’s a heart-warming story that any dog-lover will enjoy!