This resource uses primary source material from World Wars I and II, to help students develop their skills of historical enquiry.

This resource comprises a range of activities to explore the role of dogs in the military and encourages pupils to develop their historical enquiry skills. Part 1 – Military dogs and their jobs in World War I and World War II In the first task, pupils explore four different jobs dogs had during the world wars, why they were chosen for these jobs, and whether we should have expected them to do these jobs. In the second task, pupils are asked to respond to the government’s war office request to lend their family dog to the British Army, by writing a letter to Dog World magazine. Part 2 – How do the military meet a dog’s welfare needs? In this activity, pupils explore the five welfare needs and how the military make sure that military dogs’ needs are met. In the first task, pupils sort statements into their correct welfare need, and in the second task use source information to identify how the military look after their dogs in a training facility in Jordan. The third task gives pupils the opportunity to discuss how the military meets the needs of its dogs, whether things could be improved and how the welfare needs relate to pet dogs. Part 3 – ‘Working Dogs’ post-workshop activities The activities in this section are for use after your class has participated in a Working Dogs workshop with one of our Education and Community Officers. You can book your workshop at www.learnwithdogstrust.org.uk