During the Second World War, there were many ways to destroy a tank: anti-tank guns, rifles, grenades, and artillery, but dogs? Yes, the Soviet Red Army did use dogs strapped with an incendiary device weighing 10-12kg to disable and destroy advancing German tanks.
Permitted in 1924, Soviet dogs were often used for military purposes such as delivering messages, tracking mines, and pulling wounded on sleds. However, by 1935, anti-tank dog units were introduced, and various dog breeds like the Alsatian (German Shepherd) were chosen due to their agility, stamina and intelligence. The idea was that the dog would be strictly trained to run under a tank where it would use its teeth to release the strap for the bomb in its harness before running back to its handler. Since the tank’s underbelly is the weaker spot, the bomb will cause severe damage. Below is the sketch showing the breakdown of the anti-tank dog’s gear.
Although the concept is inventive, the effectiveness of the anti-tank dogs was severely limited when Germany invaded the Soviet Union on 22nd June 1941, as dogs were not used to loud noises associated with the battlefield and moving targets. Moreover, since Soviet handlers used diesel-engine tanks to train their dogs, dogs with a highly sensitive sense of smell would tend to lead them to Soviet tanks instead of German tanks, which are petrol-driven. In addition to being easy targets for German soldiers or gunners. Hence, turning the threat of determined anti-tank dogs into mockery for German propaganda, ridiculing Soviet soldiers for using animals to fight instead of themselves.
In the Summer of 1941, out of the initial 30 dogs that were sent to the frontline, only 4 managed to successfully disable enemy tanks, while 6 unintentionally detonated Soviet trenches, with some being captured by the Germans.
https://learning-history.com/soviet-anti-tank-dogs/
https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/how-anti-tank-dogs-helped-advance-soviet-forces/
Military Battle Zone 
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