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| - All dogs in the U.S. military, per tradition, outrank their handlers …
… but while some people said this is to prevent handlers from mistreating their dogs, we did not find a primary source to confirm this.
For years, rumors have circulated online that working dogs in the U.S. military outrank their handlers.
A Facebook meme showing a photograph of a military dog alongside a soldier holding a weapon read:
Military working dogs are always one rank higher than their handler. This is done to prevent abuse from the handler since they would be charged and even sent to prison for abusing a senior ranking member.
The claim also appeared on X and Reddit, drawing hundreds or thousands of reactions, likes, upvotes and delighted comments.
"That's Officer Good Boy to you, maggot," one Reddit user joked. "I am Gunnery Sgt. Snuffles, your senior drill instructor," another replied.
The claim military dogs always outrank their handlers in the military was, as we will see, true. Official sources cited tradition as the reason; however, they did not confirm whether this was to stop handlers from mistreating their assigned canines.
According to the U.S. Army website, dogs in active duty are, traditionally, always noncommissioned officers (NCOs), also known as petty officers in the Navy. An NCO is a leader of a unit that has not received a rank or been commissioned. They supervise soldiers during missions when a commissioned officer is not present. They also act as assistants to commissioned officers. As such, dogs do indeed outrank their handlers:
"That's out of respect," said Sgt. 1st Class Regina Johnson, operations superintendent at the Military Working Dog School. "I see it all the time, especially in these young handlers. They make the mistake of thinking they're actually in charge. You've got to tell them, 'Hold up. That dog has trained 100 students. That dog is trying to tell you something.' I think the tradition grew out of a few handlers recognizing the dog as their partner."
Johnson said some "non-dog people" get offended when animals receive honors normally reserved for humans, but the tradition seems to be growing stronger. A quick search on the Army website will yield several recent stories about military working dogs receiving promotions, medals and funeral ceremonies with military honors.
We contacted the Army's public affairs department to ask for further details and confirmation and will update this article if we receive a reply.
The suggestion a handler would be imprisoned if they harmed their canine NCO is true, though this would not happen under the same statute as the one that rules conduct towards a human NCO. The latter is Article 91 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: "Insubordinate Conduct Toward Warrant Officer, Noncommissioned Officer, or Petty Officer." Under Article 91, a soldier can face up to three years in prison for striking or assaulting a superior NCO.
If a soldier were to abuse their dog, they would face consequences under Article 134, which covers mistreatment for both pets and "public animals," i.e., animals that belong to the U.S. government. In cases of abuse, neglect or abandonment of a U.S. military dog, handlers would face up to two years in prison. If the soldier were to do the same to a non-U.S. military animal, they would face up to one year in prison.
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