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[Aichuk]

War Dogs suck. They suck a lot. I put a captured goblin in a room with 5 war dogs. I unlocked their cages. The goblin single handedly killed all of them. I checked and the goblin and not even a tiny frigging scratch. And then I put a newborn puppy in the room. The puppy got its legs shattered but didn't die. And then an epic match happened. The puppy broke 5 limbs of the goblin (foot, toe, finger, hand, hand) and just got its nose cut off. The puppy managed to make the goblin vomit. And the puppy actually went around dodging but sadly died. But still, it gave the goblin a really good beating. And then I opened the door and the goblin went outside, limping. Two Wardogs came. They could barely damage an injured goblin. The goblin had to be shot by arrows. Puppies are shit awesome!

[GreatWyrmGold]

Was the goblin armed, armored, and trained? Those are huge advantages, especially since goblins have a size advantage.

[0cu]

I also find dogs massively overrated and started embarking without them.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Dogs have their uses. Primary goblin-killing method isn't one of them.

[Mr Space Cat]

War dogs are nice for early on against kobold thieves and spotting sneaks, and if you start breeding a lot of them you can send an OMGZERGRUSH of war dogs loose on whatever you'd like: caverns (to die horribly), goblin prisoners (for the lulz), butcher shops (oh wait...)

Personally, I like having an execution pit filled with some war dogs if I don't have anything more exotic. Dropping a goblin 10 levels or so to break his legs on the floor before getting mauled by ten war dogs can be satisfying to watch.

If you like the thought of war animals, you can always train some cave crocodiles for when the dogs are obsolete. 

[Skyrunner]

Was the goblin armed, armored, and trained? Those are huge advantages, especially since goblins have a size advantage.

I wonder why the puppy did a better job.

[Loud Whispers]

Dogs have their uses. Primary goblin-killing method isn't one of them.

Indeed. Dogs vs armoured knight, knight wins. Armoured knight + dogs vs armoured knight, not so much.

Plus they're great for soaking up bolts. Attach them to your meatshield peasants for double the meatshield.

Was the goblin armed, armored, and trained? Those are huge advantages, especially since goblins have a size advantage.

I wonder why the puppy did a better job.

RNG, puppy size/strength and all that.

[Broseph Stalin]

Dogs are for spotting enemies, killing wild animals, and distracting gobbos during combat. They're a supplement not a replacement for your military.

[Urist McKoga]

I use my war dogs as early alarm system and bird killer squad (at least kea stop to steal wagon stuffs). Later, with a good number, i send then as meat shield (imagine one dog bite the goblins leg and you awesome axe-dwarf decapite this poor bastard) so i don't think war dogs suck, they are just dogs.

[AutomataKittay]

Animals are generally pretty useless against properly equipped invaders on their own. They're useful as distraction, lookout, meatshield, or food, though!

No, you can't butcher your own fallen tame critters unless you zomifies them.

[Nyxalinth]

Yeah, they're not as useful for actual war as the name implies, but they  do make a nice distraction.  I usually pasture mine at the fort entrance and let them handle any wild animals who come to call.  Plus if goblins and kobolds come, they slow them down long enough for my military to reach them. 

[martinuzz]

I've killed all female dogs in my fort, and am waiting for nature to do it's work for the male part of the population. I've upgraded to war / hunting grizzly bears.

[Broseph Stalin]

I've killed all female dogs in my fort, and am waiting for nature to do it's work for the male part of the population. I've upgraded to war / hunting grizzly bears.

Do you have a steady supply? The benefit of dogs is that they reach maturity very quickly I think it's three years until a grizzly cub is combat ready and they aren't exactly invincible. They can only take out one goblin at a time more than that and they take hits that can end their careers and each time it happens it sets you back three years.

[martinuzz]

My fort is 25 years old. My grizzly bear poplation still hasn't reached it's full size, since I bought the first couple in year 4, but I've got about 50 war grizzlies penned in strategic locations already. They do indeed take longer to grow up, but they also have a longer lifespan than dogs.

[DanteThanatos]

Dogs saved my dwarves lives and time more than once.

Also, they rushed a Roc once before it could get to my dwarves and began to bite and latch onto it. The Roc tried to break free each of the bites(dozens) but just couldn't.

Finaly a Dwarf came with a steel spear and killed it before it could kill the rest of the dogs(about 8 died trying to hold it) and we feasted that night!