New Book Claims the Nazis Trained Dogs to Read and Speak During WWII

An interesting historical tidbit is that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, while horrific toward his fellow man, had a deep love for dogs.

But, what most people likely don't know is that the evil dictator worked fervently with experts in an attempt to teach canines how to read and speak. In a story that reads as though it came straight from an untrustworthy tabloid, The Telegraph covers newfound research that substantiates this larger-than-life claim.

The Telegraph reports:

The Germans viewed canines as being almost as intelligent as humans and attempted to build an army of fearsome 'speaking' dogs, extraordinary new research shows.

Hitler hoped the clever creatures would learn to communicate with their SS masters - and he even had a special dog school set up to teach them to talk.

The incredible findings show Nazi officials recruited so-called educated dogs from all over Germany and trained them to speak and tap out signals using their paws.

One mutt was said to have uttered the words 'Mein Fuhrer' when asked who Adolf Hitler was.

Another 'spoke' by tapping letters of the alphabet with his paws and was said to have speculated about religion and learnt poetry.

Mail Online reminds us that, "Hitler himself had two German Shepherds called Blondi and Bella. He killed Blondi moments before committing suicide in his bunker in 1945."

Seem unbelievable? After years of information collecting and research, academic Dr. Jan Bondeson published these astounding findings in his book "Amazing Dogs: A Cabinet of Canine Curiosities."  Bondeson explains the fascinating fact that the Nazis, despite their disregard for human life, had a distinct element in their "party platform" that required them to bond with nature. He says that, "...they believed a good Nazi should be an animal friend."

The never-ending treasure trove of fascinatingly-disturbing stories and findings surrounding Hitler and his fellow Nazi maniacs never ceases to amaze.