To deter and prevent anyone crossing the Berlin Wall, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) used guard dogs. These dogs monitored a heavily guarded part of the wall called the Death Strip. They were depicted as violent and aggressive dogs, designed to kill anyone who attempted to get across to the other side of the wall.

The dogs were kept in horrible conditions. They were tied up to the wall in the freezing cold and kept at near starvation to make sure they were always aggressive and would attack any person they saw.