Dogs of war? (8)
I believe the answer is:
terriers
'dogs' is the definition.
(terrier is a kind of dog)
I cannot understand how the remainder of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for terriers that I've seen before include "Airedales, for example" , "Small short-bodied breeds of dogs" , "Part-time soldiers" , "eg Skye, Cairn and 18" .)