Posted on 05/25/2015 7:24:16 AM PDT by rktman
Memorial Day is a holiday to remember all the military men and women who died while serving their country. Americans should observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials, or gathering with a family of the fallen, instead of attending sales. This year, American Thinker decided to pay homage to those who are always on the front lines and have saved many American lives: dog handlers and their four-legged partners.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Thanks.
It was my honor to know several Vietnam-era dogs and their handlers. God bless those valiant dogs who saved so many men.
Actually, Patrick was not like the Marine who throws himself on a grenade. Patrick had no idea he would be blown up. I love dogs and know that they are wonderful in their service but I won’t make them into small humans.
Of course not. Why would anybody want to demote them?
To Make Heaven
The Perfect Resting Place
for All Loved We Adore
GOD
Made Sure
Those Pearly Gates
Had added a Doggy Door.
Well said! These are dogs, people. Loyal companions and servants to be sure, but they are not human beings.
Roger that. Disney is busy making animals in to small humans. But I do honor their service.
We occasionally had a dog and handler assigned to work with our unit, and I spent a few nights out with them.
Simply amazing! About as smart as a typical grunt, but with superior senses.
They used verbal and nonverbal communication by touching the dog in a certain way.
The handler would tell him to search left, and the dog would slowly move its head from far left to center, back and forth. Picking up a scent he would raise his nose, seeing, nose out.
They were great.
Being a dog lover - I liked that a lot!! Thank you.
Thank you for posting this - - I sent the article to many family members. My sister and family is on their 2nd German Shepherd - they’ve been very loving, sweet and protective dogs. My cousin was a Seattle PD canine officer. Had a great German Shepherd that was so gentle with us and his young children, but not so much with those who were criminals or were threatening him. My cousin said that the dog was one of the best partners he ever had.
Dogs aren’t human, but I think they are much smarter and often do a much greater service than they’re given credit for - guide dogs for the blind, search and rescues (9/11 and many others), bomb sniffing, dogs in war.
In case you haven’t guessed it, we’re a dog-loving family (though I do get a little irritated when my four-legged nephew decides to give me a big GS lick across the face at 1:30 in the morning to get me up to give him a treat ;-) Luckily he doesn’t do that very often.
Well done! This is a terrific column and does NOT equate dogs with humans — it recognizes dogs for their specail skills and loyalty. Indeed, they are such a threat to the enemy that the dogs and their brave handlers are especially targeted.
That was sent to me When the 4 legged family member, an ALL WHITE, AmericanESKIE, that had been the LOVED and LOVING family member for 12+years, Passed Away.
We’re also dog people but after last Wednesday, we’ve decided that after 30 years, we can’t do it anymore. Hurts too bad. We had to put our boy down due to a large tumor in his left lung. Five weeks from being diagnosed to the end. We’d always had overlaps but did not this time and as much as we love them, we can’t do it anymore. We’ve decided to try to do more for the local county animal no kill shelter. Bless you guys for loving our K-9s.
Priceless.
Actually, the Marine Corps Devil Dogs of WWII were predominantly Dobermanns, supplied by private owers, via a call to duty by the DPCA.
Many of those dogs were repeatedly wounded in battle yet they never hesitated to charge in again, dodging hails of bullets as they did so.
They understood the concept of “rifle fire noise” and being shot, from prior personal experience but they did it again, anyway.
How do you know for *sure* a dog has no concept of what it does or an idea of the consequences?
Watch “War Dogs Of The Pacific” and listen to the men who were their handlers and then get back to me.
Or ask our own Kanawa, whose dog put himself between his owner and a raging bear.
You cannot tell me that a dog has no concept of self sacrifice, considering “instinct” should have made the dog run away, instead.
It has nothing to do with being “small humans”.
It has everything to do with being loyal defenders, often to the death.
I’m sorry about your loss. That’s where I am right now, don’t want any more pets, at least not right now. They become a family member and it hurts a lot when they pass. My cousin and his wife are involved in Guide Dogs for the Blind - I applaud them for being trainers, I couldn’t do it as I’d get too attached even in a relatively short amount of time.
LOL! Like the moment you set eyes on them? That’s my/our problem(?). I have to give a lot of credit to folks that have the ability to foster dogs until they find a “forever” home for them. We just get sucked in too easy. My rational(?) side gets it but the emotional side rears it’s ugly head. So, like Mrs. rktman said, unless a Bernese Mountain dog walks up the driveway asking “Are you my momma?”, we’re done. Have a great week.
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