Posted on 05/13/2011 11:40:28 AM PDT by Nachum
They rarely get glory. Their funerals aren’t broadcast on TV. And they’ll never ask for praise. But there are 2,700 of these “soldiers” serving in the U.S. military. Who are they? They’re furry, have long noses, and walk on four legs. They are the military’s canines.
In fact, the New York Times reports that one such dog was involved in the raid on Osama bin Laden, sparking a wave of interest in what is becoming an essential tool in the war on terror.
“In 2007, the Marines began a pilot program in Afghanistan with nine bomb-sniffing dogs, a number that has grown to 350 and is expected to reach nearly 650 by the end of the year,” the Times says. “Over all, there are some 2,700 dogs on active duty in the American military. A decade ago, before the Sept. 11 attacks, there were 1,800.”
The dogs are used for everything from tracking, to search-and-rescue, to bomb-sniffing. While the breeds have traditionally been Shepherds, increasingly the military is turning to Labradors:
Within the military, the breeds of choice are generally the German shepherd and a Belgian shepherd, or Malinois, but Marines in Afghanistan rely on pure-bred Labrador retrievers because of the dogs’ good noses and nonaggressive, eager-to-please temperaments. Labs now accompany many Marine foot patrols in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan,
(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...
>>> Kandy, .... listening to a combat briefing ....
THAT is one h*lluv intelligent dog.
I lost my Doberman in November. I miss her so.... You can have whatever dog you want and I will take my girl. We rescued her 11 years ago where she was tied to a stake outside. “Someone” liberated her. Smart, loyal, fierce, and sometime cuddly. Had a 300 word vocabulary, it seemed.
Wish I could fine another....
That picture of the HALO Dog cracked me up....the trust those two have for one another is evident.
What amazes me is how the dogs can still smell things so sensitively when they are forced to be around all those smelly, lice-infested Arabs all the time.
The breed shouldn`t matter as long as the temperament is right.
Kandy looks like my dear sweet Elsa. She was a good dog. She was a gentle girl, but fierce if needed.
38#? That’s not a Lab, that’s a lap puppy! LOL How’d you get a purebred Lab that small? Did you withhold food?
I know that you have fine, fine dogs. I’ve seen the pictures and read their exploits. But I did not know that your Chocolate was so small.
Gives new meaning to "Take your dog to work day."
Ping!
Thanks. I’ll look for it.
Wow! Thanks for putting this up! Great story and slide show.
I just loved that pic...”listening to a combat briefing”
Having been blessed with may fine dogs in my almost 70 years, I can say this. Breed is important, but more important is the breeder.
In the GSD line, most USA GSDs have been ruined by the AKC breeders who breed for looks alone. These poor dogs have been bred to have a sloping backline, and some of them are practically walking on their hocks, and aren’t suited for serious work. Police, etc. have been forced to go to Europe to get good GSDs suitably built for work.
Going to United Kennel Club shows is a better way to get well-bred dogs, because they have higher standards than the AKC, and the dogs are individually evaluated on areas beyond “beauty”, such as working ability specific to the breed, etc. Each dog is given a written evaluation, which a good breeder will show you. UKC shows are an excellent place to find good breeders.
Therefore, the BSD (Belgian Shepherd (Malinois) has been a very good choice. More smarts than the GSD, a much harder work drive, very easy to train, and a wonderful personality.
These two working dogs, if bred from good lines, can be trained for all kinds of work. The GSD is usually larger and heavier than the BSD, which is an advantage in some situations, and problematic in others.
GSDs, generally, will shut down/quit when they are fatigued and hot. BSDs will work until they drop dead. GSDs, generally, will tolerate endlessly boring training sessions with no reward, but BSDs figure you are just being anal, and will do the doggie equivalent of “flipping the bird” when subjected to overly long and boring training sessions. They won’t put up more than 5 minutes of training, once they know that you know that they know how to do it right.
I have been blessed to have been owned by both in my life, and I love both breeds. These are not aggressive dogs, and will not bite unless trained to do so. They are protective of farm and family, and both properly bred dogs will do a natural “bark and hold” against true threats.
A natural “bark and hold” means they will bark nastily at an intruder, making vicious growls, showing very sharp canine teeth. But, they will not actually bite unless provoked. What they will do is a very quick “air-snap” on either side of the intruder, in an effort to convince the same that they do mean business.
Usually the intruder, being canine, coyote, or two-legged, gets the message, and backs up, leaving with tail between legs.
Both the GSD and the BSD have to be carefully trained to be an aggressive biter. It really doesn’t come naturally to them. They have excellent noses, and can be trained for scent work, and I doubt that Labs have any advantage in that area of work.
Labs are wonderful gentle dogs, and very good for families in suburban neighborhoods. GSDs and BSDs, because of their strong instinct to protect the farm, it’s animals, and property lines, not really suited to the average ‘burban household, with all the comings and going of kids, other pets, and visiting church ladies.
But, if you want a good dog who will keep all varmints away from your kitchen garden, scare off the crows, protect your livestock from predators, and scare the pants off any local ne’er do wells, I would suggest a well-bred BSD, and not a Lab.
Just my opinion, based on my years of experience. Can you tell I love dogs?
You have to decide what you need your dog to do for you, and choose the breed very carefully. Then, you really have to do your homework on picking the right breeder.
One who is breeding for the traits you have selected, not just a backyard type (although some wonderful dogs have come from that situation, but it is a crap-shoot)
Then, you must be prepared to spend some quality time with your puppy, and that means “quantity” time. These dogs need socialization, and lots of hours spent with you. Once old enough, and past the “fear-stage”, they need some serious commitment from you in training.
I personally think a qualified trainer who will come to your property and train you to train your dog, is way better than the classes that everyone drags their dogs to, exposing them to whatever idiots show up, with whatever nutcases they drag in on the other end of the leash.
He or she is going to be your sidekick for many years, and you will never regret the time you put in to these early months and years of their lives. It takes real work and devotion to get a dog that is a joy to have by your side.
It doesn’t happen by wishing it so.
2 months tomorrow my poochie died. A story like this is so wonderful. Those dogs seem so happy!! It is so wonderful. Bow Wow, or Woof Woof!!!! ;)
My father’s family donated their German Shepherd to the war effort. The dog survived the war but did not adjust back to civilian life. They had to give the dog back to the military.
The story has a bittersweet/happy ending, but it moved me to tears when I read it YEARS ago, and just thinking about it makes my eyes sting, as I type this. Ford didn't sentimentalize dogs, but he did a better job than almost anyone of reproducing what it *might* be like to be a dog-a highly intelligent animal, but still an animal and hence easily bewildered by human actions. The only author who did a perhaps better job of entering a dog's mind is Wayne Smith, in his Thor; that novel is also highly recommended (but the movie based on Thor-Bad Moon-not so much.)
Oh, I almost forgot: If you’ve never seen Disney’s Chips the War Dog, it’s based on the experiences of a “civilian” German Shepherd dog who enters the WWII war dog program . It’s standard Disney fare but it’s still well worth watching. It is based on a real dog, and while he was played by a GSD in the film, the real Chips (a decorated war hero) was a German Shepherd/Irish setter mix. I saw a photo of him in a book once, and I honestly thought I was looking at a wolf or wolf/dog hybrid, before I read the caption. He had a GSD physique, but longer , thinner legs, a longer muzzle, and longer,shaggier fur than a pure GSD./ Just a gorgeous animal! Anyway, if you’re interested in the war dog story, the movie is worth seeking out-and it’s an entertaining, fun film .
Man’s Best Friend!
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