Don’t forget us! We Served too!

Thousands of them have served our military and many have died in action. They served in World War II … they served in Vietnam. They parachuted into war zones. Sadly, most of the 3000 military working dogs were left behind when the troops came home. They work with their handlers and represent every military service. They are deployed worldwide supporting the war on terror. They safeguard military bases, activities, detect bombs and explosives. Their very acute sense of smell goes way beyond that of humans enabling them to detect the most minute trace of drugs or explosives and then in turn, they alert their handlers. The usual breeds for this type of service are Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds, and Belgian Malinois. These breeds are very smart, appropriately aggressive and extremely loyal and athletic.

According to experts, the dogs inflict fear in an aggressor and will defend their handlers to the end. The missions they embark upon are very demanding. Historically, the Romans used to put razor-sharp collars around their dogs and send them into the enemy ranks. Working dogs have been used with the U.S. military since the Revolutionary War, initially as pack animals, however now they have become very useful for more advance work. (more…)