Military Dogs Part 2

Once again military dogs are in the news. I am glad they are getting continued recognition for the part they play in the safety of our troops. It also corroborates the roll dogs have always played in our lives as part of a working team whether it's hunting, herding, protecting, aiding or just being there for us.

In this article, they tell of two men and their dogs, following their course. In one, the dog loses his partner and is currently being retrained with another. Considering the intensity of the work and trust in their partner (and here it could be either way—man to dog or dog to man), it is no wonder the transfer to a new trainer would be difficult for the dog. The second soldier loses his bomb-sniffing dog to a bomb, the loss devastating.

With your own dogs, in day-to-day life, think how intense the relationship is. The quirks, frustrations, trust, joy, training, bonding are all integral parts of the whole relationship. Then add a life and death situation. My heart goes out to the soldiers and the dogs who have lost their closest companion.