Man’s best friend in the military,Dogs On Duty does it right

As a family we have two dogs.  For five years I did social media and fundraising for an animal shelter.  I’ve toured the dog training facility that trains most of the dogs that you see in airports.   I know lots about dogs, but learned even more as to how helpful dogs can be in combat situations by reading Dogs on Duty.

Dogs On Duty is a children’s book for older kids who may be 10 and older.  Again it is a children’s book.  Don’t simply read the description that the book is about dogs in the military and think that the book is pro-war, violent or treats the animals poorly.

If anything the book details the history of dogs helping out armed services.  The pictures in the book are amazing, ranging from dogs jumping out into the ocean from a helicopter to working the fields in Afghanistan to all places in between.

One of the first dogs you’ll meet is Stubby, a dog who helped troops in WWI by having a keen sense of smell.  Stubby was smuggled aboard a ship by his owner who was deployed.  During that time dogs weren’t trained to be service dogs yet, however, since they were in France now he stayed.  By the end of his owner’s tour of duty they had saved countless lives, comforted soldiers and learned various tricks to keep people alive.

Dogs On Duty also details how the dogs are chosen, trained and cared for once they become Military Working Dogs, MWDs.  About a third of the book is spent on the dogs and situations they encounter in Afghanistan.

One amazing story is Sabi, an Australian Explosive Detection Dog who went missing during a fire fight.  Her human team searched and searched, but couldn’t find her.  Presuming that she was dead, they left the area.  However, 14 months later an American soldier found her wandering around in a remote area and returned her to her unit.  Sabi was returned home to be given the RSPCA’s Purple Cross, Australia’s highest award for animal bravery.

This is a good book for anybody that likes dogs.  If your child wants to be a veterinarian or a dog trainer this book is all but mandatory.  It’s also a book that is patriotic.  It is all about the dogs and the training that they go through to become WMDs, but at the end of the day it’s all about protecting and serving.

If want more resources on dogs in the military you can check out this great Facebook page I found called K9 Heroes.  For a white knuckle look at what our troops and canine heroes face on the front lines check out this great blog by Kevin Hanrahan.

We received a copy of the book for review purposes.  All thoughts are our own.