Essay On Military Working Dog

“The United Stated War Dog Association estimates that, since the beginning of their service, dogs have saved approximately 10,000 American lives” (Ingersoll 1). Dogs are a valuable asset to the US Military. War dogs have been used since ancient Egypt, but they have been officially serving in the U.S. Army since World War II. The dogs go through rigorous and specific training to prepare them for the battlefield. Like humans, dogs have the ability to achieve special awards for their bravery and loyalty.
Military Working Dogs (MWD’s) have been used all throughout history all over the world for more than 15,000 years. According to the first available document MWD’s have been used in warfare since the Kingdom of Lydia around 600 BCE which is now Turkey. Many years later the Roman Army started using a breed of dog who specialized in fighting. The Spanish
Army officially since WWI. during World War II dogs were being trained in a center in Front Royal, Va. in 1943 which involved 11,000 dogs “The program supported almost every major subsequent conflict and eventually evolved into training dogs for law enforcement” (Military Working Dogs 6). There are certain dog characteristics the army requires for involvement; they have to have a focused, aggressive behavior, “with a heightened sense of smell and a strong desire to work for reward” (Sypesteyn 3). Labrador Retriever German Shepherds and retrievers are most popular but Belgian Malinois have shown to be the most exceptional dogs working in the military. Approximately 85 percent of military dogs are bred and bought in Germany, and the Netherlands where they “bred dogs for military purposes for hundreds of years” (Sypesteyn 4). The other 15 percent of military working dogs are bred in the United States at Lackland’s 341st training facility, Dr. Stewart Hilliard says “These dogs are among our most effective counter measures against terrorists and explosives” (Sypesteyn