Military Working Dog Essay

While deployed to Balad Airbase Iraq, I was conducting a foot patrol outside the wire when the Military Working Dog assigned to our unit became curious. You could tell by how excited he was with barking and trying to get away from the handler. Then, as we moved forward, the dog sat. Just twenty-five yards in front of us was an improvised explosive device (IED). That Military Working Dog saved the lives of many members of our patrol. Military Working Dogs are extremely valuable to the military and law enforcement agencies due to their keen sense of smell for detecting, patrolling, and tracking. First, their detection through smell can be used to find explosives or narcotics. With the main threat for military being explosives, we focus our training for the dogs on
They are utilized either to capture suspects or bite. Dogs also are used as deterrence as most people have a general fear of working dogs and will avoid breaking the law when they see a Military Working Dog, recognize that a agency has one or simply hearing the dog’s bark. Agencies and units showcase their dogs during high visibility options, like at the military bases main gate or conducting demos for the public. This can also be done during walking patrols around the base. If a patrolman is involved in a foot chase and releases his dog, the dog will stop on command, or if the suspect stops the working dog will stop immediately walking around the suspect then sitting to watch the suspect. The Military Working Dogs are highly trained and extremely obedient. Dogs also are trained to guard personnel being apprehended or protect its handler while the officer is conducting a search of a person. Dogs can jump into vehicles, go into wooded areas or other areas a suspect could hide and be difficult to find. Their senses allow them to find suspects by hearing, seeing or smelling, and are capable of finding suspects from more than 100 yards