Soldier dogs The untold story of America's canine heroes

Goodavage points out in her tribute to the dogs of the military that working dogs are considered equipment by the Department of Defense. But can a piece of equipment foster such sentiments from tough soldiers as, he'd do whatever it took to save my life, and I'd do the same to save his ? It became clear to the military that the closer the handler is to the dog, the better the working relationship, which translates into more saved lives. In a series of vignettes, Goodavage examines the breeds normally chosen to be military working dogs often Labradors and other retrievers for single-purpose use such as sniffing out explosives or narcotics, or German shepherds or Belgian Malinois for dogs who serve the dual purpose of protection and detection and discusses the training the dogs receive. The immeasurable effect on morale that the dogs provide is something every soldier who has been in contact with military dogs can attest to their mere presence calms the troops and makes everyone feel less lonely.--Bent, Nancy Copyright 2010 Booklist

When news leaked in 2011 that Cairo, a Belgian Malinois, was a member of SEAL Team Six-the group credited with killing Osama bin Laden-interest in "soldier dogs" soared. Though they've been used on and off by the American military since WWI, the role of dogs in warfare has typically been something that only servicemen and women were familiar with. In this detailed account, former USA Today reporter Goodavage (The Dog Lover's Companion to California) takes readers behind the scenes to learn how these courageous canines are identified, trained, and cared for in the field. Tales of dogs searching for and identifying IEDs and other explosives that litter Afghanistan make up the bulk of her story, but Goodavage also spends a considerable amount of the book describing the relationships soldiers form with their canine companions . Stories of spooked pups aboard battle-bound Hueys and dogs in the line of fire reveal surprisingly human-like response to war, and posit these military mutts as admirable-and capable-soldiers. Photos. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.