I seem to be monopolizing this thread, and for that I apologize. I just have the time and inclination to think about this and share some of my experiences.

To help you understand the MWD a little better, I will try and elaborate on the military dog's function and lifestyle.

Tracy Collins brings up a great point: The difference is whether or not the dogs are seen as equipment or living creatures.

I know it is hard to swallow, but they are equipment first. Think of it this way. If a soldier is going to walk down a road and get killed by an IED, would you not sacrifice a dog to save that soldier's life? I would. Following that same train of thought, consider this scenario. An Army unit is deploying to a war zone where explosives are the most prevalent method the enemy is using to inflict casualties. The most effective countermeasure available to the unit is highly trained explosives detector dogs. The importance of those dogs to effectively locate explosives far outweighs the social ability of those working dogs. If a dog can find explosives and respond accordingly, that dog is an incredibly powerful asset to that unit, and it will save the lives of the soldiers following. That same dog can be anti-social, reactive, handler aggressive, eat it's own poop, or be the best lap dog on the planet when it is not working. None of these things really matter as long as the dog can effectively do it's job. After a successful deployment where the dog teams found multiple IEDs and weapons cache locations, those dogs need to go back down range with the next unit and save their lives too. Yes, they probably have social issues. Yes, they may be terribly aggressive towards people, animals, water bottles, loud vehicles. In the grand scheme of things, none of that matters. Dogs find bombs. Period. That saves lives. Period.

Most military dogs are very high in drive, very confident, and fairly independent. Many become reactive in their kennel because that behavior is constantly rewarded. Person approaches the kennel walking down the hall of kennels. Dog barks. Person continues by the dog's kennel and moves away. It's BAT in reverse. Almost every time a person walks by, the dog wins by barking and in doing so, gets rewarded. I'm sure you can see where this can end up over the course of 7-8-9 years. That behavior is not going to change any time soon. The same goes for aggressive behavior when out working. Some dogs learn that whoever they confront simply goes away. Re-enforcement of this behavior is almost absolute. Even paired with a correction, distraction, or physical removal from the offending stimulus, the behavior is still rewarded. Tough situation huh.

We are on a web board that constantly observes, discusses, interprets, and corrects all kinds of canine behavior issues. Many of us have decades of experience dealing with dogs of all temperaments, and we still have to rack our brains to come up with a solution that can take months to have effect in the behavior of the dog. So enter the military handler. This is a 21 year old soldier that probably has no experience with high drive dogs at all. He also probably has lots of experience with a fat lab or golden that was around the house as he was growing up. Now, he is paired with a super high drive mal that spends most of it's day in a kennel. He then has to learn to operate effectively in a combat zone with said land shark, and not get blown up or shot in the process. While deployed, he has constant sustainment training to do so the team remains proficient in patrol work and detection, as well as some basic (by our standards) obedience. Now add in the physical training necessary to maintain the cardio-respiratory fitness required to operate in the mountains, at altitude, when it is 120 degrees. Now on top of that, they have to do their job. You even get to sleep almost every night. Very few people are going to operate under these circumstances and have the knowledge, time, and energy required to modify the behavior of their dog.

We talk of desensitizing dogs to certain stimulus all the time. There are currently 2 threads going right now. How do you deal with this problem? Keep the dog at distance and under threshold and apply distraction, therefore rewarding correct behavior under stimulation. This really does work. How is a person living in the above situation going to apply such a technique? There is a mission to do. You can not hold up 40 soldiers heading towards a target so you can work on your dog's re-activeness towards goats. So, the uninitiated-to-the-world-of-canine-behavior-modification dog handler gives a sharp leash correction and puts the dog back to work saving lives. Is he wrong? In our world here, sure he is. Under his circumstances, hell no he's not. Both the dog and the handler have a job to do , and that job is more important than the possibility of creating a dog that is reactive. As a handler, with virtually no experience in animal behavior, you do what you can to get the job done.

In the home, on the sport field, or at the dog park, we have the luxury of taking the appropriate time and measures necessary to help our dogs be the best we know how. When fighting a war, we take the time to help our dogs be the best we know how. The functionality of the 2 dogs is just entirely different. Would you rather walk behind the sweetest dog in the world with the best OB and off leash control that was just OK at finding bombs, or the biggest jerk you can imagine who could care less about making anyone happy that lives to do his job? I'll take 2 jerks with a side of knucklehead.

I love dogs. I love my dog Fama more than most. It is tragic that our partners sometimes have to go through terrible things, sacrificing everything for the safety of us soldiers. Sometimes the price is paid on a hot afternoon in Afghanistan when they get blown up. Sometimes the price is paid many years later when they are no longer needed to do their ever important job. Don't get me wrong here, I would gladly spend all my time taking care of each and every one of these dogs if I had the opportunity, but given the choice of having military dogs, but having them destroyed at the end of their effective usefulness, or not having them at all, I'm going down range with a dog; every time. Should we do everything possible to help these dogs who spent their lives in service to their country? Yes we should, and I think we have a moral responsibility to do so.

A thread on the adventures of Fama, the a$$hole bomb dog, will follow sometime here in the next day or 2.

And thank you for thanking us for our service. We both love our jobs!

I think that it would be great if they could retire with their handlers but most times dogs retire before the human does, this type of dog does not do well left at home (not working) for long hours - if the owner even has a home and is not in barracks. In addition what if the handler is redeployed?

I've seen a lot who have to be choked off of each and every bite - who do not recall from a potential bite. Who have to be muzzled most of the time because any person nearby is a target. During training they are worked very very hard in defence, with harsh handler corrections - most I have met are very aggressive as a result. I just don't like the type of dog that they produce.

However I believe that such dogs should be vetted and if suitable - rehomed. Probably at least 50% would fail.

As for a retirement centre - these dogs are used to being worked, trained, exercised, worked, trained, exercised. Long periods of inactivity would be almost torture to them. I don't agree with kennelling a dog for the rest of its life, these dogs love their jobs and for them to end up being caged with minimal interraction for the next 6-8 years would be a really cruel retirement. Even zoo animals are treated better than that nowadays.

Hey David,

I got dibbs on the Dutchies! I'd have a facility that was Dutchie paradise. Each one has its own yard or pasture, fenced like a wolf pen...can't see each other. Pairs that got along could be together...they have an indoor gym to play in, crazy agility obstacles, very difficult, a hanging stuffed man clothed in bite suit material for them to go to town on everyday and let go off all frustration LOL And 10 miles of trails for them to run next to a bike or something. Maybe a pond too....and a lure coursing field.

The thing is, I would if I could.

 Quote: Tanith Wheeler

As for a retirement centre - these dogs are used to being worked, trained, exercised, worked, trained, exercised. Long periods of inactivity would be almost torture to them. I don't agree with kennelling a dog for the rest of its life, these dogs love their jobs and for them to end up being caged with minimal interraction for the next 6-8 years would be a really cruel retirement. Even zoo animals are treated better than that nowadays.

This. My dogs are good for 3-4 days of limited activity. Then they get antsy, bouncy, must-do-something. They're working dogs, but not the super high drive type that military dogs are.

So how do you take a dog that is ready and able to work all day long and relegate it to a kennel? What type of life would that be for a super high drive dog?

The article saddens me. But we only know one side of the story. I would like to hear the other (ie, how many dogs have retired out of the program in that period of time?, what type of temperament testing etc do the dogs go through before they decide to euthanize? etc) before I make a final judgment.

 Quote: Tresa Hendrix

Hey David,

I got dibbs on the Dutchies! I'd have a facility that was Dutchie paradise. Each one has its own yard or pasture, fenced like a wolf pen...can't see each other. Pairs that got along could be together...they have an indoor gym to play in, crazy agility obstacles, very difficult, a hanging stuffed man clothed in bite suit material for them to go to town on everyday and let go off all frustration LOL And 10 miles of trails for them to run next to a bike or something. Maybe a pond too....and a lure coursing field.

The thing is, I would if I could.

Hell, I'd come live there!!

I'm looking forward the adventures of Fama, the a$$hole bomb dog!

David, you have succinctly and eloquently answered the 'other side' of the debate for me; the way you have described and detailed a snap shot of the conditioning and training of these dogs, goes a long way to explaining what these dogs do, and how critical they are to Troops fighting and surviving under circumstances most of us can never imagine.

I have had the most comprehensive and eye opening education since I found this site, it never fails to turn on light bulbs for me, in every aspect of dog behaviour and ownership, the joy and pride we have from, and in our dogs, speaks loud and clear from every post, but this post from you, is by far, the most concise and clarifying I have read so far.

I am completely guilty of being over emotional about any and all dogs, and have a knack of getting into trouble because of that emotion , but once more, I have been shown a different side to the 'story', a sobering and deeply insightful account of what these highly trained, unknowingly brave and staggeringly loyal dogs do in the service of their country.

I am really looking forward to hearing more about Fama and the job and relationship you two have in your working and home life

 Quote: Mara Jessup

 Quote: Tanith Wheeler

As for a retirement centre - these dogs are used to being worked, trained, exercised, worked, trained, exercised. Long periods of inactivity would be almost torture to them. I don't agree with kennelling a dog for the rest of its life, these dogs love their jobs and for them to end up being caged with minimal interraction for the next 6-8 years would be a really cruel retirement. Even zoo animals are treated better than that nowadays.

This. My dogs are good for 3-4 days of limited activity. Then they get antsy, bouncy, must-do-something. They're working dogs, but not the super high drive type that military dogs are.

So how do you take a dog that is ready and able to work all day long and relegate it to a kennel? What type of life would that be for a super high drive dog?

The article saddens me. But we only know one side of the story. I would like to hear the other (ie, how many dogs have retired out of the program in that period of time?, what type of temperament testing etc do the dogs go through before they decide to euthanize? etc) before I make a final judgment.

If they were still super high drive, and full of GOGOGO, they wouldn't be retiring them. Most of the dogs that are retired are slowing down. Now, they aren't going to be happy relegated to life in a vari-kennel, that's for sure, but they don't need to run 8 miles a day to be content.

I know when I picked Fama up from the kennels after my 3 weeks away for mid-tour leave (vacation) she ripped a mattress off the top bunk and was trying to run around the room with it, got so wound up when I was trying to get it back up on the top bunk (oh, this is a fun game!) that she bit me in the leg, and then jumped up on the top bunk, play bowed, barked at me for about 10 seconds, stole my hat, and ripped a big hole in it She didn't settle down for 3 days!

 Quote: tracey holden

David, you have succinctly and eloquently answered the 'other side' of the debate for me; the way you have described and detailed a snap shot of the conditioning and training of these dogs, goes a long way to explaining what these dogs do, and how critical they are to Troops fighting and surviving under circumstances most of us can never imagine.

I have had the most comprehensive and eye opening education since I found this site, it never fails to turn on light bulbs for me, in every aspect of dog behaviour and ownership, the joy and pride we have from, and in our dogs, speaks loud and clear from every post, but this post from you, is by far, the most concise and clarifying I have read so far.

I am completely guilty of being over emotional about any and all dogs, and have a knack of getting into trouble because of that emotion , but once more, I have been shown a different side to the 'story', a sobering and deeply insightful account of what these highly trained, unknowingly brave and staggeringly loyal dogs do in the service of their country.

I am really looking forward to hearing more about Fama and the job and relationship you two have in your working and home life

Umm.... aww shucks.

So, I was thinking about this entire post some more. So, David, have you ever seen or known any dogs that have suffered from post traumatic stress disorder from combat situations?
If so, were those dogs then evaluated by someone or do they consider retiring them? What becomes of a dog that can't fulfill their duties?