The dogs of war: Canine casualties mount

About 2,000 working military dogs confront danger beside American soldiers, largely in the Mideast. With noses that detect scents up to a third of a mile away, many sniff for explosives in Iraq. Their numbers have been growing about 20 percent a year since the terrorist attacks of 2001, says Air Force Capt. Jeffrey McKamey, who helps run the program.

In doing their jobs, dozens of these dogs have also become war wounded – scorched by the desert, slashed by broken glass, pelted by stray bullets, pounded by roadside bombs.

Their services are so valued, though, that wounded dogs are treated much like wounded troops.

“They are cared for as well as any soldier,” insists Senior Airman Ronald A. Harden, a dog handler in Iraq.

Their first aid comes out of doggy field kits bearing everything from medicine to syringes. Some are evacuated to military veterinary centers hundreds of miles away and even to Germany and the United States for rehabilitation. Many recover and return to duty.

Military dogs must be in top condition to perform the duties they’re assigned. And training is rigorous.

Dogs take their basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, where they learn to tolerate the crack of gunfire and sputter of helicopters. They are trained to sniff for explosives on command, freezing and staring at suspicious objects.

Merely baring their teeth, they can cow a crowd. Commanded to strike, they can easily flatten a big man with one leap, flying like a 50-pound sand bag tossed from a truck.

Smart and strong Malinois and shepherds predominate, but other breeds are trained, too. Even small dogs, like beagles or poodles, are occasionally taught to detect explosives in submarines and other close quarters.