Who: Dogs in the U.S. military
The Nose Knows: Dogs are very important to the military because they can use their noses so much better than people can. The military relies on dogs to keep soldiers safe, find important things and people, and gather information.
Geronimo!: Military dogs go where the soldiers go, even when they jump out of planes. Cara, a Navy SEAL dog, holds the record for jumping from the greatest height: 30,100 feet! (And she wasn’t even scared.)
Boot Camp: No dog is born ready for the military. Military dogs need training, and lots of it. Training starts when the dogs are just puppies. The U.S. government sometimes spends a whopping $40,000 to train a single dog!
Uniform: Just like soldiers, military dogs get equipment of their own, including body armor, flak jackets and gas masks to keep them from getting hurt. Some also wear Doggles—you guessed it, doggy goggles!
Dog Tags: Is your dog the same breed as a military dog? Today, most military dogs are German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois because of those breeds’ speed, strength, smarts, bravery, super smelling powers and ability to be happy in most climates.
But Golden Retrievers are found on the job in some parts of the military, and Marines sometimes work with black Labs because they’re so friendly!
Family Pets: When dogs are done working for the military, they get to retire to a normal home and chew bones, go for walks and play with kids. After all that work to protect people, they deserve a break!