Dogs have been man’s faithful companion in human endeavors for centuries, and no area is where their association can be better termed than in security and war operations. From the battlefields of past wars to the airport terminals of today, the animals have repeatedly proved to be adaptable, obedient, and unbeatable in professional skills.
Today, their job no longer just encompasses their traditional security functions but has expanded to emotional support, public relations, and adoption services that attest to the evolving human-dog relationship.
Training and selection of service and military dogs is a thoughtful and highly scientific process that seeks to condition them for demanding situations. German Shorthaired Pointers and Labrador Retrievers are used most often by most agencies because they are highly sensitive, have a high energy level, and are versatile.
Every so often, a German Shepherd or a Belgian Malinois is used, but these are not normally used in law enforcement settings because they are high-strung and goal-oriented. Rehoming schemes for workless qualified personnel demonstrate how excellent standards are achieved with working animals and how well they are cared for. Training is comprehensive and current, from initial obedience to advanced explosive or drug detection.
Dogs are also trained to chaotic, random environments. Training organizations ensure that even comfort dogs in communities, although not service or police dogs, are trained to offer comfort and therapeutic support in group or institutional environments. As retired K-9 handler John Tollis has witnessed, an accomplished-trained dog can be a morale-builder and emotional calming influence even in the most stressful of environments. Dogs serve different functions.
Detection dogs are the frontline defense in sensitive areas, finding explosives, drugs, or other dangers. Patrol and holdup dogs help officers in pursuing suspects, holding areas, and protecting against injury.
Outside these utilitarian roles, more dogs are being deployed in community support programs, where their presence leads to well-being in students, workers, and first responders. Programs with support animals in the community, such as those in institutions or colleges, focus their activities around companionship and emotional leveler.
Federal service and support animal laws are broader, reflecting the nature of work that such animals perform. Service animals are trained to assist individuals with disabilities according to federal regulations, performing tasks that are cognitive, sensory, psychiatric, or physical in nature. Emotional support animals are reassuring but do not need to perform work.
Institutional and housing legislation ensures animals are well documented, healthy, and certified to prevent a misfit between public and individual needs. Adoption and retirement are extremely important stages in a working dog’s life. They also have initiatives aimed at helping dogs transition from military duty to civilian life, so that they, too, will have their needs met in retirement.
The potential adopters must offer stable homes, good health care, and a commitment to keeping the dog healthy. Spaying/neutering, facility visits for training, and gradual acclimation periods of up to 90 days are used to enable retired dogs to be comfortably and safely incorporated into new homes. The effect on security, morale, and quality of life of the human dog is substantial.
In detection, assisting field officers, or providing comfort, dogs bring an invaluable component to operational and therapeutic settings. Their keen noses, fidelity, and emotional quotient make them valuable assets. As society becomes more aware of its ability, it’s our responsibility to safeguard its health while in service and in retirement.
