MWD - Military Working Dogs

What About Our Retired Canines?

Doberman MWD - Military Working Dog

The sad part of this is what happened to our brave canines leading up to and including the Vietnam war. A soldiers K-9 was so much more than just a pet on the battlefield. They were trusted brothers who would lay down their own lives to save ours. Unfortunately, when we left the battlefield, we were forced to leave them behind. They were considered to only be expendable equipment. Some were euthanized and others were left with allies.

In 2000, Robby’s Law was passed that allowed retired military working dogs, (if suitable) to be adopted. Approximately 90% are adopted by their former or current handlers. The rest of them usually go to police departments or other civilian good homes that meet certain requirements. The adopting families experience matters and they typically can’t have children under age 5 for example. The adopting handler or civilian family has total responsibility for health care and veterinary expenses going forward.

Retired Military Working Dog

K-9’s can be trained to do much more than patrol and attack. Some are trained to sniff out hidden explosive devices while others sniff for narcotics but not both. Each K-9 is specially trained for one specific purpose. 

If it wasn’t done that way, soldiers in Iraq for example wouldn’t know what to prepare for. Explosives/ IED’s that might blow up are approached in tactically different ways than a trunk full of narcotics.

Our retired dogs are not only brothers from the battle. They’re not only companions. Our dogs are loved members of the family.  

77vets.org Belgian Malinois

Navy Seal Teams reportedly prefer going to battle with the Belgian Malinois. These dogs are known for their bite, speed and endurance. The training process to prepare these dogs for combat is difficult, strenuous and tiring.