Honoring Our Furry Heroes

13th March is dedicated to the amazingly brave and endlessly disciplined dogs that serve in the military alongside courageous men and women. They perform their duties with the utmost devotion to keep us and the country safe. These service dogs serve in the police department, with the armed forces, with drug enforcement agencies, and many others.

Dogs have proven time and time again that not only are they our best friends in our personal lives, but our saviors in professional lives too. These dogs train religiously and keep performing their duties till they respectfully retire from the forces.

K9 Veterans Day is thus meant to raise awareness about these good, tough boys. They work all their lives to protect us and serve us. The least we can do is appreciate the good work that they do for us. Heroes don’t only have to be human; they often come as large, furry dogs too. Let’s take the time today to understand what they do for us, and appreciate them for it.

What Do They Do For Us?

Patrol and Protect: Dogs have humans by being humankind’s protectors for the longest time. They guard and protect homes, camps, and other important institutions. When they sense danger, they can transform into aggressive attackers doing anything to protect their owners.

Sniff out Explosives: Military dogs, with their superior olfactory senses, sniff out hidden explosives, be it on humans, or in buildings. Dogs have prevented so many bomb blasts from tearing buildings and lives apart and often accompany bomb disposal squads.

Sniff out Drugs: Their trained noses aren’t only good enough to sniff out explosives, but also drugs of all kinds. Dogs are almost always present at the borders of the country, along with men and women from the armed forces.  Every person or vehicle has to pass through the service dog to get clearance to enter the country.

Search and Rescue: Local police stations, also utilize service dogs to help them in local search and rescue operations. Dogs, with their amazing sense of smell, can be quick to locate missing people or track down escaped criminals.

What Goes Into Their Training?

Training a military or service dog is another ball game altogether. After mastering basic commands, they must move on to obedience training. In that, they learn to follow not only verbal commands but also hand gestures. As the dogs move on to intensive training after clearing the levels, they become equipped with the discipline and tact necessary to handle a military situation.

Training war dogs requires immense patience, discipline, and time. Professional dog trainers work at it; not just anybody can do it. About 45% of dogs don’t make it through the rigorous training stages. It is mandatory to clear all these stages before being inducted into the military or other services.

Honoring All Dogs This K9 Veterans Day

We appreciate and are grateful for the many services that dogs perform for us in their capacity as military and service dogs. But just because the dog in your home cannot even sniff out his toy from under the bed, does not make him any less deserving of appreciation. Dogs, whether pets or trained service dogs, are blessings to humankind. They deserve the utmost love, affection, and a quality life.

If you feel that you cannot provide that to your pet dog when you are not around, you can always hire a pet sitter. The pet sitter can take care of your doggo in your absence, and shower him with the love and affection he deserves. Little Friends Pet Sitting and Dog Walking has a bunch of professional pet sitters and dog walkers who can drop by and make sure your dog is doing fine.