Soldier Dogs Part 2

I came to see just how incredible the best of these dogs are. If I had to cover a war, I'd want to be in a unit loaded with soldier dogs. Ditto if I had a kid who was in the military.

But just who are these dogs? Is there something that makes them entirely different from your dog or Jake, or even that rugged German shepherd you see in the neighborhood? Is it just their training or is it something in their bloodlines? That is the question at the core of the next part of this book.

PART TWO

NATURE, NURTURE, AND TRAINING

9

SHOPPING IN EUROPE

There are no ad campaigns to entice soldier dogs to join the military, no jingles about being all the dog you can be. Dogs don't visit recruiters to weigh the options of civilian versus military life. They have no say about whether they'll spend their days as couch potatoes or canine combatants.

In the mid-1980s, the Department of Defense started looking toward Europe for dogs. Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and France sold the U.S. dogs who were essentially castoffs, by-products of the working-dog sports established there for seventy-five to one hundred years or more. Devoted amateurs made it their avocation to breed, rear, and train dogs in police-like work. They would sell their excess dogs to whatever agencies wanted them. This kicked in the demand for more of this kind of dog in Europe, and a market was born.

Soldier dogs are called to serve their country. But their country is unlikely to be their country of origin. If it were, these dogs would serve the military of places like Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, the Netherlands, and Germany. Although some military dogs are purchased in the U.S., even the bulk of American-bought military dogs originally hail from these parts of Europe. They just happen to be brought back by vendors in the U.S. to be sold here. some military dogs are purchased in the U.S., even the bulk of American-bought military dogs originally hail from these parts of Europe. They just happen to be brought back by vendors in the U.S. to be sold here.

The Department of Defense dog program wants to buy American to support American business, so who are these dogs who are so special they have to be imported from Europe? Are they so top-notch that we can't produce them here? And what about Jake and other average American dogs? Would they have had a stab at being war dogs? Would Jake have pa.s.sed the stringent testing to become a military working dog, at least back when he was a lad?

I sorted through my questions about soldier dog procurement with Stewart Hilliard, the MWD breeding program manager, who headed dog procurement for years and is still involved in procurement evaluations. "Doc Hilliard," or "Doc," as he's known around here, is a civilian who works at Lackland Air Force Base, set in the dry, rugged terrain on the outskirts of San Antonio. The base is at the center of the military working dog universe. Let's step inside one of the new buildings here.

To enter, you have to dip the soles of your shoes in a vat of green disinfectant called Roccal-D that looks eerily like the acidic " "Dip" from Roger Rabbit Roger Rabbit. My escort, Gerry Proctor, and I tramped upstairs with slightly damp, smelly shoes.

The "Doc" in Doc Hilliard comes from his PhD in behavioral neuroscience, which he likes to point out "is a fancy term for animal learning." With a name like Doc, one might expect a short, plump, older, bespectacled man, perhaps with a white fringe of beard. So when a six-foot-four, fit, clean-shaven, brown-haired man walked into the large meeting room, it was a bit surprising.

Doc Hilliard has worked in just about every capacity with big, strong dogs for decades. He began training working dogs in 1980 and went on to specialize in Schutzhund and other dog sports popular in Europe-sports that test dogs for traits like courage, protective instinct, intelligence, and perseverance. These are vital qualities in law-enforcement dogs and military working dogs. Doc made a name for himself in the field and eventually got plucked up by the Military Working Dog Program. He's been at Lackland since 1997 and has worked in every capacity, from dog behavior evaluator to the director of training for the program. These days, bringing the best dogs for the buck to the U.S. military is his main concern.

About five or six times a year, Doc and a small emba.s.sy of veterinarians, vet techs, handlers, and evaluators fly from San Antonio to Europe to buy young dogs they hope will become soldier dogs. During these buy trips, the team visits roughly five dog brokers in Western Europe, primarily in the Netherlands. The team's goal is to supply hundreds of new working dogs for the Department of Defense annually.

If talking about dogs in terms of brokers sounds impersonal, then the synonymous term vendors vendors is even less warm and fuzzy. But, again, officially these pooches are considered equipment, not soldiers. Vendors buy dogs from breeders in order to sell them to governments and law-enforcement organizations. They develop relations.h.i.+ps with breeders, buying hundreds of dogs a year from them, and putting them all up for one-stop shopping for military ent.i.ties. is even less warm and fuzzy. But, again, officially these pooches are considered equipment, not soldiers. Vendors buy dogs from breeders in order to sell them to governments and law-enforcement organizations. They develop relations.h.i.+ps with breeders, buying hundreds of dogs a year from them, and putting them all up for one-stop shopping for military ent.i.ties.

Visiting a vendor has been likened to going to a flea market, but other than having dozens or hundreds of items (dogs) in one area, there's actually little resemblance. The U.S. team isn't jostling with the military buyers from other countries. On the days Doc Hilliard's crew goes in to buy, it's U.S. only. And there is no haggling, no "This dog is worth twice that! You should see what that guy over there from Yemen will give me for him, and don't get me started on that South African buyer!" Prices are set by strict government purchase rules and regulations. The Department of Defense publishes a requirement, and brokers compete to fulfill the requirement with the lowest possible priced dogs for what the U.S. needs. the military buyers from other countries. On the days Doc Hilliard's crew goes in to buy, it's U.S. only. And there is no haggling, no "This dog is worth twice that! You should see what that guy over there from Yemen will give me for him, and don't get me started on that South African buyer!" Prices are set by strict government purchase rules and regulations. The Department of Defense publishes a requirement, and brokers compete to fulfill the requirement with the lowest possible priced dogs for what the U.S. needs.

No one-not even Doc Hilliard-will officially say how much the dogs cost. The closest Doc will come is "You couldn't buy a new car with the money, but it's substantial." A few sources close to the buying process say when the U.S. buys in bulk, we get dual-purpose (patrol and detection) dogs for somewhere between $3,000 and $4,500. The price adds up when you consider how many dogs we buy each year, but it's far less than some other countries pay.

The Israeli Defense Forces, for instance, have a reputation for buying the strongest, most resilient dogs available and paying top dollar-upward of $7,000 per standard military dog, and occasionally even double that. Of course, Israel needs far fewer dogs than the U.S. does, so the country can afford to spend more on a dog. But there are plenty of handlers and trainers who wish the U.S. could spend the money needed for superior genetics in order to get dogs who have the ability to better withstand the rigors of war, from their physical robustness to their unflappable mental makeup.

"Compared to the dogs that bring top dollar, our dogs aren't really the best. The buy teams do whatever they can within the financial limits, and trainers and handlers can make a s.h.i.+t dog into an excellent war dog, but it would be helpful to be able to pay for a better product," I was told by a longtime MWD trainer.

Doc Hilliard isn't sure that spending more money is the answer. Training and maturity can take a dog from zero to sixty in no time. "We get a lot of first-cla.s.s animals. And dogs that don't look first-cla.s.s while in training may become awesome working animals in the field with maturity and experience."

More than one-tenth of the dogs the U.S. buys will end up as washouts, failing to meet the Military Working Dog Program's physical or behavioral standards. These dogs have problems that weren't evident during the lengthy testing of the dogs by the dog-buying team. Most of the troubles stem from environmental issues, like fear of loud gunfire and explosions, or the inability to learn necessary basic tasks. Like people, some dogs are just slow learners. "Some are Einsteins, some are rocks," says veterinarian Walter Burghardt, chief of behavioral medicine and military working dog studies at Lackland's Daniel E. Holland Military Working Dog Hospital. Since they have only a set amount of time to go through the canine version of basic training, the dogs who take too long to learn aren't going to make the cut.

Some of the failed dogs become "training aids"-dogs who help students at Lackland's dog-handler school learn the basics of dog handling. Dogs who aren't aggressive enough to do both patrol and explosives work can become explosives dogs only and can still deploy. Others can go to local law-enforcement agencies or can be adopted out to the public.

Ten percent isn't a bad attrition rate compared with what it was just five to six years ago, when more than one-fourth of the dogs bought by the United States would end up was.h.i.+ng out. Improved training techniques-with more carrot, less stick-may have a lot to do with the success of these dogs, say those who have been involved with the dog program for the last decade. It makes sense. Would you rather work for someone who gets really nasty when you don't do something perfectly, or for someone who notices the good stuff and isn't usually too harsh about the less-than-stellar performances? involved with the dog program for the last decade. It makes sense. Would you rather work for someone who gets really nasty when you don't do something perfectly, or for someone who notices the good stuff and isn't usually too harsh about the less-than-stellar performances?

Better knowledge of what goes into making a strong military working dog accounts for some of the increase in dog draftees who go on to become soldier dogs. Hilliard and his team spend most of their time at the vendors running tests on the dogs, evaluating everything from general health to the desire to chase a ball, to see if dogs-even those bought on a lean budget-have what it takes.

10

THE DIVERSITY OF MWD JOBS

The nature and nurture of military dogs is complicated because of their breeding and where they come from, to be sure, but it is necessarily diverse because there is such a range of jobs they do. To understand which breeds of dogs get selected for which jobs in the military, it helps to know a little about the range of roles these dogs have. You might think "Seen one military working dog, seen 'em all"-but these dogs are as varied as the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines they work beside.

Just about everything in the military has an acronym, from the sublime (COPPER for Chemoterrorism Operations Policy for Public Emergency) to the ridiculous (POO for Point of Origin; when a dog handler told me about how he had to go back to the POO in order to start his mission, it painted an odd picture). Military working dog jobs are no exception. It is simpler to divide the dogs into some broad categories and then tap into the acronyms.

Single-purpose dogs are used for one purpose only: sniffing out explosives or narcotics (or in the case of combat tracking dogs, humans). They tend to be "sporting" breeds, like Labrador retrievers, are used for one purpose only: sniffing out explosives or narcotics (or in the case of combat tracking dogs, humans). They tend to be "sporting" breeds, like Labrador retrievers, golden and Chesapeake Bay retrievers, Viszlas, and various short- and wire-haired pointers. Jack Russell terriers and even small poodles sometimes make appearances. golden and Chesapeake Bay retrievers, Viszlas, and various short- and wire-haired pointers. Jack Russell terriers and even small poodles sometimes make appearances.

Single-purpose dogs don't need to be aggressive. They can be all nose, no bite. Some single-purpose dogs might get naturally protective, but as most handlers of dogs like Labs will attest, they're more likely to lick you to death. A couple of the jobs (CTDs and MDDs) tend to employ dogs more typically a.s.sociated with dual-purpose work, like German shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Dutch shepherds.

These dogs are trained to locate either drugs or or explosives-never both. You don't want to have to stand there guessing if Balco M492 is alerting to a stash of heroin or a pressure-plate IED. "When your dog makes an alert, you need to know whether to run away and call the explosives people or whether to go arrest someone," says Doc Hilliard. explosives-never both. You don't want to have to stand there guessing if Balco M492 is alerting to a stash of heroin or a pressure-plate IED. "When your dog makes an alert, you need to know whether to run away and call the explosives people or whether to go arrest someone," says Doc Hilliard.

Types of single-purpose dogs and the jobs they do include: EDD (explosive detector dog)-This is your standard-fare single-purpose dog, used in all branches of the military. The handlers of these dogs are military police who spend months going through dog-handler school at Lackland Air Force Base.

NDD (narcotics detector dog)-Just like the EDD, except this dog detects drugs instead of explosives.

SSD (specialized search dog)-This dog goes a step beyond EDD work. SSD dogs are a special cla.s.s of dogs trained to work off leash at long distances from a handler in order to find explosives. They work by hand signals and in the marines can also receive commands via radio receivers they wear on their backs. (The air force and the navy don't have SSDs.) These dogs can also be breeds that are usually reserved as dual-purpose dogs, like German shepherds. that are usually reserved as dual-purpose dogs, like German shepherds.

CTD (combat tracker dog)-Explosives dogs and SSDs can detect where IEDs and weapons caches are located, but it's up to the highly trained CTDs to track down the person who stashed the explosives. This is a marine program only. Although the job is in our single-purpose dog list, combat tracker dogs are more typically dual-purpose dog breeds these days. "Labs were too goofy for the work," a longtime CTD trainer told me. CTDs generally work on a long retractable leash.

MDD (mine detection dog)-These dogs do slow and steady off-leash searches for buried mines and artillery. This is an army program only. Labs, shepherds, and Malinois are the preferred breeds for this job.

TEDD (tactical explosive detector dog)-Lackland doesn't procure dogs for the army's TEDD program. Contractors do, and they generally buy them from U.S. vendors. The program is a temporary one created in response to a request from former general David Petraeus for an influx of special sniffer dogs to help with IED detection. Select infantrymen from deploying units are given short-term training on how to work with these dogs, who are trained by contractors.

IDD (IED detector dog)-As with TEDDs, this is a temporary program created to fulfill the urgent need for bomb dogs. It's run by the Marine Corps and accounts for the majority of sporting breed dogs in the Department of Defense Military Working Dog Program. The dogs are bought from breeders and vendors around the U.S. by contractors, who train them and the infantrymen who will be their handlers. (The training of IDD handlers and TEDD handlers is far shorter than that of other MWD handlers-many say too short to ensure the safest and most effective dog teams.) handlers is far shorter than that of other MWD handlers-many say too short to ensure the safest and most effective dog teams.) Dual-purpose dogs do both patrol work (protection, aggression when needed) and detection work, along with some basic scouting. Scouting is the ability to track human scent through the air. Dual-purpose dogs are the most common type of dog Hilliard's team procures for the DOD. do both patrol work (protection, aggression when needed) and detection work, along with some basic scouting. Scouting is the ability to track human scent through the air. Dual-purpose dogs are the most common type of dog Hilliard's team procures for the DOD.

Most dual-purpose dogs are German shepherds, Belgian Malinois, or Dutch shepherds. The shepherds usually hail from Eastern Europe, and the Malinois from the Netherlands and other Western European countries.

The dogs the DOD uses are not usually pedigreed or registered. What the DOD wants is functionality, not pure-breed lines. This can make dogs heartier and less p.r.o.ne to problems. The mixing of breeds is particularly prevalent in the Belgian Malinois.

Want a bigger Malinois? (Malinois have gotten notably larger in recent years.) The breeder won't hesitate to mingle the Malinois with a Great Dane. Want a stronger dog with more reliable nerves than the more reactive and thin-nerved Malinois? Breed the Malinois to a German shepherd. Doc Hilliard says he's also seen very distinctive mixes of Malinois with boxer, boxerpit bull, and boxerBouvier, as well.

At times this intermingling can make for dogs who are exactly on the cusp of one dog breed or the other, and it can be hard to tease apart the dog's background. The difference between calling a dog a Malinois or a German shepherd, for instance, can come down to the type of head the dog has, or the dog's body angles. A more sloped hind end might be the final arbiter in calling the dog a shepherd.

The list of jobs for these dual-purpose dogs is blissfully short compared with the alphabet soup that makes up their single-purpose counterparts' job list. Some say it's best for a dog to have just one job and specialize in it, but most handlers think dual-purpose dogs work just fine.

PEDD (patrol explosive detector dog)-PEDDs are the backbone of the Department of Defense's war-dog program. The dogs are used by MPs and other law enforcement across all services. In addition to sniffing out bombs and doing patrol work, these dogs have some basic scouting abilities.

PNDD (patrol narcotics detector dog)-These dogs are the drug-sniffing counterparts of PEDDs and are also used in the army, the navy, the air force, and the marines.

Multi-purpose canines are the Cairos of the military. They're used by Special Operations personnel. MPC is both a category and a job description. In addition to doing everything PEDDs can do, these super-high-drive dogs can be used in parachute or rappel operations. They sometimes wear waterproof tactical vests, night-vision or infrared cameras, and other highly specialized canine equipment. They're extremely resilient, environmentally sound, and almost unflappable. As Arod says, "They can do all this and pursue a bad guy through a wall of fire and tear you to pieces if they need to." are the Cairos of the military. They're used by Special Operations personnel. MPC is both a category and a job description. In addition to doing everything PEDDs can do, these super-high-drive dogs can be used in parachute or rappel operations. They sometimes wear waterproof tactical vests, night-vision or infrared cameras, and other highly specialized canine equipment. They're extremely resilient, environmentally sound, and almost unflappable. As Arod says, "They can do all this and pursue a bad guy through a wall of fire and tear you to pieces if they need to."

11

AND THEN THERE'S LARS ...

The USS Norfolk Norfolk is a Los Angeles-cla.s.s fast-attack submarine reeking of the paint being smoothed onto its surface to keep it black and in stealth mode when deployed. This submarine does serious business. is a Los Angeles-cla.s.s fast-attack submarine reeking of the paint being smoothed onto its surface to keep it black and in stealth mode when deployed. This submarine does serious business.

So why on this hot, sunny July afternoon are people on the dock and on the deck of the sub laughing? "That is hilarious!" chuckles the burly chief of the boat (COB), Senior Chief Machinist Mate Sean Craycraft. Others are smiling and pointing and taking pictures. The source of their mirth? Lars J274, a fifteen-pound Jack Russell terrier, a wiry seaman, and a master of tight s.p.a.ces.

"Fear the terriers!" cries a sailor, and everyone laughs some more. Dog handler Navy Master-at-Arms Third Cla.s.s Cameron Frost hasn't even had Lars for two weeks, but he's used to his canine partner drawing this kind of jibe, and he has a ready answer. "I've already ordered my Coach bag to carry him in."

Lars was supposed to be a drug dog, but there was a mix-up at dog school, and he got trained as an explosive detector dog (EDD) instead. That suits him fine. He's a self-confident, a.s.sertive dog with a detectable swagger. instead. That suits him fine. He's a self-confident, a.s.sertive dog with a detectable swagger.

Frost joined the navy because more than anything else in the world he wanted to be a dog handler. From early on in his enlistment he cleaned kennels, fed dogs, did whatever work kennel masters needed done, in order to show how badly he wanted to work with dogs.

Three years later his hard work paid off, and he got to attend the handler course at Lackland Air Force Base. He thrived on the rigors of combat training with German shepherds and Belgian Malinois. When he returned to his home base at the naval weapons station in Yorktown, he was a.s.signed to Rokio L241, a patrol-narcotics German shepherd. They soon deployed to Afghanistan and stayed mostly inside the wire at Bagram Airfield during their deployment. Rokio's accomplishments consisted mainly of finding drugs coming in with the Afghans working on the base. At the end of the tour, Frost and Rokio returned to the United States and Rokio was a.s.signed to another handler.

Frost was not left without a dog, however. About ten days before I met him at Naval Station Norfolk, he had been a.s.signed Lars, who at age seven is something of a veteran in the world of explosives detection. He has a reputation for an excellent nose and a strong drive to do his job.

But Lars will never deploy. He's just too small. A wrong step with a boot could prove disastrous for him.

The navy uses Jack Russells to sniff out drugs and explosives in s.h.i.+ps and submarines. Originally bred to be ratters, these terriers thrive on squeezing into small places. A number of these energetic little dogs are sprinkled at naval bases throughout the U.S., including Pearl Harbor. little dogs are sprinkled at naval bases throughout the U.S., including Pearl Harbor.

Lars and his small comrades are never trained as patrol dogs. When your shoulders are about one foot off the ground, there's a limit to how much protection you can offer. But don't tell this to Lars. He may be small in stature, but he's big in att.i.tude.

"Lars has 'little-man syndrome.' Sometimes he can be a real jerk," Frost says as he hoists him out of his kennel in a navy police SUV and holds him in the crook of his arm. "Don't try to take his food bowl unless you have a hose, because he will attack you. Even if you stick your boot toward the kennel, if the bowl is in there he will attack the boot. See all these bite marks on my boot? These are all from Lars."

Getting Lars's food bowl out of his kennel requires having a hose handy. Like many of his fellow terriers, Lars does not care for getting wet. Just the sight of the hose is enough to make Lars run to the other side of the kennel while someone grabs the food bowl and closes the kennel door.

But his distaste for water does not extend to water bottles. He is a dog obsessed. Empty bottles, full bottles, crushed-beyond-recognition bottles. If he finds one while searching for explosives, "he's done until you take it away and he calms down," explains Frost. He'll chew it, throw it, drag it, make it make as much noise as possible. Clearly, this is not a good trait in a combat situation, where silence can mean the difference between life and death.

Lars stands out wherever he goes when he's on duty. He has been on several presidential missions, helping to ensure that no one planted explosives before the commander in chief arrives. He recently spent a week in New York City on duty for the UN General a.s.sembly. He's the short guy on these missions, Frost says. "There's German shepherds. There's Labs. There's Belgian Malinois. And then there's Lars." General a.s.sembly. He's the short guy on these missions, Frost says. "There's German shepherds. There's Labs. There's Belgian Malinois. And then there's Lars."

It's clear from the reaction dockside at the USS Norfolk Norfolk that Jack Russells are not common vessel inspectors. In fact, Craycraft says that in his twenty-one years on subs this is the first time he's come across a little terrier as a military working dog. The dogs who check for drugs or explosives are usually German shepherds. But shepherds weigh about eighty pounds; you can't just pa.s.s one down the ladder, as you can with Lars. Bigger dogs must be securely harnessed (at Norfolk they use hardy harnesses from K9 Storm, a Canadian company that supplies highly specialized equipment to military and police dogs) and lowered down the twenty to thirty feet by rope. Sometimes, a makes.h.i.+ft pulley system is used. The dogs' legs are nestled in a sack of sorts so they don't flail around and hurt themselves. that Jack Russells are not common vessel inspectors. In fact, Craycraft says that in his twenty-one years on subs this is the first time he's come across a little terrier as a military working dog. The dogs who check for drugs or explosives are usually German shepherds. But shepherds weigh about eighty pounds; you can't just pa.s.s one down the ladder, as you can with Lars. Bigger dogs must be securely harnessed (at Norfolk they use hardy harnesses from K9 Storm, a Canadian company that supplies highly specialized equipment to military and police dogs) and lowered down the twenty to thirty feet by rope. Sometimes, a makes.h.i.+ft pulley system is used. The dogs' legs are nestled in a sack of sorts so they don't flail around and hurt themselves.

Perhaps Lars's greatest achievement to date-he has yet to find a bomb-is that he is saving the backs of countless handlers and sub crews. He does wear a harness, but it's just his standard-issue gear. During his twenty-foot descent, he appears more like a stuffed toy than a military working dog. Frost stands on top of the submarine and pa.s.ses him down to a crew member, who is waiting for the dog with outstretched arms, balancing on a narrow rim several feet down. This sort of handoff goes on until Lars reaches the bottom.

I wonder why someone didn't just take Lars under his arm for the descent, but it quickly becomes evident when I try to go down the ladder.

It is not your standard steep marine ladder. The main ladder of the USS Norfolk Norfolk is straight up-and-down, s.h.i.+ny steel without even is straight up-and-down, s.h.i.+ny steel without even the slightest angle to it. This is my first descent into the belly of a nuclear sub, and I can't help remembering a cross-country plane trip a few weeks earlier. I sat next to a retired navy submarine engineer who still does contract work for the navy. He told me that back in the day, a bunch of crew members had gone out and gotten snockered. As his pal started down the ladder afterward, he missed a step, or didn't hang on tight enough, and plummeted thirty feet down to the bottom. His back never recovered. the slightest angle to it. This is my first descent into the belly of a nuclear sub, and I can't help remembering a cross-country plane trip a few weeks earlier. I sat next to a retired navy submarine engineer who still does contract work for the navy. He told me that back in the day, a bunch of crew members had gone out and gotten snockered. As his pal started down the ladder afterward, he missed a step, or didn't hang on tight enough, and plummeted thirty feet down to the bottom. His back never recovered.

By the time I get to the bottom, Lars is trotting past officers in quiet meetings and crew members who point and laugh and follow. He is a scruffy pied piper, gathering submariners as he moves jauntily through the sub. Once in the berthing area, Frost and Lars get to work.

Frost, seemingly unfazed by the amus.e.m.e.nt of his audience, lifts his partner from one stripped bunk to the next. Lars's nose checks three levels of bunks, plus floor and ceiling. Sometimes Lars shows interest, and Frost releases him and lets him sniff around a bunk on a long leather leash. A few minutes into the exercise, Lars scrambles from Frost's hands and onto a top bunk. He makes a beeline up the gray-and-white striped mattress to the pillow. After a quick sniff of the pillow, he sits and looks expectantly at Frost. He has found his quarry, an explosive (sans detonator) under a pillow. The onlookers cheer and applaud.

Frost hurls out an enthusiastic and high-pitched, "Good boy, Lars!" and throws a yellow squeaky ball to the top berth. Lars catches it and the tiny quarters fill with squeak squeak squeak squeak as he wags and bites his prize. Down the pa.s.sageway at their meeting, the officers have to wonder what is going on. as he wags and bites his prize. Down the pa.s.sageway at their meeting, the officers have to wonder what is going on.

We make our way back to the ladder, and when I next see Lars, he is on the dock, being laughed at by a whole new group of sailors. Frost takes it in stride. "Goes with the territory," he says and shrugs. Lars jumps his front paws up on Frost's leg, wags, and stares at him. Frost leans down and scratches Lars behind the ears. "You're a good boyyyy," he says in a hushed tone. Frost may not admit it in public, but it's clear that Lars, small as he is, is growing on him. he is on the dock, being laughed at by a whole new group of sailors. Frost takes it in stride. "Goes with the territory," he says and shrugs. Lars jumps his front paws up on Frost's leg, wags, and stares at him. Frost leans down and scratches Lars behind the ears. "You're a good boyyyy," he says in a hushed tone. Frost may not admit it in public, but it's clear that Lars, small as he is, is growing on him.

12

Only the Bold with an Unnatural Unnatural Desire Desire

Even Lars had to pa.s.s a buy team's muster once upon a time. In order to be considered for any MWD job, dogs undergo careful scrutiny.

The dogs being screened must be between twelve and thirty-six months old (the older ones generally have more training) and need to be in excellent health, with no acute or chronic conditions that would be costly to treat. In addition, buyers evaluate behavior, temperament, and trainability. If anything's amiss, it's the equivalent of a human draftee's flat feet or color blindness.

The testing takes place outdoors and indoors. Indoors is not posh: Depending on the location, it can be a barn, garage, or even a large tent. There needs to be some furniture, like drawers and old couches, but otherwise it's pretty bare bones.

Since no matter how healthy a dog is or how good he is at basics like being interested in a ball or performing a good bite, if a military working dog is skittish and balky from the get-go, he won't fare well in the dog program. Bombs and ammo and thin nerves don't mix, so the first tests given are preliminary environmental stability tests.