This book was more of an eye-opener and an education into the world of dog soldiers and their handlers. Dog lovers can appreciate the bond that develops between dog and man, but the bond between a dog soldier and handler is something only a soldier dog and a handler would know, and handlers can't even find the words to describe the depth of that bonding.
Soldier dogs are warriors in their own right, they are NOT equipment. The military higher ups that are responsible for "classification" need to give these four-legged warriors as much value and respect as they do our two-legged warriors. Soldier dogs are entitled to the respect and recognition given to any soldier that has served this country and should receive honors for their service. They are as deserving of any medal as any soldier for their act of bravery.
The one part that I found very disturbing was the autopsy procedure. The treatment and handling of fallen soldier dogs during an autopsy should be to the highest level to which we give human beings. It's hard enough for handlers to lose their best friend, for many the only true friend they had in their life, but to know the aftermath of the death of a soldier dog, how soldier dogs are treated during an autopsy, has to be horrifying to the handlers and adds to the deep wound they feel from their lose, which they carry through life. The handling of a soldier dog during an autopsy needs to be revisited by the military. The military needs to put dignity into the process.
Referring to soldier dogs as "equipment" needs to be removed and given the proper respect they deserve - they are living, breathing, animals, as are human beings, who save lives and who will give their life while serving their country. I also think that the kennels need to take into consideration giving more comfort to soldier dogs that are between deployment or retired and waiting for adoption. It would be nice to know that they aren't spending their time confined to a kennel cage on hard cement floors, but are rewarded with soft bedding during confinement. (I'd be more than happy to donate towards the purchase of soft bedding. :-) ) Soldier dogs live under the same conditions as soldiers do when deployed and serving outside the wire.
Since soldier dogs have a very important place in history and will continue to serve our country, there is only one classification for them: they are indeed soldier dogs.
As the saying goes: A dog is man's best friend. Between a handler and a soldier dog, the saying has a meaning that goes beyond any definition or description one could give it.
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Rin Tin Tin Move Over for Real Canine Heroes
Our canine heroes story is finally told. Probably not until 9/11 did the public pay a great deal of attention to working dogs that belonged to the police, rescue and later the military. In the past 14 years we watched as canines have saved lives in combat help capture Bin Laden and done other remarkable feats that have not been chronicled.Maria Goodavage has done a masterful job of telling the story of our new heroes of the Armed Force, military working dogs (MWD). She covers all of the bases from the history from the use of dogs by the military in WW 1, WW 2, Korea and Vietnam. What may surprise many as they read this well packaged story is that the roots of our current MWD program can be traced to our Allies, the British who crafted doctrine that still applies today to the training of this new four legged weapon.Goodavage leads her readers to the real dog whisperer, Gunny Knight, USMC who know more about MWD and canine psychology than the vast majority of dog experts. Thanks to Goodavage we learn how our canine warriors are prepared for combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan at a course where not every dog and their handler graduates but those who do save lives including their own.Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a MWD and where they come from, well they are not pound pooches; they come from some of the top breeding programs in Europe. We learn how our canine military members are recruited, trained, cared for and grieved for when they pay the ultimate price in service to our country.What will astound most readers is the cavalier attitude the military establish has for these brave warriors. You will learn that to the military a MWD is just another piece of equipment in the military supply system.So be prepared to smile, have your heart strings tugged and more over be proud of our canine warriors, their devotion to their handlers and the devotion that the handlers return to them. Our MWDs are truly unsung heroes.
Top reviews from other countries
Nancy Grandy
Bought this book for my husband who usually does not ...
Reviewed in Canada on June 29, 2015
archie
Molto apprezzato da chi l'ha ricevuto.
Reviewed in Italy on February 27, 2013
