Soldier Dogs

^{Miller says of the IASK course. On this day, in 114-degree heat, Miller has to carry his dog, Tina M111, to safety after she was “shot” during an exercise. JARED DORT}

^{What’s in a name? Ask Davy N532, a female dog whose name does not match her gender. Oddball names are not uncommon among military working dogs, whose breeders, usually from Europe, name them. “I trust her with my life. If I didn’t trust her, I wouldn’t be here,” Army Staff Sergeant Marcus Bates says of his Belgian Malinois, Davy N532, during their deployment in Afghanistan. MARCUS BATES}

^{You don’t have to be a big dog to be a soldier dog. Lars J274, a Jack Russell terrier with a Napoleon complex, is the perfect size for sniffing out bombs in submarines. U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS PAUL D. WILLIAMS}

^{Lars’s handler lifts him from bunk to bunk on the USS Norfolk so his nose can get close enough to detect explosives on any level. U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS PAUL D. WILLIAMS}

^{A “training aid” dog and his handler-in-training start the day enjoying the shade at the Department of Defense Military Working Dog School, at Lackland Air Force Base. ROBIN JERSTAD}

^{Lex L479 and his handler would go to sleep in the foxholes they shared while on patrol in Afghanistan. Soon after his handler fell asleep, the Belgian Malinois would crawl out from their tarp-protected foxhole and stand guard over him through the night—often in torrential rains. MARINE SERGEANT MARK VIERIG}

^{Marine Corporal Max Donahue and Fenji M675—shown here in Garmsir, Afghanistan—bonded as soon as they met at Camp Pendleton, San Diego, six months earlier. MARINE GUNNERY SERGEANT CHRIS WILLINGHAM}

^{Donahue and Fenji during a combat patrol. Fenji, like most dogs deployed in Afghanistan, uses her powerful nose to sniff for explosives. CHRIS WILLINGHAM}

^{Donahue and Fenji on patrol in a marketplace in Garmsir. “You asked if Fenji has a good nose,” says Marine Gunnery Sergeant Chris Willingham, who took this photo. “I wouldn’t have been walking behind her if she didn’t.” CHRIS WILLINGHAM}

^{Air Force Staff Sergeant Brent Olson was awarded a Purple Heart for his actions in Afghanistan. Blek, who was also injured, received nothing. Military working dogs do not officially get commendations. “Dogs are soldiers, too. They give up their whole lives for this,” says Olson. “Not to be recognized officially is a slap in the face.” U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY SERGEANT JEFFREY ALEXANDER}

^{Olson and Blek on a mountain mission in Afghanistan. U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY SERGEANT JEFFREY ALEXANDER}

^{“He always had my back,” says Air Force Staff Sergeant James Bailey, of his first military working dog, Robby D131. He has since adopted Robby. JAMES BAILEY}

^{Rex L274 on guard in Iraq as his soldiers take a lunch break in their Stryker vehicle. Rex did not make it as a patrol dog because he was too gentle. “If you were playing and you acted as if he bit you, he’d let go and look all sad,” Army Sergeant Amanda Ingraham says. But she knew he would put his life on the line to protect her. AMANDA INGRAHAM}

^{Ingraham on a mission with Rex in Iraq. More than anything, she remembers the companionship he provided her and the other troops. “He’d always find the one soldier who was having a hard day and hang out with them.” AMANDA INGRAHAM}

^{Marine Sergeant Mark Vierig and Lex L479, on patrol in Afghanistan’s Upper Gereshk Valley during rainy season. A common refrain among handlers who have deployed: “War would have been hell without my dog.” MARK VIERIG.}

^{Army Staff Sergeant Marcus Bates enjoys a little down time with Davy. MARCUS BATES}

^{Air Force Staff Sergeant Christine Campos relaxes on her cot with her dog, Bico F544. Dogs on deployment often share their handlers’ bunks and even sleeping bags. Being together nearly 24/7 deepens the bond between dog and handler. CHRISTINE CAMPOS}

^{Ajax L523 shows off his pearly whites after his handler, Air Force Staff Sergeant James Bailey, gave them a good brushing while on deployment. JAMES BAILEY}

^{War hero Fenji needs to wear “Doggles” to help with an eye problem, but she doesn’t much care for them. When she’s not working, she tries to take them off at every opportunity. MARIA GOODAVAGE}

^{Marine dog handlers mourn the loss of a beloved fellow handler—one who appears in this book. MARINE PHOTO BY CORPORAL SKYLER TOOKER}

About the Author

Maria Goodavage, a former reporter for USA Today and the San Francisco Chronicle, is the editor and featured writer for one of the most widely read dog blogs in the world, “For the Love of Dog” at Dogster.com. She is the author of The Dog Lover’s Companion to California and The Dog Lover’s Companion to the San Francisco Bay Area. She coproduced and wrote an award-winning children's video about dogs and other animals, starring the voice of Ed Asner. She lives with her family in San Francisco, and the four-legged guy on their team is a Lab named Jake.

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