K-9 Working Dog Identified A Furever Home

A military K-9 working dog is a highly trained canine that carries out a variety of tasks, including as protecting locations, looking for items like ammo or explosives, and spotting when the enemy is around. Despite being employed in the military for millennia, K-9 canines weren’t recognized as such until 1942, during World War II.

Similar to basic camp in the United States, K-9s and soldiers are obliged to go through a 120-day training program where they pick up a range of military-related skills.

These military working canines are indispensable because of their particular skills and exceptional sense of smell. The military helps K-9s develop their natural instincts via intensive training, enabling them to see weapons, narcotics, explosives, and injured troops when necessary.

Another benefit of employing military K-9s in the workplace is the impact on morale.

Working with his military service dog every day was like having a companion, according to Sgt. Jason Dingler, a military working dog handler with the 95th Military Police Detachment (MWD) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. “Greco is the name of my current working dog. Knowing that we will work together makes it fun for me to go to work every day.

Just like soldiers, these K-9s eventually have to leave the Army. There are a few options available to the retired military working dogs.

The option of being adopted by their existing handlers is available to many. They can go to various organizations to help them get adopted by other military members or the general population if that isn’t possible due to circumstances, health difficulties, or behavioral problems.

I have been Greco’s handler for four years, and he has just begun the process of retiring, said Dingler. He is a nine-year-old German Shepherd that has been to four different nations to assist in major military operations by helping with law enforcement and counter-bomb detection.

Similar to the transition from soldier to citizen, changing a military working dog to a companion presents a number of difficulties.

Behavior problems in animals can be brought on by post-traumatic stress disorder, stress from a new environment, and loneliness when their owners must go for work. The handlers begin slowly in order to ease the dogs into the integration process.

Dingler said, “I started the adoption procedure as soon as I found out Greco was retiring. “After he was diagnosed with arthritis, I knew his range of motion would be limited, but I want to make sure he had the best life possible.

I’ll do all in my power to provide that to him. I’m so happy to be able to bring him home so I can hang out with my closest buddy every day.