Soldier Dogs: The Untold Story of America's Canine Heroes

When news leaked in 2011 that Cairo, a Belgian Malinois, was a member of SEAL Team Six%E2%80%94the group credited with killing Osama bin Laden%E2%80%94interest in "soldier dogs" soared. Though they've been used on and off by the American military since WWI, the role of dogs in warfare has typically been something that only servicemen and women were familiar with. In this detailed account, former USA Today reporter Goodavage (The Dog Lover's Companion to California) takes readers behind the scenes to learn how these courageous canines are identified, trained, and cared for in the field. Tales of dogs searching for and identifying IEDs and other explosives that litter Afghanistan make up the bulk of her story, but Goodavage also spends a considerable amount of the book describing the relationships soldiers form with their canine companions . Stories of spooked pups aboard battle-bound Hueys and dogs in the line of fire reveal surprisingly human-like response to war, and posit these military mutts as admirable%E2%80%94and capable%E2%80%94soldiers. Photos. (Mar.)