What is *War Dogs* by Rebecca Frankel about?

*War Dogs* explores the profound bond between military working dogs (MWDs) and their handlers, blending historical accounts of canine use in warfare with modern stories from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rebecca Frankel highlights dogs’ roles in detecting explosives, saving lives, and providing emotional support, while examining the ethical complexities of their training and post-deployment separation.

Who should read *War Dogs*?

This book is ideal for dog lovers, military history enthusiasts, and readers interested in human-animal relationships. It appeals to those seeking visceral narratives of loyalty in combat and insights into institutional military dog programs.

Is *War Dogs* worth reading?

Yes. Frankel’s gripping storytelling balances historical research with emotional depth, offering a poignant tribute to MWDs’ bravery. While critiques note outdated dominance-based training methods, the book’s focus on the human-canine bond resonates powerfully.

How does *War Dogs* portray the handler-dog relationship?

Frankel reveals a contradiction: handlers often deny emotional attachment professionally but describe deep mutual trust and love. Dogs like Rex, a Belgian Malinois, exemplify unwavering loyalty, risking their lives to detect IEDs and protect units.

What breeds are commonly used as military working dogs?

German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Labrador Retrievers dominate MWD roles. Malinois are prized for agility in combat, while Labs excel in detection due to their keen sense of smell.

Does *War Dogs* address post-deployment outcomes for MWDs?

Yes. Frankel critiques the military’s practice of separating dogs from handlers after tours, a policy many soldiers describe as emotionally devastating. Some advocate for retirement reunions, but logistical hurdles persist.

What historical periods does *War Dogs* cover?

The book traces war dogs from World War II scout roles to modern counterinsurgency missions. Frankel highlights how their value in detecting buried explosives revived their use post-9/11 after a mid-20th-century decline.

Are there criticisms of military dog training in *War Dogs*?

Frankel acknowledges critiques of force-based methods rooted in dominance theory, contrasting them with civilian practices like clicker training. However, she emphasizes the handlers’ dedication to their dogs’ well-being despite institutional constraints.

War Dogs

Tales of Canine Heroism, History, and Love

Rebecca Frankel

4.07(828 Reviews)

Overview of War Dogs

War dogs don't just serve - they save. Rebecca Frankel's bestseller reveals the unbreakable bonds between military handlers and canines who detect IEDs with uncanny precision. "A tremendous gift," says handler Mike Dowling, chronicling heroes who've transformed modern warfare and healed invisible wounds.

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Chapter 1

Bonds Forged in Battle: How Dogs Became America's Most Loyal Warriors

In the chaos of war, an unexpected hero emerges-one with four legs, keen senses, and unwavering loyalty. Rebecca Frankel's "War Dogs" has captivated readers from military enthusiasts to pet lovers alike, becoming a New York Times bestseller that bridges the civilian-military divide. The book struck such a chord that it inspired the 2015 documentary "War Dog: A Soldier's Best Friend," executive produced by Channing Tatum, who himself adopted a military working dog after learning about their plight. When Navy SEAL Team Six raided Osama bin Laden's compound in 2011, public fascination exploded upon learning that a Belgian Malinois named Cairo participated in the mission. What makes these canine-human partnerships so compelling isn't just their tactical effectiveness but the profound emotional bonds that form under the most extreme circumstances-bonds that challenge our understanding of both warfare and the ancient relationship between humans and dogs.

Chapter 2

The Birth of America's War Dog Program: From Civilian Pets to Military Assets

When Japanese planes struck Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, an unlikely hero sprang into action-not a general or politician, but a wealthy New York socialite and dog breeder named Arlene Erlanger. Within hours of the attack, she called reporter Roland Kilburn with a declaration: "The dog game must play its part in this thing." Her initiative launched Dogs for Defense, convincing the initially reluctant War Department to incorporate canines into military operations. The organization's appeal to the American public was simple but powerful-donate your pets to serve the country. Despite natural hesitation, thousands of families responded, sending their beloved companions to war. What began as a modest request for 200 sentry dogs quickly expanded, with the military eventually requesting 125,000 dogs for the Army, Marines, and Coast Guard by December 1942. Among these civilian-turned-military dogs was Chips, a former suburban pet who became World War II's most decorated war dog. His heroism exemplified the potential of these canine soldiers, though like many veterans, he returned home suffering from what his family described as "battle fatigue"-an early recognition of the psychological toll war takes on dogs as well as humans. This pattern of rapid mobilization followed by near-complete dismantling would become a troubling cycle in America's military dog programs. After each conflict-World War II, Korea, Vietnam-successful canine units were disbanded, only to be urgently reconstructed when the next war began. This institutional amnesia forced the military to repeatedly relearn painful lessons about the value of war dogs, a pattern that would continue into the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Vietnam War saw dogs reach new levels of operational importance, with scout dogs detecting booby traps, land mines, and tunnel systems that accounted for 11% of American casualties. These canine teams reportedly saved over 2,000 lives within their first year alone, with demand for their services consistently exceeding supply. Jesse Mendez, who headed the scout dog program at Fort Benning, described them as "the only weapon system [the military] ever devised to save lives." Yet despite their proven value, of nearly 5,000 dogs who served in Vietnam, only 204 left the country when American forces withdrew. The rest were euthanized or abandoned-a betrayal that haunts Vietnam handlers like Ron Aiello to this day.

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Chapter 3

The Extraordinary Sensory World of Military Working Dogs

The author's attempt to handle Haus, an experienced military working dog, during a bomb detection exercise at Buckley Air Force Base ended in comedic failure. Despite watching professionals all morning, she became hopelessly tangled in the leash while missing an obvious visual clue-duct tape on a paper towel dispenser concealing the "bomb." Haus, sensing her inexperience, eventually sat down in protest, demonstrating how a dog's performance directly reflects handler competence. This humbling experience illustrates why dogs remain irreplaceable in military operations despite technological advances. Their sensory capabilities are truly extraordinary-dogs possess approximately 220 million scent receptors compared to humans' mere 5 million, making their sense of smell a thousand times more sensitive than ours. Their specialized nasal anatomy includes four air passages (versus humans' two) that separate inhaled and exhaled air, allowing continuous fresh scent intake during tracking. While humans primarily use smell for emotional memory-like the author's father enjoying farm odors that reminded him of childhood-dogs actively catalog scents for practical purposes. Training detection dogs involves associating specific odors with rewards, teaching them to identify bomb components like TNT, C-4, and ammonium nitrate with 95% accuracy. They track scent like linguists deciphering individual voices in a crowd, following "scent cones" carried by wind currents. Different breeds excel at different tasks. Bloodhounds, with their remarkable 300 million scent receptors (compared to German shepherds' 225 million), are exceptional at trailing specific individuals. Despite common misconceptions about dogs having poor vision, they actually see differently than humans-with wider peripheral vision and superior night vision-though they still rely primarily on olfaction when tracking. Beyond their sense of smell, military working dogs also possess hearing abilities hundreds of times more powerful than humans, especially in distinguishing sound frequencies. They can detect sounds at distances four times greater than people can and with significantly better frequency discrimination, making them extraordinarily sensitive to pitch differences. These natural abilities have made dogs invaluable military assets despite billions spent on technological alternatives. After investing $19 billion in counter-IED technology, JIEDDO's director admitted in 2010 that the most effective detection method remained a handler and his dog. During a 2011 congressional hearing, Representative Chaffetz challenged the TSA, citing the Pentagon's conclusion that dogs were superior bomb detectors, boldly claiming one dog could outperform ten body imaging machines.

Chapter 4

When Dogs Become Soldiers: The Evolution of Military Canine Deployment

In March 2004, twelve Air Force dog handlers deployed to Iraq for Operation Phantom Fury after being warned that two or three of them were expected to be killed in action. Staff Sergeant Sean Lulofs, initially reluctant after seeing images of American contractors killed in Iraq, arrived with his Belgian Malinois Aaslan at Camp Baharia near Fallujah. On their first morning, Aaslan detected an improvised explosive device disguised as a coffee can on base-an immediate demonstration of their life-saving potential. By late 2003, IEDs had become insurgents' primary weapon, prompting General James Mattis to order an investigation into using dogs to combat this threat. The Marine Corps deployed approximately 30 dog teams to Iraq-the first such deployment since Vietnam. These law enforcement teams, trained for patrol work rather than war, were unprepared for combat conditions and had to adapt quickly. Marine handler Corporal Mark Vierig and his dog Duc gained such a reputation for finding explosives that insurgents placed a 10,000-unit bounty on the dog. Similarly, handlers Lulofs and Farnsworth shared a makeshift armored Humvee and survived numerous attacks, including a mile-long ambush where bullets and RPGs barely missed them and their dogs. The war changed Lulofs profoundly-from a religious man to someone who believed himself invincible, though he later credited his survival to both luck and his dog Aaslan, who provided crucial emotional support not only to him but to weeping Marines after difficult missions. Unlike early war dogs who were often deployed as weapons of violence rather than for their intelligence, modern military working dogs serve primarily through their extraordinary sensory capabilities. Christopher Columbus brought dogs on voyages to the Americas, calling them "the most fearsome weapon of all." In 1495, he unleashed them against the indigenous Taino people of Hispaniola, with the dogs attacking to kill and often disemboweling victims. The conquistadors similarly used dogs to terrorize native populations. By contrast, modern military working dogs save lives through detection work. In spring 2010, Staff Sergeant Justin Kitts and his detection dog Dyngo joined a patrol to an Afghan town. While traversing grape fields to avoid predictable routes, they were ambushed. Taking cover along roadside walls under enemy fire, Kitts sent Dyngo ahead to scout an escape route. The dog's behavior changed dramatically about 30 meters out-he'd detected something dangerous. After an RPG blast frightened the normally unshakable Dyngo, Kitts calmed him with a game of tug-of-war using a tree branch. When checking the opposite direction, Dyngo again alerted to danger. EOD later found two massive IEDs-yellow jugs with 50 pounds of explosives each-strategically placed to trap the patrol. Dyngo's detection skills had saved the entire unit from a deadly Taliban ambush.

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Chapter 5

The House of Misfit Dogs: The Unique Culture of K-9 Handlers

Sean Lulofs knew he wanted to be a K-9 handler since age five, when he watched a police demonstration where a dog detected hidden cocaine. Dog handlers form a distinct subculture within the military-outsiders within an already insular world, often misunderstood by leadership who "don't understand dogs." This K-9 identity becomes lifelong, with handlers like Vietnam veteran Ron Aiello still beaming with pride about Stormy, his scout dog who led night patrols through the jungle decades ago. Stormy not only saved lives by alerting to snipers and explosives, but Aiello believes she saved him psychologically: "I would've come back a different person." Their bond was so strong that when replacement handlers arrived, Aiello slept in the kennel for their final night together. Like most Vietnam handlers, he never saw his dog again-a wound that never fully healed. At Lackland Air Force Base in the late 1990s, Dr. Stewart Hilliard and handler Staff Sergeant Chris Jakubin worked with Taint, an extremely aggressive dog. While others couldn't approach him, Taint accepted Jakubin immediately. When Jakubin left Lackland, Taint mauled his new handler so badly that veterinarians planned to euthanize him until Jakubin intervened. Despite Taint's reputation, under Jakubin's care he thrived, winning competitions and performing detection work flawlessly. Their partnership lasted ten years-far beyond the typical 3-4 year military dog team assignment-until Taint's death, which left the normally stoic Jakubin openly grieving. Now Jakubin works with Mack, a Belgian Malinois with a gray-speckled muzzle that earned him the nickname "ghost-faced killer." As kennel master, Jakubin could choose to be a desk man, but he's decidedly a dog man. His training philosophy centers on understanding each dog's unique personality and weaknesses, then building confidence. Having trained dogs for nearly 30 years, Jakubin's arms and legs bear the scars of countless bites. The Academy kennels showcase photos of their dogs' achievements, preserve memories of those who've passed, and reflect Jakubin's deep connection to these animals. His approach echoes that of Lieutenant Colonel E. H. Richardson, who pioneered war dog training during WWI and emphasized gentleness and positive reinforcement over a century before such methods became standard. Richardson wrote that "complete confidence and affection must exist between dogs and keeper," rejecting coercion and fear as training tools. Military dog training demands both physical resilience and emotional intelligence. Handlers proudly display their battle scars-bites and scratches earned during training. One particularly severe bite involved Staff Sergeant Ciara Gavin, who was attacked by Kelly, a German shepherd with a notorious reputation for unpredictable aggression. Despite suffering a horrific wound that took six weeks to heal, Gavin's professional pride compelled her to continue working with Kelly upon her return-demonstrating the kind of commitment that separates good handlers from great ones. As handlers often say, "it's not a matter of if you'll get bitten, only when."

Chapter 6

The Trouble with Loving a War Dog: Emotional Bonds in Combat

The military working dog community struggles with a fundamental contradiction: handlers form deep bonds with their canine partners while simultaneously being taught to view them as weapons, not pets. This tension between emotional attachment and operational necessity creates a complex psychological dynamic that shapes how handlers understand their relationships with their dogs. Former handler Kevin Howard insists that dogs don't truly love their handlers, arguing instead that canines operate according to wolf pack dynamics where handlers must establish themselves as "benevolent dictators" at the top of the hierarchy. Howard believes showing too much affection undermines a dog's purpose to serve. While this perspective remains common in military circles, modern animal behaviorists like Alexandra Horowitz challenge this model, noting that wolf packs are actually families, not competitive hierarchies, and that applying simplistic dominance theories to dog behavior is outdated. Staff Sergeant Pascual Gutierrez struggles with the military's contradictory messaging about war dogs. While instructors insist "Your dog is a weapon, not a pet," handlers routinely develop profound attachments. When pressed about his relationship with Bert, Gutierrez initially frames it as pack leadership before reluctantly admitting: "At the end of the day you do grow attached and the dog knows it." Science increasingly validates these bonds-from Darwin's observations of canine emotions to modern research showing dogs possess extraordinary social intelligence, including the ability to read human facial expressions and experience oxytocin spikes during human interaction. As animal behaviorist Marc Bekoff argues, dogs clearly demonstrate love through enduring bonds: "I love you, I miss you, I seek you out, I prefer you." The emotional connection manifests dramatically in combat situations. While Sean Lulofs loved his dog Aaslan, he maintained that human lives come first in combat situations. Yet handlers often risk themselves for their dogs, as demonstrated by Specialist Marc Whittaker who shielded his dog Anax during an ambush. When Anax was wounded, Whittaker desperately carried him and secured transport to get the dog evacuated by medevac helicopter. The chapter explores the profound bond between humans and dogs throughout history, beginning with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius where a dog was found protecting a small boy rather than fleeing. Archaeological evidence like 26,000-year-old footprints of a boy and wolf traveling together supports this ancient partnership. Historical accounts abound of extraordinary canine loyalty: dogs who leaped into funeral pyres, maintained years-long graveside vigils, or faced death to protect humans. In war zones, this loyalty manifests dramatically, with stories of strays like Target and Rufus who saved 50 soldiers from a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, and military dogs throughout history who risked everything for their handlers. War correspondent Ernie Pyle observed that soldiers develop intense ties through shared danger, while Sebastian Junger found that courage in combat is fundamentally about love and group solidarity. This explains why dogs like Staff Sergeant John Mariana's Bronco work not from fear but from love.

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Chapter 7

Wounds of War: The Psychological Cost for Dogs and Handlers

Army Captain Cecilia Najera arrives in Baghdad late one Monday night with her black Labrador retriever Boe, whom she calls her "little shadow," close by her side. Despite feeling uneasy about the trip, Boe's presence provides her comfort. They're met by Lieutenant Colonel Beth Salisbury, commander of the Camp Liberty Stress Clinic, who briefs them on a tragic shooting that occurred earlier that day when Army Sergeant John Russell killed five people. Though Najera doubts she can help these traumatized mental health professionals, when the staff refuses to see other support personnel, they specifically request that she and Boe be allowed in. In the silent room, Boe's natural, tired flop onto the floor breaks the tension momentarily, bringing small smiles to the grieving staff. Between 2007 and 2011, eight dogs formed the first Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC) therapy teams deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. This innovative program, inspired by observations at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, partnered therapy dogs with occupational therapists to provide preemptive emotional support in combat zones. The dogs underwent similar preparation as MWDs, learning to handle combat conditions, but with perfect temperaments for therapy work. No one knows exactly why John Russell killed five people at the Liberty Clinic, though he had exhibited erratic behavior and suicidal thoughts for weeks. His breakdown highlights the epidemic of PTSD among veterans-one in five returning soldiers develop the condition, with 300,000 cases from Iraq and Afghanistan alone. Untreated PTSD often leads to suicide, now the leading cause of death in the Army. Every 80 minutes a veteran takes their own life, and military personnel represent 20% of America's suicides despite being only 1% of the population. Dogs have served as therapeutic tools for psychologically wounded patients since Freud's time. At Walter Reed, the Warrior Transition Brigade program had recovering soldiers train service dogs for veterans, providing purpose and motivation. The program worked remarkably well-patients previously unable to perform daily tasks found themselves empowered when working with puppies. For soldiers with PTSD, dogs provided calming companionship and motivation to get out of bed. Boe served in Iraq for 18 months across two back-to-back deployments. Toward the end, Captain Najera noticed concerning changes-Boe began turning away from approaching soldiers and only seemed happy when free to just be a dog. It was as if she had absorbed too much sadness. Military working dogs experience the same heat, chaos, injuries, violence and trauma as soldiers, yet unlike their handlers, they rarely get breaks between deployments. Canine post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) has only recently been accepted in military veterinary medicine. At the height of deployments in 2011, approximately 5% of the 650 deployed dogs developed CPTSD, with half potentially requiring retirement. Dogs at Bagram Airfield, constantly exposed to gunfire and explosions, sometimes needed evacuation and medication equivalent to canine Prozac. Treatment remains challenging since "you can't tell a dog it's going to be okay." Research on CPTSD remains scarce partly because combat trauma can't be ethically replicated for study.

Chapter 8

Home Again: The Journey Back from War

Marine Corporal Eric Roethler continues working with Sirius, the dog who previously belonged to Corporal Joshua Ashley who was killed in action. After a month at Lejeune kennels, their relationship improved significantly. In January 2013, they traveled to Yuma Proving Ground for pre-deployment training, where some instructors who had trained Ashley were still working. During one training exercise, Sirius demonstrated remarkable intuition by alerting Roethler to an IED plant that wasn't detectable by scent-a moment that solidified their bond. Though gentle when off-duty, Sirius maintains the same stubborn streak that characterized Ashley, reminding Roethler of his fallen comrade. After leaving the Marines following his Afghanistan tour, Matt Hatala struggled to adjust to civilian life until learning his request to adopt his former bomb-sniffing partner Chaney had been approved. With two fellow Marines, he drove to South Carolina to retrieve Chaney, who immediately recognized his former handler despite their two-year separation. Though initially Chaney followed Hatala everywhere as he had in Afghanistan, he gradually adjusted to being a house dog. Having Chaney home profoundly improved Hatala's well-being-he began sleeping better and feeling more comfortable in his own home. After Marine Colton Rusk was killed in Afghanistan on December 6, 2010, the Marine Corps offered his bomb-sniffing dog Eli to his family. When the Rusks picked up Eli at Lackland Air Force Base in February 2011, the dog immediately recognized them and, upon arriving at their home, went straight to Colton's room. Eli now sleeps with Colton's younger brother Brady every night. The Rusk home has become a sanctuary for Marines from Colton's unit, who visit to pay respects and see Eli. The dog provides comfort to Kathy Rusk on her difficult days, while she comforts him when fireworks trigger his combat memories. Sometimes Eli still seeks out items with Colton's scent, and Kathy shares these moments with him as they remember the young man they both loved. Writer James Fallows observed that we bring animals into our lives knowing they'll leave us much sooner than we'd like, yet we continue to form these bonds because the relationship is worth the inevitable grief. By spring 2014, Eli is seven years old, showing signs of aging with aching joints and decreased energy, requiring Kathy to be more careful about letting him overexert himself. The Rusks bred Eli with a chocolate Lab, producing 11 black puppies they've given to family members and Marines from Colton's battalion. Sean Lulofs couldn't adopt his retired dog Aaslan due to the dog's temperament around children, but eventually stopped checking on him, preferring to imagine him still alive rather than face the possibility of his death. Similarly, Ron Aiello never learned Stormy's fate after Vietnam, but prefers to believe she died in combat rather than being euthanized or worse. Though Aiello thought he could never love another dog after Stormy, he eventually adopted Sampson, discovering there's always room in the heart for another dog.

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Chapter 9

What War Dogs Teach Us About Humanity

Napoleon Bonaparte once encountered a dog guarding its fallen master's body on a battlefield. Despite having ordered the deaths of thousands without emotion, Napoleon was profoundly moved by this dog's grief, writing years later that this simple display of canine loyalty stirred him to tears and mercy more than any battle that decided nations' fates. War dogs serve as a connective thread between people and events, helping us understand war's complexities in more accessible ways. They reveal the humanity in conflict, offering insight into the military handlers who work with them. As author Mark Derr suggests, dogs help us discuss war's darker aspects by distilling them to their raw essence. Through war dogs, we gain a more layered understanding of war itself-not necessarily better or worse, but infinitely more complex and interesting. Dogs make war more palatable yet more tender, cutting a path to our emotions and bringing us back to our senses, often through love. The relationship between handlers and their dogs challenges our understanding of both warfare and the ancient bond between humans and canines. In the most extreme circumstances, these partnerships reveal something profound about loyalty, courage, and connection that transcends species boundaries. Whether detecting bombs in Afghanistan, providing comfort to traumatized soldiers, or helping veterans heal after returning home, military working dogs demonstrate that even in humanity's darkest endeavor-war-there exists the possibility for extraordinary compassion and devotion. Perhaps this is why these stories resonate so deeply with both military and civilian audiences. In a world increasingly divided by politics and ideology, the bond between handler and dog reminds us of our shared capacity for connection and sacrifice. As Rebecca Frankel's exploration reveals, these relationships are not merely tactical advantages in combat but windows into the very essence of what makes us human.

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Key Themes in War Dogs

canine sensory perception
interspecies emotional bonds
military working dogs
canine combat history
animal welfare ethics

Quotes from War Dogs

'The dog game must play its part in this thing.'
Dogs were superior bomb detectors, boldly claiming one dog could outperform ten body imaging machines.
The rest were euthanized or abandoned-a betrayal that haunts Vietnam handlers like Ron Aiello to this day.
The only weapon system [the military] ever devised to save lives.
This institutional amnesia forced the military to repeatedly relearn painful lessons about the value of war dogs.

Characters in War Dogs

Arlene ErlangerSocialite who founded the Dogs for Defense program
Rebecca FrankelAuthor who embedded with military dog handlers
Jesse MendezHead of the scout dog program at Fort Benning
Ron AielloVietnam veteran and military dog handler
ChipsWorld War II's most decorated war dog

About the Author

Rebecca Frankel is the New York Times bestselling author of War Dogs: Tales of Canine Heroism, History, and Love, a compelling exploration of military working dogs and their enduring bond with handlers.

A seasoned journalist and former executive editor of Foreign Policy, Frankel combines rigorous historical research with narrative flair to illuminate themes of loyalty, courage, and humanity in war. Her expertise in military canine stories emerged through years of reporting, including a viral blog series that sparked national interest in combat dogs.

She is also the author of Into the Forest: A Holocaust Story of Survival, Triumph, and Love, which chronicles her family’s wartime resilience.

Frankel’s work has been featured on C-SPAN and in major media outlets, cementing her reputation as a meticulous chronicler of untold historical narratives. War Dogs has been widely praised for its vivid storytelling and remains a cornerstone text in military history and animal-human connection discourse.

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Chapter 7

War Dogs

OverviewOverview of War Dogs

One book. Many ways to hear it.

Bonds Forged in Battle: How Dogs Became America's Most Loyal Warriors

The Birth of America's War Dog Program: From Civilian Pets to Military Assets

See every word as you hear it

The Extraordinary Sensory World of Military Working Dogs

When Dogs Become Soldiers: The Evolution of Military Canine Deployment

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The House of Misfit Dogs: The Unique Culture of K-9 Handlers

The Trouble with Loving a War Dog: Emotional Bonds in Combat

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Wounds of War: The Psychological Cost for Dogs and Handlers

Home Again: The Journey Back from War

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What War Dogs Teach Us About Humanity

You made it to the end of War Dogs

Key Themes in War Dogs

Quotes from War Dogs

Characters in War Dogs

About the Author

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How does War Dogs portray the handler-dog relationship?

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1,000,000+ curious minds.

1,000,000+ curious minds.

One book. Many ways to hear it.

Bonds Forged in Battle: How Dogs Became America's Most Loyal Warriors

The Birth of America's War Dog Program: From Civilian Pets to Military Assets

See every word as you hear it

The Extraordinary Sensory World of Military Working Dogs

When Dogs Become Soldiers: The Evolution of Military Canine Deployment

Get more out of War Dogs

The House of Misfit Dogs: The Unique Culture of K-9 Handlers

The Trouble with Loving a War Dog: Emotional Bonds in Combat

See every word as you hear it

Wounds of War: The Psychological Cost for Dogs and Handlers

Home Again: The Journey Back from War

Get more out of War Dogs

What War Dogs Teach Us About Humanity

You made it to the end of War Dogs

Users also liked

Discover more

Overview of War Dogs