War Dogs

*All photos are courtesy of Corporal Jesse Makela*

     I was expecting an average conversation to gather material for my blog.  I got mentally thrown into a different world. 

     Corporal Jesse Makela would like to consider himself an "Average Joe".  His job just happens to involve being overseas for months at a time, training fierce canines and marines to handle them, and leading other troops into combat zones.  I say, not so average!

     Ready for some acronyms?  Here we go! 

     Cpl. Makela does MP dog work. (Military Police)

     He also trains PPDs. (Personal Protection Dogs)

     Belgian Malinois and occasionally Labrador Retrievers are trained and certified PEDs and PNDs (Patrol Explosive Dog, Patrol Narcotics Dogs)   Many dogs are certified in more than one specialty.

     That should be enough letters to start us out! On to the good stuff.    

     Even though Cpl. Makela exudes a "Laissez-faire" attitude, his work should not be taken lightly!  The intensity of the occupation blew my civilian mind.  One of the first things he flippantly mentioned after detailing the basic obedience patterns, was that "It's not IF a bite happens, it's WHEN."  Cpl. Makela himself has been bitten several times in the course of training PPDs and considers it part of what he does. 

      Choosing handlers is an incredibly selective process.  A Marine cannot just sign up and be trained.  Cpl. Makela looks for a balanced, confident person who has the genuine desire to learn the skills necessary for assignment.  Integrity is vital as well.  The handler will be matched with a dog that best compliments their personality.

     Once a team has been matched, they have 90 days to certify.  The team must be practiced in combat situations. Practice scenarios are designed to build endurance, introduce the dog to explosives and gunfire.  Tracking is considered a basic skill that all working dogs must be capable of. 

     Even though the Searchdog Handlers may be deployed as a group, each pair (handler and dog team) must be able to function independently.  They may be assigned to completely different areas locally, in combat zones.  The teams move in front of a patrol.  The detection of any explosives in the area saves countless lives of the soldiers following. 

     The huge contribution of these Military Dogs is not only their heroic searches.  They are their soldier's best friend.  They are constant companions.  When a handler lays down to sleep, his (or HER, there are only about 4 women handlers out of approximately 80) dog is by his side. 

Cpl Makela and his working dog Rocky

     If you would like to learn more about the four legged Heroes serving our country, please visit the War Dog Association site.