US Military Puppy Program

[Mrs.K]

So the US Military has their own breeding program which kind of worries me.

I am not sure if they realize that one litter can be extremely strong while another litter is just average to weak. I don't know if it will pay off and what happens to all those dogs that don't qualify?

How many litters do they produce? What happens in the meantime? A puppy needs to be raised in a social environment? Can they find foster homes for all those puppies they want to raise?

How much does it cost? Is it worth it? Does it pay off or is it more expensive than going off and buying dogs from breeders?

I understand their misery but breeding dogs isn't all that simple and I really hope they know what they are doing.

Especially since in Grafenwoehr they requested to injure animals to let their medics work on living creatures and create an somewhat real simulations. That caused an outrage and of course their request was denied. But it makes me think... what if they can't find homes for all the dogs they produce? What if some of them end up on a training field, injured, as a test object for a medic?

In Grafenwoehr they wanted to use Goats and Pigs... it was denied over here, but do we know if they don't do it already in the States?

What ya'll think about that?

[AbbyK9]

As I said in the other thread, the military has had a breeding program for some time, which is very limited in scope and size due to the fact that they are severely limiting their breeding stock.

The puppies are raised either by foster homes (it's a very popular program) and they also have programs now where a unit or flight "adopts" a puppy and the puppy gets to go to their place of work, etc. for socialization. There is an article about that program on Lackland AFB's website if you want to check it out.

The majority of dogs in the MWD program are purchased from breeders, and more than half of them come from breeders in Europe, as they produce the type and quality of dogs needed more than breeders in the US do. They also have "contracted" dogs that come from Vohne Liche Kennels (Welcome to Vohne Liche Kennels - Bomb Dogs, Drug Dogs, Police Dogs, Narcotic Dogs, Cadaver Dogs) in Indiana.

As far as medics are concerned - yes, they have had programs to work on live animals. They are using pigs for this purpose, as the tissues are similar to human tissues. I like pigs, but I am all for using them for this purpose as it goes toward saving human lives on the battlefield.

[holland]

What worries you about it? Where are you getting your information from?

[JudynRich]

My nephew has been a kennal master for nearly 10+ years w/ the US Army. They take very good care of these dogs...working 14-16 hours a day (the guys and girls-not the dogs). These dogs get care and attention from the get go. They pay special attention to prevention of bloat w/ all females having gastroplexy during the spay. A dog is usually (for bomb purposes) assigned one master that they work with for 1-2 years. When dogs retire, they make sure they go to homes that understand the military mentality these dogs have. My nephew by the way, cares about and loves these dogs as any dog lover would...thought you should know!

[JudynRich]

Ooops...forgot. I believe they allow only 3 litter per female.

[HMV]

I don't understand why they can't get their dogs from skid row.

The Army gets a dog for free. The dog has a future. The pen saves on costs.
A win, win, win situation. There must be lots of dogs that would fit the requirement the Army is looking for.

[Samba]

At Lackland they seemed to be talking about the MWD program breeding malinois. I couldn't find any reference to GSD breeding.

The dogs at our local base seem to be well care for and the kennel master is definitely a "dog guy". Nice facility and people there. A soldier was going to adopt his canine that was being discharged and we were going to foster the dog if needed while the young man attended some training.

[JudynRich]

They use many different breeds. I think he (my nephew) has worked with labs too. It depends on where they are. In Barstow, they use a lot of GSDs, in Germany the Malinois is used. He has been back from Iraq (his third tour) for about 6 months and is currently in Alabama.

[AbbyK9]

I don't understand why they can't get their dogs from skid row.

FYI - from DA Pam 190-12 "Military Working Dog Program"

1–21. Military working dogs

All dogs trained and used as working dogs by the Army are procured by the 341st Military Working Dog Training Squadron, Lackland AFB, TX. Usually, only the Belgium Malinois and German Shepherd breed dogs are accepted for military use, but other breeds may be used for special purposes.

a. German Shepherd dogs are used as the standard breed because of their unique combination of traits. Shepherds are intelligent, dependable, predictable, easily trained, usually moderately aggressive, and can adapt readily to almost any climatic conditions. While many dog breeds exhibit some or most of these traits, the Shepherd more than any other breed, most consistently exhibits all of these traits.

b. Small breed dogs are being used in special situations as narcotics detector dogs. These dogs are trained only for detection and are not suitable for other duties. This limitation on their use means lower cost effectiveness than the patrol trained detector dogs, and requires the use of small breed dogs remain limited to special situations. Because of this lower cost effectiveness and because of the lack of a wartime mission for small breed detector dogs, the program has been eliminated. Small breed dogs in the system are to be replaced by attrition by the narcotic detector dog. Authorization documents must be changed to reflect this change.

c. The 341st Military Working Dog Training Squadron specifies the breed and other physical requirements for dogs offered for use in the MWD program. Dogs do not have to be purebred or registered, but must display the predominant characteristics of their breed. The 341st Military Working Dog Training Squadron will provide requirements upon request.

d. Since military duties demand strength and stamina, all dogs must be in excellent physical condition. Minor physical defects may be acceptable provided they do not impair the dog’s ability to work. Dogs should be moderately aggressive and must not be gun shy.

e. The 341st Military Working Dog Training Squadron has prepared an evaluation packet for use by kennelmasters and veterinarians to field screen all dogs being offered for sale or donation to the military. This packet is available from MACOMs. Field screening helps to eliminate dogs that are clearly unacceptable for military use without the expense of shipping the dog to and from the 341st Military Working Dog Training Squadron. As a general rule, dogs will not be accepted from donors outside the customs territory of the United States.

f. The majority of dogs trained and used by the military services are purchased from the open market. Kennelmasters and handlers can help recruit qualified dogs. Anyone interested in donating or selling a dog to the U.S. Government should contact the Program Manager, 341st Military Working Dog Training Squadron, Lackland AFB, TX 78236–5000, or (toll free) 1–800–531–1066.

[HMV]

TY - I'm a Brit, I have no idea about the rules and regs of the AA. I just thought it would have made sense to save a life if a dog fulfilled the criteria they are after.