Poll of the Week: Would you volunteer your dog for service?

CollieMan

Experienced Member
There you are, busy training your dog in the local park, when a serviceman approaches you. "That's just the sort of dog that we're looking for in the military. It'll be doing some really noble work if you let us take it. It'll save countless lives and no two days will ever be the same for it. A life full of travel, people, and adventure."

Would you let them take your dog?
 

CollieMan

Experienced Member
I had to really think about that answer. At first I thought a resounding "no", and then I thought, you know, I've seen MWDs and they don't have a bad life at all. If it can have a great life and save lives as well, then why not. But I'd have to be able to chart its progress in some way.
 

Jean Cote

Administrator
Staff member
Nope I would never allow it. You know they use dogs at Guantanamo to intimidate prisoners. And I wouldn't want my dog sniffing out mines until one day she steps on one and her brains splatter everywhere.

Sorry, I just don't believe the military would see my dog the way I do, and would treat it as an animal and nothing else.
 

bigboytex

New Member
I would in a heat beat I love my county and if I can go to war then so can my dog. I belive that they would take care of her and if she is saving lives then there is nothing better she could be doing.
 

l_l_a

New Member
Didn't the American military do that in WWII? Civilians volunteered their pet dogs for military service, or rather there were efforts to recruit civilian dogs and people responded out of patriotism, and many of the dogs did end up being put to service for the war effort.

I voted not sure. On the one hand, since my dog is a german shepherd, which is a working breed, I think that having the opportunity to work full-time would be fulfilling his potential and be immensely satisfying to him. But on the other hand I also know that he is not from working lines, he is from pet lines, so I doubt if he would have what it takes to fulfill real military work anyway.

And then finally, I don't trust other people to take care of my dog as well as I would on a long-term basis. And I would worry endlessly for his safety, and especially since he has no choice in the matter.
 

CollieMan

Experienced Member
l_l_a;1643 said:
Didn't the American military do that in WWII?
They certainly did. It was after the attack on Pearl Harbour that America started to take the "war dogs" seriously, and a group called "Dogs for Defense" was formed, asking for the donation of quality dogs.

There's a full and really very interesting history of the events here.
 

luna may

New Member
Here there are military dogs who mostly sniff out explosives and drugs and stuff, but also track down criminals and missing people. Once in a while there's some serious stuff though, like catching terrorists, and sometimes the dog is the one who charges at the lunatic and eventually gets it too :dogsad:. I once read about a warrior telling about his dog, Neta, who was killed saving him and his men from a terrorist trying to invade our country. It's a really sad buisness... I would happily go with Kesem and let her help the nation in the less risky stuff, though, such as tracking, rescuing and so on... The only problem would be the fact that she's only about the size of a big book, so I can imagine it would be a little bit difficult for her to carry a 90 Kg. man... Appart from that, it's al cool :dogwink:.
She statistically helps our family increase daily enjoyment levels by evaluationaly 15%, and with us being officialy rightfull citzens, that's good enough for me :doghappy:.
 

addictinganimal

New Member
Noooooooooooo way! I wouldn't want my best friend going into the military, human or dog. We'd both miss each other incredibly, and they wouldn't treat him the same as I do. (They'd treat him well, but you know what I mean.)
 

storm22

Experienced Member
i wouldnt do it for the simple reason my dog doesnt like being away from me the times i have gone away without him for a few days he just sits in his kennel not wanting a walk and stop eating the last time i went away for too long about 4 days is enough for him
 
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