Military dogs are trained with the skills to save lives and help prevent disaster. They form a deep, sometimes life-long bond with the military personnel who train them. On July 27, these highly skilled dogs and their owners got to show off their abilities at a 5-day competition at Bellows Air Force Station in Waimanalo, Hawaii. The Working Dog Challenge gives military service animals the chance to compete in events like drug sniffing, explosives detection, hardest-hitting dog, obedience and endurance.
Capt. Troy Cline, one of the officers in command of the event, told KITV News, "This competition is designed to get all military working dogs together so they can learn each other's tactics and techniques, because military working dogs are one of the few pieces of Army equipment that has a mind of its own."
Military dogs go through extensive training, not unlike their handlers. They are taught to leap from helicopters, sniff out contraband cell phones in military prisons, and remain focused on the task at hand when there is a lot of surrounding chaos. Many military lives depend on the skill and reliability of these canine heroes, and the Working Dog Challenge is an excellent display of these elite animals' abilities.