How early do military dogs start their training?

A Marine veteran and former military working dog handler offers some tips on how to train your dog. ... “It starts when you feel the dog trusts you, and you have a good enough rapport and strong enough bond that they will listen to you, and there's really no timeframe for it,” said Dowling. read more

When you enter the training area, you should start off by letting your dog run around and play, you know, be a dog. “You enter the area in a really lighthearted way and let them run around and be a dog,” said Dowling. read more

As soon as they were paired up, a dog and his handler would take a week to become familiar with each other. They would hang together in camp, go on hikes and participate in exercises. When the dog felt comfortable with his partner and the new routine, formal obedience training would begin. read more

Dino’s path to Iraq involved a lot more than a spiked collar. Dino and Lee each went through rigorous training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (JBSA), as do almost all military working dogs and handlers. The first sentry dogs were trained at Lackland in 1958. It’s now home to the Department of Defense Military Working Dog Program (MWD). read more