Let Slip the Dogs of War!

A Bin Laden Hunter on Four Legs

The identities of all 80 members of the Navy Seal team who thundered into Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden are the subject of intense speculation, but perhaps none more so than the only member with four legs.

Little is known about what may be the nation’s most courageous dog. Even its breed is the subject of great interest, although it was most likely a German shepherd or a Belgian Malinois, military sources say. But its use in the raid reflects the military’s growing dependence on dogs in wars in which improvised explosive devices have caused two-thirds of all casualties. Dogs have proved far better than people or machines at quickly finding bombs.

It is, however, unlikely to have been a Siberian.  As a rule, they have negligible instincts as guard dogs.  The Chutchki people probably led a pretty communal life, and didn't need much guarding from each other.  A Siberian would have gladly gone up to Osama and offered to show him the way out the back for a treat.  And I can't say much for a Sibe's nose either.  They're cute, short stubby noses, but they don't seem to specialize in smelling.  But I'll bet there are places in Afghanistan they could use a dog sled team...

There are 600 dogs serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that number is expected to grow substantially over the next year, Ensign Brynn Olson of the United States Central Command said. Particularly popular with the troops are the growing number of Labrador retrievers who wander off-leash 100 yards or more in front of patrols to ensure the safety of the route. A Silver Star, one of the Navy’s highest awards, was awarded posthumously in 2009 to a dog named Remco after he charged an insurgent’s hide-out in Afghanistan...

...Last year, the Seals bought four waterproof tactical vests for their dogs that featured infrared and night-vision cameras so that handlers — holding a three-inch monitor from as far as 1,000 yards away — could immediately see what the dogs were seeing. The vests, which come in coyote tan and camouflage, let handlers communicate with the dogs with a speaker, and the four together cost more than $86,000. Navy Seal teams have trained to parachute from great heights and deploy out of helicopters with dogs.

 No, Skye, you can't have an $86,000 vest to help catch ground hogs....