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Sign up todaySoldier Dogs
The Untold Story of America’s Canine Heroes
Narrator
Nicole Vilencia
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Length
8 hours 6 minutes
Language
English
A leading dog-blogger offers a tour of military working dogs’ extraordinary training, heroic accomplishments, and the lasting impact they have on those who work with them.
People all over the world have been riveted by the story of Cairo, the Belgian Malinois who was a part of the Navy SEAL team that led the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound. A dog’s natural intelligence, physical abilities, and pure loyalty contribute more to our military efforts than ever before. You don’t have to be a dog lover to be fascinated by the idea that a dog—the cousin of that furry guy begging for scraps under your table—could be one of the heroes who helped execute the most vital and high-tech military mission of the new millennium.
Now Maria Goodavage, editor and featured writer for one of the world’s most widely read dog blogs, tells heartwarming stories of modern soldier dogs and the amazing bonds that develop between them and their handlers. Beyond tales of training, operations, retirement, and adoption into the families of fallen soldiers, Goodavage talks to leading dog-cognition experts about why dogs like nothing more than to be on a mission with a handler they trust, no matter how deadly the IEDs they are sniffing out, nor how far they must parachute or rappel from aircraft into enemy territory.
“Military working dogs live for love and praise from their handlers,” says Ron Aiello, president of the United States War Dogs Association and a former marine scout-dog handler. “The work is all a big game, and then they get that pet, that praise. They would do anything for their handler.” This is an unprecedented window into the world of these adventurous, loving warriors.
Maria Goodavage, a former reporter for USA Today and the San Francisco Chronicle, is the editor and featured writer for one of the most widely read dog blogs in the world, For the Love of Dog. She is the author of The Dog Lover’s Companion to California and The Dog Lover’s Companion to the San Francisco Bay Area. She coproduced and wrote an award-winning children’s video about animals, starring the voice of Ed Asner.
Original, sent from reader:
Nicole was born in Southern California and believes oranges, avocados and olives are the holy kitchen trinity. Just out of high school she became a full-time radio personality and has made a career of intimate conversations with millions of people for 22 years in a variety of formats at radio stations spanning the country. She has been a student of life but in 2008 enrolled in college for the first time to pursue a degree in teaching because she believes that as the parent of a young child she should be qualified to be her child's first educator. Nicole has been in a cage with lions and tigers, used to own her own monkey (but lost him in a break up), has walked on 3,000 degree hot coals and believes that life is a verb and is meant to be lived fearlessly. When she is not rolling dice in Las Vegas, donning a mask for Mardi Gras on the streets of New Orleans or entertaining radio listeners she can be found cooking something incredible in a rambling Ashland, Oregon farmhouse for her daughter "Lolli" and attempting to obedience train her not so mellow dog "Mellow" with limited success.
Reviews
“In this detailed account, former USA Today reporter Goodavage takes readers behind the scenes to learn how these courageous canines are identified, trained, and cared for in the field…Stories of spooked pups aboard battle-bound Hueys and dogs in the line of fire reveal surprisingly human-like response to war, and posit these military mutts as admirable—and capable—soldiers.”
“Soldier Dogs is a fascinating book about the valiant things that military dogs do as told through the words of the soldiers who fight beside them. It also shows you how military service dogs are created, told through the words of the trainers and scientists who know the process. It is written in an easy and entertaining style and will acquaint you with dozens of canine heroes ranging from Stubby, who fought in WWI, to Cairo, who was a member of the raiding party that took down Osama Bin Laden. It is a great read for anyone who appreciates dogs and heroes.”
“Popular dog blogger Goodavage covers the training, duties, retirement, and adoption of military dogs while explaining that these animals live for their missions. Lots of interest in this subject, not least because the Navy SEAL team that raided Osama bin Laden’s compound last May got help from Cairo, a Belgian Malinois.”
“Writer Goodavage profiles an indispensible warrior of the four-legged variety…The author provides inspiring personal stories of the many canine allies (and their handlers) who have dramatically enhanced military command units and examines how this indelible human-canine bond often transcends the atrocities of wartime violence. A well-deserved salute to the military’s ‘paws-on-the-ground heroes.’”
“A moving portrait of the loyal, courageous, furry warriors who truly are enlisted Man's Best Friend.”
“A fascinating window into a different kind of military life.”
“[A] highly recommended book if you have the slightest interest in military working dogs. A must read—I say again must read—book if you have ever served anywhere they've had paws on the ground. I’m not sure who to thank more...Maria Goodavage for her book or Blek, Lucy, Buck, Ajax, Davy, Tina, Patrick, Fenji, Rex, Cinte, Lex, Ben, Lars, Duc, and the other dogs and their handlers for helping her write it..”
“Goodavage does a great job of chronicling the use of dogs in the military.”
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