We don’t have the technology, we can’t build him better…
In my previous articles on dog capabilities, and how to integrate them into a Tactical Team, we discussed their capabilities to bite and fight as well as their ability to carry equipment. Now let’s discuss their most beneficial capability to us, their sense of smell.
In my original article I said, “One of the greatest capabilities a dog can bring, and the primary reason they are used by law enforcement and military, is their sense of smell. Humans walk into a restaurant and smell the food (they may even distinguish the types of meals being prepared).
A dog detects whether it’s an electric, gas or wood stove being used; the type of meat being cooked; the spices being added; the cleanliness of the cooks; the sicknesses of the patrons; who is carrying weapons; and if there are any explosives of drugs present on the grounds. Wouldn’t you love to be able to tell all that with just your sense of smell?” [Read More…]
Previously we discussed by a Special Forces Team like the US Navy SEALs might want to include a dog on a high risk and dynamic operation like raiding UBL’s compound.
We then discussed how a Tactical Team might integrate a dog’s ability to fight into their operating TTPs. Now I would like to discuss how the dog might help a Tactical Team to make the best use of technology on the battlefield.
You’re probably reading the title of this article and asking yourself what an Unmanned Ground Vehicle is, let me explain. [Read More…]
There is a lot of interest, as of late, in hand to hand combat. The military has trained their soldiers in it for as long as there have been soldiers.
Law Enforcement Officers also spend a lot of time learning how to subdue suspects with their hands. For good reason too, being able to subdue your enemy with your hands is the last resort, but you had better be able to perform when the time comes, or you’ll be hurting in a bad way.
But not a lot is said about mouth-to-arm combat, or for that matter, mouth-to-leg combat. I guess that’s because, even if you get down on all fours, leap and bound in the best bear crawl ever performed, wrap your arms around someone’s leg and bite down: they may scream, they may even be concerned, but most people are not going to have that cold, incapacitating chill run down their spine.
But when a dog does it, for whatever reason, people tend to crap their pants. Not fair, I agree, but nevertheless it’s true. [Read More…]
With the recent news release about a K-9 being part of the raid on the Bin Laden compound and having an active role in Special Operations military actions, many people are asking themselves, “What was that dog doing on the raid?”
Speculation abounds regarding the breed and possible surgical alterations to the dog, like titanium teeth to “rip through body armor.”
Much of the talk is sensationalism and fails to really capture what capabilities dogs have to offer and how we can best integrate dogs into our Special Operations teams. I hope to open your eyes to things you either never thought of, or previously thought were impossible with dogs. [Read More…]
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