Working with our Air Force’s Four-Legged Defenders > Air Education and Training Command > Article Display

LAUGHLIN AIR Drive Base, Texas —
Armed forces Operating Canines (MWD) supply a wide variety of expert services, including the detection of explosives and drug queries, monitoring of personnel and suspects, patrol of limited regions, and defense of navy installations. Maintaining these dogs’ competencies sturdy and honed is crucial – this is the place MWD handlers perform a important role.


Staff Sgt. Charles Gaines, a 47th Security Forces Squadron military services performing dog coach, is in charge of teaching just about every of the canines and handlers below at Laughlin. He is responsible for producing positive the bond, teamwork, and expertise concerning a handler and a MWD are at their very best.


“As a trainer, my working day-to-day is made up of feeding and examining up on the canines,” explained Gaines. “Then I’ll appear up with a video game prepare with the handlers on what variety of instruction they will be carrying out that day, no matter whether which is patrol or detection.”


Although MWD trainers are extra of a supervisory position, they are nevertheless very fingers-on when it comes to doing the job with both of those the dogs and their handlers and furnishing prime-notch education.


“Part of my occupation is to hide either faux medication or explosives all over the base and have the handlers and their pet dogs go out and operate a ‘detection issue,’ as we get in touch with it, to uncover them,” explained Gaines. “We will also go out and do a patrol to function on managed aggression or lookups for a individual/people outside or inside of structures.”


Being a MWD handler or coach is a extraordinary job that will come with many special difficulties. Working with these animals is an excellent duty due to the fact every single canine has a distinct character and various health status/considerations. A dog’s temper can adjust from day to day, which is why understanding dog psychology is a should for these handlers and trainers.


Handlers are also liable for the actual physical factor of every single doggy, including bathing, grooming, working out, and feeding their dogs. Armed forces working pet dogs are also susceptible to injuries, so getting capable to offer with cuts, scrapes, broken nails, broken enamel, and far more is vital.


Even though currently being a MWD handler arrives with numerous obligations, it can also be a quite rewarding occupation though setting up sturdy bonds with their companions.


“The most fulfilling detail about remaining a trainer for me is viewing the progress concerning a handler and puppy when they ultimately begin functioning jointly as a crew and forming a potent bond,” explained Gaines. “It’s terrific to see a handler produce the skills essential to examine their pet and start out doing work with them to transfer as one particular equipment.”


Gaines found the army working puppy vocation right after joining the Air Pressure back again in 2016.


“I’ve normally been intrigued in legislation enforcement, and I’ve normally been a significant supporter of the armed service, so I believed it would be a great route for me to join safety forces in the Air Force,” claimed Gaines. “I seriously didn’t know a lot about schooling or performing with MWDs, but the moment I uncovered it, I grew to become truly passionate about it.”


The initial military services performing dog handler’s study course is a three-thirty day period long program found at Lackland Air Force Foundation, Texas. It addresses patrol, detection and veterinary information schooling.


“So considerably, it is the best Air Drive class I have been to. I had a ton of entertaining, designed a large amount of connections, and acquired a great deal of excellent details,” said Gaines. “At the begin of the class, I knew that military operating dog coaching was where I belonged and what I truly preferred to do.”


Getting to be a military services doing work dog handler or coach is no simple activity. It can take a terrific offer of dedication and additional to be preferred for the job.


“While being a canine handler comes with much more additional responsibility, really hard do the job, and commitment, it is a really satisfying task,” reported Gaines. “It will come with wonderful opportunities for your career and at the conclude of the day, you have this great bond with your dog.”



