They protect humans, find explosives and sniff drugs – Bundeswehr working dogs. On operations, they fly in helicopters or cross gorges. The animals fulfil tasks that humans and machines cannot perform. Breeding, training and caring for these four-legged multitasking talents is among the Bundeswehr Joint Support Command’s tasks.
Keeping event locations under control, detecting explosive ordnance or drugs, protecting humans: There is a wide variety of scenarios and ways in which working dogs can be employed. From an early age, they are playfully introduced to their future tasks. After the completion of their training, continuous practice remains an integral part for dogs and dog handlers.
Over the last decades, both training methods and requirements for working dogs have changed. In the modern Bundeswehr, working dogs and their handlers have to fulfil a multitude of tasks. Except for the engineer forces’ highly specialised detection dogs, who are exclusively employed for explosive ordnance and mine detection, all Bundeswehr working dogs undergo dual training as protection and detection dogs – a very demanding task, especially when it comes to operations abroad and certain scenarios of national and collective defence.
Bundeswehr working dog handlers are not only thoroughly selected, they continuously have to undergo advanced and follow-on training as well. This way, they and their dog grow together as a team throughout their training courses. After completing their training, the working dog will not live in the barracks but in the dog handler’s family. Accordingly, Bundeswehr Dog Handling places great importance on the careful selection and upbringing of young dogs, ideally from the Bundeswehr’s own breeders, dog-oriented training and handling as well as taking care of and, if required, finding the right place for aging working dogs.
The Bundeswehr School of Dog Handling is the Bundeswehr Joint Support Command agency tasked with providing all arms and services with dogs according to demand. Here, army paratroopers work with a military working dog.
Bundeswehr/Mario BährComprehensive medical care and treatment of working dogs also is an integral part of dog handling in the Bundeswehr. In a first-aid course, dog handlers learn how to treat and care for their wounded or injured dogs on operations abroad until a veterinarian is available for further treatment: Buddy aid for working dogs. Furthermore, the Bundeswehr operates the only Working Dog Clinic in Germany. It is located at the Bundeswehr School of Dog Handling in Ulmen.