Archive: MWDTSA blog posts from prior to 2016- Page 11 of 12

This archive includes blog posts published by the Military Working Dog Team Support Association prior to 2016, as well as miscellaneous content that is now out-of-date.

MWDTSA, founded in 2006, has served hundreds of military working dog teams in all branches of the service. We provide care packages to handlers and K9s serving in global combat zones. We schedule recognition events for active duty teams at home station kennels.

As well, we support veterans causes and much more. The blog posts in this archive cover a range of topics, from kennel visits to donor thank yous. For more stories, also check out our Kennel Talk archive here: https://www.mwdtsa.org/kennel-talk-newsletter-archive/

Will you become part of MWDTSA’s story? We are seeking volunteers to help in variety of roles, including fundraising. It’s an honor to support our troops, both the two-legged and four-legged variety! For more information, visit https://www.mwdtsa.org/.

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Both ends of the leash.

Training is always about the dogs and handlers working together. Each end of the lead having total trust in the other end of the lead. The black and white photo from the Scout Dog school at Fort Benning in the 60s showcases the handlers and dogs in a “ducking for cover” position.

The color photo is of dogs being trained to accept being carried by their handlers. Should the need arise, dogs could be carried by their handlers. Imagine trying to do that trick with a dog that had never before been carried. Yikes!

Looks like they still have some work to do with various carrying profiles and butt sniffing going on. I suspect this would be easier to train when there isn’t another butt at your dog’s nose level to sniff. This exercise would make we want to find the smallest, sleekest MWD available.

If you check out the 47th IPSD website at http://47ipsd.us/47clip6.htm you’ll find a news clipping of an instance in Vietnam where a handler carried his dog from 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the evening, after he was shot in battle. Truly heroic actions from both ends of the leash.

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Friday the 13th ~~ Let’s Make This Billy’s Lucky Day

AURORA, COLORADO, NOVEMBER 5, 2004–Recently returned from a 6-month tour of duty in Iraq as an explosive detection dog, “Billy”, a specially trained Dutch Shepherd dog, sits comfortably inside his handler’s SUV at the Military Working Dog training area at Buckley Air Force base in Aurora on Friday. Billy and his handler, Staff Sgt. Chris Roach, currently perform security patrols at Buckley. “He likes that comfortable seat,” Roach said. (DENVER POST PHOTO BY GLENN ASAKAWA)

Photos of Billy, a drop dead gorgeous Military Working Dog, looking for a cushy retirement home:

Here’s a note from his kennel:

“Our dog that has been considered excess about 2 months ago. His name is Billy B041. He is a 12 year old Dutch Shephard. He is on Rimadyl, Tramadol, and Dasuquin for his bad back. He has been approved for adoption. He back is bad enough that he needs the pain killers and the Glucosamine supplements but not bad enough that he still has plenty of energy to play. He still jumps around like a puppy when it’s feeding time. Only thing is he is agressive with animals and would need to be put in a home with no animals and preferably a fenced in back yard. Billy is a Explosive Detector Dog (EDD). He has not done any explosive detection in over 6 months since he was approved to be adopted.

He passed his adoption bite video with flying colors. I tried everything to get him to be aggressive and he wasn’t interested.As long as there is no bite equipment
around, Billy is your average playful “old man.”

We had one person call us back who was a retired handler. The thing that kept us from giving Billy to him was he lived in a assisted living home and was partially disabled. Because of Billy’s aggression training we need him to be in a home with someone that can handle him. Just as long as they have handled or had experience with dogs who have been aggression trained. We haven’t done any bite work with Billy in over 2 years to help prepare him for retirement. He is a good dog. Loves his toys and loves to be loved. Billy has been neutered as well to prepare him for retirement.”

Please consider supporting this retired Veteran.

If you’d like more information, please contact:
via email: Charles.Dahlberg@buckley.af.mil or via phone 720-847-3647, 720-847-3645

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TV NCIS Agent Friend of MWDTSA

As many of you know, the actor Muse Watson is near and dear to my heart. He’s been very supportive of requests from MWDTSA for his time. If any of you are NCIS fans, please enjoy his reprised role of Mike Franks this coming Tuesday, February 10th, in an episode called “Deliverance”. And be sure to let CBS know how much you enjoy seeing a seasoned, strong man pursuing the bad guys and keeping us safe. As one of my Navy buddies once said to me regarding Mike Franks, “Now, that’s old school NCIS. He gets the job done.”

NCIS Season 6 Episode 15 Deliverance airs Tuesday February 10 at 8/7c on CBS.

GIBBS MUST FACE DEMONS FROM HIS PAST WHEN HE FINDS A CRYPTIC MESSAGE AWAITING HIM AT THE SCENE OF A CRIME, ON “NCIS,” TUESDAY, FEB. 10

Muse Watson (“Prison Break”) Reprises His Role As Gibbs’s Mentor, Mike Franks”Deliverance” – While investigating the death of a Marine, the team finds themselves intertwined in an inner city gang war, on NCIS, Tuesday, Feb. 10 (8:00-9:00 PM,ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.”

Note from Muse:

…and if you are a fan of Mike Franks because you like his skill with a Glock….you won’t be disappointed.” Muse Watson

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Macedonia Store, T C Country & Customers Continue Support

Some of our very first and most consistent supporters are the owners, staff and customers of a local country store called, T C Country. Located in the Macedonia community, between Canton and Cumming, this store offers the animal lovers of Cherokee County a place to purchase feed and tack for horses, feed for other farm animals and the dogs and cats that most people in the area cherish. Some of their customers have been so incredibly supportive with multiple donations of in kind products or financial donations. We just want to stop for a moment and thank them again for their ongoing support. We could never be where we are without your help.

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Military Working Dogs Hard at Work

Training military working dog, Ruby, in Iraq.

These are some scenes from a recent training session of MWD, Ruby. One photo shows Ruby stopping the “bad guy” and the second shows Ruby providing backup while her handler checks out the prostrated “bad guy”.

We know you are really a stand up guy, Chris. Thanks for sharing the photos.

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Thanks to Boggs Doggs

South Cobb High School has a dedicated Animal Club called “Boggs Doggs” which is supported by the entire campus community of administrators, teachers and students and is under the leadership of Chemistry Teacher, Rhonda Sykes.

For a sneak peek at some of the things they do, check out their website: https://www.facebook.com/boggs.doggs

Two of the student members, Alex and Jenny, went above and beyond the call of duty and wrote out Christmas cards to be sent to all of the deployed dog handlers that we could reach across the theatre of operations. Their cards were read and displayed at kennels from the Syrian border to the Uruzgan province of Afghanistan.

The entire Boggs Doggs group also requested an opportunity to “adopt” some dog handlers and we matched them up with four Camp Pendleton Marines, just in time for Christmas. The group wrote personal letters to all four handlers. Enjoy photos taken while the students were busily composing their Christmas letters. Thanks, Boggs Doggs for a job well done!

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FURminators Flourish for Four-Footed Soldiers

You gotta love that FURminator Company. They make a terrific product and then, patriotic and generous, they share that wonderful product with us so we can support our Military Working Dogs. Since the charting of MWDTSA, the FURminator Company has been very gracious with us and, of course, we also have numerous individual donors who send us FURminators, too. (Including my own veterinarian.) This item is often at the top of everyone’s “Wish List”.

Here are some photos that we’ve taken or had sent to us showcasing the wonder grooming tool. Notice how in some cases, you could almost build another dog out of the hair taken out of the coat. You know that has to feel good to a working dog.

When I checked with one of the handlers to whom we had sent a FURminator as soon as he landed in Iraq and asked him if others in his unit would like to have one, he send this reply: “Actually I think there was two guys who tried to get me to part with mine. LOL. I’ll check to see if they’re still in need of them tho and ill get back to you.”

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Thank you to Invisible Fence

One of the things that I love is getting “awesome calls” or “awesome emails”. These are the contacts out of the blue from people saying, ” I want to help.” “We’d like to do a fundraiser.” or “We have a donation for you.” Last week I got an awesome call from Jody McGlothlin telling me “We have a donation for you.” I went to pick it up today and it was a wonderful give from Invisible Fence. Here’s a photo of Jody with the information packet and check tucked safely inside. Thanks, thanks, thanks.

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Home for the Holidays ~~ Adopting a Military Working Dog

Warm memories of homes, hearths and hounds at holiday time bring a special smile to the hearts of many folks. Today was a such a day for me. I got a Christmas card with a wonderful photo of retired MWD Egon and former AF Handler James Kessel. Egon is such a great, great dog. Earlier in the day I got a call from one of my friends advising that there might be a few retired MWDs available within the next few weeks here on the east coast.

If you’ve considered adopting a retired Military Working Dog, have a good knowledge of and history working with large breed dogs and can provide a loving retirement home for a true American hero, please let us know. Most of the retired dogs will be in the 8-10 year range and some will have aches and pains of old age and hard work, but their hearts will continue to want to please you.

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The Beauty of the Dog

Let me take a brief moment out of the whirlwind of activity surrounding the holidays, the gifts, the trips to the post office and the emails stacking up to share some of the beauty of the season with you.

For many people, their first dog as a child indicates the type of dog they enjoy as an adult a dachshund, a schnauzer, a beagle etc. For me, my first dog, Lassie was my constant companion from before I can even remember. She was as ever present as any influence in my childhood. And, although she wasn t a collie, to my toddler s brain, I must have thought she was. But, it wasn t so much the look of Lassie that seeped into my soul as the spirit of a dog like Lassie. And, as an adult, about the first decision I made after getting married and buying a house, was adopting a dog.

Not just any dog, but a stray German shepherd dog we named Gypsy, who was rescued by some kind soul when she was in full season and full of buckshot. We spayed her, guessed her to be about three years old, started obedience training and began the journey of learning about this magnificent breed, the German shepherd dog. That was 35 years ago and I never cease to be a student of the wonderful lessons these dogs can teach me, but I sometimes simply forget to take time and stop to look in awe at their beauty, their eyes, their kindess and their elegant lines and floating trots. For whatever breed you adore, whether it be a Labrador Retriever, a Belgian Malinois or the GSD, there is a special beauty there that speaks directly to the quiet place in your soul. Let me share some of the beauty of our Military Working Dogs with you.