Qore Performance unveiled their new ICEFLASK K9 Holster.
Frozen, it offers all of the same advantages to our K9 companions that the ICEFLASK does for humans: thermoregulation which prevents heat injuries and boosts performance.
They’ve developed a K9 harness which allows the handler to quickly and easily don or doff the ICEFLASK holsters to the dog.
From Tracking Criminals to Rescuing Disaster Victims – Meet the Heroes on Four Legs
Service dogs are more than companions — they are lifesaving heroes on the front lines of the world’s most dangerous and demanding missions. From locating missing persons, to apprehending criminals, detecting narcotics, uncovering contraband at airports, and even supporting soldiers in combat zones, these extraordinary canines work side by side with their human partners under the most challenging conditions imaginable.
In K9 – Dogs for Service, author Karl-Heinz Klöppner pulls back the curtain on the elite world of service dogs in military, police, customs, and rescue operations. Drawing on over 40 years of hands-on experience, the book offers a rare, in-depth look at how K9s are selected, trained, and cared for, and how they are mentally and physically prepared to face intense, high-stakes environments.
Packed with real-world insights, expert training techniques, and behind-the-scenes knowledge, K9 – Dogs for Service is a must-read for dog lovers, professionals in the field, and anyone fascinated by the incredible bond between humans and their canine counterparts.
Discover what it takes to turn an ordinary dog into an extraordinary hero.
“K9 – Dogs for Service” is available now on Amazon.com for $19.99, plus taxes and shipping.
Meet the Expert Behind the Training: Karl-Heinz Klöppner
With a career spanning several decades, Karl-Heinz Klöppner is one of the most respected figures in the world of service dog training. He has collaborated with dozens of government agencies and trained hundreds of dogs for high-stakes operations — from tracking fugitives to saving lives in disaster zones. A best-selling author of professional K9 training manuals, Klöppner now distills his lifetime of knowledge into this accessible, action-packed edition.
His latest book, K9 – Dogs for Service, goes far beyond the mechanics of training. In this book, Klöppner shines a light on the powerful, often unspoken bond between handler and K9 — a relationship built on trust, instinct, and mutual respect. It’s not just about building elite service dogs — it’s about forging unbreakable partnerships between extraordinary animals and the humans who rely on them.
Other books from SPARTANAT:
This system is revolutionizing the standards of visual technology for tactical users requiring a tool that is as robust as it is advanced. This system addresses these needs with its cutting-edge stabilization and imaging capabilities, offering high-definition visuals that ensure no detail is missed in critical situations. This digital system remains economical and affordable for K9 units.
What sets the K9 Camera apart is its advanced gimbal technology, which ensures that the video remains perfectly stable even in the most dynamic or unstable conditions. This level of stabilization is crucial for ensuring the accuracy of the captured content, allowing users to focus on their mission without being hindered by equipment limitations. Moreover, its compact design does not sacrifice functionality; rather, it enhances portability and usability, making it ideal for tactical use where quick deployment is often necessary.
The Darkfighter Gimbal K9 Camera is a back-mounted system, no cable. The End User Device is capable of receiving video up to 200 meters away from the canine. This K9 camera is mesh capable, additional radios can be used to extend the operational range and user’s vision.
Dark Systems is the world leader in K9 helmets. Worldwide, over 3,000 of the company’s products have been deployed to the military and law enforcement agencies, SAR and K9 handlers. Each day, they use the DarkFighter K9 Helmet to protect their personnel. Dark Systems is a company of high-level engineers and professionals committed to listening, understanding and responding to our customers’ mission-critical needs.
Show your support for military working dogs with the online purchase of a Vortex™ dog collar November 1st to November 30th, 2024.
BARNEVELD, Wis. – Anyone who has visited our headquarters or follows us on social media knows we are a dog-friendly company. That deep love of dogs combined with our commitment to supporting men and women in uniform is behind an exciting charitable initiative happening in November.
Your purchase of a Vortex™ Adjustable Waterproof Dog Collar ($24.99), standard Vortex™ Adjustable Dog Collar ($19.99) or Vortex™ Padded Dog Leash($29.99) via the Vortex® website during this special charitable promotion will directly support the work being done by the United States War Dog Association. All proceeds will go directly to USWDA to support their work with the military K-9 community.
Collars and leashes will be available for purchase throughout the month of November 2024 or until inventory is depleted. Hurry and click here to make sure you get yours.
“When you come to Vortex® HQ, you’re not only greeted with smiling faces, but you’re also greeted with wagging tails. Our furry friends add joy and companionship to our lives – both inside and outside of our building,” said Joe Hamilton, Vortex® CEO. The Vortex® campus has been dog friendly since opening its doors in 2018. “That’s why we couldn’t be prouder to partner with the US War Dogs Association and their work within the active and retired military working dog community. Through funding K-9 memorials, sending care packages to K-9 teams currently deployed, facilitating free prescriptions for retired military working dogs, and so much more, the US War Dogs Association is doing amazing work in supporting the military working dog communities.”
Listen to the Vortex Nation™ Podcast, #10MinuteTalk – Honoring Our Nation’s War Dogs and Their Handlers – the US War Dogs Association, to listen to Chris Willingham from USWDA talk about their organization and the incredible work they do.
Go to uswardogs.org to learn more about the United States War Dogs Association.
To see more from Vortex®, visit VortexOptics.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, and TikTok.
PROJECT7, an armor brand exclusively distributed by Aardvark Tactical, is proud to announce the latest innovation in tactical K9 armor: the P7K9 Vest. Born from the PROJECT7 line of advanced tactical armor, this innovative platform is designed to provide four-legged tactical officers with the same industry-leading armor technology found in the full PROJECT7 lineup.
Representing three years of intensive research and development, the P7K9 Vest provides unmatched coverage, mobility, and protection for canine units. Developed in collaboration with dozens of elite handlers and tactical experts, the vest addresses critical shortcomings of traditional K9 tactical gear with its innovative biomechanical design. A detachable yoke collar shields vulnerable neck and chest areas without hindering the dog’s ability to move, bite, or search. The P7K9 includes structured ballistics and a contoured profile for maximum coverage. Quick-release buckles on the yoke pivot seamlessly with the dog’s body, offering flexible and adjustable protection. The P7K9 can be donned, doffed, or scaled in under 30 seconds, making it quick to adjust and ideal for protecting dogs in various high-threat environments.
Designed for real-world operations, the P7K9 maximizes coverage with a sleek profile that ensures safety in any environment. Stowable handles, concealed buckles, and optimized profile prevent snags and hang-ups, making it nearly impossible for a suspect to remove the armor during a mission.
“We are incredibly proud to bring the P7K9 Vest to market,” said Jon Becker, Founder of AARDVARK Tactical and PROJECT7. “From the beginning, our mission with PROJECT7 has been to deliver the best possible protection, developed in direct collaboration with the professionals who rely on it. The P7K9 is no exception. By working closely with elite handlers and tactical experts, we’ve created a vest that provides unmatched protection while optimizing mobility.”
Available in three colors and three sizes, the P7K9 Vest can be customized for a perfect fit on any K9, with adjustability to maintain that fit as the dog’s weight fluctuates. The P7K9 is made in America and backed by PROJECT7’s nose-to-tail 5-year warranty. This specialized product is exclusively available to sworn military, law enforcement, and federal agents through its exclusive distributor, AARDVARK Tactical.
Discover the P7K9 Vest here.
SECTION 1
Introduction
“As they approached a grass-covered hut, a machine gun opened fire. The hut was, in fact, a camouflaged bunker. Chips (military working dog [MWD]) quickly escaped Rowell’s (handler) control and made a beeline for the bunker. Within seconds, the machine gun fell silent and an Italian soldier tumbled out with Chips chomping at his throat and arms. In short order, three others exited the bunker with arms raised. Chips was lightly wounded in the incident, suffering powder burns and several cuts.”
—Seth Paltzer, THE DOGS OF WAR: THE U.S. ARMY’S USE OF CANINES IN WWII[1]
From 13 to 18 May 2024, an analyst from CALL’s Corps and Division Branch (CDB) attended the 2024 U.S. Army Military Working Dog Leadership and Training Symposium. The analyst observed military initiatives for MWD support to large-scale combat operations (LSCO) at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, MI.
The symposium demonstrated the value MWDs contribute during LSCO, especially by providing Soldiers stand-off during detection and clearing tasks. Also, of note, many MWD programs especially, those in which MWDs perform tasks untethered to the handler, require long-term investment to train and groom MWDs to work in challenging operational environments.
During the symposium, MWDs demonstrated their capability sets, which are unique from any other instrument of war, through a broad range of scenario-based training events, such as search, tracking, detection, and bite techniques. The analyst also interviewed MWD experts from U.S. and allied partners to identify lessons learned from ongoing conflicts and gaps that exist within the U.S. Army MWD program in the context of LSCO.
SECTION 2
Key Symposium Takeaways
Canines have been useful to military organizations since their domestication. Few, if any, instruments of war have the successful track record and longevity of MWDs. They remain effective in a variety of environments, including dense vegetation, subterranean complexes, and trench networks. Even in the current operational environment, there are many situations in which MWDs outperform drones and conventional equipment. Unlike machines, MWDs make decisions, use intuition, and think outside of the realm of algorithmic predictions. This is a unique aspect to their employment in detection, search, attack, and reconnaissance roles. See figures 1, 2, and 3.
Figure 1. An MWD negotiates a tunnel at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea.[2]
Figure 2. An Army MWD receives its protective equipment before training at Al Asad Airbase, Iraq.[3]
Figure 3. An MWD is zip-lined in rolling jungle terrain with the handler in tow.[4]
The U.S. Army has adapted MWDs for the challenging environments of each conflict it has fought in, ranging from LSCO in WWII to counterinsurgency in the Global War on Terrorism. U.S. Army MWDs must adapt for 21st-Century LSCO. This will require experimentation, investment, and training for MWDs to aid U.S. Soldiers in their fight against a peer adversary in challenging environments.
SECTION 3
Ongoing Conflict Observations
Israel-Hamas Conflict. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have employed MWDs at a large scale since their counterattack against Hamas and invasion of Gazan territories in 2023. The IDF MWD attrition rate has averaged several dozen per week in their employment roles of detection and assault. This has led to significant IDF investment in MWDs to sustain such attrition.[5] Current IDF replacement rates will likely create shortages in the long term. The U.S. acquires MWDs from many of the same suppliers as the IDF, Chinese, British, and others while producing few domestically. The rate of procurement and attrition of MWDs by the IDF is likely going to impact the world market and the U.S. Army’s ability to procure MWDs.[6]
The IDF have primarily employed MWDs to clear the pervasive subterranean environments in Gaza while limiting risk to their Soldiers. MWDs require familiarization with subterranean environments from a young age to be effective in those conditions. Changes in air flow, sound echoes, temperatures, confined spaces, and low light reduce MWD detection and cognition abilities without familiarization.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict.[7] Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have used MWDs in many situations. MWDs have been used in rear areas and the close fight to achieve effects that cannot be accomplished by drones or other equipment. The AFU primarily employs their MWDs in unexploded explosive ordnance (UXO) detection roles while maintaining stand-off distance with a handler.
Since February 2022, the AFU has detected vast numbers of UXO using MWDs in rubbled urban environments and captured trenches.[8] Metal pollution from shrapnel and other debris have required them to use MWDs in addition to standard detection equipment. MWDs are more effective than detection equipment because of high metal pollution from shrapnel. The U.S. Army can expect similar mine-clearing requirements during LSCO.
Russian tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) have evolved to rigging positions with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and booby traps before abandoning them to inflict casualties on the pursuing Ukrainian forces. MWD capability has enabled the AFU to clear these positions rapidly and to occupy them to consolidate territorial gains while preserving human life.
SECTION 4
U.S. Army Military Working Dog Gaps
Combat Training Center Involvement. The U.S. Army is currently transforming into an organization focused on fighting in large-scale conflicts against peer and near-peer adversaries. The U.S. Army uses combat training centers (CTCs) as venues for experimentation and adaptation during the shift away from counterinsurgency-focused warfighting. Two of the seven key tasks assigned to the CTC Program in Army Regulation (AR) 350-50, Combat Training Center Program, 2 May 2018, are to —
MWDs have had minimal involvement at the CTCs since 2022. The National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, CA, is the only CTC that has resident MWD handlers (military occupational specialty [MOS] 31K) assigned as observer coach/trainers (OC/Ts) and has only hosted three MWDs since 2022.[10] This has created several shortfalls. Current doctrine does not address the role of MWDs in LSCO.[11] Maneuver commanders are unfamiliar with their doctrinal employment. These two impacts have created integration gaps for MWDs in LSCO-focused training and operations.[12]
CTCs provide a realistic training environment to observe MWD’s integration into unit operations. To generate lessons for LSCO, MWD participation at the CTCs should increase. This can be accomplished by adding MWD capabilities to the CTC troop lists outlined in U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) Regulation 350-50-1, Training at the National Training Center, 29 October 2018.
“Off-Leash” Capability. A patrol explosive detector dog-enhanced (PEDD-E) is an MWD trained to operate off leash. The PEDD-E enables the handler to employ MWDs in the roles of detection, attack, and reconnaissance while maintaining distance from the search area. The value of this during LSCO when operating in unknown environments cannot be overstated for the preservation of human life while enabling maneuver.
The U.S. Army maintains additional MWD capabilities that have retained their funding. These capabilities each require the handler to employ MWDs “on leash.” This reduces MWD agility, flexibility, and the ability to preserve human life. The on-leash capability is not recommended for LSCO.
Scenarios where MWD capability is most valued during LSCO are near the forward line of own troops (FLOT). The off-leash PEDD-Es, when employed in environments such as rubbled urban structures, subterranean networks, and trench clearing, can identify and neutralize threats, inform U.S. personnel, and preserve human life.
U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) stopped funding the PEDD-E course in fiscal year 2024. Consequently, the Army will exhaust its inventory of off-leash trained MWDs between 2030 and 2032. The re-establishment of a PEDD-E training program and procurement of MWDs, training, and certification to restore this capability would likely range between two and three years.
SECTION 5
Conclusion
MWDs have consistently proven their value over centuries of evolving warfare. The United States and others have continuously adapted the employment tactics and training methodologies to tailor MWDs to the current operational environment. Drones and other detection and sensing technologies will continue to evolve. The ability to counteract and deny these technologies will also evolve. MWDs can operate in technologically nonpermissive environments and outperform technology in many situations.
AFU and IDF experiences demonstrate the value off-leash MWDs provide to maneuver forces during LSCO. The U.S. Army should consider these recent experiences and leverage resources like the CTCs to refine TTPs being employed by AFU and IDF partners. The U.S. Army may also want to reconsider funding levels for the program, considering the lead times required to train off- leash MWDs.
SECTION 6
Endnotes
1. Paltzer, Seth, THE DOGS OF WAR: THE U.S. ARMY’S USE OF CANINES IN WWII, The Army Historical Foundation, https://armyhistory.org/the-dogs-of-war-the-u-s-armys-use-of-canines-in-wwii/.
2. Photo by SRA Ashley L. Gardner, U.S. Air Force, www.pacaf.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/706335/ mwd-train-to-keep-paws-on-the-ground.
3. Photo by SPC Derek Mustard, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, www.dvidshub.net/image/6231629/military-working-dogs-wear-protective-equipment-live-fire-exercise.
4. Photo provided by the U.S. Army MWD Program, www.facebook.com/photo/.
5. In-person interview with an operations officer from the 1st Military Working Dog Regiment, British Army, 16 May 2024.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. AR 350-50, Combat Training Center Program, 2 May 2018, page 2, armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN8650_AR350_50_Final.pdf.
10. SFC Phillip Ventimiglia, NTC 31K OC/T, in-person interview, 14 May 2024.
11. Army Techniques Publication (ATP) 3-39.34, Military Working Dogs, 19 May 2022, armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_d/ARN35094-ATP_3-39.34-000-WEB-1. (common access card [CAC] required)
12. SFC Phillip Ventimiglia, NTC 31K OC/T, in-person interview, 14 May 2024.
By CPT Alexander Spook, CPT James Campbell, Center for Army Lessons Learned
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) —
The 52nd Security Forces Squadron Military Working Dog Section hosted U.S., German and Luxembourgish military units and law enforcement organizations for advanced interoperability training at Spangdahlem Air Base, June 26.
The training challenged the communication and command skills of the over 25 working dog teams and reinforced their ability to detect explosives and locate suspects and missing persons in a variety of environments.
“The knowledge learned from the events our teams were run through today will allow us to set forth a training plan that will strengthen our capabilities over time,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Aaron Vinson, 100th Military Police (Military Working Dog) Detachment, 709th Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade operations noncommissioned officer.
The 52nd SFS staged multiple training simulations throughout the seminar including explosive scent detection outdoors and in low-light conditions, which required the use of night vision goggles, search and rescue, and suspect apprehension. The opportunity to work through cultural differences and training techniques increased the operability of the course overall.
Handlers also received instruction and hands-on practice in canine tactical combat casualty care from U.S. Army veterinarians and animal care technicians assigned to Veterinary Readiness Activity Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Handlers practiced first-aid techniques using the Advanced K9 Medical Trainer mannequin, which is designed to simulate breathing, verbal reactions and realistic stimuli.
“To us, these dogs are much more than dogs – they’re partners,” Fortmayer said. “We care about these dogs the same way we would any of other human because they defend us with their lives. It’s critical we can help them when they are most vulnerable.”
The training included the following units: 86th Security Forces Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, U.S. Army 100th MP (MWD) Detachment at Miesau Army Ammunition Depot, as well as the German Bundeswehr, Germany’s Rhineland-Pfalz and Saarland Polizei, the Search and Rescue departments in Trier and Grand Ducal Police in Luxembourg.
SSgt Max Daigle,
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Pending patent Lightstick dropper represents a significant advancement in tactical and search-and-rescue operations, offering an innovative solution for marking and tracking in various environments. Mounted on a dog’s vest, these devices serve as essential tools for handlers who rely on their canine partners to navigate challenging terrains and critical situations. The primary function of the Dark Systems K9 Lightstick Dropper is to deploy lightsticks—small, self-contained sources of illumination that can be seen from considerable distances.
These lightsticks are available in multiple colors and infrared (IR) versions, catering to diverse operational needs.
What sets the lightstick dropper apart is its seamless integration with modern technologies such as the Dark Systems Darkmesh K9 camera system. This compatibility enhances the device’s utility by allowing handlers to monitor their dogs’ movements in real-time while deploying lightsticks as needed. The deployment mechanism can be controlled via the Advanced Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK) or a remote control, providing flexibility and precision during missions.
With a capacity of about 44 lightsticks, the dropper ensures that handlers have ample resources at their disposal to mark objects, areas, or track their dogs’ paths over extended periods. This combination of durability, versatility, and technological integration makes the lightstick dropper an invaluable asset for those requiring reliable marking solutions in complex scenarios.
