In today’s age, advanced technological warfare has required soldiers to rely on a “primitive” animal’s sense of smell to survive.
GUEST BLOGGER: Megan Cummins
The rules of war have changed dramatically over the years with advancements in technology and warfare. Traditional combat is no longer common warfare; now many of the enemies’ actions are unforeseen and invisible. Canine Soldiers: the Militarization of Love is a documentary that explores the intimate bond between military working dogs and their handlers. These handlers are combat soldiers that make life-and-death decisions based on the instincts and behavior of the dogs who lead their patrols.
Military working dogs have become the most effective agents in detecting explosives and chemical weapons at home and abroad. Even in this area of advanced technology, we still rely on a “primitive” animal’s greater sense of smell to survive. Their main mission as military working dogs is to save lives, not kill. These highly trained dogs are saving soldiers’ lives while giving them comfort, hope and protection when among the action.
This documentary is the first war documentary told from the perspective of a soldier and dog team. The film crew follows soldiers and their companions from their rigorous training to their deployment to learn what is involved to become a successful military working dog team. These soldiers eat, sleep, and patrol with their dog by their side to maintain a special relationship and bond of trust that is critical to work with each other on the front lines. This documentary goes into detail of how these dogs are bred, how their relationships with their handlers develop, and what it is like for our soldiers to live in interdependence on the war front.
This heartwarming documentary will premiere on Rhode Island PBS on Monday, October 30 at 9 P.M.
