Some of the “Can Dos” see Coach Campbell going into the Can Do Center …

Hey Coach, what’s up?

Oh not much, had a good weekend hiking in the woods with Delmar. He is learning how to stay close, and return on command.

Return on command?

Yeah, when I want him to come back to me, to be close, I give him his whistle, like a bugle call, and he comes running back to me.

What’s a bugle call?

In the old days of the Army, way before there was radio, commands, or instructions, orders were given over a large area by using a bugle, like a trumpet. Certain songs meant certain things.

Remember Coach, when we talked about dogs helping us out, and you suggested that we see if there were any dogs helping people out  in our neighborhood? Well, a couple of weekends ago there was a parade near where I live, and there were lots of men and women in uniforms, and there were even dogs in vests, but with military stuff on it. They were in the parade too.

It sounds like you saw a Memorial Day parade to honor all those who served in the military, but did not come home.

 So, does that mean there were dogs that went to war too? Dogs were in the Army?

You bet they can be in the Army, and the Marines. Dogs do many jobs for the military, and have been doing them since World War II.

 Wow, what kind of jobs did they do?

Well, many of the dogs worked as Sentry Dogs, which means they stood guard and gave the soldiers warnings by  growling or barking if they detected something that wasn’t right. These dogs were especially helpful at night, and helped keep the soldier safe from sneak attacks.

There were also Scout and Patrol Dogs. These dogs worked with soldiers when out on patrol, and were trained to keep very quiet and alert the soldiers to danger with motions instead of barks.

Then there were dogs trained to sniff out explosives, like the dogs you see today at airports, and walking with the police. These dogs sniff out bombs, and mines, and other bad things meant to hurt us.

Sounds like they are saving lives before any one is in danger.

That is a great way to put it. They are rescuing us early, before the bad thing happens.

They can also help the soldiers after all the bad things have happened. Just being there, with then, all the time, is comforting. Then coming back home, after being gone for so long, is not easy. These same service dogs help the soldier and marine to transition back to our civilian world, and in some cases, recovering from wounds suffered overseas in battle.

Post by: Ned Campbell, a teacher and coach in Brooklyn, NY