Dogs on Duty: Soldiers' Best Friends on the Battlefield and Beyond (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Dogs on Duty: Soldiers' Best Friends on the Battlefield and Beyond Deborah Stevenson Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw . Dogs on Duty: Soldiers' Best Friends on the Battlefield and Beyond. Walker, 2012. [48p]. illus. with photographs ISBN 978-0-8027-2845-6 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 4-6. One of our leading nonfiction chroniclers of animal life, Patent here provides a photoessay on "MWDs"—military working dogs. She starts with the history of dogs in twentieth-century American warfare, with sidebars focusing on specific "Hero Hounds," and then goes on to explore the contemporary military programs involving dogs. The book describes the puppy-raising program at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, the training the young dogs undergo, and their work in war zones; there are also brief descriptions of medical treatment for dogs who have been injured or who suffer from PTSD. Patent remains a smooth and capable writer, bringing her narrative energy by focusing on individual voices and experiences. There are some questions left unanswered (what's the casualty rate for serving dogs, for instance?), and it can be difficult to make out the spidery font against dark red and blue backgrounds, but audiences there for the doggy immersion won't mind. A plethora of photographs, some quite arresting (a dog and his parachute-wearing human partner leaping out of a plane; a Special Forces dog with bristling high-tech vest galloping through splashing water), are the real heart of the book, with most spreads displaying more image than text. A timeline of dogs in war and a glossary are included; a list of further resources and an index will appear in the bound book. Copyright © 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois