The ruff life

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Chase Cannon
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M.,- (Editor's Note: This is the second part of a series on Military Working Dogs.) --  They play fetch, cuddle and train, but they are not like your average pet owners. Military Working Dog handlers are skilled personnel who look to their K-9s as wingmen.

The working relationship between MWD and handler depends on trust and care for each other's lives.

"You have to be ready for everything, there's never really a moment when you can relax," said Staff Sgt. Kathryn Stevens, 49th Security Forces Military Working Dog Handler.

Trained security forces members can apply to be MWD handlers. If accepted, they are then enrolled into a three-month training program at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

"There are two blocks in training, the first block is five weeks long, with the first week being used to familiarize you with the commands," said Stevens. "Then you would get all your equipment, your leash, the brush and collars."

This block of training prepares the new handlers to be partnered with a randomly selected K-9.

"My class was proactive, so we were able to get our dogs the first week," said Stevens. "Once you have your dog you learn everything that you're going to do in the kennels."

The training then progresses into the second block where handlers are trained in detection.

"I liked block one the best, but block two, that's the job. That's our mission," explained Stevens. "You have to keep your head open, you have to embrace everything and learn everything because that's what you're going to be doing when you go to your base."

Stevens is now partnered with MWD Bruno. He is her second dog while at Holloman and was very new to the field.

"I was first with MWD Falco, and he is retired now," said Stevens. "MWD Bruno came in and I picked him up as a green dog. He knew everything but wouldn't work with me."

"You have to build a relationship with your dog," explained Stevens. "He wouldn't down for me the first week, or straddle dog where they sit and we walk over them. Now we have him jumping through vehicles and over vehicles after people. We do dual dog bites with him. It just takes that rapport with you dog to make it happen and training never stops."

Between training and taking care of each other, the relationship between a handler and their MWD is often compared to as family.

"My dog means the world to me," beams Stevens. "He is what I come to work for. He's my partner. He looks after me, I look after him, I've got his back, and he has mine."

MWD and their handlers depend on one another everyday when on patrol. They protect each other with their individual skills, with Bruno's sense of hearing, vision and scent, and Stevens sense of situational awareness, they keep each other alive on the job.

"You have your dog that is like your child, and then there is everyone else's dogs that are like their children," explained Stevens. "You're not going to treat someone else's child the same as yours. But we are all basically a family, if someone is having trouble we will help them out or if they just can't get something right we will give them that extra push that they need."

Being a MWD handler is a job that very few people get to do, and it takes a certain amount of determination and perseverance to be able to hold that position. Those that work in this career share a strong sense of camaraderie and some of them have always known that is where they wanted to be.

"I have known I wanted to do this job since I was a child," informed Stevens. "This is what I live for, this isn't work for me this is fun. You can only really do this job if you love to do it."