The dramatic raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound by Special Forces has generated a lively discussion about the unique dogs that might have been used to locate the terrorist leader. It is widely understood that American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan utilize about 600 specially trained dogs, primarily German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois. Given the lives that these dogs save and the successes they have had in apprehending bad guys, the number of canine partners is expected to grow.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, the most common breeds used by military operators “are the German Shepherd and the Belgian Malinois, which ‘have the best overall combination of keen sense of smell, endurance, speed, strength, courage, intelligence and adaptability to almost any climatic condition,’ according to a fact sheet from the military working dog unit.”

John Riboni, co-founder of German Shepherd Watchdogs and police K9 trainer for many law enforcement agencies argues that the “German Shepherd is particularly suited for stressful tasks demanding complete obedience, courage and focused determination.” Mr. Riboni trains his police dogs to repel from helicopters, enter buildings through small, cramped passages in attics and basements and to track suspects across every kind of physical obstacle.

For more information on courageous German Shepherds and to see videos of dogs in action, please view our protection dog videos.