Soldier Dogs

The Untold Story of America’s Canine Heroes

By: Maria Goodavage

Narrated by: Nicole Vilencia

A leading dog-blogger offers a tour of military working dogs’ extraordinary training, heroic accomplishments, and the lasting impact they have on those who work with them.

People all over the world have been riveted by the story of Cairo, the Belgian Malinois who was a part of the Navy SEAL team that led the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound. A dog’s natural intelligence, physical abilities, and pure loyalty contribute more to our military efforts than ever before. You don’t have to be a dog lover to be fascinated by the idea that a dog—the cousin of that furry guy begging for scraps under your table—could be one of the heroes who helped execute the most vital and high-tech military mission of the new millennium.

Now Maria Goodavage, editor and featured writer for one of the world’s most widely read dog blogs, tells heartwarming stories of modern soldier dogs and the amazing bonds that develop between them and their handlers. Beyond tales of training, operations, retirement, and adoption into the families of fallen soldiers, Goodavage talks to leading dog-cognition experts about why dogs like nothing more than to be on a mission with a handler they trust, no matter how deadly the IEDs they are sniffing out, nor how far they must parachute or rappel from aircraft into enemy territory.

"Military working dogs live for love and praise from their handlers," says Ron Aiello, president of the United States War Dogs Association and a former marine scout-dog handler. "The work is all a big game, and then they get that pet, that praise. They would do anything for their handler." This is an unprecedented window into the world of these adventurous, loving warriors.

Maria Goodavage, a former reporter for USA Today and the San Francisco Chronicle, is the editor and featured writer for one of the most widely read dog blogs in the world: For the Love of Dog. She is also the author of The Dog Lover’s Companion to California and The Dog Lover’s Companion to the San Francisco Bay Area. She co-produced and wrote an award-winning children's video about animals, starring the voice of Ed Asner.

Includes a bonus PDF with photographs.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

An Audible for Dogs Pick: Make your dog's day. Cesar Millan shares how audiobooks can make dogs happier and calmer. Learn more.

©2012 Maria Goodavage (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Maria has proven her passion for the subject of military dogs with many emotionally engaging stories about these dedicated canines and the people who share their lives. She is the perfect combination of news reporter and dog lover." (Tracie Hotchner, author of The Dog Bible)

"Soldier Dogs is a fascinating book about the valiant things that military dogs do as told through the words of the soldiers who fight beside them. It also shows you how military service dogs are created, told through the words of the trainers and scientists who know the process. It is written in an easy and entertaining style and will acquaint you with dozens of canine heroes ranging from Stubby, who fought in WWI, to Cairo, who was a member of the raiding party that took down Osama Bin Laden. It is a great read for anyone who appreciates dogs and heroes." (Stanley Coren, author of The Intelligence of Dogs)

Excellent story of Service, Loyalty and Love

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a great book that tells many stories of handlers and their best friends as they work through dangerous terrain in war zones across the world.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The story of the marine who was killed in action along with his dog. Very sad.

Any additional comments?

Thank a solider whenever you see them for their sacrifice. They are dying so we can be safe at home.

very positive

tells a lot of time on the handler/dog relationship and doesn't pretend to be objective.
However if that is what you are looking for it's a great book

Great story and background

What did you love best about Soldier Dogs?

It goes into great detail and description of what role soldier dogs have in warfare. It was very interesting to hear the background and development of the program and the evolution of where it is going now to best serve our military and to best serve the dogs.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Soldier Dogs?

They make you care about the dogs. The soldiers that work with them don't view them as equipment even if they are considered such per military regulations. You want to know what happens to the dogs and what the outcomes are. You pull for the soldiers that are doing their jobs overseas and at home but you also want to pull for the dogs and have them come home as well.

Any additional comments?

There are some emotional parts of the book, but it is a great "read". I would definitely recommend this book to a friend, and to someone who is interested in non-fiction like this, or learning more about our military history.

Fabulous listen!

What did you love best about Soldier Dogs?

The book was so informative regarding the training of both the dogs and handlers without being too technical or boring.

What did you like best about this story?

All the heart-warming stories about the bonds formed between dog and handler were riveting.

Any additional comments?

The manner in which the author detailed many acts of bravery (both by man and dog) was matter-of-fact and not too sappy. There was little need to be sappy - I cried my way through most of the book. I'd recommend this book to anyone.

I learned so much AND was enthralled!

The author does a wonderful job of offering factual information in the context of stories. You don't just learn about how military dogs came to be; you get to know the earliest soldier dogs. Same for the current training methods and qualifications. You meet real dogs and their handlers. The author also compares her dopey lab to the working dogs, as of course I was doing with my little choodle!

Helpful to me as a pet owner.

Fun to read. Very informative. Thorough. Fascinating. Recommend to every dog owner.
Helpful to me as a pet owner. Positive training . Explains the WHY as well as the how.

Dogs friends and foes, workers and playmates.

Dogs are just amazing, they can save our lives, our soldiers lives and help our country!
Even the ones that didn't quite, "make the grade", are in great demand and are still very useful. Police departments, fire departments, our dear handicapped friends. Thanks to the dogs and their trainers for all you have done to make these dogs, Soldier Dogs.

A terrific listen!

dogs, military, training, value

An absorbing and in depth telling about the training, lives, and work of the alphabet soup of military dogs and their handlers (primarily the US branches) by a trained observer, a journalist. The process of choosing dogs with the needed inclinations, temperament, and appropriate physical characteristics, the training of dogs and handlers makes good reading. Then there are tidbits like the use of Jack Russell terriers by the USN on submarines! The writing style is easy while informative, and seems nicely organized.
Nicole Vilencia narrates this with a pleasant tone and an easy cadence, thus enhancing the book.

Love Love Love

I love this book from start to finish.It doesn't hurt To be a dog lover when reading this book.I'm going to try to look for more books like this !

If you love dogs...

Story received 5 stars, because we have 3 GSDs and 1 golden retriever (who won't--retrieve, that is). We love all things "dog", so we bring our hearts along with our ears to this listen.

Accurate research went into Soldier Dogs, warm-hearted anecdotes, tragic endings, and every day successes/challenges are throughout the book.

Kudos to the author for refraining from anthropomorphizing these dogs...her respect for them shows with every word. We smiled in recognition at the dogs' behavior and we cried at their mistreatment and deaths. Over the years we've parented 10 GSDs, 3 Akitas, 1 Rotty, 1 Golden, and "Clyde" our English Mastiff grand dog who lived 13 wonderful years.
Appropriate breeds for soldiering include size, willingness, intelligence, sensitive nose, and courage---2 of those 5 traits are genetic attributes of the breed, the other three are variables and described in human terms....not scientific absolutes.

The journalistic accuracy of the author's objectivity detracted from the potential emotional access the reader wants from any non-scientific tract about "Man's Best Friend."
i.e. the importance of a "Kong" in their lives to motivate behavior. All of our GSDs enjoy this toy (and its history was interesting), however the temperament trials conducted @ approximately 7 weeks of the litters reveal far more than potential for Pavlovian conditioning in future training.

How do you measure the attachment a Soldier Dog has for his person? And when that person leaves his or her---how do you measure the grief?

As in our human combat veterans, our canine vets deserve TLC and special consideration to live out their natural lives in peace.