Lackland Air Force Base, Texas –
The military working dog breeding program at Lackland is looking for good homes in the San Antonio and the surrounding areas to volunteer to temporarily keep potential military working dogs.
The need for explosives detection dogs has risen dramatically. In an effort to help meet the global need, the Department of Defense has started a breeding program at Lackland to produce top-quality Belgian Malinois puppies.
As adults, these animals will serve in the forefront of the Global War on Terrorism by helping keep our nation secure.
The cornerstone of this program is the willingness of volunteers to help raise puppies. During the early stages of puppy development, the ideal place for these dogs is to live in a nurturing family home.
Here is how the DoD Military Working Dog Breeding Program works:
Puppies
Puppies are bred from adult breeding stock especially selected for working character and physical soundness.
The puppies are whelped and weaned at our breeding facility until the age of 9 weeks.
At that point, volunteer applicants are screened and selected.
Puppy volunteers
The volunteers are matched with a puppy and supplied with the materials necessary to raise a young dog.
The volunteers then raise the young dog as a normal family pet.
The volunteers carry out a modest, but very important program of training and environmental stimulation to prepare the dog for future evaluations.
Puppy consultants from DoD will always be available to demonstrate training techniques and to provide help and advice.
The puppy is brought to Lackland periodically for behavior evaluations. In addition, the puppy is evaluated twice a month by the DoD puppy consultants during puppy classes on base.
The puppy is returned to Lackland between 7 and 9 months of age. Puppies will then move on to "basic" training - preparing them for their adult roles as military working dogs.
"This is a great opportunity for the public to help support our countries War on Terror. These dogs are truly warriors," said Buzz Jackson, program manager of the DoD MWD Breeding Program.
For more information, call 671-3686.