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March 8, 2022
K9 Veterans Day will be observed on Sunday, March 13th, 2022.
A day to honor and commemorate the service and sacrifices of American military and working dogs throughout history.
By Kristie Dober
When asked to write an article highlighting the U.S. Army 31K Military Occupational Specialty, Military Working Dog (MWD) handler, I struggled with where and when to begin. The history of the MWD is a long and proud one, so what was it exactly that spawned the idea of this new generation of handlers? I realized that just like the old adage that you can place three trainers/handlers in a room and the only thing that two will agree on is that the third is doing it wrong is much like the answers you may get from the many Subject Matter Experts that each played a significant role in its development.
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FORT CARSON, Colo.- Military working dogs have been by Soldiers’ side since 1942. March 13 is Military Working Dog Veterans Day – a day where we honor these four-legged companions who sacrifice their comfortable domesticated lives to serve under the red, white, and blue and defend our freedom.

One of these brave K9s is Staff Sgt. Jolly, a retired patrol explosive detector dog–enhanced (PEDD-E), currently living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with Sgt. Benjamin Harrison, an MWD handler assigned to 69th Military Working Dog Detachment, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Carson, Colorado.
Central Karoo K9 members conducted a vehicle checkpoint in the CBD of the town on Friday when they stopped a truck. According to police spokesperson Christopher Spies, a search ensued when a trained narcotics police dog, Bruno, reacted to a box inside the vehicle.
In 1942, March 13 was designated as an annual day to remember the duty and sacrifice of U.S. war dogs. In 2000 the United States War Dog Association (USWDA) was established by 5 dog handlers who served in Vietnam.
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K9 Tips on Tuesdays
Most dogs would rather skip bath time, but bathing plays an important role in the health of your dog’s coat and skin, helping to keep your dog clean and free of dirt and parasites. All dogs require regular – but not frequent – baths. Washing your dog too frequently removes natural oils, leaving coat and skin dry. You can help protect your working dog’s skin from dryness by using a shampoo or soap formulated for dogs and limiting baths to no more than once every three weeks. Of course, it depends on where you and your dog are working and training that may require more frequent bathing and there’s the added benefit of making him more pleasant to be around.
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