FEATURE: Military dogs ready to protect and serve

A military dog attacks a protective sleeve on the arm of a handler during an aggression demonstration at Military Police Command in Taipei in November last year. PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

There are 13 members of the Military Police force that are entirely devoted to the nation and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, and all they ask in return is a total monthly budget of NT$1,300 for food and medication.

They are the force's 13 German Shepherds.

"Know your dogs and love them with your all your heart. If you do, they will pay you back by sacrificing themselves and keeping you alive on the battlefield," Military Police dog squad chief Lieutenant Yeh Yu-ming (葉育銘) said.

Yeh said the squad's top priority is to keep the dogs healthy and fit so they can be commissioned for any assignment at short notice.

"They give everything, including their lives, to help human beings. The least we can do for them in return is to make sure that they are in good shape," Yeh said.

Communication

He said that, while a regular soldier's top priority is to make sure that his weapons are in good condition so that nothing goes wrong when he needs them, the handlers of the military dog squad's priorities include making sure that communication with the dogs is adequate and that the dogs receive the necessary care and attention.

"Know your dogs and love them with your all your heart. If you do, they will pay you back by sacrificing themselves and keeping you alive on the battlefield ... They give everything, including their lives, to help human beings."

Yeh Yu-ming, head of the Military Police dog squad

"It is not as easy as cleaning your rifle," Yeh said. "For us, the dogs are our `weapons,' but they are more than `weapons'; they are alive and need our attention all the time."

Yeh said the most important thing for his fellow dog squad members was to establish good relationships with their dogs.

He said that a well-trained dog would follow only the commands of his handler.

"If the dog does not recognize you as the `boss,' everything will be in vain," he said.

To do that, Yeh said, the squad members do their best to get to know their dogs.

"Like human beings, every dog has its own character and emotional behavior. You have to be his `friend' before he will accept you, recognize you as the `boss' and follow your orders. It takes a lot of time and patience," Yeh said.

Securing Taipei

The Military Police first established a "Military Dog Team" in 1964. In 1999, the team was downsized and merged with the Military Police's 202 Command Headquarters, which is responsible for securing the capital city.

Yeh said the German Shepherds' main mission is to help the National Security Bureau (NSB) and the regular police carry out anti-drug crackdowns or special escort missions. As puppies the dogs are also trained to sniff out explosives, and they help out the bomb squad every now and then.

"They have good noses," Yeh said. "With well-organized training courses, every one of them helps make law enforcement a lot easier. That is what they do."

Yeh said that the dogs' training courses include compliance training, barrier training and explosives and drug search training.

Compliance training is a daily routine in which squad members spend most of their day with assigned military dogs. The end goal is to help dogs develop a relationship with their handlers so that orders can be carried out efficiently.

Barrier training helps the dogs overcome their fear of strange environments to enable them to carry out orders under pressure.

This training also includes socialization training, which is designed to help the dogs socialize so they will not panic when they encounter a new situation or unfamiliar place.

The explosives and drug search training regime is the most important, Yeh said, as it enables the dogs to take advantage of their nasal prowess to help law enforcement officers crack down on drugs or discover explosives.

"Our puppies are able to find even a minute amount of drugs or explosives when a detecting machine cannot," Yeh said. "As a result, our puppies often help NSB agents secure a location before the visit of the president, vice president or foreign VIPs."

3km run

Private Lee Ming-han (李明翰), who is also a veterinarian, said his daily duty is to take the dogs on a 3km run every morning. He is also responsible for cleaning out dog houses and for bathing the dogs.

"When you are always there for your dogs whenever they need you, they will always be there for you when you need them," Lee said.