Their extraordinary sense of smell, heightened hearing and carefully developed training allow them to detect explosives, suspicious movement and other dangers long before a soldier might recognize them.
But training alone does not explain the bond between a military dog and his handler.
After months or years together, handlers learn to read tiny changes in their dogs.
A shift in posture.
A sudden turn of the head.
A hesitation.
A change in breathing.
On that morning, the dog’s behavior changed instantly.
He stared toward an approaching figure and began pulling back.
His handler responded.
The soldiers became alert.
At first, they could not immediately understand what had caused the dog’s reaction.
Then the terrifying reality became clear.
A suicide bomber was moving toward them.
There was almost no time.
The dog’s warning had given the soldiers something incredibly valuable in combat:
Seconds.
Those seconds would soon become the difference between life and death.
