mine and tunnel dog team. (Reserve mine and 

 tunnel dog support, to permit periodic rotation 

 of working teams, is desirable for patrols where 

 the requirements for continuous support exceeds 

 the expected performance limits.) 



i. Proper use of a mine and tunnel dog team 

 may reduce the speed at which a patrol could 

 otherwise move. For example, unless a patrol is 

 moving directly into the wind, with favorable 

 weather and terrain conditions, a mine and tun- 

 nel dog team, to work effectively, usually must 

 move left and right of the patrol's line of march, 

 with forward speed reduced in proportion to the 

 amount of left and right movement required. 



j. Occasionally a mine and tunnel dog is a slow 

 worker, even in favorable circumstances, and may 

 unduly reduce a patrol's speed of movement. 



k. All alerts must be interpreted by the han- 

 dler and all of them may require checking by the 

 patrol (an action that may be very time consum- 

 ing) because the team's job ends when the dog 

 has indicated the presence of an object. 



I. The necessity for a handler to concentrate 

 his attention on his dog's actions prevents him 

 from protecting himself and his dog. When ahead 

 of a patrol (the team's usual position), a dog 

 team is highly vulnerable to enemy fire. There- 

 fore, at least one patrol member must be as- 

 signed to protect each working team during op- 

 erations. 



113. Planning and Preparation for Use of 

 Mine and Tunnel Dog Teams 



a. When an infantry tactical dog unit is at- 

 tached to a tactical unit, normally brigade size 

 or larger, the unit commander advises and makes 

 recommendations to the commander of that unit 

 concerning the employment of his mine and tun- 

 nel dog teams. When mine and tunnel dog teams 

 are employed with units that have not previously 

 used them, personnel of these units will be briefed 

 on the team's capabilities and limitations. This 

 is absolutely necessary to the team's success in 

 combat since unit commanders may not be famil- 

 iar with the proper methods of employing mine 

 and tunnel dogs. 



6. Unlike scout dog teams, which are normally 

 attached for periods of time, mine and tunnel 

 dog teams are normally attached on a mission 

 basis, i.e., when a single mission or tactical situ- 

 ation calls for employing mine and tunnel dogs, 

 a team(s) is dispatched for that mission. 



c. Prior to assignment to any operation the 

 infantry tactical dog unit commander or his re- 



presentative is carefully briefed on planned mis- 

 sions as far in advance as possible. This allows 

 him time to select teams that have worked with 

 the supported unit before and/or those teams 

 which will be most effective for a particular mis- 

 sion. It also allows the handlers time to prepare 

 themselves and their dogs; for example, check- 

 ing the dogs out for any physical handicaps that 

 might limit their effectiveness on the operation, 

 exercising their dogs to relieve excess energy 

 from being kenneled, and runnning their dogs on 

 short training patrols to stimulate their interest 

 and to verify their proficiency. 



d. The supported commander should especially 

 seek to obtain mine and tunnel dog support for 

 his patrols when — 



(1) They expect to encounter minefields or 

 boobytraps on the operation. 



J 



(2) Other mine detection means are Avail- 

 able or unsuited for the mission. 



e. On reaching the decision that mine and 

 tunnel dog support is both desirable and practic- 

 able, the supported commander will — 



(1) Determine the number of teams desired, 

 including reserve support if periodic rotation is 

 required. 



(2) Seek to obtain a team(s) that has pre- 

 viously worked with his unit and arrange for 

 the team(s) to join the patrol in time to hear 

 the warning order. 



(3) Obtain the handler's recommendations 

 for the most effective employment of the team; 

 for example, best working position, and selection 

 of a route which, consistent with other factors, 

 allows the team to operate most effectively. 



(4) Include his detailed plan for the team's 

 employment in the patrol order. 



(5) Insure that his men know that mine 

 and tunnel dog support is a supplement to patrol 

 security and an aid when searching for casualty- 

 producing devices, not a substitute for the pa- 

 trol's own security measures. 



(6) Insure that his men know and, in their 

 association with mine and tunnel dog teams, 

 strictly observe these precautions : 



(a) They must not — 



1. Feed a dog. Feeding by the handler 

 only is a part of a dog's training. 



2. Play with or pet a military dog, ex- 

 cept for familiarization — and then only under 

 the handler's direct supervision. A handler's pet- 

 ting of and playing with his dog also is a part 

 of the dog's training. 



68 



