119. Maintenance Training 



a. There is only one proven means by which 

 the mine and tunnel dog's proficiency can be 

 maintained at the level necessary to make it ef- 

 fective in combat: practice. For this reason, the 

 infantry tactical unit commander must have a 

 maintenance schedule for dogs just as he does 

 for other equipment. Ideally, every day that the 

 mine and tunnel dog team is not on an opera- 

 tion, the dog should be worked on a training 

 problem. A secondary purpose is to insure that 

 the dog maintains the association between work 



and food. If they receive food without work, they 

 may lose interest in working. 



b. It is especially important for the team to 

 run a practice lane the day prior to a mission. 



c. Except for combat emergencies, the han- 

 dler has no excuse for not maintaining his dog's 

 proficiency. Even on a remote patrol base, the 

 handler can obtain a few hand grenades and plant 

 them for a short practice run. 



d. The mine and tunnel dog is a valuable com- 

 bat asset only if it receives constant practice. 



Figure 57. Mine and tunnel dog team in HU1D. 



71 



