Jindo dogs trained for military

German shepherd Olga is a veteran military dog, which has served in the military for nine years. The story of Olga, who has been adopted by a family after being discharged from the military service in the Korean Army, was introduced on a local TV program ‘Animal Farm.’ The scene at the retirement ceremony where Corporal Lee Sang-mok, who has trained and taken care of the military dog, told Olga’s new family that she has been fed on dog food and feeding of oily food might give her stomachache touched the hearts of many viewers. Olga seemed puzzled when she arrived new home in Jeju Island. As the dog was born and grown in the military unit, the new environment might be unfamiliar and strange to Olga.

The Korean military has announced to train Jindo dogs, a breed originated from Jindo Island in Korea, for field work in the military. Jindo dogs has a reputation of strong loyalty for just one master, which makes it difficult to control the breed when an army dog soldier is relieved from the military duty. Korean Army will decide whether or not to put the dogs for the military duty after finishing the training. History of Korean military dogs started when the local army received 10 military dogs from the U.S. air force in 1954. ‘Lintin,’ who made a great contribution when armed guerrillas attacked the Blue House, the presidential residence, on Jan. 21, 1968, and ‘Hunt,’ who participated in the search of the fourth underground tunnel in Gangwon Province, were awarded the Order of Military Merit. ‘Hunt,’ who saved lives of soldiers by sacrificing his life to explode a landmine, was commissioned as a second lieutenant for the first time in the history of Korean military dogs.

To become an army dog, a puppy needs to go through qualification screening and complete strict training programs such as obstacle jumping, detection of explosives and fall in the air, like special forces. Only a quarter of candidate dogs become official military dogs. Out of 1,279 military dogs currently serving in the army, majority is German shepherd. Military dogs perform duties to search, trace, guard and detect moving up and down the mountainous rough areas. Search operation that needs one battalion for six hours can be completed by a smart military dog only for two hours.

In 2011, the U.S. President Barack Obama encouraged a military dog who served in the raid on Osama Bin Laden at an unofficial setting. As such, there is a culture to respect and care for military working dogs in the U.S. However, the Korean military has put military dogs who lost capability to perform military duties due to aging, disease or injury to death by euthanasia or let them die in medical labs until the local Animal Protection Law was revised in 2013. According to revision of Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Management of Military Supplies in January, now retired military dogs can find new home in private households. Army dogs who contributed for the nation have rights to happily enjoy rest of their lives receiving respect appropriate for their honorable retirement.