Navy SEALs and the Belgian Malinois

Canines have a long history of military service and have played an important role in a vast number of operations. Operation Neptune Spear, the raid that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden, was undertaken by 79 operators from the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and CIA, five helicopters, and one Belgian Malinois dog.

Cairo has a great responsibility on his shoulders. As the Navy SEALs and other fighters cleared bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, Cairo’s jobs included tracking anyone who tried to escape, sniffing out hidden rooms within the compound and backing up the SEALs in case they had to fight their way out. His equipment included night-vision goggles and a bulletproof vest.

Thanks to the combined efforts of the team in eliminating Bin Laden, all the SEALs and Cairo made it back alive and unharmed. His participation was just one more piece of evidence in favour of the Special Force's decision to rely on the Belgian Malinois, a rare working breed. While the U.S. Military still relies heavily on German Shepherds, when it comes to missions that require steady courage and commitment, a specially trained Malinois is the go-to choice.

However the 125,000 pets shipped off to Europe and the Pacific front lines were untrained and unsuited to warfare. They paid a heavy price leading the military to decide that future dogs used in combat would be as trained and prepared as their human counterparts.

Over the last 50 years, the Army has relied on various working breeds for different jobs. Labrador Retrievers are used as bomb-sniffers. German and Dutch Shepherds have a balance of traits that makes them good MPCs (Multi-Purpose Canines).

Human soldiers bring a Belgian Malinois along when they need raw fighting ability they can target and unleash at will. Sometimes called “fur missiles,” these dogs are renowned for their speed, endurance, and willingness to go for the take down. A Malinois can bite down on a suspect with 70 pounds of force, making escape virtually impossible. They are also excellent at scent tracking. When Delta Force was tracking down Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, they had a spy steal a pair of his underwear so a Malinois could follow his scent.

A Malinois can be dropped onto a landing site, scout for safe routes, and mark the sites of explosives without getting itself blown up, all while transmitting that information back to its handler.

Training is arduous with only about 99 out of every 100 Malinois selected for SEAL training with the rest being adopted by volunteer families.

The select few who advance to higher levels run obstacle courses, practice combat skills, and work to form an unbreakable bond with their handlers. By the end, a trained Malinois can sit calmly while a gun fires off live ammo inches from its face. The handlers spend a lot of time wearing bite-proof suits to teach the Maligators how to use their powerful jaws without fear. They’re also taught to parachute out of helicopters, at first by being dangled from the chopper in midair.

As a pet

As a pet, a Belgian Malinois is loyal, intelligent, and long-lived. They will follow their owner everywhere, but they also love running and playing. Bonding includes involving them in activities where they can solve problems and use their brains.