Soldier Dogs
The Untold Story of America’s Canine Heroes
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Narrated by:
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Nicole Vilencia
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By:
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Maria Goodavage
About this listen
A leading dog-blogger offers a tour of military working dogs’ extraordinary training, heroic accomplishments, and the lasting impact they have on those who work with them.
People all over the world have been riveted by the story of Cairo, the Belgian Malinois who was a part of the Navy SEAL team that led the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound. A dog’s natural intelligence, physical abilities, and pure loyalty contribute more to our military efforts than ever before. You don’t have to be a dog lover to be fascinated by the idea that a dog—the cousin of that furry guy begging for scraps under your table—could be one of the heroes who helped execute the most vital and high-tech military mission of the new millennium.
Now Maria Goodavage, editor and featured writer for one of the world’s most widely read dog blogs, tells heartwarming stories of modern soldier dogs and the amazing bonds that develop between them and their handlers. Beyond tales of training, operations, retirement, and adoption into the families of fallen soldiers, Goodavage talks to leading dog-cognition experts about why dogs like nothing more than to be on a mission with a handler they trust, no matter how deadly the IEDs they are sniffing out, nor how far they must parachute or rappel from aircraft into enemy territory.
"Military working dogs live for love and praise from their handlers," says Ron Aiello, president of the United States War Dogs Association and a former marine scout-dog handler. "The work is all a big game, and then they get that pet, that praise. They would do anything for their handler." This is an unprecedented window into the world of these adventurous, loving warriors.
Maria Goodavage, a former reporter for USA Today and the San Francisco Chronicle, is the editor and featured writer for one of the most widely read dog blogs in the world: For the Love of Dog. She is also the author of The Dog Lover’s Companion to California and The Dog Lover’s Companion to the San Francisco Bay Area. She co-produced and wrote an award-winning children's video about animals, starring the voice of Ed Asner.
Includes a bonus PDF with photographs.
Download the accompanying reference guide.An Audible for Dogs Pick: Make your dog's day. Cesar Millan shares how audiobooks can make dogs happier and calmer. Learn more.
©2012 Maria Goodavage (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"Maria has proven her passion for the subject of military dogs with many emotionally engaging stories about these dedicated canines and the people who share their lives. She is the perfect combination of news reporter and dog lover." (Tracie Hotchner, author of The Dog Bible)
"Soldier Dogs is a fascinating book about the valiant things that military dogs do as told through the words of the soldiers who fight beside them. It also shows you how military service dogs are created, told through the words of the trainers and scientists who know the process. It is written in an easy and entertaining style and will acquaint you with dozens of canine heroes ranging from Stubby, who fought in WWI, to Cairo, who was a member of the raiding party that took down Osama Bin Laden. It is a great read for anyone who appreciates dogs and heroes." (Stanley Coren, author of The Intelligence of Dogs)
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- By: Luis Carlos Montalvan
- Narrated by: Luis Carlos Montalvan
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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A highly decorated captain in the U.S. Army, Luis Montalvan never backed down from a challenge during his two tours of duty in Iraq. After returning home, however, the pressures of his physical wounds, traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder began to take their toll. In constant physical pain, he soon found himself unable to climb a simple flight of stairs or face a bus ride to the VA hospital. He drank; he argued; he cut himself off from those he loved. Then Luis met Tuesday, a beautiful and sensitive golden retriever....
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Very Good Book
- By Char on 08-05-11
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From Baghdad, With Love
- A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava
- By: Jay Kopelman
- Narrated by: uncredited
- Length: 3 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Love and hope often arrive in the strangest places and in the strangest ways. During his tour of duty in Iraq, Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman of the U.S. Marines endured the emotional stress common for those involved in bloody battles for freedom. Although the rules forbid pets, Kopelman and his comrades adopted an abandoned puppy left behind after the battle for Fallujah. The dog (named Lava) befriended the Marines and journalists, and was eventually smuggled out of Iraq.
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Wonderful Book
- By InADaze on 10-18-06
By: Jay Kopelman
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Sergeant Rex
- The Unbreakable Bond Between a Marine and His Military Working Dog
- By: Mike Dowling
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Filled with harrowing tales of knife-edge bomb-detection work, including an extraordinary baptism by fire, Sergeant Rex is a heart-pounding account of how an unbreakable human-canine bond helped Mike and Rex to stay focused on their mission and save countless lives.
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Book That You Will Not Want To Put Down
- By Pamela Dale Foster on 05-11-14
By: Mike Dowling
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Touching the Dragon
- And Other Techniques for Surviving Life's Wars
- By: James Hatch, Christian D'Andrea
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith, James Hatch
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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James Hatch is a former special ops Navy SEAL senior chief, master naval parachutist, and expert military dog trainer and handler. His fateful final mission in Afghanistan went south, and Hatch was left with a shattered femur from an AK-47 round and the SEAL dog who fought alongside him was dead. As a result of his horrific leg wound, his 24-year military career came to an end - and with it the only life he’d ever known. In Touching the Dragon, we witness his long road to recovery.
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Rare Honesty - Raw and Well Written
- By Diana on 06-02-18
By: James Hatch, and others
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The Loved Dog
- The Playful, Nonaggressive Way to Teach Your Dog Good Behavior
- By: Tamar Geller, Andrea Cagan
- Narrated by: Renée Raudman
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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More than 15 years ago, Tamar Geller began her career as a dog trainer by observing a scientific study of wolves in the wild. She realized that the socialization and parenting techniques they used to raise their cubs were rooted in bonding, communication, and play: not in aggression, dominance, or punishment. If people used these techniques when training their dogs, she realized, there would be no need for prong collars, choke chains, or any kind of physical or verbal aggression.
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Maybe better read but a terrible listen
- By Leslie on 04-27-07
By: Tamar Geller, and others
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No Ordinary Dog
- My Partner from the SEAL Teams to the Bin Laden Raid
- By: Will Chesney, Joe Layden
- Narrated by: Will Chesney
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Two dozen Navy SEALs descended on Osama bin Laden’s compound in May 2011. After the mission, only one name was made public: Cairo, a Belgian Malinois and military working dog. This is Cairo's story, and that of his handler, Will Chesney, a SEAL Team Operator whose life would be irrevocably tied to Cairo's.
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A Beautiful Tribute for an Extraordinary Dog
- By Sheri B. on 04-24-20
By: Will Chesney, and others
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The Divinity of Dogs
- True Stories of Miracles Inspired by Man's Best Friend
- By: Jennifer Skiff
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington, Danny Campbell
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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The Divinity of Dogs is about the moments you learn something profound about life from an experience with a dog. Featuring more than 70 stories culled from hundreds of submissions to the author's Web site, these inspiring and heartwarming true stories show where love, tolerance, comfort, compassion, loyalty, joyfulness, and even death have provided experiences that have led to spiritual enlightenment.
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Miracles abound
- By KL on 08-30-13
By: Jennifer Skiff
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Ever By My Side
- A Memoir in Eight [Acts] Pets
- By: Dr. Nick Trout
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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New York Times best-selling author Nick Trout has captivated audiences with his books that take us behind the scenes into the heartwarming - and sometimes heartrending - world of veterinary medicine. In a perfect follow-up to his first two books, he turns his lens inward and offers a funny, moving, and thoughtful, memoir about the animals he's had all his life. Nostalgic, warm, and insightful, Ever By My Side is about the power of animals to shape our lives....
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This guy is no James Herriot!
- By Crochetaway on 10-11-12
By: Dr. Nick Trout
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Dogtripping
- 25 Rescues, 11 Volunteers, and 3 RVs on Our Canine Cross-Country Adventure
- By: David Rosenfelt
- Narrated by: Jeff Steitzer
- Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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When best-selling mystery writer David Rosenfelt and his family moved from Southern California to Maine, he thought he had prepared for everything. They had mapped the route, brought three GPSs for backup, as well as refrigerators full of food, and stoves and microwaves on which to cook them. But traveling with 25 dogs turned out to be a bigger ordeal than he anticipated, despite RVs, the extra kibble, volunteers (including a few readers), and camping equipment.
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Only about 1 hour of the book is about the trip
- By Gretchen on 10-29-13
By: David Rosenfelt
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Shade it Black
- Death and After in Iraq
- By: Jessica Goodell, John Hearn
- Narrated by: Emily Durante
- Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Jess enlisted in the Marines immediately after graduating from high school in 2001, and in 2004 she volunteered to serve in the Marine Corps' first officially declared Mortuary Affairs unit in Iraq. Her platoon was tasked with recovering and processing the remains of fallen soldiers. With sensitivity and insight, Jess describes her job retrieving and examining the remains of fellow soldiers lost in combat in Iraq, and the psychological intricacy of coping with their fates, as well as her own.
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Credit-Worthy Slug to the Gut
- By Gillian on 03-25-14
By: Jessica Goodell, and others
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How to Raise the Perfect Dog
- Through Puppyhood and Beyond
- By: Melissa Jo Peltier, Cesar Millan
- Narrated by: John H. Mayer
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Based on Cesar's own detailed experiences raising individual puppies from some of the most popular breeds, How to Raise the Perfect Dog is like having Cesar right beside you, as your own personal expert, coaching you and your dog from the first day of your life together.
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A great primer on dog psychology
- By John Fernandes on 01-30-16
By: Melissa Jo Peltier, and others
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You Had Me at Woof
- How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness
- By: Julie Klam
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Julie Klam was 30, single, and working as a part-time clerk in an insurance company, wondering if she would ever meet the man she could spend the rest of her life with. And then it happened. She met the irresistible Otto, her first in a long line of Boston terriers, and fell instantly in love. You Had Me at Woof is the often hilarious and always sincere story of how one woman discovered life's most important lessons from her relationships with her canine companions.
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dog lover in virginia
- By Margaret on 01-17-11
By: Julie Klam
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A Small Furry Prayer
- Dog Rescue and the Meaning of Life
- By: Steven Kotler
- Narrated by: Kevin Foley
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Steven Kotler was 40 years old, single, and facing an existential crisis when he met Lila, a woman devoted to animal rescue. "Love me, love my dogs" was her rule, and Steven took it to heart. Spurred to move by a housing crisis in Los Angeles, Steven, Lila, and their eight dogs - then 10, then 20, and then they lost count - bought a postage-stamp-size farm in Chimayo, New Mexico....
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Great book
- By Shirley on 08-29-11
By: Steven Kotler
What listeners say about Soldier Dogs
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- B
- 03-19-12
Excellent story of Service, Loyalty and Love
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This is a great book that tells many stories of handlers and their best friends as they work through dangerous terrain in war zones across the world.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The story of the marine who was killed in action along with his dog. Very sad.
Any additional comments?
Thank a solider whenever you see them for their sacrifice. They are dying so we can be safe at home.
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12 people found this helpful
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- Nighteyes
- 02-08-24
very positive
tells a lot of time on the handler/dog relationship and doesn't pretend to be objective.
However if that is what you are looking for it's a great book
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- Laura
- 02-19-14
Great story and background
What did you love best about Soldier Dogs?
It goes into great detail and description of what role soldier dogs have in warfare. It was very interesting to hear the background and development of the program and the evolution of where it is going now to best serve our military and to best serve the dogs.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Soldier Dogs?
They make you care about the dogs. The soldiers that work with them don't view them as equipment even if they are considered such per military regulations. You want to know what happens to the dogs and what the outcomes are. You pull for the soldiers that are doing their jobs overseas and at home but you also want to pull for the dogs and have them come home as well.
Any additional comments?
There are some emotional parts of the book, but it is a great "read". I would definitely recommend this book to a friend, and to someone who is interested in non-fiction like this, or learning more about our military history.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Susan
- 06-02-12
Fabulous listen!
What did you love best about Soldier Dogs?
The book was so informative regarding the training of both the dogs and handlers without being too technical or boring.
What did you like best about this story?
All the heart-warming stories about the bonds formed between dog and handler were riveting.
Any additional comments?
The manner in which the author detailed many acts of bravery (both by man and dog) was matter-of-fact and not too sappy. There was little need to be sappy - I cried my way through most of the book. I'd recommend this book to anyone.
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2 people found this helpful
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- S. Francis
- 09-17-17
I learned so much AND was enthralled!
The author does a wonderful job of offering factual information in the context of stories. You don't just learn about how military dogs came to be; you get to know the earliest soldier dogs. Same for the current training methods and qualifications. You meet real dogs and their handlers. The author also compares her dopey lab to the working dogs, as of course I was doing with my little choodle!
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-13-20
Helpful to me as a pet owner.
Fun to read. Very informative. Thorough. Fascinating. Recommend to every dog owner.
Helpful to me as a pet owner. Positive training . Explains the WHY as well as the how.
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- Barbara J. Anderson
- 10-18-13
Dogs friends and foes, workers and playmates.
Dogs are just amazing, they can save our lives, our soldiers lives and help our country!
Even the ones that didn't quite, "make the grade", are in great demand and are still very useful. Police departments, fire departments, our dear handicapped friends. Thanks to the dogs and their trainers for all you have done to make these dogs, Soldier Dogs.
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5 people found this helpful
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- MolllyT
- 09-08-17
A terrific listen!
dogs, military, training, value
An absorbing and in depth telling about the training, lives, and work of the alphabet soup of military dogs and their handlers (primarily the US branches) by a trained observer, a journalist. The process of choosing dogs with the needed inclinations, temperament, and appropriate physical characteristics, the training of dogs and handlers makes good reading. Then there are tidbits like the use of Jack Russell terriers by the USN on submarines! The writing style is easy while informative, and seems nicely organized.
Nicole Vilencia narrates this with a pleasant tone and an easy cadence, thus enhancing the book.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Peppermint
- 01-31-22
Love Love Love
I love this book from start to finish.It doesn't hurt To be a dog lover when reading this book.I'm going to try to look for more books like this !
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- Martha Humphreys
- 03-30-13
If you love dogs...
Story received 5 stars, because we have 3 GSDs and 1 golden retriever (who won't--retrieve, that is). We love all things "dog", so we bring our hearts along with our ears to this listen.
Accurate research went into Soldier Dogs, warm-hearted anecdotes, tragic endings, and every day successes/challenges are throughout the book.
Kudos to the author for refraining from anthropomorphizing these dogs...her respect for them shows with every word. We smiled in recognition at the dogs' behavior and we cried at their mistreatment and deaths. Over the years we've parented 10 GSDs, 3 Akitas, 1 Rotty, 1 Golden, and "Clyde" our English Mastiff grand dog who lived 13 wonderful years.
Appropriate breeds for soldiering include size, willingness, intelligence, sensitive nose, and courage---2 of those 5 traits are genetic attributes of the breed, the other three are variables and described in human terms....not scientific absolutes.
The journalistic accuracy of the author's objectivity detracted from the potential emotional access the reader wants from any non-scientific tract about "Man's Best Friend."
i.e. the importance of a "Kong" in their lives to motivate behavior. All of our GSDs enjoy this toy (and its history was interesting), however the temperament trials conducted @ approximately 7 weeks of the litters reveal far more than potential for Pavlovian conditioning in future training.
How do you measure the attachment a Soldier Dog has for his person? And when that person leaves his or her---how do you measure the grief?
As in our human combat veterans, our canine vets deserve TLC and special consideration to live out their natural lives in peace.
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1 person found this helpful