Military Canines Research Paper

People have a different meanings for the word hero. Most little boys and some men call Iron Man, Captain America, Spiderman, and the Ninja Turtles heroes; but there are people and even animals in our community and our military that save lives daily. The characteristics of a hero to me is someone who is courageous, selfless, humble, patient, and caring. Those five characteristics even apply to animals, and that is why I am shining a light on canines because sometimes they can be hidden in the shadows. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is very common in the military armed forces. PTSD is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or seeing a terrifying and traumatic event. In war, one may see images of their brothers getting demolished by a bomb or shot in the chest right next to them--- while the soldier copes with this disorder, there are canines that are being professionally trained to help them handle this disorder. The canines will protect the home, the family, and help the soldier in need of special care whether it be a mental, emotional, or physical need.

Service canines help people with a disability by doing simple tasks that their companion may not be able to do. Service canines help in several ways: picking up items, retrieving items from places, opening and closing doors, barking on command for help, and even getting a phone for an emergency. The service canines for the disabled will go with their companion wherever they need to go, and do what they say on command. A person with these conditions really depend on their service dog for everything, and the canines hold a standard for themselves and have strong independence. I have seen this happen in times where the man or woman is blind and the dog will lead them to their destination, and it will really put a smile on one’s face because the person feels so safe with their