History of Military Working Dogs-

The earliest recorded use of canines in combat was around 600 BC by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. However, no military in history has used them as extensively, or as effectively as the United States. Military service dogs have served in combat alongside our soldiers from every major conflict since the birth of this nation, but they were not officially recognized until World War II. Before WWII, dogs were mostly used as message carriers and sentries, but nowadays, they’re trained to perform a wide range of highly specialized tasks such as sniffing out bombs and drugs, tracking people, and even attacking when necessary. There are about 2,500 military war dogs in service today, with about 700 serving overseas.

Military working dogs (MWDs) undergo a very thorough assessment before being chosen and only 50% of those make it through training. Not only are military dogs expected to have an extremely keen sense of smell, but they must be free of physical issues, motivated by a reward system in addition to being able to attack on command. Many puppies have been disqualified due to exhibiting anxiety at having to bite a human.

A common fallacy is that all MWDs are German Shepherds, however, several different breeds are utilized for military service. A few of the more common ones are as follows:

German Shepherd
Doberman Pinchers
Labrador Retrievers
Dutch Shepherds
Belgian Malinois

For years, 85% of military working dogs were purchased from Germany and the Netherlands because their dogs have been purposely bred for military service for hundreds of years. This allowed the U.S. to select dogs that had the most ideal traits of aggressiveness vs. playfulness vs. tenacity vs intelligence. More recently the U.S. has collaborated with the American Kennel Association to encourage a breeding program to develop our own pool of military services dogs. The largest military service dog breeding program in the world is located at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX and provides dogs to every branch of service.

The cost associated with training a military service dog runs approximately $150,000 to the DOD, however, these dogs possess a 98% accuracy in detecting bombs and drugs. Some would say their effectiveness far outweighs their cost to train. Upon completion of their training, these dogs are considered noncommissioned officers. Traditionally their rank has been one step higher than their handler to ensure there was no mistreatment of the dog while in service.

The average career span for a military working dog is approximately 9-11 years. Before 2000, military working dogs were considered “surplus equipment” and were euthanized or abandoned after their retirement. It is estimated that approximately 4000 MWDs were left in Vietnam at the end of the war with only a little over 200 dogs making it home. After 2000, President Clinton passed “Robby’s Law” allowing handlers and their families to get first dibs at adopting their MWD.

Today, over 90% of retired MWD’s are adopted by their former handlers. In addition, many dogs continue to support local law enforcement after retirement. If a handler is unable to adopt their working dog, the DOD identified other willing families to ensure the dog has a home, however, there is NO public funding for this process. And in some cases, that’s where Lost Mountain Group can help!

ABOUT LOST MOUNTAIN GROUP-

Lost Mountain Group (LMG) was established in 2016, by retired DC Metro Police Department K-9 and Bomb Squad Commander Andrew Keahon (Andy).  Throughout Andy’s 25+ year law enforcement career, he wanted to do more to help the K-9’s that he worked so closely with, and with the formation of Lost Mountain Group, his dream became a reality and his way of helping to pair retired military K-9 companions with US Veterans in the Mid-Atlantic Region.  

In November 2016, LMG placed its first canine companion, a female lab retired police bomb dog named Gypsy, as a companion for a top-tier MWD Handler and combat veteran, who had been injured. Over time, the spouse would send updates and pictures of how Gypsy changed the quality of life of her husband during his recovery. 

Oftentimes, Lost Mountain Group K-9 rescues will accompany us to work as we spend several months rehabilitating each canine from their previous "working dog" mentality and introducing them to what life outside of a kennel looks like.  We socialize them in “real world” environments as he introduces them to civilians, other animals, children, social settings, and even something as basic as affection— it is a bed, treats, pool time, farm life, siblings, PLAYmates, etc.  Once we are confident that the dog is fully rehabilitated, trained, and socialized, applications are reviewed, and a Veteran is selected for canine companionship! Each dog is fully vetted prior to being placed into their forever homes

Lost Mountain Group is of the only organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region rescuing retired MWD’s and placing them with Veterans—at no cost to the Veteran. Since our inception, Lost Mountain Group has paired over 34 canine companions with Veterans, and with each pairing, we save two lives; we rescue the dog, and the dog rescues the Veteran!

As of 2020, Lost Mountain Group is recognized as an independent nonprofit with locations in Virginia and Maryland. Additionally, Charitable Gifts to Lost Mountain Group are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law as we are recognized by the IRS as a public charity 501(c)3 organization (EIN 86-1308474).

Help Us, Help Them…
By Making a Donation Today

For Lost Mountain Group, it’s all about the puppies, and socializing them so they are ready to be paired with their forever veteran— which can be expensive. Your generosity will go right to work to help pair a retired MWD canine companion with a veteran who may be combat wounded, diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or just needs a battle buddy to help them get through their day!

Thank you for helping to save two lives with your generosity!

VENMO: @Lost_Mountain_Group