How Do Military Working Dog Handler Jobs Work?

I'm interested in working with animals and heard about military working dog (MWD) handler jobs. What are the qualifications and training needed for this role? It sounds like an exciting opportunity to combine my love for dogs with serving.

Military Working Dog (MWD) handlers are military personnel who are responsible for the care, training, and handling of dogs that are employed in various roles such as patrol, drug and explosive detection, and other specialized missions.

To become an MWD handler, you first need to enlist in the military. Both the Army and the Air Force have MWD handler roles, and they're identified with the military occupational specialty (MOS) classification. For example, in the Army, the designation is MOS 31K and in the Air Force, it's career field 3P0X1B.

Qualifications generally include being 18-28 years old and a U.S. citizen. You have to have a high school diploma or equivalent, and you'll need to meet the physical fitness requirements of your respective branch. You'll also need to pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) with a qualifying score, and typically, a normal color vision test is required, due to the need to recognize and work with color-coded training aids.

After completing initial training (boot camp or basic training), aspiring handlers will attend a Military Working Dog Handler Course. For instance, the Army's course is 11 weeks and is held at the Military Working Dog School, which is at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. The course covers dog behavior and training principles, and during the course, handlers work with several dogs to gain experience.

Once assigned to a duty station, handlers are paired with a specific dog and they train together to certify as a team. The pair might specialize in patrol activities, narcotics detection, or explosives detection, depending on the dog’s capabilities and the handler’s expertise.

The job is physically demanding and can be emotionally tough – you're dealing with an animal that doesn’t always follow orders and can get hurt or even killed on duty. But for those who love dogs and want to serve their country, it can be a very rewarding career choice. Remember that military commitment does generally involve a time commitment of usually four years of active duty.