Royal Australian Air Force Security and Fire School
Military Working Dog Training Flight
Military Working Dogs
The two breeds currently used as Military Working Dogs are the German Shepherd Dog and the Belgian Shepherd Malinois. These dogs are sourced either from within the Air Force’s own breeding program, donated by or purchased from the general public or purchased from overseas sources. Persons wishing to become MWDH’s cannot bring their own dog with them into the military. Only a small percentage of domestic dogs are suitable for a life in the military and any dog that is suitable as a domestic pet is usually unsuitable as an MWD.
Before a student handler is allocated a dog, that dog has undergone many months of intensive development and assessment. When a group of dogs is selected as being suitable to go on course with a handler to become an MWD, that dog is then matched up with a suitable handler. Staff at the dog training school match the dog to the handler’s character. The selection of which handler gets which dog is left up to the staff who have many years experience in matching dogs with handlers.