Canines in combat
US President Trump has shared an image of the military dog injured in the raid that captured "Islamic State" (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. But the unnamed dog is not the first canine in combat to make headlines.
The White House's 'VERY GOOD' girl
US President Donald Trump tweeted a photograph of the Belgian Malinois who was reportedly injured in the raid which killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Syria. The dog's name remained classified — naming it would reveal its handler and therefore the US units in action in the raid — but Reuters reported the dog was only slightly injured and is already back to work. Trump said she did a "GREAT JOB."
Rin Tin Tin, war hero and film star
Dogs have been used in conflict zones for many years. Rin Tin Tin was a German Shepherd in service in the German army in World War I who was captured by an American soldier and thereafter "defected" to the US forces. Rin Tin Tin made the most of his new life in the US; he went on to have a successful film career in Hollywood in the 1920s.
Sergeant Major Jiggs, the US Marines' first mascot
Other dogs in conflict were less hands-on than Rin Tin Tin. Jiggs was an English Bulldog who became the first mascot of the US Marine Corps in 1922. Jiggs quickly climbed through the ranks and became a Sergeant Major within a few years, quite an achievement for a new young recruit. Jiggs was buried with full military honors after his death in 1927.
Training begins at birth
Most military dogs are trained from birth. In Germany's Bundeswehr, they stay with specialized puppy trainers or handlers until they are old enough to be ready for service. Here the Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen holds a puppy being trained for service in the Austrian army.
'Robby's Law' changed the fate of military dogs
In 2000, US President Bill Clinton signed "Robby's Law" which aimed to make sure that military dogs in the US army were no longer abandoned in conflict zones or euthanized after their service. In Vietnam 2,700 US army dogs were handed over to the South Vietnamese army and 1,600 were euthanized. Now US trainers can adopt army dogs once their service is over — though it was too late for Robby.
German Shepherds — supplied by Germany
Despite their photogenic appearance, not all military dogs are German Shepherds. However, according to the Bark Post, 85% of military dogs in the US are purchased from Germany and the Netherlands after being trained there. The German Shepherd is not the most popular breed; Belgian Malinoises, like the one tweeted by Trump, are more common.