ISLAMABAD: Over the past seven decades, Pakistan’s military canine centre has trained hundreds of dogs that have not only participated in local military and anti-narcotics operations but have also been deployed in search and rescue missions around the world.
The centre was established in the garrison city of Rawalpindi in 1952 for the purpose of breeding, educating and training dogs for using their abilities in various military units and formations. To date, instructors at the facility have trained thousands of dogs to participate in military operations, counter-narcotics efforts and disaster rescue missions.
“There are nine courses in this canine centre and we accept students from the army, air force and navy, as well as civilian armed forces and law enforcement agencies,” stated Colonel Muhammad Hasan, commander of the army canine centre.
The centre commander said the dogs went through puppy training before being put into specialized training for six to eight months.
“For each course, we require different characteristics from the dog,” Hasan said. “Just like guard dogs, we require aggression, and sniffers require agility and nose work. So our head trainer selects these dogs and starts training them.”
Hasan said the centre prefers three breeds — German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois and Labrador Retrievers — and trains them according to their distinct characteristics.
The trained dogs were “an integral part” of all military operations in the country, particularly in sniffing out IEDs, weapons and explosives and in surveillance, the commander said.
“Since 2012, when these dogs were deployed in operational areas [to fight militants], the number of IEDs has decreased by about 90 percent and the number of incidents has decreased drastically,” Hasan said.
In one incident, a chocolate-colored Labrador named Proton, deployed in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber tribal district, was ambushed and killed by militants. Proton recovered over 100 IEDs and large amounts of ammunition in dozens of operations in 2014.
“To recognize him, the Chief of Army Staff [Gen Raheel Sharif], on the recommendation of our Directorate, proposed a medal for these unsung heroes and the Proton Medal has since been awarded to five dogs in various categories,” Hasan said.
“The centre also trained students from abroad and they mostly come from Arab countries and we train them in the art and science of dog handling as well as canine training,” the commander said.
During last year’s FIFA World Cup, 40 Pakistani dog handlers were sent to Doha with a military contingent to perform security and protection duties.
Dogs from the training centre have also performed international assignments, including rescue work in Nepal and Turkey after the earthquake, the colonel said.
“Our urban search and rescuers participated in rescue missions in Nepal in 2022 and 2023 in Turkey,” Hasan said, “where they found dead bodies and live people and animals.
