The United States military has a long and furry history with military working dogs (MWDs), and remarkably, the dogs usually outrank their human handlers. "It's a matter of tradition as well as military custom. … "The dog, being a non-commissioned officer, or NCO, would outrank or match in rank to their handler."18-Nov-2019
Does the dog outrank their handlers
Do military dogs always outrank their handlers?
Every military working dog is an NCO – in tradition at least. Some say the custom was to prevent handlers from mistreating their dogs; hence, a dog is always one rank higher than its handler. "That's out of respect," said Sgt.02-Feb-2017
Are military dogs ranked higher than their handlers?
Every military working dog is a non-commissioned officer, in tradition. Military working dogs are always one rank higher than their handlers. NCO status was originally given to military dogs as a custom to prevent handlers from abusing or mistreating their dogs.26-Aug-2020
Why do k9s outrank their handlers?
This tradition is in place to maintain order while training and on missions. As a higher ranking officer, any mistreatment of the dog will result in severe disciplinary action for the handler, thus ensuring the dog is being treated well within the military.
Do military dogs live with their handlers?
Still, more than 90 percent of returning MWDs go home to live with their former handlers. Occasionally, when a handler is lost in battle, the handler's family may choose to adopt the dog.16-Nov-2017
Do military dogs get dog tags?
Because dog tags are issued to military members for identification purposes only, there is no provision for getting replacement dog tags from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard.
What do real military dog tags say?
Today's identification tags identify vital information about the wearer: name, Social Security number, blood type and religious preference. During World War II there were only three religious categories that could be put on dog tags: P for Protestant, C for Catholic and H for Hebrew (Jewish).01-Apr-2014
How much does a military dog handler make?
Military Working Dog Handler Salary
| Annual Salary | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|
| Top Earners | $52,000 | $25 |
| 75th Percentile | $35,000 | $17 |
| Average | $33,116 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $22,500 | $11 |