New dog in town looks born to work

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Larry Schneck
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Wax was 60 days old when he joined the U.S. Air Force. Not bad for a military pup with a spunky personality and love for chewy things.

"He'll be a great working dog because he has a high drive for toys," said Staff Sgt. Lindsay Thompson, 56th Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler. "I'm looking forward to getting Wax up to speed with the rest of the dogs."

Wax is the first new MWD to join the squadron in the past year and a half. Security forces dog handlers receive a replacement canine for each retiree.

"This is my third partner," Thompson said. "I handled Mayo, my second, for nine months. We deployed to Afghanistan in March."

Mayo and Sergeant Thompson completed 43 combat missions together - outside the wire, searching for improvised explosive devices and enemy combatants.

The Air Force has a team that travels to Germany to test the puppies for their future service as a MWD.

The first test is as simple as seeing if the dog will chase a ball. The second test incorporates environmental stimulus such as slick floors, dark rooms and walking over certain objects to see the dog's reaction.

"The most important capabilities that the MWDs bring to Luke are a psychological deterrent and force multiplier," said Staff Sgt. Kyle Alltop, 56th SFS MWD trainer and native of Mesa. "The dogs play a vital role in keeping everyone on and off base safe."

The MWD forms a tight bond to whomever he or she is assigned. This makes it important that the training stage of the canine's development is done correctly - by the book.

"Wax is a young dog and can learn a lot," Thompson said. "He's in the beginning stages of obedience training and trains daily."

Harnessing the energy of a young dog and channeling it to police and combat duties provides unique challenges to the handler.

"I'm going from Mayo who was a 6-year-old German shepherd to Wax who is only 2-years-old," Thompson said. "Mayo was a great partner and performed his duties with ease. Wax is a brand new pup from technical school. This will be a great challenge."

Sergeant Thompson expects to improve his skills as a handler at the same time he builds a relationship with his new partner and polishes the dog's capabilities as a security forces member.

"In training, no matter how old you are or the dog is, both should never stop learning," Thompson said. "The learning potential is endless."

Wax has just begun training to become combat ready for his first deployment. But keeping the residents and operations at Luke Air Force Base safe is the first priority. He'll also prepare for the 2012 Desert Dog Canine Competition.

"Wax and I have to build on our relationship," Thompson said. "I take him on walks and play with him in the obedience yard. He loves to chase after more than one ball at a time. I look forward to getting him ready for combat and winning the competition."