I don't think it's any different to having police dogs. Are there any petitions to have that stopped?

There was an article in the Sun showing dogs being trained to parachute with their handlers (a bit like the abseiling policeman & dog on Send in the Dogs`) in preparation for being used on active service and this seems to have been picked up by a vet in India as `dogs being used a target fodder by the Taliban`.
I really don`t think these petitions do much good - I see they are signed by people all over the world, so I can`t imagine our Gvt. being worried about its share of the vote TBH. Also, the petition is worded in such a way that is makes huge assumptions about what is apparently planned - which I for one don`t believe because it just doesn`t make sense.
If you don`t agree with war - or with the Iraq war - that`s one thing. Petitioning against the use of dogs in the Forces is a different matter. I don`t see that the use of sniifer dogs, tracking dogs, guarding dogs -all taking the smae risks as their handlers - is a bad thing.

I think it's absolutely disgusting, yet another example of humans using and abusing dogs for their own benefits.

We would have no domesticated dogs if humans had not taken them and given them a job

Could`nt hav put it better......

they do an invaluable job....

What would I think of myself if I was party to these dogs being taken out of the front line, and the result was a young male life was lost or maimed... because no dog was there to help warn of the dangers..

No I am not in favour of them being taken out of the front line...

It is a horrible war, and no one should be there human or animal....

About time I had somebody on my side there Paddywack, I was getting a bit outnumbered!

Police dogs are for OUR police, in OUR Country, they don't go and fight wars, that's totally different, they do a brilliant job, we all know they do.

These are dogs trained for the army, they're priceless, but give them a break, don't put them in such dire circumstances as waging a war in Afghanistan please! Put them to good use to SAVE lives, not lose them. I honestly don't think it will make one iota of difference if they send a dog into a house to check it out for explosives or whatever, only that the dog will get killed along with the poor s*d who goes in there after him! This is a very different kind of war, mind games, not one to one combat like all other wars, it's totally different, the brave guys who are there know that, sadly the dog doesn't - yet!

Not necessarily

I do think there is a difference between a working police dog (at least one who is properly handled and cared for) to sending dogs into a war zone dropped from 25,000 feet, with cameras on their heads, ready to be used as shooting targets by the Taliban.

Cheap solution with no regards or respect for canine lives.

The soldiers have a choice to be there the dogs don't. Typical of us Humans

so you would rather the war came to your front door before your would allow dogs to be used,,,, again they are out there working with BRITISH men and women,,,I think helena your missing the point that its OUR KIDS out there

Ok so you`ve got this dog. It`s in an area he`s not been in before. He`s been dropped in. How do you tell him which way to go? Would you not get an awful lot of camera footage showing bitches bottoms and rubbish heaps? Or has the Army developed some new way of training a dog? Anyone who has struggled to train a sendaway and redirect will know what I mean.
This story is Tosh. And Piffle. IMO.