Barking Afghanistan warriors in it for tennis balls

By Luke Baker

CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan (Reuters) - They always follow orders, they'll eat canned food and all they want to do is work, work, work -- they're the unsung dogs of war.

When British troops go on patrol in Afghanistan, they're increasingly taking specialist canine teams along with them, trained to sniff out buried bombs, concealed explosives or suspected Taliban militants hiding in the undergrowth.

Since roadside bombs laid under pressure plates have become one of the Taliban's most-favored and most-lethal weapons, the eager four-legged warriors and their handlers have become an indispensable aid in the grinding seven-year-old conflict.

"They're out there every day, on the frontlines," said Major Chris Ham of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, who commands a unit of 20 handlers and dogs in Helmand, a violent province of southern Afghanistan where the Taliban remains strong.

"If the infantry are out on the ground, then the dogs and handlers are out there in front of them, making sure it's okay to go ahead. They're basically saving lives."

Dogs have played a part in British military operations at least since World War Two, but since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where crude explosive devices have been put to ever deadlier effect, their use has more than tripled.

Six years ago there were barely 100 dog handlers in the military, now there are around 350, according to Ham, and demand is growing all the time as commanders realize the impact the highly-trained dogs can make in sniffing out bombs, checking suspicious vehicles, guarding and chasing down militants.

"This is asymmetric warfare, with the enemy hitting us with improvised explosive devices," said Ham. "There's nothing out there that can find those things as quickly and efficiently as a dog can. Technology isn't as good in this environment."

DOG DAY AFTERNOON

The dogs may have to live in a war zone and in heat that can soar to 45 degrees centigrade, but otherwise it's pretty much a dog's life for the Labradors, Springer spaniels and German shepherds that make up the canine unit.

They each live in a large, air-conditioned pen that costs 50,000 pounds ($95,000) and are fed twice a day to keep their energy levels up. They may have to work every day for up to two years on the trot, but it's work the handlers say they love.

"With dogs, if they don't like it, they won't do it," said Ham. "You can't force a dog to work."

Of course, the job also comes with its dangers for them. Last month a handler and his dog were killed by a Taliban-fired rocket-propelled grenade in northern Helmand. There are concerns their effectiveness has now made them militant targets.

As well as explosives, there are dogs trained to detect fighters hiding out in bushes or buildings, capturing their scent on the wind. Others find drugs and weapons stashes.

If it's exceptionally hot or they have to operate in areas where there are sharp rocks, shrapnel or broken glass, the dogs wear little boots to protect their paws.