Max — a new movie about a Belgian Malinois dog trained by the U.S. Marines for combat in Afghanistan — hits theaters today.
The release of Max has also raised interest in the lives of actual military dogs, which have served alongside soldiers in combat zones for years. A 2011 video shows the rigorous training methods used by the Navy SEALs to prepare German Shepherds for Afghanistan:
As the video shows, the dogs' extensive training includes bomb-sniffing and a variety of attack commands. Some dogs even have titanium teeth embedded in their mouths to increase the strength of their bite. The titular dog in Max may be adorable, but you definitely wouldn't want to get on his bad side.
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