This is how a real-life military dog is trained for combat
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
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.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
