Navy SEAL Dogs

September 23, 2013
This engrossing if sometimes discursive YA adaptation of Ritland’s Trident K9 Warriors draws from his multiple deployments as a Navy SEAL, as well as his training of dogs for military service. The former inspired the latter, and the book’s most gripping passages are Ritland’s reports of canine feats in high-tension situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Though most descriptions are secondhand and involve Ritland’s Navy SEAL peers, he successfully conveys a you-are-there sense of immediacy and urgency. Extensive quotations from participants in these military operations provide behind-the-scenes perspective and underscore the dogs’ personalities and skills. Chapters detailing the training of military dogs and their handlers will be of greatest interest to dog lovers. Back matter includes a glossary of military terms and acronyms, as well as a capsule history of the roles dogs have played in various wars. Ages 13–up.

September 1, 2013
Special force SEALS are elite enough, but SEAL dogs are a breed apart. Author Ritland was a SEAL for many years, training and handling SEAL dogs, and first told about his training routines and exploits in his book for adults, Trident K9 Warriors (2013). This book is a special retelling for young readers. In solid, yeomanly prose, Ritland and Gary Brozek, uncredited, bring readers through the training process; these are dogs schooled to the nth degree in nonlethal force. They also spend a good amount of time with Brett (a 12-year Navy SEAL veteran--last names are rarely used in SEAL literature) and dog Chopper in Ritland's current work with the nonprofit Warrior Dog Foundation, which hopes "to make certain that retired [military working dogs] are able to live out the remainder of their lives in a positive environment." Great details come to the fore, such as fascinating stuff on "tells," that is when a dog signals that this or that is happening, and just what a dog bite can do to human flesh. There is even a positive note on George W. Bush's weapons-of-mass-destruction fiasco--it prompted the formation of an elite K-9 unit. (Photos not seen.) About time these heroes got the attention they deserved for a young audience. (Nonfiction. 12 & up)

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