Just popping out with the dog (from 10,000ft): Meet the special forces hound that likes to parachute

By Daily Mail Reporter

The special forces parachutist leaps from the transporter plane over Norway with his loyal dog firmly attached


This has to be the ultimate in walkies... a four-legged recruit to the special forces joining troops on a parachute jump into one of Europe's biggest military training exercises in Norway.

The explosives sniffing dog, which a member of Austria's version of the SAS, took part in Operation Cold Response along with British special forces and Royal Marines assault teams.

Securely strapped to his handler and with a muzzle to stop him damaging his mouth on landing he plunged 10,000ft from a transporter plane over Narvik.

'It's something he does a lot and he's very comfortable with. He has a much cooler head than most recruits,' said one special operations trooper.

Far from panicking at the experience of hurling themselves out of a plane at 10,000ft, the Austrians' Belgian Shepherd dogs appear to be perfectly calm both before and during the jump.


In freefall, the sniffer dog calmly takes in the view as they both hurtle towards the ground on their assignment

One handler explained: 'They don't perceive height difference the same way humans do, so that doesn't worry them.

'They're more likely to be bothered by the roar of the engines, but once we're on the way down, that doesn't matter and they just enjoy the view.'

He was also eager to point out that the dogs, like their human colleagues, are regarded as valued team members and aren't put into situations that could prove unnecessarily dangerous.


source: dailymail