In the middle of a military base outside Mexico City, an army colonel runs what he calls a kindergarten for dogs.
In the middle of a military base outside Mexico City, an army colonel runs what he calls a kindergarten for dogs.
Puppies that one day will become rescue dogs, or sniffer dogs for drugs or explosives, get their basic training here, at Mexico’s Army and Air Force Canine Production Center. The puppies are born and spend their first four months at the facility, before being sent to military units around the country for more specialized training.
Founded in 1998, the center has in the past produced breeds such as German Shepherds and Rottweilers.
Now, it exclusively breeds Belgian Malinois — about 300 of them a year.
“It’s a very intelligent dog, it’s a dog with a lot of hardiness, very resistant to diseases,” said Col. Alejandro Camacho Ibarra, a veterinarian and the center’s director. It is the Mexican military’s only such production facility, and Camacho said it may be the largest in Latin America.
The mainly green-and-white, one-story buildings look like any others at the military camp in the State of Mexico, near Mexico City. But the difference here is in the sounds that fill the air: high-pitch barking from dozens of puppies scattered through its maternities and training camps.
Precautions here are strict because of a recent canine parvovirus outbreak that sickened some of the puppies. Visitors are disinfected with a spray, and must step into a watery solution to clean shoe soles. Only military personnel can touch the puppies. If you want to get close, you need to wear scrubs, shoe protectors and a mask, but you still cannot hold or pet the animals.
The training starts early in life, about a month after birth once the weaning process finishes. And everything is taught as a game.
“We start playing with the dog,” Camacho said. The idea is to draw them to items that trainers call “attractors” — like a ball or a rag — and puppies are challenged to catch them. “Every time it holds his prey, it’s rewarded, congratulated, and it learns to go after that prey, after that attractor,” Camacho added.
Unlike in civilian life, where puppies often get food treats, in the military the only prize for a job well done is a caress and some praise.
In one section of the camp, there’s a trail with obstacles including rocks, a tunnel, a section of empty plastic bottles to clamber over, a ladder and tires.
A soldier beckons the little dogs with a rag they must capture. The brown puppies with black snouts begin running through the trail, jumping over the rocks and crossing the obstacles. One takes the lead and the second struggles to cross over the plastic bottles, but also finishes. Both go to bite the rag the soldier holds.
“Very, very good, sons! Very good, boys,” he repeats while dragging the puppies as they maintain their grasp on the rag for several moments.
Camacho explains that the puppies are known by a number until they are three months old, when they are given a proper name. Each year, the center gives names according to a single letter of the alphabet. In 2023, that letter is “F.”
Febo, Frodo, Fósil, Forraje and Fido are some of this year’s names.
The basic training ends when the puppies are 4 months old. Then, they move to other military units to become specialists in detection of drugs or explosive, in search and rescue or in protection and security.
The current government of Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has relied heavily on the armed forces for various initiatives, from public safety to the building of airports and a tourist train line. And K-9 units have been a key element of some of the military’s activities, like the detection of drugs.
Col. Camacho said that some dogs born at the center have been trained to detect fentanyl, a synthetic opioid trafficked by Mexican cartels that has been blamed for about 70,000 overdose deaths per year in the United States.
That kind of specialized training happens elsewhere, but the colonel says it builds on his center’s basic training by using “attractor” objects but having them impregnated with the scent of what the dogs need to track, such as a drug.
Dogs retire from their military service after eight years, Camacho says.
Many of the dogs have become unsung heroes of missions in Mexico and abroad. Occasionally they become publicly known, like a German Shepherd named Proteo who was part of a rescue team sent in February to Turkey after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 40,000 people.
Proteo died during the search for survivors of the quake. A statue of him now stands at the center.
Another dog that made headlines in Mexico and abroad was a yellow Labrador retriever rescue dog named Frida. The Navy dog gained fame in the days following Mexico’s Sept. 19, 2017, earthquake that left more than 300 dead in the capital. She retired in 2019 and died in 2022.
Col. Camacho said that the dogs have a symbiotic relationship with their handlers during their working life in the military.
“The dog uses us to survive, but we also use the dog to do a job,” he said. “So it’s a coordinated work where we both get a benefit.”
The abandoned and scared puppy lets forth tears at every figure that comes near.
People claim the dog cries “human-like.”
Rain, a German Shepherd noted for sobbing because he cries every time someone approaches him for aid, has touched many people. A story that also demonstrates how memories of abuse may mentally scar an animal and entirely affect its perspective on the world.
Traumatized dogs no longer perceive the world as a place where they may be joyful and loved; instead, everything has darkened for them, scaring and terrifying them. Furthermore, they no longer trust males and see little hope for a better life.
Rain, the German Shepherd dog who cries as you approach him.
The dog had been hiding beneath a van for several days, clinging to the wall behind the automobile for fear of being seen by someone. He couldn’t stop himself from shivering violently. So the locals decided to take action.
The animal rights charity “Hope For Paws” was notified by the neighbors. Volunteers then arrived to assist the dog. They attempted to approach him by showing him a burger, believing that the meal would pique his interest. Rain, on the other hand, was frozen in fear.
The German Shepherd then began to scream heartbreakingly loudly. The dog was attempting to persuade the rescuers to go since he does not trust them. They realized it would be difficult to help this sick dog. Loreta, one of the rescuers, recognized the dog’s difficult background.
It’s difficult to picture the type of abuse this dog must have received. Rescuers have never previously heard an animal wail like this. They were in terrible need. Rain crept out from beneath the car to hide in an even tighter location, making things much worse. He desired to establish separation.
On the bright side, the rescue crew placed a net on one side, while Loreta stood on the other, attempting to attract Rain’s attention. And it finally worked! The dog was apprehended, but he began wailing again and couldn’t stop since he was terrified of the scenario. He was expecting the worst.
Rain stopped crying and eventually calmed down after being taken to a veterinarian clinic for a health check, and seeing that no one wanted to hurt him, the dog was swiftly transported to a veterinary clinic for a health check. He eventually learnt to cope with his trauma. In addition, the dog was improving with each passing day.
Rain grew friendly and was able to find a temporary foster family until he could find a permanent home. He is now known as “Sassy Pants Dunbar,” which suits his wonderful attitude.
This German Shepherd had a joyful ending, which we hope will continue in perpetuity.
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