Trident K9 Warriors

My Tale From the Training Ground to the Battlefield with Elite Navy SEAL Canines

By: Michael Ritland, Gary Brozek

Narrated by: Jeff Gurner

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

As a SEAL on combat deployment in Iraq, Mike Ritland saw a military working dog in action and instantly knew he found his true calling. While the SEAL teams had used dogs in the past, they never had dogs trained specifically by SEALs, for SEALs. To fill this void, Ritland started his own company after he retired, training and supplying dogs for the West Coast SEAL teams. He knew that less than 1% of all working dogs had what it takes to contribute to the success of our nation’s elite combat units.

He searched the globe for animals who fit this specific profile. These specialized canines had to pass rigorous selection tests before their serious training could begin. The results were a revelation: highly trained working dogs capable of handling both detection and apprehension work in the most extreme environments and the tensest of battlefield conditions. Though fiercely aggressive and athletic, these dogs develop a close bond with the handlers they work side by side with and the other team members. Truly integrating themselves into their units, these K9 warriors are much like their human counterparts - unwavering in their devotion to duty, strong enough and tough enough to take it to the enemy through pain, injury, or fear.

For the first time ever, listeners get an inside look at these elite K9 warriors - who they are, how they are trained, and the extreme missions they undertake saving countless lives asking for little in the way of reward. From detecting explosives to eliminating the bad guys, these powerful dogs are also some of the smartest and most highly skilled working animals on the planet.

©2013 Michael Ritland and Gary Brozek (P)2013 Macmillan Audio

Decent

Love Gary Brozek, he is a great narrator. The story is decent. I'd recommend it for anyone that likes dogs

if you love dogs

If you love dogs. Than this is a book that will describe how much we truly owe our honored companions .

Great book and content.

The book is amazing, the only negative thing to me, is the voice and cadence of speech from the narrator.

Good Insight into Military Dogs

This is a good overview of the training & use of Navy Seal dogs. It also describes the type of dog selected for the work. It takes an over the top with energy dog who
won’t quite. A Navy Seal in a dog

A unique story written and read very well

This book is definitely worth every penny. It delivers a unique story that is both written and read very well. I'm really not sure why one of the other reviewers says this is a boring history book. There is some history in the book, but(as the author states) it really serves the listener, as to really understand what goes into the "making" of these dogs, you need to know some of "military-dog" related history. But this book is by no means only this(history). It delivers exactly what the title says, giving many different accounts/stories of the dogs and their SEAL handlers, both state side and down-range. And, just as the books title states, you also get some of the authors background along with detailed accounts of his training of the dogs as well as working them.
The narrator of the book(Jeff Gurner) does a great job reading, putting just the right amount of emotion into it. Mr.Hurner has also clearly done his "homework", since he pronounces the military-terms correctly. I point this out because, most unfortunately other "Navy-Seal" book narrators have not. I'm specifically referring the pronunciation of BUDS, which for some reason always ends up getting pronounced incorrectly, like having each individual letter spelled out or a myriad of other incorrect ways.

So, I guess if I were "forced" to find fault in this book, this only thing I could say is that it's to short.

Great book!

Would you listen to Trident K9 Warriors again? Why?

I liked this book A LOT!! I have performance dogs and compete in Canine Nosework with them. This book goes into great detail on the training and working with scent detection dogs and it all makes great sense and confirms what I've been taught. LOVE the positive reinforcement training aspect too!!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked how the main character explained in detail the training and how the dogs worked in the field.

Which scene was your favorite?

don't really have a favorite, but I really liked the funny scenarios.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

How the handler dealt with the dog who didn't have an IED to find for several days started to shutdown. I liked how he returned to several positive training moments to rejuvenate the dog's drive. Reminded me of working too many empty rooms for NW3 training.

Any additional comments?

I didn't know dogs worked with navy seals and I feel proud that they do.

Moving Tribute

A pleasant and moving tribute to the SOF K9's. Mike's passion is contagious. Well put together and interesting material.

Rethink your dog

Where does Trident K9 Warriors rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Expert information.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Trident K9 Warriors?

The dog stories: Nemo, Rocket, Poncho - all of them.

What three words best describe Jeff Gurner’s performance?

Steady, a little monotone.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Sort of, I don't really listen like that.

Any additional comments?

This book will help you understand your dog better. The author gets it. His experience training top working dogs to integrate with top teams is a testament to professionalism. Pet owners can do a little vicarious living in the stories and take away tips to enhance their own human / canine relationships.

Awesome for K9 lovers

What made the experience of listening to Trident K9 Warriors the most enjoyable?

The way the author relayed the information. Anyone could pick up a lot of tips of tips for training their dogs from this book.

What did you like best about this story?

The current evolution of the training and uses of/for dogs in SOF and other military.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It was a little dry, almost like a school textbook but if you are interested in dogs, dog training, or special operation warfare it's worth reading.

Any additional comments?

This book read more like a manual with examples from real life. However, the stories in the last half were incredible. I'm sure there are many more incredible stories that dog handlers from other SEAL teams could add to show how that the dogs are just as elite as their handlers.

A great history of SOF WMD utilization & training

The review title says it all - this is a thorough and personal account of military canines, with focus on the author's specialty of modern working mil dogs which he trains. That said and in that context, this book is a knockout with a mix of great detail on the training and incidental example stories mixed in... if you go into understanding the intent, you will not be disappointed. If you are looking for something like non-stop K9 mission accounts in every paragraph, then this is not the book for you.
The content is detailed enough for any enthusiast or mil type, yet keeps moving along to new subject matter in a timely fashion with every chapter.
The performance likewise is "just right", providing enough inflection and emotion to keep it real without overacting.