Dogs on India's Defence

Humans and dogs have always celebrated an inseparable bond. Spread across India’s Border Security Force (BSF), the Indian Army and huge web of law enforcement agencies, dogs have found new ways of meaningful engagement. This photo essay closely follows the life of dogs in Indian Armed Forces, and their handlers. Second to the Indian Army, which has its exclusive dog-training academy, BSF trains all dogs deployed into various wings of the Indian armed forces. Increasing anxieties about terrorism and insurgencies have forced the Indian government to step up its response, and National Training Centre for Dogs (NTCD) plays a pivotal role with its wide range of training programs including tracking, explosives detection, mob control, search and rescue, narcotics detection, mine detection and poisonous substance detection. BSF is India’s biggest paramilitary force guarding its vast and porous borders. Located in Tekanpur, a quiet Military base in Madhya Pradesh, Central India, NTCD offers an ideal training environment with green swatches, calm and an ideal atmosphere for training these dogs and their handlers. Life at the center begins at 5 a.m., with an intensive regime of feeding, grooming, exercise, and, of course, training. Amidst the humdrum of discipline, training, and orders, the place is rife with anecdotes of man-animal bonding.