“No Ordinary Dog” is the story of Cairo, a four-legged Navy SEAL who jumped out of planes, rappelled from helicopters, traversed rivers, sniffed out IEDs and much more. The heroic Belgian Malinois was joined by handler and best friend, Will Chesney, who recounts their time together on the front line, including their part in “Operation Neptune Spear” that took out Osama Bin Laden. We interviewed Will to find out what it took for Cairo to make it as a Navy SEAL and why his amazing pooch was “No Ordinary Dog.”
How did you get into this field of work?
I was born and raised in Southeast Texas in a small town called Lumberton. I had heard that Navy SEALs underwent some of the hardest training in the world. I wanted to test myself and see if I had what it took to make it through the brutal 24-week SEAL training period - Basic Underwater Demolition. A few weeks after I graduated from high school, I was off to the Navy in pursuit of becoming a SEAL.
Why was Cairo selected?
The military sends specialized dog trainers overseas to evaluate and select dogs that they believe will succeed as military working dogs. Cairo was chosen because of his favorable reactions to the tests that the trainers performed while assessing him overseas. Once back in the states, Cairo continued to impress the trainers at the Adlerhorst International Training Facility in California. That’s where I first met him.
Just like people, every dog is different, and not every person has what it takes to become a SEAL, but there is nothing wrong with that. If being a SEAL dog isn’t the right job, there are plenty of other important jobs out there where a dog can thrive.
What were Cairo's responsibilities on a mission?
Cairo used his nose to detect any sort of explosive or human odor and alert us of any danger. My responsibility as his handler was to place him in the best positions to use his nose and look for any signs or changes in his behavior that signaled that he was onto something.
What training did he need to go through?
Cairo went through years of training that started when he was a puppy. Once the Navy found him, the training continued. We spent a lot of time teaching Cairo how to detect certain smells and alert us when he picked up on them. We also did a lot of obedience training and environmental conditioning with him to make sure we were prepared for anything.
How do you keep smart working dogs happy when they're not on duty?
Make sure you’re giving them the exercise they need, even if it’s just throwing the ball for them a little bit twice a day. Beyond that, plenty of interaction with people if they are able and friendly enough to do that. These types of dogs need something to keep their mind stimulated or they will start to chew on everything.
What advice would you give to readers who are training their dogs right now?
Try to keep the training as happy as possible. There's a saying that dog trainers and handlers have: your emotions run up and down the leash. If you are frustrated, it’s going to be picked up by your dog. It's important to stay neutral and not get flustered. There's no one size fits all to training; you need to be creative and have a bunch of different tools in your bag to get the best result.
During the summer months, dogs love getting in the water. As a Navy SEAL, can you give us any advice on making dogs better swimmers and activities to try in the water with pups?
When we are introducing new pups into the water, we do it as slow and as happy as possible. We start in the shallow end and use their favorite toy to get them excited. Then when they are finally in, we praise them as much as possible and keep progressing from there.
Eventually, once we are comfortable with their ability to swim, we have life jackets we like to throw on them and head out on the water together.
What's Cairo's relationship like with other dogs?
Cairo never had any issues getting along with other dogs. One time, during Cairo's retirement years, a small bulldog was aggressive toward him when he got a little too close to some toys. Cairo got away with a little cut on his leg but did not retaliate at all. He was a really laid back boy unless you were a bad guy.
How important are dogs in the military?
I would say they are one of the most valuable assets we have in the military. Not only in the military but also law enforcement and therapy, dogs are pretty amazing at any job they feel called to do. They are an integral part of our team and like family, not only to the handler they are assigned to but the rest of the squad as well.
What was it like putting your story down on paper?
It was not easy. I was doing this to tell Cairo's story. I wanted to share with the world what he and all of the other working dogs are capable of, the sacrifices they make, their bravery and unbelievable commitment to their work.
If you’d like to hear more about Cairo and Will’s epic adventures, “No Ordinary Dog” is available now on Amazon.