John Spencer shares some lessons from Oketz, the Israel Defense Forces’ Specialized Canine Unit:
The IDF’s military dog program was heavily shaped by the guiding influence of Professor Rudolphina Menzel, a pioneer in canine psychology. By the 1980s, the program became formally institutionalized as Oketz (“sting,” in Hebrew). Since then, the unit has played pivotal roles in every major conflict involving the IDF, from the 2006 Lebanon War to ongoing operations in Gaza.
Oketz sources nearly all of its military working dogs—99 percent—from breeders in Europe. The dogs are primarily Belgian Malinois, with some German Shepherds and Labradors. Each year, the IDF procures approximately seventy dogs, ensuring they are one year old to strike the right balance between developmental maturity and training flexibility. Their rigorous and multiphase training lasts up to two years and emphasizes bonding between handlers and dogs for operational cohesion.
Each Oketz dog is trained for a specialized role. Some are used tactically as attack dogs to neutralize threats in combat, while others work in explosive ordnance detection. Still others work to locate survivors or find the remains of fallen soldiers or civilians in disaster or combat scenarios. Among the most innovative ways Oketz employs its dogs is training some specifically for underground warfare to operating in tunnels, a frequent feature of combat in Gaza.
A part of me wants to see an underground warfare unit using dachshunds — which were of course bred for badger hunting.
During IDF operations in southern Lebanon in the 1990s, one of the primary threats was the widespread presence of improvised explosive devices planted along key routes by Hezbollah. In response, Oketz developed specialized training and equipment to address these challenges. Dogs were equipped with radio packs — essentially, small receivers and speakers that enabled handlers to transmit commands remotely via radio. This allowed the dogs to operate ahead of their handlers, covering long distances and clearing dangerous routes. This capability was essential in the era before the widespread use of cameras on dogs, and it became a hallmark of the IDF’s dog program.
During operations in Gaza over more than a year, small cameras mounted on dogs have provided real-time intelligence, allowing handlers to assess tunnel systems, detect booby traps, and identify combatants without exposing soldiers to direct risk.
This would take the visual of tactical dachshunds to the next level:
The IDF’s introduction of protective rubberized booties for dogs exemplifies the type of adaptation required by the unique challenges of urban environments. Dogs’ paws are tough — much better able to handle rough ground than the feet of humans, of course. So allowing dogs to work without any protective covering for their paws is often not a problem. But urban areas present unique dangers, with IDF dogs facing injuries from rubble, glass, and other hazards in Gaza’s war-torn streets. Equipping them with booties, along with ensuring teams carry essential training tools like bite sleeves, underscores the importance of anticipating and addressing operational challenges.