Afghanistan’s dogs of war sniff out mines

Great article on using dogs in Afghanistan to find mines. Here's a quote from the article: However, one of the few success stories to be found here is the slow, but steady, demining of the war-ravaged landscape by an unlikely ally - specially trained dogs. "We have cleared 60 percent of the country," said Dr. Mohammad Shohab Hakimi, the director of the Mine Detection Center in Kabul, referring to the Mine Action Program in Afghanistan, overseen by the United Nations. The program is focused on locating and disabling mines planted during the war with the Soviet Union (1979-89) and the era of mujahideen fighting that followed in the 1990s. For the full article see: (http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/12/03/2091821.aspx) Image: dogs are trained Adrienne Mong / NBC News An instructor at the Mine Detection Center in Kabul engages in some "ball training" with German shepherd puppies