Dogs are indeed army's best friend in Jammu and Kashmir

Kalu is a toughie and the deadliest. He is posted at the front gate of the 44 Rashtriya Rifles camp on a hillock in Shopian. He prefers to lie down on the grass and do his duty. But it would be a mistake to think he is sleeping. Even the faintest unusual sound or smell alerts him and his sound can be heard echoing.

He keeps an eye out for any stranger approaching the main gates of the unit that has killed 19 terrorists this year including Sameer 'Tiger' and Saddam Padder.

Kallu is one of the 30 local dogs – Bhutia breed - adopted by the 44 RR. He along with the 29 others give round the clock security to the camp from all sides and all of them have imbibed the character of the unit they are living with – gentle to friends and a nightmare for foes.

“Every dog has his/her own territory and area of operation. Dare if another dog or a human besides the army guys enter that area,” an officer said explaining the presence of such large number of dogs in the camp.

I spent two days with the famous RR rifles and my biggest worry of stepping out alone was the fear of the dogs. Somehow they are able to distinguish between an army man and a civilian even if both are dressed in civies. And no army guy can guarantee you a trouble free walk inside the campus if you are a civilian.

“The dogs are an integral part of the security system. They are very alert and are the first to react if anything unusual happens. Their barking is what alerts us,” said another officer.

The dogs are also well looked after. They are taken for regular walks and they also get some free running time during the day. In case of any health issue, vet care is provided. And all the dogs are fed from the same langar where food for the army men are also cooked.

“They get the same food that is prepared for us and also gets specially cooked meals. At times, some officers or jawans get emotionally attached to one of them and I have seen many actually calling out their favourite dog and giving them portions of their own non-vegetarian dishes,”a jawan said.

The situation is same in almost all camps of the army in Jammu and Kashmir. The dogs also have their kennel to sleep in and help them in extreme weather.

There are occasions when the dogs have actually alerted guards on duty about terrorist minutes before they were to launch an attack and thereby saving the lives of many.

One of the most beautiful dogs I have seen is a three-month-old dog named 'Chinki'. She is a three-legged one and would happily run to you whenever you call her name. She is the most excited of the lot and also a favourite of almost everyone within the camp.

Meanwhile, the joke is that whenever a civilian enters these camps, the dogs become alert and barks. Similarly, when the army moves out of their camp for operations, the strays outside the camps start barking indicating that army is on the way.