Secret Service Dogs: The Heroes Who Protect the President of the United States

by Maria Goodavage, Clint Hill (Foreword by)

Overview

In an age fraught with terrorism, United States Secret Service canine teams risk their lives to safeguard the president, vice president, their families, visiting heads of state, and a host of others. Unprecedented access to these heroic dog teams has allowed a fascinating first-time-ever look at a very special breed of heroes.

Wherever the president goes, there will be dogs. They’ll be there no matter what the country or state. They’ll be there regardless of the political climate, the danger level, the weather, or the hour. 

“If you let down your guard on the job,” says Special Agent Bill Glady, canine program director, “it can change the history of the world.”

It’s a burden Secret Service dog handlers take extremely seriously regardless of their specialty. Tactical dog handlers on the White House lawn, handlers whose dogs sniff for explosives around the world, and those who walk their amiable floppy-eared dogs up and down Pennsylvania Avenue all live one common mantra: Not on my watch. Or my dog’s.

“What is really on our shoulders is almost unbearable to think about,” says U.S. Secret Service Emergency Response Team (ERT) dog handler Luke Kuklick. Until now, this clandestine, intriguing world has remained largely invisible to the public.

Secret Dogs immerses readers into the heart of this elite world of canine protectors: the painstaking selection of dogs and handlers, their grueling year-round training, their exciting missions around the world, and, most important, the bond—the glue that holds the teams together and can mean the difference between finding bombs and terrorists or letting them slip by.

“These animals will gladly run into a hail of gunfire,” says Secret Service ERT tactical canine unit supervisor Jon Stewart. “All they ask in return is for their handlers to throw the ball with them, pet them, and talk to them in an embarrassingly high voice.”

Secret Dogs shines a spotlight on some of the Secret Service’s most unforgettable canine heroes, from Hurricane, a Belgian Malinois with four titanium teeth, to Roadee, a little terrier mix with a big attitude. It’s a must-read for dog lovers and anyone who wants a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most captivating programs of the United States Secret Service. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101984734
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/25/2016
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	1,210,059
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Maria Goodavage, veteran journalist and author of the New York Times bestsellers Soldier Dogs and Top Dog, lives in San Francisco with her family and yellow Lab, Gus Kilroy.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Secret Service Dogs"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Maria Goodavage.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Foreword Clint Hill

Chapter 1 A Very Strange Day 1

Chapter 2 Highly Skilled Operators 11

Chapter 3 On-Off Switch 31

Chapter 4 A Firm Grip 47

Chapter 5 Sleep Tight, Pope Francis 67

Chapter 6 Worthy of Trust and Confidence 79

Chapter 7 Shutting Down the White House 97

Chapter 8 What's That? 113

Chapter 9 Frequent Fliers 129

Chapter 10 Intruder Alert! 145

Chapter 11 Drive 165

Chapter 12 A Few Little Bites 183

Chapter 13 The Killing Fields … With Dog 201

Chapter 14 One Hot Dog 221

Chapter 15 The End of a Very Strange Day 239

Chapter 16 The Dispatcher Calls 255

Chapter 17 This is For You, Dog 277

Acknowledgments 289

Sources 296

Editorial Reviews

10/01/2016
From sniffing out explosives to taking down White House fence jumpers and other threats, the canines of the Secret Service are on duty 24/7. Journalist Goodavage (Soldier Dogs; Top Dog) takes readers into the hidden professional and personal world of these service dogs and the humans they protect. With unprecedented access to the people and dogs serving today, Goodavage presents a compelling narrative of the selection, training, and work life of canine units and also includes stories of the partners when they are off duty. All of this is juxtaposed against the backdrop of the history of the Secret Service canine corps, which reveals an amazing record of bravery and dedication. The author further addresses the deep emotional connection that develops between handler and dog. This aspect is particularly heartbreaking when a canine is hurt or dies. This book is an important addition to the works that show how dogs really are man's best friend. VERDICT A wonderful account and history of these unsung heroes at work every day to make the world safer. [See Prepub Alert, 4/25/16.]—Lisa Ennis, Alabama Coll. of Osteopathic Medicine, Dothan

Library Journal

2016-10-21
The latest treat for dog lovers by Goodavage (Top Dog: The Story of Marine Hero Lucca, 2014, etc.) takes readers into the world of the canines and handlers who protect the president and the White House. The Secret Service is notoriously closed to journalists, which means that the author was prohibited from revealing much of the information she gathered in her interviews and restricted to giving first names and initials for most of her interviewees. While hardly a hard-hitting investigation of the role of canines in the sometimes controversial agency, her account will satisfy those curious about the lives of working dogs and their people. Goodavage covers a number of such comradeships, weaving them into the story of spunky Hurricane, who under the instructions of handler Marshall M. took down a "fence jumper" at the White House in 2014. Intriguing chapters explore the selection of dogs from a training facility in a small town in Indiana, where the Belgian Malinois, who make up the larger part of the guard, and bomb-sniffing dogs are brought after being raised for a couple of years in Europe, and the work life of the so-called "Friendly Dogs," unassuming, floppy-eared canines whose handlers cover the streets near the White House seeking out the scent of explosives on individuals. The author has a tendency to go off on tangents, seemingly depending on people with whom she had more extensive interviews: one chapter, for example, delves into the life history of a handler who spent his childhood in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, and another examines the veterinary history of a dog subject to heat sickness. While the book suffers from the fact that the Secret Service is understandably reluctant to reveal any explosives that have been discovered or subjects disarmed under the watch of its canine patrollers, Goodavage's subjects and their companions are quirky and dedicated enough to engage readers wondering about those dogs on the White House lawn.

Kirkus Reviews

"A pawesome book on the lives of Secret Service dogs."
—Time 

“Secret Service Dogs offers an inside look at these animals; how they're selected, trained, and save the president from bad guys. . . . A collection of funny, dramatic, and heartfelt anecdotes.”
—MensJournal.com

“Even non-dog lovers will be fascinated by Maria Goodavage’s in-depth examination of the highly trained canines and their equally impressive human handlers in Secret Service Dogs.”
—The Associated Press

“A wonderful account and history of these unsung heroes at work every day to make the world safer. . . . An important addition to the works that shows how dogs really are man’s best friend." 
—Library Journal

“Goodavage compels readers with stories of the bonds between Secret Service dogs and their handlers. A must-read for the dog lover.” 
—Booklist

"The latest treat for dog lovers by Goodavage.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Packed with colorful vignettes, this rich tapestry serves up a combination of history, cases, and appetizing personal recollections of handlers with their special working partners.”
—American Kennel Club

“A fascinating read. . . . A celebration of how training, heart, friendship, and duty can bring out the best in all of us. And it just goes to show you . . . everything’s better when dogs are involved.”
—San Francisco Book Review

“Secret Service Dogs tells the incredible story of the fearless animals who put their lives on the line every day to protect the First Family and the men and women of the Secret Service who love them. It is a heartwarming and compelling read that offers an inside look at the incredible bond between these dogs and their handlers—a uniquely American story of bravery, loyalty, and love.”
—Kate Andersen Brower, #1 New York Times bestselling author of First Women and The Residence

“It has been said that the best nonfiction books are those that reveal a hidden world to the reader: a place they wouldn't otherwise be able to experience. Maria Goodavage's Secret Service Dogs is that kind of book—a well-researched and compelling read not only for dog lovers, but anyone interested in seeing high-level White House security operations from an insider's perspective.”
—Gerald Petievich, former US Secret Service special agent, author of To Live and Die in LA, The Sentinel, and other Secret Service novels

“As a guide dog user and survivor of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, I appreciate and understand the value of the teamwork and trust that bind a canine unit such as those portrayed in Secret Service Dogs. This book is a must-read not only for anyone who wishes to better understand dogs, but also because it is just a really good story. Maria Goodavage captured me right from page one. As Larry King said about my own book, Thunder Dog, ‘This is a page-turner.’ After reading Secret Service Dogs you will have a new and stronger appreciation for how to build a relationship with your own animal colleagues and friends. Enjoy. The read is well worth your time.”
—Michael Hingson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Thunder Dog

“Maria Goodavage takes us into a world that few know about and shows us just how special these dogs are. Although their work is serious, none of it could happen without the special relationships between the dogs and their handlers that come shining through.”
—Gregory Berns, author of How Dogs Love Us

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