The US Navy SEAL teams primarily use which breed of dog in their official missions?

Belgian Malinois (Mals) are incredibly important members of the US military. Many dogs of this breed work with elite US Navy SEAL teams. Mals, including Cairo, the brave canine that helped SEAL Team 6 take down Osama bin Laden in 2011, are given their own special body armor and even get their own night-vision goggles.

The Belgian Malinois/Sheepdog is a highly trainable herder whose versatility and intelligence is the stuff of canine legend. This is a breed built for hard work, and plenty of it. These sensitive souls crave human companionship and abhor neglect.

It's said that the stirring silhouette of a Malinois conveys both elegance and muscular determination. A handsome feature of the breed is the exceedingly proud carriage of the head and neck. A male might stand 26 inches at the shoulder; females are smaller. Owners note: "The dog's dark eyes sparkle with a questioning intelligence, and the black coat is abundant, from the neck's 'collarette' to the 'breeches' of the hindquarters." In all ways, Belgian Malinois are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. In any activity/duty assignment, a Belgian will always give 100 percent. In turn, owners tend to form a special bond with the eager workaholics. As SEAL team devotees puts it, "Malinois inspire such intense loyalty because they themselves live and love with such great passion."

The Belgian Malinois is smart, confident, and versatile; the breed is a world-class worker who forges an unbreakable bond with his human partner.