Army Sgt. Brianna Plush, a dog handler, and military working dog Edzsi prepare to demonstrate how military dogs take down an aggressive assailant in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on April 16, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Some partnerships are built over time, others through shared service. But for a military working dog and its handler, the bond is both.
Sgt. Brianna Plush and her canine companion MWD Edszi initially struggled to build a rapport when they were paired with each other more than four years ago at Fort Polk, La.
“She was a spitfire,” Plush said of her Belgian Malinois. “I would say last year was really when we started to click together.”
During routine training Thursday, the pair, assigned to the 131st Military Working Dog Detachment in Grafenwoehr, surveyed a motor pool with practiced ease, searching for staged contraband among the vehicles.
Working off-leash, Edszi deftly moved through the inspection, shifting between focused precision and brief moments of playful energy as Plush guided her.
“Being a dog handler is like dancing,” Plush said, adding that she and Edzsi would sometimes “step on each other’s toes and butt heads.”
“Now, we actually have a flow together,” she said. “So that was really hard but so worth the process.”
Military working dogs at Grafenwoehr are housed in a newly constructed facility on the outskirts of the installation’s main post. There, the small detachment of soldiers and canines train daily to help safeguard the base in Bavaria.
Army Spc. Logan Knight, a dog handler with the 131st Military Working Dog Detachment, conducts bite training with military working dog Edzsi on April 16, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Military working dog Lucky searches military vehicles for contraband during training in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on April 16, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Military working dog Lucky is rewarded by his handler for a successful training round on April 16, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Army Pfc. Zane Busic of the 131st Military Working Dog Detachment rewards military working dog Lucky for positively identifying contraband during training in Grafenwoehr on April 16, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
The unit’s dogs are a mix of German shepherds, Belgian Malinois or crosses between the two. They receive around-the-clock care year round and are trained to detect explosives, narcotics and other illegal contraband.
Spc. Logan Knight said the unit’s current focus is primarily law enforcement, but also maintaining the ability to deploy and operate in a combat capacity.
“It’s really amazing how much of a psychological deterrent they are,” Knight said.
He has been training with his dog, MWD Mario, for only a few months. His previous partner is heading into retirement.
On average, military working dogs typically serve until they’re about 8 to 10 years old, depending on their health, according to the nonprofit Mission K9 Rescue.
A typical day for military police and their canine partners at Grafenwoehr includes patrolling the installation, inspecting the gate area and sweeping facilities.
Military working dog Lucky of the 131st Military Working Dog Detachment finds contraband in a trailer during routine training in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on April 16, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Military working dog Lucky retrieves a chew toy from his handler, Army Pfc. Zane Busic, after training in contraband detection in Germany on April 16, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Military working dog Lucky with the 131st Military Working Dog Detachment alerts a handler to planted contraband he found in a trailer during routine training at Grafenwoehr, Germany, on April 16, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
While handlers often develop strong bonds with their four-legged companions, Plush said the job is not “playing with puppies all day.”
Every day is different, and she enjoys the lack of repetition that comes with being a dog handler.
Handlers have the option to adopt their dogs after retirement. Edszi is about two or three years away from that point, but she has already decided to maintain the relationship beyond her dog’s service life.
She said she’ll begin the adoption process once Edszi retires.
Army Sgt. Brianna Plush, a dog handler with the 131st Military Working Dog Detachment, bonds with military working dog Edzsi after a morning of training in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on April 16, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
