The Oketz (The Stinger) Canine Unit

 domestic dogs, training center

The Oketz Unit (Hebrew: יחידת עוקץ‎, lit. sting), is the independent canine special forces (sayeret) unit, founded in 1939 as part of the Haganah, within the Israel Defense Forces. The unit specialises in training and handling dogs for military applications. Originally, Oketz trained dogs to attack kidnappers, but training has become more specialized, and now the canine unit. Each dog is now trained to have a particular speciality.Attack dogs are trained to operate in urban areas, as well as in rural, bushy areas (they were used extensively in Lebanon).

Dogs are trained as tracking and chasing dogs, for manhunts and detecting breaches at the borders. Dogs are also trained as weapons and ammunition dogs, to search for guns and munitions, as explosive dogs, to sniff out hidden explosives and as search and rescue dogs, to find people in collapsed buildings.

Oketz operators are often assigned to other units in the case of a particular need for their specialist skills, such as in the extraction of terrorists from fortified buildings. Though not affiliated with the IDF Paratroopers Brigade, Unit Oketz operators wear the same distinctive red berets and the unit's graduation ceremony is held at the Paratroopers headquarters. However, in order to join Oketz, the recruit must choose Kfir Infantry Brigade as first priority in the request form and then pass through trials.

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