Throughout the course of the long war in Afghanistan, Coalition troops have relied on thousands of military working dogs to help keep them safe, and make their jobs easier. The dogs are trained to detect explosives, to find illegal drugs, to search for missing comrades, or target enemy combatants. Not only are they active on the front lines, but behind the lines they serve as therapy dogs, service dogs, and loyal companions. They also share the same risks as the ground troops, suffering injuries and sometimes death on the battlefields. Gathered here are images of these dogs and their handlers in Afghanistan and back home, from over the past several years, part of the ongoing series here on Afghanistan.

A Sloth Bear recently befriended a human family in Lakhapada village in India. While he was never domesticated, the sloth bear chose to bond with the family and become more than a pet, he was a member of the family.

Meet Rupert the whippet who loves nothing better than dressing up and posing for the camera. Whether playing a game of tennis, reading the morning newspaper or even doing the ironing, these hilarious pictures show the dog has a real knack for striking a fetching pose. Rupert began starring in the snaps at 10-months-old, when his owner Janet Burton, 56, noticed him standing with his front legs rested on the lawnmower.

A dog known as “Menswear Dog”, a 5-year-old Shiba Inu, poses for photos during the 24th Annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade in New York October 25, 2014. Hundreds of dog owners dress their dogs and compete for fun and prizes during the parade. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Reuters)

A dog dressed like of a bee is seen during the “Blocao” dog carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, February 16, 2014. About 100 dogs have had their day at a pre-Carnival bash in Rio de Janeiro. A 10-man brass band and a singer belting out Rio's anthem song “Cidade Maravilhosa” (Marvelous City) kicked off the four-footed fest as dog owners gathered to party down with pooches on Copacabana beach Sunay. (Photo by Silvia Izquierdo/AP Photo)

A woman and her two dogs named Yoru (R) and Hinaka bath in the water at Takeno Beach on August 4, 2013 in Toyooka, Japan. This beach is open for dogs and their owners every summer between the months of June and September. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

A dog rides a wave while competing during the 5th Annual Surf Dog competition at Huntington Beach, California, on September 29, 2013. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP Photo)

French bulldog Watson is wheeled to a ring for judging at the 2016 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in the Manhattan borough of New York City, February 15, 2016. (Photo by Mike Segar/Reuters)