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.

Paisley, a standard poodle, is pictured at Intergroom in N.J., March 2014. Intergroom is one of the largest cats and dogs grooming conferences in America. (Photo by Paul Nathan/Rex Features)

The Rogz Grinz Ball Dog Toy is a fun creation by South African Porky Hefer Design. The bounce and fetch toy will turn your dog´s mouth into an hilarious ear-to-ear grin, just like Milo dog from the movie “The Mask”. The toy can be stuffed with your dogs favorite treats and floats nicely on the water.

A musher races with his dogs during a sled dog European Championship in Venek November 22, 2014. (Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Reuters)