Paratrooper Dog

This dog, a Belgian Shepherd, is a member of Austria's special forces. He and other elite dogs join their human comrades during parachute drops:

Far from panicking at the experience of hurling themselves out of a plane at 10,000ft, the Austrians' Belgian Shepherd dogs appear to be perfectly calm both before and during the jump.

One handler explained: "They don't perceive height difference the same way humans do, so that doesn't worry them. They're more likely to be bothered by the roar of the engines, but once we're on the way down, that doesn't matter and they just enjoy the view."

Larger image at the link.

Link | Photo: Daily Telegraph