This documentary is a tribute to the canines who have fought as soldiers in recent conflicts. It focuses on the relationships between three soldiers and their dogs of war. Two of the dogs died on their tour of duty. One dog was injured and later developed PTSD.One handler felt let down as his war dog was promised to him after the dog's retirement with the police service.I felt that this would be an interesting look at the dogs on the battlefield but it felt rather shallow to me, concentrating more on their handlers than the dogs themselves.

disclaimer: I am a feline person don't have anything against dogs & this film certainly gives insight into why folks hold them in such esteem what makes this motion picture so extraordinary, is the perspective of warriors and how they adjust to life after the 3 vignettes are all superb Deborah Scranton did stellar work & kudos to HBO

After watching this documentary I felt beaten up emotionally and felt a sense of loss and separation, in sympathy with the soldiers shown in the film. I felt that way for a few days and thought I could never watch that film again. But part of me knew I needed to watch it again in order to deal with the strong feelings of loss and grief I felt for those soldiers and dogs. I won't go into those stories, because you should watch it, but let's just say if you love animals or love our military and what they do for our country, you will cry many tears from the beginning to the end of this film. It will affect you and you will learn something. I will give one spoiler and say that the military lied to one soldier about getting his dog back and that never happened, causing this soldier a tremendous amount of grief, pain and loss. I cried for him and what he went through trying to get his dog back. It shouldn't surprise me that our government lies, but they SHOULDN'T lie to a soldier who has risked so much for his country, when it would be so easy to fulfill that promise. That's all I can say.

War Dog is perhaps one of the greatest documentaries that I have ever seen. It hits you in ways that you rarely ever feel, highlights the struggles many veterans face adjusting to civilian life, and showcases the human experience. Seriously, I appreciated what I heard listening to the words shared in this film. Thank you to all that were involved in making this film. This is truly excellent and inspiring as it digs deep into human emotion and the eternal bond between man and dog. Thank you all for your service.