Emergency Response Team canine Hurricane works with his handler, Marshall, to keep the White House and its inhabitants safe.

The Emergency Response Team dog and handler took home first place in the 2015 event.

Eight dog teams flew to Paris for a presidential mission, leaving exactly two weeks after the November 2015 terrorist attacks.

This is the look handler Josh B. gets for 10 or more minutes at a time when he's trying to relax at home.

Secret Service dogs are on fairly stringent eating plans during their working years, but come retirement, the rules all change.

You don't want to mess with guys like these. You just don't.

This "Friendly Dog," who works around the public at the White House, wears his eye pro in style.

Nero once had a little adventure on a plane. The story unfolds in the pages of Secret Service Dogs.

Noisy in a quiet moment at home two weeks after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, and not long before he passed away.

Dyson went through a very rough time not long ago. He came out the other side, and is more deeply bonded with his handler, Nate C., than ever.

The ERT canine can be completely badass at work if need be, but is all about love and affection the rest of the time. Handler Marshall M. is head over heels about his hero dog. Hurricane doesn't seem to mind the muzzle he has to wear most places per USSS protocol.

Ahh, chaaaise! And not just a chaise, but one piled with dog beds. The retired explosives detection dog has beds all over his house. It's a good life.

Noisy poses for his handler, Erica F., at a flower factory in Colombia.

Yuri may travel the world sniffing out bombs to keep the president safe, but he also seems to enjoy dressing up for his human siblings.

Larry C. and his ERT dog Maximus having fun after a shift at the White House. "He's like my son," says Larry, who, like so many USSS handlers, dotes on his dog.

One of the most common question handler Josh B. fields from tourists: "What kind of dog is THAT?!"

Rex worked all night to help secure various buildings along the papal parade route with handler Jon M.

The dogs of the Secret Service work very hard, regardless of the weather or the hour, and enjoy vacation as much as their handlers do. Kim K.'s explosives detection dog cuts loose at a lake

The ERT pair took home first place in the 2015 patrol competition of the K-9 Olympics.

Shortly before the end of his presidency, Pres. Ronald Reagan met and took photos with the dog handlers who protected him and Nancy at their California ranch. There's an entertaining anecdote about one of these dogs and Reagan in my book.

When selecting dogs for the canine program, Secret Service trainers run them through many tests, including how much they covet a ball reward.

This Secret Service explosives detection dog earned the nickname James Bond because he was such a gentleman.

Gus is my wonderful puppy -- a Kory Wiens and Cooper memorial puppy. I'll tell his story another time, but suffice it to say he lives life to the fullest.

Sunny is one of the softest, most clean dogs I've ever met. Gus needs him as a mentor.