Gunhund

The Gunhund is a Nepleslian dog, through and through. Just take a look at it! It's DIoN green! How can it not be the Nepper doggo?

A Gunhund is a Nepleslian species of four-legged mammalian canines that have been created through genetic experimentation and were introduced in late YE 39. The DIoN then began issuing these Gunhund to its retiring military personnel.

They have a mainly black top of the head, ears, sides of the face and back, shoulders, haunches, and top of the tail. The chest, nethers, lower legs, paws, and face are all white. In some areas of the shoulders, haunches, and cheeks where the border between white and black is, there is verdant green fur. The Gunhund has striking grass-green eyes and always tends to smell like a freshly mowed lawn or motor oil. There is no in-between for this dog and it all depends on a healthy diet.

Gunhunds typically have worse bites than their barks, which are also pretty harsh. It is ferocious in the right situations and a pleasure to be around when appropriate. This is the kind of barker that you want to strap a ballistics vest on with some Aethersperm patches and kick doors down with. They even have their own armor for when they're working side by side with their beloved Nepleslian counterparts that are packing heat. If there was ever a creature capable of parachuting from a drop ship or diving out of third story windows, it's this breed. These animals are extremely capable of utilizing Cybernetics. They have extraordinary smell and are capable of learning to use their noses in a variety of ways, such as sniffing out explosives, drugs, cadavers, and tracking scent. Gunhund are designed to not be able to fight other dogs unless those dogs are attacking a sentient being. Because of the nature of genetic engineering, the receptors for this sort of aggressive behavior were able to be eliminated.

This animal is large but lightweight -good for picking up during times of war and chaos if they're wearing a solid vest. They retain dense muscle mass and hardened bone structure because of long trials of genetically manipulating the cells of previously known species of the Kikyo Sector. They have enhanced lung capacity than most mammals and can run longer and faster than any baseline Human. Their paws have extra durable padding and their skin has intrinsic settling epidermal protection layered to protect it from many sharp objects and some ballistic weapons depending on range and caliber.

The BONE system was developed by a team of NAM scientists and engineers who were seeking ways to enhance the capabilities of soldiers and military working animals, namely Gunhunds. They believed that by linking the two together through a neural interface, they could create a more effective and efficient fighting force.

The soldiers and Gunhunds who were equipped with the BONE system were able to communicate and coordinate their actions more effectively than ever before. They are able to anticipate each other's movements and respond quickly to changing situations. They are also able to share information and experiences in real-time, which helped them to make better decisions on the battlefield. Soldiers are also able to take control and operate weapons systems and equipment carried by the Gunhunds remotely.

The BONE system is a highly advanced neural interface that is designed to link the brains of a soldier and a military working dog. It consists of a series of sensors and processors that are embedded in a lightweight circlet that is worn by the soldier and a specialized collar that is worn by the dog. The circlet may be integrated into a helmet or worn by itself. Development began in YE 40, with working prototypes by YE 43. Production and operation was stable enough for full deployment starting early YE 45 for use with Gunhunds.

Under working conditions or daily activities in public, the Gunhund shadows their owner quite well, but can work on their own accord with a little prompting from their owner for some time. The Gunhund is not aggressive unnecessarily, as mentioned above, unless it is appropriate to do so. A growl is just as rare as the Gunhund getting into a playful position or rolling onto their backs, when in public. Commonly a reserved species, they are observant and commonly watch and listen rather than make themselves the subject of attention. If the situation is an easy-going one and the owner is relaxed, a Gunhund will lay on its side or belly while watching and or listening to the situation and world around it.

The Gunhund can gain a more youthful disposition when alone with its owner or in the company of its owner's close friends or comrades. Notably, a playful attitude can be exhibited wherein the Gunhund seeks positive attention and reinforcement in a less stressful environment. Examples of play they may intrinsically exhibit are fetching/retrieving tactics, shaking toys to mimic breaking them, wrestling with other Gunhunds or their close associates, playful mouthing, digging in designated sections of dirt (Dirt is not often available in Nepleslia's major populaces, so this drive is not very innate and is not seen often), and other play styles and types that the Gunhund thinks to do.

The benefit of playing with a Gunhund is not widely studied, though an initial and the only study noted the control group of Gunhund had nearly identical outcomes, signifying that the species is already adapted to a number of psychological environments that do not need to focus on them for them to be healthy and happy. Owners of the group of Gunhund's in the play group and outside of the study all agree that it bonds them with their Gunhund to play with them after the day's work is done. But, in standard Nepleslian fashion, “play” isn't a term widely used and when referring to activities like fetch or wrestling, as listed above, this is called “mutual training” or just “time” such as, “I am spending time with my Gunhund.”

Ametheliana created this article on 2017/11/22 22:07. Approved on 2018/1/14 by Wes here.

Art by ltgraphix