Photographs taken by a retired military officer capture interactions between soldiers and their trainee dogs at a base in Guangxi. Huo Yan and Liu Xiangrui report.

Armed, disciplined and manly. These are some of the words which jump to mind when one thinks of soldiers.

But Cao Quanyi, a 55-year-old retired military officer, formerly in charge of army dog squads, tells of the more caring side of soldiering life based on what he has seen with his eyes, and more often through his lens, in the past three years.

Cao's photographs record life at an army dog-breeding base in the mountains of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and reveal many touching moments between the soldier-trainers and their dogs.

The army dogs are typically German shepherds, labradors, springer spaniels, or Kunming dogs - originally bred in Yunnan province. The border patrol tasks of these dogs include safety inspections, sniffing out drugs and explosives, and search-and-rescue. Their training starts when they are pups and usually lasts about six months before they can serve in the army for six or seven years.

"New soldiers are sent from various units to the base where they are assigned to a dog, his dog," Cao says.

Daily training, which includes basic commands, begins at 6:30 every morning and lasts eight hours.

"But many soldiers often make use of the 'dog-walking' hours after supper for extra practice," Cao says.

Even playing is training. Tug of war and the throwing and chasing of a ball, are meant to enhance their obedience.

Training is harsh and sometimes dangerous, both for soldiers and their dogs. They need to practice for hours in chilly water or in the blistering sun, and some soldiers and dogs get hurt while practicing carrying dynamite charges or chasing, Cao says.

"Dogs have their emotions and only listen to their masters, like a little child who will follow his loving mother," Cao says. "Soldiers must establish a strong bond with their dogs before they can instruct them. They often share their snacks, such as beef granules, with their dogs, as incentives.

"Some soldiers just hated the dogs initially for various reasons or simply regarded training them as less than an honorable task for soldiers," Cao says. "But after living with them for some time they didn't want to be separated.

"A soldier can get very nervous if his dog gets sick," Cao continues. "He will then take care of it as if it's his family member, and won't leave its side even for a minute."

Soldiers become most tender, the lensman says, when their female dogs are about to give birth.

"They will live in the doghouse for nearly 10 days to look after them and play the midwife to perfection."

Scenes of separation, when some veteran soldiers retire from the army and have to say goodbye to their buddies, are often heart-rending, Cao adds.