Learning about God from dogs, Orthodox monks breed and train canines in upstate New York monastery

CAMBRIDGE, New York (AP) — After he and his fellow monks sang morning prayers in their church nestled in a forest, Brother Luke walked back to his residence to be greeted by a different kind of choir.

Lucy and Iso excitedly woofed as they spotted the Orthodox monk, who heads the monastery’s German shepherd breeding program, coming to take them and 10-week-old Pyrena for their morning walks.

For nearly six decades, the monks of New Skete in upstate New York have financially supported...