We’ve all heard the phrase “He works like a dog.” It generally means someone works very hard, but if you’re like me, you always wondered about that phrase. I mean, though I love my dogs, the only thing they work hard at is napping on the porch. I knew there were some “jobs” out there for dogs, like drug sniffing dogs and “seeing eye” dogs, but I wondered if there was more to it than that. So, in the interest of journalistic curiosity I decided to delve into the world of working dogs. I was pretty surprised by what I found.
Talented canines hold jobs in more areas than any of us may think. There are dogs in show biz, the military, health care, on the police force, and so much more. The variety of breeds that work is also vast. We have all seen the images in movies of St. Benards as mountain rescue dogs, but they are by no means the only breed. German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Corgies, Collies, and Bloodhounds are only a few of the breeds that hold very important jobs. Truly, in some instances, there are jobs out there for any breed.
Hero Dogs:
Most of us have seen movies such as K-9 and Turner and Hooch that show how dogs are used in law and drug enforcement. Those movies only scratch the surface of the duties dog perform everyday to help law enforcement officers ensure our safety. In addition to helping apprehend criminals and sniffing out narcotics, search out bombs and explosives, track suspects, and, in the case of Arson Dogs, they work with fire investigators to sniff out traces of gas or other flammable liquids after a fire.
Dogs in the Military work in much the same areas as Police dogs, but are usually trained in much more specialized areas. They work as guard dogs as well as sniffing out mines, explosives, and helping to locate the enemy. Military Dogs go through extremely thorough and rigorous training to help prepare them for the dangerous situations the will face.
More hero dogs are the dogs that work in Search and Rescue. These dogs are trained to find and save human lives. Though we all know there are dogs that help find lost or injured people when they are lost in the wilderness, there are many more areas where SAR dogs can work. Water Search dogs are trained to find drowning victims by sniffing out the human scent on the surface of the water. The lifesaving group of SAR dogs are trained to save lives in water and snow. There are also SAR dogs that are trained in disaster search that seek out victims of disasters such as earthquakes, floods, plane crashes and tornadoes.
Assistance Dogs:
Though they work on a less dramatic scale, dogs who work in health care are heroes to those they help. They work to make human lives better by aiding people with physical, cognitive, or seizure related disabilities. These dogs are trained for specific tasks or to cater to specific needs.
Guide dogs who help the blind or visually impaired are well known and most of us have seen them assisting their owners to avoid danger, stopping at curbs and waiting for traffic lights, or just guiding them around town. But did you know that there are also hearing dogs? These dogs assist the deaf or hearing impaired by making them aware of important sounds. The are trained to alert their handler of sounds such as the doorbell, the alarm clock, the smoke alarm, or passing traffic.
Service Dogs are dogs that are individually trained to specific needs. These dogs assist people who have impaired mobility by pulling wheelchairs, turning off lights, getting medicines, and even calling 911.
The last of the Assistance Dogs, but by no means the least, are Therapy Dogs. Almost any dog can be a Therapy Dog. The main requirements are that they are trained in basic obedience, are even tempered and well socialized. These special dogs bring cheer and lift the spirits of people who are lonely or depressed and away from home in nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, and detention facilities.
More Dog Jobs
There is no doubt that dogs who work to protect us or help those who are disabled are very important to society, but there are a few other dog jobs that we may not realize are just as important. First, there are the show biz dogs. Some of you may be thinking that doesn’t sound like a very important job, but anyone with kids can tell you how important these well trained, attention loving, movie making dogs are.
Sports is another area where dogs thrive. Sports whose main competitors are dogs have become a popular past time from the well trained and well groomed show dogs that march around a ring showing off their good breeding to the lightning fast Greyhounds that race around tracks while fans cheer them on. Another popular sport is sled racing where Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes that pull sleds and their human drivers across frozen terrain.
I have left the most obvious, but less thought about working dogs for last. These are the hard working dogs who help guard, protect, and herd livestock. In this age of technology most of us don’t realize that dogs are still one of the most important workers on cattle, sheep, and other livestock ranches and farms. They help ranchers keep herds of cattle and sheep together and moving to where they need to be. Guarding dogs work mainly to protect the animals they guard. They spend all their time with the herd or flock and form a family-like bond.
All in all, I would say dogs are pretty versatile and hard working animals. Who knew? I have to confess that I didn’t and I was truly amazed by what I learned while doing the research for this article. After reading about what so many dogs get out there and do every day, some of us may look at our pooch whose main activity is to shed all over the furniture and feel cheated. But remember, you may not have a heroic bomb sniffing dog in your midst, but the most important job our pets have is to love us, and you can’t deny that they do that well.
