Dogs with jobs
Unfortunately, we hear almost every day about a member of the armed services being killed or injured whilst on duty and none of us could fail to be moved by the recent news that a soldier from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, Lance Corporal Liam Tasker, was shot whilst on patrol in Helmand Province. His dog Theo, a springer spaniel, died shortly afterwards of a seizure.
And just last week, Baz, a 6-year-old Police Dog, died after falling from a roof in Tyneside whilst looking for intruders.
It got us thinking here of all the various jobs that dogs do to assist us human beings and here are just some of the ones we came up with:
POLICE DOGS: Highly trained for various duties including searching for and the apprehension of criminals, sniffing out drugs etc. These dogs, once trained, will live with their handlers and their families.
GUIDE DOGS: Specially trained to assist the blind in their everyday lives, assisting them in shops and at work, crossing the road, avoiding obstacles and generally keeping their owners from danger. These dogs are intelligent and calm and they will be trained for many weeks before adoption.
SERVICE DOGS: These dogs are trained to suit an individual's needs. Often Golden Retrievers, they will assist by opening doors, getting medication, turning on lights, etc.
THERAPY DOGS: Often seen in hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and rehabilitation centres, these dogs are there to lift people's spirits and offer comfort. The main qualification for this job will be basic obedience skills and be mild-tempered and loving. Many institutions which offer care and support to people will have their own dogs (and let's not forget some cats too), but a lot of members of the public will take their own animals in for a visit.
HEARING DOGS: Professionally trained, these dogs will alert their owners to the telephone, doorbell, alarm clocks and smoke alarms. No particular breed is best suited for this job and that's why many rescue dogs are chosen for this job.
SEARCH & RESCUE DOGS: Qualities such as a good sense of smell and excellent physical ability are vital for this job. These animals will be expected to work in the most chaotic conditions, such as after floods or earthquakes to assist in finding missing people. The St Bernard was often used in European countries after avalanches and to assist in finding lost travelers. There is a permanent member of the Lifeguarding team at Sennen Cove in Cornwall. Bilbo, a Newfoundland, has rescued many people in the water and is also a local celebrity, having appeared in many tv programmes and newspapers.
HERDING DOGS: Often Border Collies, these dogs will assist farmers in herding livestock and bringing in the cows at milking time.
LIVESTOCK GUARDIANS: These dogs will stay with their herd at all times and keep them safe from wolves and bears. Pyrenean Mountain Dogs are still used for this job, especially after the reintroduction of bears to the Pyrenees as a tourist attraction.
MILITARY DOGS: Like our hero, Theo, these dogs work in the most difficult conditions and will perform tasks such as sentry duty, transporting messages, sniffing out mines and explosives and searching for casualties. Many of these brave animals are awarded medals for their duties.
Well, these are the ones that we came up with. Let us know if you can think of any others and tell us any stories you may have about dogs with jobs.
It is amazing to think that these dogs will help us, unquestioningly, and risk their lives for us. It's so easy to take them for granted, but here at Animal Friends Pet Insurance, we think they are all wonderful.
Although all these dogs with jobs are talented and undoubtably special, it is worth noting that Animal Friends does not insure working dogs, with the exception of therapy dogs (please call to discuss in the case you wish to insure a therapy dog).
