Working Dogs

Dogs are mans best friend in many ways.  Either in a social or working situation dogs want to please and be part of the pack to which they belong; and despite the influx of technology, when it comes to certain jobs there is no one better to help than our canine counterparts.

Types of working dogs:

Police Dogs – Police Dogs are usually German Sheppard’s. They assist police officers in their daily work.  They are able to act as a secondary to the officer in the line of duty by curtailing crowds, apprehending suspects and generally acting as a deterrent for criminals.

Sniffer Dogs – Sniffer dogs work with the police, the armed forces or Customs & Excise to name a few.  They can sniff and successfully search for a number of illegal or dangerous substances. For example, in Customs & Excise a dog will sniff for narcotics, banned food from overseas and live creatures such as illegally imported exotic pets.  Dogs can sniff out bombs and artillery for the army, often in highly dangerous situations; and will assist the police force when hunting for drugs and suspects.

Mountain Rescue Dogs – The stereotypical imagery of a mountain rescue dog is the St Bernard, the gentle giant with the small barrel of brandy around his neck to revive mountaineers lost in avalanches.  This lovely representation of the dog is very true, but many other breeds also carry out rescuing duties in the mountains.  Dogs have even been known to parachute to desolate areas to rescue those trapped.

Hunting Dogs – Hunting dogs usually run in a pack and accompany a hunt.

They may work on a fox hunt, in the case of Beagles whereby they will kill the animal that they are hunting.  Or they may accompany a shoot party, and retrieve the kill that the shooting has produced.  Either way dogs that work in this way, as with many of the other breeds mentioned, cannot be kept as family pets.

Truffle Hunting Dogs – An unusual occupation for a hound, which requires some training.  The pigs that were used to uncover these fungal delights took too much of an interest in the taste, and ate the golden mushrooms as soon as they snorted them out.  Some genius came up with the idea of training dogs (staunch meat eaters) to do the same thing, and minimise the risk of the treasures being consumed, therefore maximising truffle bounty.

Guide Dog – After vigorous training, guide dogs can greatly assist those with visual and hearing impairments (and both) by alerting them and guiding them in a number of different ways.

Sled Dogs – Another unusual occupation for our canine friends.  Sled dogs are imperative for transporting goods in the Arctic Circle and helping scientists and explorers in this hostile terrain.

Guard Dogs – Usually the premise of the Rottweiler, Doberman and Alsatian.  Guard dogs are a good deterrent and criminal buster for businesses which are isolated or have no other means of security.

Sheep Dog – They work as hard as their farming owners, sheep dogs guard and guide their flock to wherever their master requests.