Dogs have become an important part of our lives and most of us have them indoors as part of the family. That’s why it’s often easy to forget that there are some dogs that have unique and high levels skills. Some of them have extremely important roles as working dogs in industries such as search and rescue, pest control, medical assistance, and truffle hunting. Today’s dog topic is about a recent article from The Puppy Gazette regarding how dogs evolved along with humans in the sense that as humans began to create settlements and farms, dogs were bred to develop specific traits to help them along the way.

Earlier this month I introduced you to Allen Kimble’s website The Puppy Gazette. His goal is to be your new source for dog related information. If you’d like to read more about some of the industries where dogs play an essential role, along with which breeds and the specific skill set they have in modern times, this is the place. In the recent article, “Versatile Roles of Working Dogs in Modern Society,” he explains each industry, how dogs are trained, and real world application of their skills.

It’s interesting to read about how dogs have evolved to work alongside humans to make a difference. Even though all dogs have a strong sense of smell, they can be trained to sharpen their attention and focus on the task at hand. This is especially important in pest control because it is an eco-friendly method if there is no need for chemical intervention. I will summarize the important points below but check out the article for more details.

• The Role of Working Dogs in Search and Rescue
Breeds:
German Shepherds
Labrador Retrievers
Border Collies
• The Crucial Role of Dogs in Pest Control – The Nose knows
Benefits:
Being eco-friendly (no chemical intervention)
Requiring less human scrutiny (visual inspections)
Detecting infestations in their early stages
• Medical Assistance Dogs for the Ill
Breeds:
Labrador Retrievers
Golden Retrievers
German Shepherds
Standard Poodles
• The Dog’s Role in Truffle Hunting
Breeds:
Lagotto Romagnolo
Pointer
Springer Spaniel
Belgian Malinois

It’s a well known fact that dogs are highly intelligent and need some activity in their lives to help them lead fulfilling lives. By increasing their mental stimulation, they not only bond with you, but it keeps them from getting bored, which can often lead to destructive behavior. In this article, Allen Kimble does an excellent job of providing detailed information about how dogs are trained to perform specific tasks, the highlight being how they are trained to alert their owners of abnormally high or low sugar by persistent nudging/licking, and physically blocking/herding, among other ways. More information about other specialized jobs they do is coming up in future articles on The Puppy Gazette.

Related article: How to care for your dog the eco-friendly way

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