While dogs are known to be our beloved household companions, some dogs are also known to be incredibly hard workers in the professional world. Working dogs take their jobs very seriously to help others, and their work doesn’t go unrecognized. Let’s look at four different types of working dogs that you may commonly find in your community!
Service Dogs
The essential job function of a service dog is to help others live independently. This includes the elderly, handicapped, and those with other medical and learning disabilities. They act as a guide to the individual they are assigned to, alert to undesired medical conditions, helping them navigate their way around, as well as assist them in their daily tasks. Service dogs need to behave well, perform repetitive tasks, socialize in different environments, and learn and retain new information.
Police Dogs
Police dogs, also known as K-9s in the English-speaking world, assist police officers and other law-enforcement personnel. They not only help their handlers, but can be trained to protect them as well. Once they are trained, they are fully capable of chasing down criminals and holding them so they can’t run from the police. Their fantastic sense of smell and directions, helps them detect substances such as drugs, explosives, contraband food, firearms, and humans. Police dogs can also recover cadavers, enforce public order, and complete search and rescues. They are essential members of our community!
Herding Dogs
In rural areas, herding dogs are necessary to drive various types of livestock into groups. Some breeds like Australian Cattle dogs and Border Collies are natural-born herders. Other breeds, however, can still be trained into the job. Over time, some herding dogs can gather up to hundreds of livestock at a time.
Therapy Dogs
The primary purpose of a therapy dog is to make others feel better. They offer emotional support to those who may need it. While their training is not as intense as that of a service dog, they do need training. Since they are primarily traveling to different hospitals and retirement homes, these dogs need to always be on their best behavior. Therefore, they should at least have obedience training before interacting with others. Most hospitals and nursing homes require therapy dogs to be certified as such.
Before your dog performs any of these jobs, they must be trained appropriately. Conifer Canine can certainly help with that. Or if you are wanting to become a trainer yourself, our Dog Trainer College offers professional training courses for those looking to become a dog trainer. Call us at 812-650-2394 today to learn more!
