SOME JOBS THAT DOGS MIGHT HAVE We have made dogs our best friend as well as our companions. There are many ways these 4-legged friends contribute to our lives. They offer their services for many fields, just for a dog bone and a pat on the head. Dogs have accomplished many services to help us out and they make our lives a bit easier. Life would definately be harder without these dedicated wonderful canines in our lives. If your dog is restless and is wanting a job, keep in mind that it does take a lot of dedicated time as well as training. I wanted to write a bit about these dogs because they deserve recognition. Police Dogs Police dogs are highly trained. A dog trained this way is to assist specifically with law enforcement personel in their work. In many areas, injuring or killing of a police dog is considered a felony. Police dogs in some areas are outfitted with bullet proof vests as well as swearing them in and giving them a badge. Most people think of a police dog as chasing and holding suspects, but they do much more. Dogs are used for search and rescue as well as trained to sniff out drugs or explosives. Dogs are so useful they even sniff out cadavers. Military Dogs The Military employ dogs as well. They use dogs in the same way that police do. Dogs are good for sniffing out bombs as well as mines. The keen sense of smell is wonderful on a dog. They were also trusted with transporting of messages back and forth. Dogs also help with the military with scouting and patrol duties, just like the police dog. These dogs have to be conditioned to loud noises so they are not afraid of them. Dogs are trusted with helping and saving the lives of thousands of military and have been awarded metals just soliders they are. Search and Rescue Dogs There are many natural disasters. Avalanches, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes are among a few. Right after these tragedies happen, buildings collaspe and there is disaster everywhere. Amongst the first out to help are search and rescue dogs. With their highly advanced sense of smell, they are trained to smell out victims, alive or dead. They could fit into places that a humans may not. Some dogs are trained to help victims in the water as well. They are trained to swim out and pull the victim to safety. Some dogs are trained to work on lead and trail. Maybe they are trying to find a lost person or tracking an escaped criminal. They are trained to trail either on the ground or air-scenting. Therapy dogs These dogs work well in nursing homes or rehabilitation centers. Some therapy groups also visit the local hospitals. It has been said that dogs lower your blood pressure and your dog could be perfect for this job. Therapy dogs do not need any special training, but they need to know their basic commands as well as having a good disposition. If your dog has any special tricks, they might be able to perform them to the sick and injured. Anyone who is in a hospital hasn't been able to see their dog in a while and your dog might put a smile on their face. If you are interested in this kind of work, look up local groups and find out what their requirements that they might have. They might have their own rules and regulations. Service dogs/Assistance Dogs Hearing Dogs/ Guide Dogs Each one serves a purpose to a disabled person. Service or Assistance dogs do wonderful things for people that are disabled and could help in many ways. They assist in the day-to-day chores for the disabled so they could live a normal life. Hearing dogs, help the hearing impaired and Guide dogs, guide the blind or visually impaired person. Hearing dogs alert their owners to possible hazards that might be coming or things that hearing impaired people cannot be aware of, such as a microwave or tea kettle going off. Guide dogs guide their owner around so they dont walk into areas that might hurt the person. They are the eyes of the owner. There are now dogs that will alert their owners when they are about to have a seizure. Any of these dogs are taught to pick up keys, open doors, or a number of things to assist their owner. Herding Dogs There are many breeds that herd. These breeds are not aggressive but herding large animals, they have a tendency to nip at the heels. They are highly trainable but if they do not have a job for their herding instincts, they might act up. They love to have a job so try other exercising for them. They will try and find a different thing to do like chewing your shoes or digging up holes in your yard. If you have a herding breed and do not use the dog to herd, there are many other sports that you and your dog could get into and have fun.

Dog Sports You can do things together with your dog to enjoy the togetherness and fun in a dog sport. There are many to choose from. They get exercise as well as training. You can compete in competitions as well as meeting other dog lovers. Check out what you may need and where to go in your area. You and your dog can take classes and spend alot of time together. If your dog has alot of energy, this could be a way for your dog could get out the extra energy. Agility Agility is a fast pased sport. Dog agility is a sport in which the dog is directed throughout an obstacle course by a handler and your dog cannot be touched by the handler. Your dog learns to go through tunnels,over jumps, and many other obstacles. This sport takes some training to do, you and your dog have to learn all the obstacles. Your dog will learn its basic commands and they will learn how to be connected with you. Courses are mapped out and could not be handled by your dog unless they have a human partner. Flyball Flyball is a fast race between two teams of four dogs. The first dog is sent out and over the four hurdles which at the end of it, hits on a box in a certain area. A tennis ball is released and the dog must catch it in his mouth. He is then trained to go back over the four hurdles and then the next dog is off . The current world record in Flyball is 15.22 secs for all four dogs to finish. Flyball also takes a lot of training for you dog to compete. If your dog loves tennis balls, this would be a good sport for both of you. Dock Jumping/ Dock Diving If your dog loves the water this sport might be fun for them. The dog races down a dock and jumps off the end of it into the water. The dog is measured on how long he jumps into the water and distance is the ultimate goal. The team consists of one dog and one handler. The dog must be over the age of six months to compete. The distance is measured from the end of the dock to the base of the dogs tail, how far he jumps. There are several sports that you can do with your dog. You can enjoy each other, have fun and get some exercise as well. I have added an incomplete list here for you to look up the sport if you are interested. * Bikejoring * Cani cross * Carting * Competition obedience * Catchball (A variation on Flyball) * Disc dog * Dog hiking, Pack Hiking * Dog scootering * Earthdog trials * Field trials * French Ring Sport * Greyhound racing * Hare coursing * Herding or Stock Dog * Hunting * Hound Trailing * Junior Showmanship * Lure coursing * Mushing, Dog mushing * Musical canine freestyle; Canine Dressage; Heelwork to Music * Obedience training * Protection sports (including Schutzhund and French Ring Sport) * Rally obedience * Retrieving trials * Scent hurdling * Scootering * Schutzhund * Sheepdog trials (or Herding) * Sighthound Disc Sport * Sighthound racing (including Greyhound & Whippet racing, coursing, and lure coursing) * Skijoring * Sled dog racing * Tracking trials * Weight pulling * Weiner Racing