A Labor Day Photo Homage to Working Dogs
People are sure having trouble finding jobs these days, but there’s no shortage of jobs for dogs. Here’s a photo homage to these amazing, loyal, wonderful canines. It’s not inclusive of all canine careers, so consider it Working Dogs 101. Happy Labor Day, doggies!
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Reese and his military working dog Grek wait at a safe house before conducting an assault against insurgents in Buhriz, Iraq. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall)
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An Aussie hard at work doing what he was born to do. Herding dogs with jobs tend to be very happy dogs. (Photo: Becky Parker. Justus Kennel)
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Yoko, a guide dog in training in England, passes the "cat test" with flying colors. She remained utterly unruffled as Leo did his best to distract the young dog. Guide dogs rock! (Photo: Daily Mail)
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A bomb-detecting dog finds a bomb inside a bag as part of its training during a certification ceremony for Internal Security Forces members, who trained dogs to detect bombs and drugs, for the security of Beirut international airport in Beirut September 11 last year. (Photo: Reuters/ Jamal Saidi)
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Not all service dogs have jobs that are as obvious as this one. Less easily detectable jobs include helping people who are autistic, emotionally supporting those who have PTSD and severe anxiety, helping predict seizures, detecting diabetes, and being the ears of the deaf. (Photo: Canine Companions for Independence)
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Search-and-rescue dogs work hard to find missing people, especially those in disasters. Here, a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue team member takes a well-deserved nap during the search of wreckage of the World Trade Center. (Photo: Andrea Booher/FEMA News)
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K-9 Police Dog Cesar, of the Hamden, Conn. Police Department, is one of thousands of police dogs who put their lives on the line every day. He specializes in narcotics detection. He's in the driver's seat in operations where the nose is everything. Shown here with Officer John Battick. (Photo: Hamden Police Dept.)
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Lifeguard dogs are a very welcome sight to distressed swimmers in Italy. These amazing dogs leap from helicopters and boats more adeptly than their human counterparts, who follow close and team with these amazing dogs for dramatic rescues. (Photo: AP/The Italian School of Canine Lifeguards)
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Sometimes just being there is enough. Hospital therapy dogs give great comfort and provide welcome distractions to people in hospitals and nursing homes. (Photo: Andrea Mohin/The New York Times)
I love this!! Helper, worker, therapy dogs never get enough credit for all they do.
My female husky “Willow” Is a certified therapy dog now and we run a kids and dogs group for children with Autism and have 5 other dogs in the group that is run every Weds evening. Willow and I also visit many seniors homes, hospitals, and my favorite part is at Toronto General Hospital where we can visit the veterans ward. It is so rewarding and therapy not only for the vets but for me as well, I never leave there without having a good cry. We also did extra training to work with terminally ill patients, ranging in age from young children to seniors and every age in between. She loves doing it and she shines with pride when being a “Therapy dog”. Dogs are amazing therapy for people of all ages and with all illnesses. I am lucky to be a part of such a great thing and encourage anyone with a dog to give it a try, even if you only do it once a month that one visit makes a big difference to a lot of folks that are missing their own dogs or with many seniors dogs are sometimes the only thing they can remember depending on their illness. My favorite and encourage all to at least try out for the training is the veterans, such amazing people! and we owe them so much so to give them even a small amount of your time is a great time for them!
Inspiring pictures! They really get to the heart of why wild dogs and (wild) humans came together to begin with–to work as a team for the benefit of both.
Every dog should have a job and be a working dog. It does make them happier dogs. While I am at my work, my two guys watch over the house, make sure the yard is free of squirrels, keep the bunnies and possums out of the garden. Besides, having two large dark dogs both inside and around the house keeps unwanted visitors away. When one of us isn’t feeling well they snuggle up to us and that alone makes one feel better already. So they are unofficial therapy dogs.Those are their jobs and they do them well. Happy Labor Day to Homer and Nero and all their fellow companions in the working dog world!
Thanks for highlighting the wonderful working dogs, many of whom lay their lives on the line to fulfill their obligations, and the therapy dogs, who bring love and laughter to so many.
Beautiful pictures, Maria! Thank you so much for putting this post together.
Great post with wonderful pictures. Thanks, Maria.
Thanks for the pictures! Milo is an Autism Service Dog, and the picture of the dog with the little boy meant a lot to us. I wish there were more appreciation days for working dogs!
If anyone’s interested, we did a demo to show what Autism Service Dogs can do, posted here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiSB-AFnWHc
Very nice story thank you for posting
Just ♥
This was wonderful.
Such a heart warming tribute to our four legged heros.
Amazing, inspiring photos…all so moving…maybe the “lifeguard dog” diving from that helicopter and the therapy dog in the arms of the elderly lady with the breathing aparatus were my favorites, but all of them stirred the soul.
Funny, humans use the expression “working like a dog” to describe toiling away at a pointless task or job, hoping for something better to come along. What they forget is that a dog at work has self-confidence, focus and purpose…just take a look at these pictures!