Everyone in the world -- even cat-lovers who won't admit it -- know that dogs are man's best friend. Visitors to this site are familiar with my own belief that dogs are God's second-greatest gift to mankind. But there are dogs today who go beyond "best friend" and become man's co-worker and man's most noble helper.
There is a breed category called "working dogs," but some of the dogs included in that classification are mostly pets and companions. Most Huskies, for instance, don't pull sleds across the frozen wastes -- they play with your kids and keep your grandma company.
But some working dogs really do work on a regular basis. They may assist police in restraining criminals, or in sniffing out drugs and explosives, or in helping to recover both survivors and bodies following a disaster. Or they may work with farmers helping to herd cattle or sheep. Or they may provide invaluable assistance to disabled.
Seeing eye dogs are probably the first assistance dogs to come to most folks' minds. They undergo a rigorous training program which prepares them to "be the eyes" for those with partial or complete visual disability. They help their owners travel safely through a dangerous world, find their way up stairs and across streets, and retrieve items that are dropped or spilled. These loyal and hard-working dogs are invaluable to their people.
Hearing dogs provide a function similar to seeing eye dogs, but they serve the hearing impaired. They have been trained to alert their owners when specific sounds occur -- the doorbell, the phone bell, a loud horn in the area, and so forth. If you know someone who is deaf or hard of hearing, they're a potential candidate for assistance by a hearing dog.
You may be unfamiliar with this category of assistance dog. They provide needed help to those who have trouble getting around. The mobility assistance dog may pull their wheelchairs, carry things in their custom-fitted doggy-backpack, and provide similar assistance to those who need it.
These little-known workers stay constantly with someone who is at risk of heart attack or seizure. They have been trained, when necessary, to hit a specific button connected to a special phone that dials directly to 9-1-1. The 9-1-1 operators know that the call is coming from a Seizure-Response dog and will swiftly send paramedics in response.
Some people have severe mental illness problems or phobias. These folks may have a dog who accompanies them at all times to offer security and emotional comfort. Owners who suffer from autism, for instance, are helped by their dogs to stay focused. The stable relationship that the dog provides is a resource from which their owners find comfort.
A small cadre of service dogs serve those with multiple disabilities and are relied upon to provide a range of services. They impress everyone with their competent consistency in meeting the needs of their humans. And they are widely recognized for their intelligence and faithful hard work.
These service/assistance dogs are vital to allowing their owners live a nearly-normal life. More important in many cases, though, is the companionship and comfort they provide. More than help, they provide friendship in ways no human helper could do.
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