Working Dogs on Minimum Pay

Working dogs and early man, just when man and dog got together to join as a working team we can only imagine.....

A young boy was out walking one day and came across an abandoned puppy, curled up under a fallen tree, whimpering and looking so cute. Feeling sorry for the pup he gathers it in his arms and runs back to his cave. Father is busy making a new spear when he hears those immortal words “Daddy, Daddy can we keep him, can we, can we, please, I'll look after him can we please?' Father replies, "Go Ask your mother if she says it's okay then yes, but he sleeps outside"

We have all spoken or heard those words sometime in our lives but it is true that early domesticated dogs date back to stone age times as evidence shows crude dog drawings from paleolithic times depicting dogs joining in the hunt.

The Romans and Greeks both record the use of working dogs throughout their history, using dogs for hunting by sight and dogs that hunted by scent, also as domestic house dogs and herding dogs used to protect the herds from predators. As the Romans went to war they took their dogs with them, the Rottweiler and Mastiff were used to pull carts and guard the camps. They were also used in battle wearing spiked collars and chain mail the dogs were used to attack the advancing enemy.

War dogs have been used throughout history by many nations during the first and second world wars, to carry messages between the front line and battle H.Q,s and guarding P.O.W,s during the Vietnam war 4500 working dogs were sent to aid the troops. Dogs are still used by the forces utilizing the dogs senses to detect explosives.

Now in modern times as technology has taken over many of the dogs duties in message carrying, modern day protection forces deploy the keen scent organs of the dog to detect trapped or lost and injured people in search and rescue missions. Going where modern technology can not reach and saving many lives in the process, this of course is nothing new as the Saint Bernard dog has been rescuing people on the snowy slopes of the Alps for years.

Many police and customs departments employ sniffer dogs to detect the ever increasing amount of illegal drugs that are smuggled into the country, despite the drug smugglers attempts to disguise the drugs by mixing them with other substances, and packing them in sealed containers the dogs are relentless in sniffing out the drugs, such is the sensitivity of the dogs sense of smell Spaniels are among the favored dogs for this task, being inquisitive and eager to please their handlers. Their reward no more than a quick game of fetch with their favorite ball! Who else would work for such minimum rates and still wag their tail?

A strong bond develops between dog and handler which makes them a force to be reckoned with as they work closely together in the fight against crime.



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