Honor Our Working Dogs on Labor Day

The American Kennel Club reminds us all that our working dogs deserve to be honored (and a day of rest) on Labor Day, too. In addition to our hard-working canines in law enforcement, other dog workers provide essential services for human benefit.

Dogs have an amazing ability to be trained for a variety of unusual tasks. consider the bed bug sniffing dog: Professional groups have begun training, testing and certifying dogs to detect these nuisance bugs that have become a serious issue in recent years. Beagles and Labs are particularly suited for this.

Of course, in the wake of disasters of recent years, search and rescue dogs became extremely important in locating missing persons or those people desperate for rescue. In these positions, bloodhounds and German shepherds demonstrate great success.

German shepherds and the Vizsla are the breeds most often trained to find and identify a explosives. These skills serve our military and law

 enforcement quite well

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And, dogs have been trained to serve in cancer detection, alert owners to possible exposure to allergans, and protect people who may be about to experience seizures. Of course, seeing-eye dogs and other service dogs for people with special needs are more commonplace than ever and offer tremendous opportunities and options for people who need them.

So, this weekend, as we honor our workers for the endeavors and dedication, let’s keep in mind those dogs who work hard for us as well.

Happy Labor Day! With a history going back to labor unions, Labor Day is the holiday that celebrates working men and women. On a lighter note, it is also the holiday that signals the end of summer.

Spaniel being trained to detect cancer.

For centuries, dogs have worked with humans in jobs such as pulling sleds, herding, hunting, and guarding livestock. There are some less commonly seen jobs that our canine companions are being trained to do in modern times.

• Allergy alert dogs. Poodles and Portuguese Water Dogs have been trained to detect peanut allergens and alert their owners.
• Arson detection dogs. An increasing number of fire departments are hiring Beagles to assist with finding the cause of a fire.
• Bed bug sniffing dogs. Labrador Retrievers and Beagles work for consulting companies that find bed bugs in hotels.
• Cancer detection dogs. An early study in a British journal described a Border Collie who found a melanoma on his owner and would not stop licking it. The owner went to the doctor to have the melanoma removed-the dog saved the owner’s life. In Florida, working with a dermatologist, former police officer Duane Pickel taught his AKC Utility titled (obedience) Standard Schnauzer, George, to find melanomas.
• Therapy dogs. Tens of thousands of dogs and their owners volunteer as therapy dogs. There is a good chance that even if your dog is not volunteering, he’s doing the job of keeping you calm and sane by serving as your very own therapy dog. For the new AKC Therapy Dog title, see www.akc.org/akctherapydog

Here’s to a very happy Labor Day for all of the working dogs and their owners! Do you have a dog who works? If so, we’d love to hear your story.