August 5th is Work Like A Dog Day. Fido’s hard work is definitely something that should be honored, recognized, and celebrated. Our canine pals have helped us out over the centuries by working in a variety of fields and positions. In this article from Fairfield Animal Hospital, a Cypress, TX vet discusses working dogs in this article.

Dog Groups

Did you know that the AKC’s dog groups have a lot to do with Fido’s various skills? Many of the dogs in the Herding Group are naturals at corralling livestock, while Sporting Group pups are often excellent hunters and trackers. The Working Group includes pooches that excel at certain tasks, such as sled pulling.

Fido’s Job Skills

Man’s Best Friend actually has a very impressive resume. His earliest jobs were as guardians, shepherds, and hunting buddies. Fido is also very skilled at search and rescue. The modern pup may work in some newer fields, such as bomb and drug detection, law enforcement, or even bedbug sniffing!

Service Dogs

We can’t really talk about working dogs without discussing service dogs, or assistance dogs, as they’re sometimes called. Service dogs can be any breed, though they are most often German Shepherds or Labrador Retrievers. These wonderful pups are trained to help their humans in specific ways. For example, a seeing eye dog may help his owner cross streets or avoid obstacles, while another pup may be trained to detect oncoming seizures or blood sugar drops.

Therapy Dogs

Therapy dogs also perform very important work, though their duties are a bit different. Therapy dogs mostly provide comfort and emotional support. They may help combat veterans cope with PTSD, or provide comfort and cuddles to patients in hospice care or nursing homes. One thing therapy dogs and service dogs have in common? They’re all amazing!

Part-Time Jobs

While not all dogs have official jobs, you may find that your canine companion actually helps out quite a bit. For example, the average pet may ‘work’ as a guard dog, door greeter, therapist, comedian, and lap warmer. (Fido also sometimes fills in for the vacuum cleaner by picking up fallen morsels.) No matter what line of work your pooch is in, he definitely deserves some recognition. Offer him a special treat and some extra belly rubs on this special day! Please contact Fairfield Animal Hospital, your Cypress, TX vet, anytime. We’re here for you!