Rogak - Dogs of courage: the heroism and heart of working dogs around the world

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For Cheryl Trotta and her dog-tourage, where theres never a dull moment

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

According to a survey conducted in 2011 by the American Pet Products Association, there are approximately 78.2 million owned dogs in the United States. Australia has one of the highest rates of dog ownership in the world; the Australian Companion Animal Council reported in 2009 that 36 percent of households in the country contained at least one dog.

The same holds true throughout the world: the European Pet Food Industry Federation estimates that 27 percent of households in the European Union own at least one dog, resulting in a whopping sixty million canines across the continent. And in Japan, where pet ownership didnt start to gain a toehold until the 1990s, there are now roughly eighteen million dogs, and theyve become so popular that one pet food company even pays its dog-owning employees the equivalent of $10 a month to put toward canine expenses.

And every one of them has the potential to be a Dog of Courage, regardless of breed, particular talent, or size. While every canine has the ability to touch a human lifewhether its a much-loved family pet or a strangers dog who helps to lift the spirits with just a friendly glance or wag of the taila Dog of Courage works hard to help people in a wide variety of ways. You see, at this very minute, there are thousands of dogs being trained to perform tasks to directly benefit the humans around them, whether theyve been bonded together for years or have just met. A Dog of Courage can save a man from almost certain death after an avalanche devastates a mountain community or make it possible for a veteran crippled by PTSD to feel comfortable and secure enough to venture out in public again. These hardworking dogs are a major part of the lives of people all over the world, much more than even most dog lovers recognize. They become Dogs of Courage simply by doing the job theyve been trained to do, which in most cases happens to be a job they love with all their heart.

Dogs of Courage come in all shapes and sizes and range from being highly trained to never setting foot in an obedience class. At the most basic level, their heroic natures stem from acting upon deeply innate instincts. Regardless of their backgrounds, and whether theyre purebred or made up of more breeds than you can count on the fingers of one paw, mans best friend will go above and beyond the call of duty to help the people he lovesas well as those hes never met beforein some very surprising ways.

We are always heartened when we hear stories of Dogs of Courage in the news; they make us feel good in an era of pessimism, amid an overabundance of bad-news headlines. But while we smile at the story of a dog who saved a couple of three-week-old kittens abandoned by the side of a busy road and left to die, or the two-legged dog who hops through hospital wards, inspiring paraplegics and others who struggle with devastating disabilities, we dont often hear about the why and the how.

Why do dogs go out of their way to help us, often in situations that place them in danger and that may prove risky to their own health and welfare? And for those who are highly trainedlike a German shepherd trained in police work who chases after and catches a bad guy without once touching him, or a beagle who can sniff out laboratory specimens in test tubes that contain cancer cells how do they get that way? How are dogs able to perform tasks and work in tandem with the humans who are their partners?

Dogs of Courage answers these questions and many more. I shine a spotlight on heroic canines not only around the world but also throughout history. Through their stories, youll learn how arson dogs can sniff out a minute particle of flammable liquid that is all but invisible not only to human detectives but also to high-tech equipment. Youll discover the remarkable ability of search-and-rescue dogs who can pick up a trail and scent of a person that is weeks, perhaps even months, old.

You may be surprised to learn that Dogs of Courage can be supreme multitaskers. Indeed, many of the dogs profiled in this book could rightfully be featured in more than one chapter. For instance, diabetic- and allergy-alert dogs could also be considered guide, service, and assistance dogs. However, because there is so much going on in the medical field that uses canines in research and in helping people, I had more than enough information to devote an entire chapter to Dogs of Courage who work as medical detectives.

And when it comes to guide and service dogs, in addition to helping their owners to navigate their way through daily life despite having severe physical disabilities, these dogs also provided them with much-valued therapy; thus, they could have been included in the therapy dog chapter. But instead I feature them in their own chapter.

Though stories of dogs from all corners of the globe are detailed in each chapter, sometimes theres one particular dog who deserves a spotlight all his or her own. And so scattered throughout each chapter are profiles of dogs whose stories are incredibly poignant, heartwarming, and inspirational.

Why are we drawn in by these stories of Dogs of Courage? The answer is simple: Both humans and canines are essentially cut from the same cloth. The dog thinks, feels, and reacts in ways very much like humans, which explains its unique ability to fit into human society, says Bonnie Bergin, the founder of Canine Companions for Independence, the first organization in the United States formed specifically to train service dogs. The plasticity, the versatility, the adaptability of the canine species is very much aligned with ours. No animal does more for us, none share a more intimate relationship with us, nor can any claim more years of alliance with us than the dogour partner, our friend, our helpmate.

There have been literally millions of stories about Dogs of Courage handed down through the years, and narrowing them down to fit into the pages of a book presented frequent challenges. I chose the ones I thought best exemplified the nature of the canine spirit: loving, loyal, and operating on pure instinct. Some of the stories will make you cry, while others will have you laughing at a dogs foibles. After all, dogs dont care how they look when theyre doing whats in their nature. We could all learn from these Dogs of Courage and apply some small fraction of their philosophies to our own lives.

Perhaps John Grogan, author of the megabest seller Marley & Me, puts it best when it comes to why dogs touch our hearts in such a unique fashion: People can learn a lot from their dogs. Lessons on how to lead happier, more fulfilling lives. Lessons for successful relationships. Think about it. Many of the qualities that come so effortlessly to dogsloyalty, devotion, selflessness, unflagging optimism, unqualified lovecan be elusive to humans. My hunch is that people who act more like dogs have happier marriages.