Such cruel words. It is so much more. It is a he. It is a she. It has a name. It has likes. It has dislikes. It has fun. It is joy. It has my heart. So please. This bundle of fur and licks and wags is so much more than………..
Many times, I’ve heard this expression. Many times, I’ve known that the person saying it has missed a relationship in their life that I can’t explain. Something I have no means to justify. Owning a dog, a pet, is not for everyone.
That’s OK. I understand.
However, allow me to pose an argument that suggests, even for those that do not own or want to own a dog, it is still never just a dog. Allow me to explain how whether visible or not, dogs are fundamental and move in and out of our life sometimes in plain sight, but unseen. Allow me to identify the reasons dogs provide security, independence, comfort and an unconditional relationship…….among other things.
My first argument to support the absolute necessity of dogs in today’s society lies with the wonderful Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. These dogs give people that are blind or partially sighted the ability to go out with confidence, to live with a measure of independence and to connect without restriction.
After a very brief search I found the story of Paul and Bolt . In Paul’s own words:
“Prior to Bolt, the world had become a very challenging place. You become reluctant to even go outside at night because you simply cannot function.”
This inspiring story and others are writ large on the Guide Dogs website, as they should be.
I urge you to take a look. These dogs are nothing short of fabulous.
However, it would be remiss if I failed to mention that they are so fabulous because of how well they respond to training, because of how well their socialisation needs are met, because their readiness to become guide dogs begins pre-birth with a tested and certified protocol. Could any dog do it? Potentially. Does any dog do it? Definitely not.
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association are innovators in dog breeding and training. They have developed breeding and training protocols that ensure the best possible outcome for both dog and owner. The process is completely transparent. In a series of eight episodes the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association details this process of training a guide dog from puppy to new home as a support dog. The following episode in the series tells how the dogs are trained, the rewards used for training and touches on the scientific reasons for the methods that are used Journey of a Guide Dog – Episode 5 . What struck me most in this episode (although it is clear in the whole series) was the relationship between the dog and the trainer. These dogs are testament to the significance of the canine/human bond.
Additionally, I found it compelling how the dogs were taught the importance of making decisions for their human based on environmental cues. In order to simulate what the dog would encounter in a real-life working situation; the trainers use a blindfold. Once blindfolded the verbal and visual cues that can be given to the dog are limited and the dog has to think for itself based on its already ingrained training and on what is unfolding in the situation around it.
And in the end, after approximately 10-12 years of work the guide dog retires. The dog may retire in the home it has been in or it may retire with friends or family. It may retire with one of the trainers/volunteers/puppy raisers that remain in contact. Failing all that, a suitable home can be found with the general public after a rigorous application process. The dog is never left behind, never euthanised, never forgotten
Just a dog?
Let’s not forget the impact of assistance dogs, particularly on children. Neil Palmer Henry’s guardian (Teacher at Beaucroft School) writes:
“Our helpful hound Henry has made a huge difference to the well-being of both our students and staff here at Beaucroft Special School. Everyday he helps our students transition from one place to another calmly and safely”.
This is but a snippet of the testimonials from people with assistance dogs. Key to these dogs is the number of children that come to depend on them. In a world full of social challenges, dogs are friends.
The type of assistance these dogs provide ranges from help with tasks for those with hearing impairment, such as, alerting their owner to a doorbell, telephone or smoke alarm (see: Hearing Dogs for Deaf People), help with alerting their owner to take preventative action in the face of potentially life threatening situations, such as an allergic reaction or diabetic episode (see: Medical Detection Dogs) or help with allowing children with autism develop confidence, security and calm (see: Support Dogs)
Hearing dogs, like guide dogs are bred and trained by the organisation. Puppies stay with mum exclusively for their first three weeks, then training, in very small manageable chunks, begins. At this age they are handled and socialised. This involves exposing them to as many sights, sounds, smells and touch as they are likely to encounter throughout their life as working dogs. A fundamental step to produce secure, confident dogs. Puppies then go into a family home where they begin training and gain valuable insight into life within a home. Regular formal sound work begins at 18 months of age in dedicated training centres.
Training a Hearing Dog involves earning stars. Dogs are put through a series of courses to reach the standard required to be a qualified hearing dog. All training is reward based and uses solid scientific principles to get the best hearing dog possible. Lifetime support is given once the dog is matched in its new home. Dogs retire at approximately 11 years old and usually stay in their home or live with a close family member.
Chalky and Edison tell it best:
“When my hearing dog Eddison came into my life, everything changed. Now, I know Eddison will tell me about burglar alarms or smoke alarms. I also don’t worry about my daughter having to look after me. With Eddison, I know we are safe, and that my daughter won’t grow up with me relying on her”.
Just a dog?
Additionally medical detection dogs bring a level of security to people with complex medical needs that simply does not exist elsewhere. The dog’s superior sense of smell is utilised to alert people to an impending episode. The dog is able to detect minute changes in blood chemistry and/or in the air that signify change. For example, the ability to detect hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) for people with diabetes, the ability to detect a change in cortisol levels for people with Addison’s Disease or an ability to detect the presence of nuts for people with severe nut allergies.
Medical detection dogs go even further than this and are able to detect the presence of disease in a diagnostic way. There is growing evidence that specially trained bio detection dogs have the capacity to sniff cancer (including lung, prostrate, bladder), malaria, Covid 19. This is among other things. I urge you to check out the peer reviewed, published science here.
What I find very interesting about both medical detection and bio detection dogs is that the dog can come from anywhere. There is no specialised breeding centre, there are no training protocols in place from a certain age. These dogs can be donated from rescue centres, members of the public, breeders and so on. They do, of course need to show an aptitude for scent work and have a high level of orientation to people but with reward based training and experienced trainers, there are no barriers to instruction.
The team have a no kennel policy which means dogs live in the home. Medical detection dogs moonlight as pets most of the time and only spring into action when they are needed. Similarly, bio detection dogs live in a family home as a pet and come to work every day. They are dropped off, trained, worked and picked up again at the end of the day to go home.
I could continue to wax lyrical about assistance dogs and the impact they have. I believe them to be literal life changers and I’d wager that every person with one would agree. However, before leaving these canine leaders in human assistance, a note about emotional support dogs is deserved.
“Emotional support animals are pets that are required for a person’s ongoing mental health treatment or for their hidden disability”. Further information about this and the registration process can be found on the Emotional Support Website. Support dogs in particular provide support for children with autism, people with epilepsy and people with disabilities (see: Support Dogs ). These dogs, like many of the other wonderful examples used here, are family pets in the long term. They do their job and provide a service to people who need it most, but they also curl up in their bed and be dogs in the home too.
In particular, canine companions for children with autism resets a balance in both the child’s life and in the life of the family. It is without argument that autism is a complex, socially challenging and demanding condition. Children struggle under its pressure and the ability to reach out to an unconditional bond with a dog is a key management strategy. Autism assistance dogs provide security, facilitate communication and give a child with autism, behavioural stability.
Just a dog?
It is with reluctance that I leave behind the vast array of dogs that provide assistance to so many people every single day. But, I would be doing a disservice to dogs if I neglected to present an argument that detailed our ‘in the face of danger’ service dogs. An argument that to my mind has crystal clear evidence for the idea that dogs are indispensable to our society and are woven right into the fabric of our culture. These are the unseen hero dogs, most of the time we don’t even know that they are there. But they are.
I’ll start with prison dogs. Some of which I’ve been lucky enough to meet so I know from personal experience that the prison service will take rescue dogs, do provide reward based training and consider their dogs family pets. These dogs are trained to detect drugs, electronics, explosives and any substance that visitors can surreptitiously bring into a visit with a prisoner. Dogs like this reduce the amount of contraband that gets into the prison environment, thus reducing competition for that contraband within the prison and subsequently reducing the incidence of violence that can occur for access to said contraband.
In addition to this, prison dogs can be deployed to prevent attack on a prison officer, on another prisoner or on a visitor. They will apprehend a prisoner that attempts to take flight or escape. They will grab and hold until released by their handler regardless of attempts by the prisoner to hurt them. Then they will go home and have their dinner. Job done.
And it goes without saying that police dogs actually do keep the public safer. A special edition of ‘Birmingham Live’ spotlights eleven such dogs in 2021. Finn was a favourite of mine. He went way beyond the call of duty in an incident that needed him to apprehend a criminal on the run:
“Finn almost died five years ago, when he was stabbed by a suspect during a police search. Finn sustained deep wounds to the chest and head, but still did not let go of the suspect”
“Still did not let go….” Amazing temerity. Finn did retire after this and go home with his handler but he continued to work. His work now was to bring awareness to the justice system about animal cruelty. This awareness led him to assist with campaigns designed to make the sentencing for animal cruelty more severe.
Then there’s Stark. Another one of the eleven dogs in the spotlight. Like Finn, during his work detaining an offender, Stark was attacked. He lost an eye during the attack but held on and hauled the attacker away from the knife. No doubt bleeding and in pain. Stark’s partner PC Paul Hopley said: “I know that he’s got my back and I’ve certainly got his”. I find this mutual respect between dog and handler fundamentally heartwarming. As well as this, it is another indicator of the important part dogs play in keeping us safe.
So much so that the Surrey and Sussex Police Dog School has dedicated itself to providing training courses for dogs and handlers both between and within disciplines, nationally and internationally. They are a gold standard police dog academy offering intensive 6-12 week courses from drug and explosives detection to victim recovery and forensic evidence detection.
Just a dog?
Not forgetting our army dogs. Alongside bomb detection, tracking, search and rescue to mention but a few, army dogs are companions in difficult surroundings. In 2017 National Geographic celebrated Britian’s Heroic Dogs Of War in an article describing some of the jobs these dogs are employed to do. It additionally covered a role less well known for the army dog:
“British soldiers have traditionally also welcomed the morale-boosting impact of dogs who provide psychological comfort and a poignant reminder of home.”
The morale boost? That’s not trained. That’s what dogs do as one of the few, if not the only, animals that have a connection like this to a human. Soldiers need their army dogs in more ways than one.
The kind of feats army dogs are capable of is extraordinary to the average pet dog owner. The article describes one dog that during World War 1 swam across a canal to deliver a message to his handler. Another, Sasha, that received the PDSA Dickin Medal for Gallantry. Sasha was responsible for identifying the location of 15 bombs and ammunition caches in Afghanistan.
Hertz was awarded the Dickin Medal because of his specialist ability to detect PEDs (personal electronic devices), such as SIM cards, mobile phones, voice recorders and GPS. These devices are at the forefront of modern digital warfare because they can be used to pinpoint the location of soldiers on the ground thus making them vulnerable to attack and/or capture. As Hertz’ bio details “it is difficult to truly estimate how many lives he saved through his actions”.
There is an entire website devoted to war dogs and their relevance to the armed forces. It pays tribute to dogs across time, the world over that have contributed in combat, some of them dying in the line of duty. This commendation website for dogs is a must browse to get a feel of the importance placed on dogs, the respect given to them and the obvious bond between them and their handlers. Check it out – War Dogs Remembered – the stories
Just a dog?
I could go on, really I could. Okay, just one more……
“her nose for a scent led to the rescue of a woman who had suffered a head injury………unwell and disorientated as a result of her injury, she simply vanished…..on the fourth day Floss found her in a field unresponsive and close to death.”
Meet Floss, the family pet that saves lives. What I love most about Floss is that her search and rescue abilities were discovered accidentally. Floss loved playing ball as a puppy and her owner capitalised on her eagerness to find her ball against all odds. This eagerness to cooperate with her owner and reach a common goal led Floss to gain the title of “most qualified search and rescue dog in the UK” (Belfast Live 14th September 2021) – quite a accolade.
Just a dog?
It seems to me that these incredible dogs and the organisations that support them are evidence enough of the importance of dogs in our life. But that would be an injustice in itself because I would be neglecting the role of the pet dog. The lay by the fire, walk in the park, always by your side, pet dog. I would be neglecting the millions of dogs across the world that make our day a little brighter, our life a little healthier and our mood a little lighter. Every single day.
