Dogs have been in service to man ever since their domestication. They have alerted man to dangers (sentry), served as pack animals, trackers, patrol dogs, transportation (sled dogs) and a plethora of other duties, including companionship. Typically we think of service dogs in terms of the blind (guide dogs) and those that assist the handicapped, however we have used the dog's unique skills to perform a variety of special tasks.
A dog's ability to detect scents has been used by man for hundreds of years. In fact, the dog's sense of smell is it's primary sense, giving him a great deal of information about the world around him. The dog has more than 220 million olfactory receptors in its nose, each receptor detecting and identifying the minute odor molecules that are given off different objects; thousands of times better than humans. In terms of parts per million, a human can smell concentrations of about 1 part per million, chemical analyzers can detect concentrations of about 1 part per billion, some dogs can sniff out concentrations of about one tenth of one part per TRILLION! (even if they are masked or mixed with other scents!) How many of you can smell a bite of steak when mixed among a pile of dirty laundry! (I know your dog can!)
A dog's ability to detect scents have been used with hunting dogs for years. Law enforcement and military are aided by dogs that detect blood, drugs, explosives, mines, arson accelerants. Disaster management agencies are aided by dogs to find living people and cadavers (9/11 search and rescue dogs). There are dogs that work in airports, border patrol and customs that sniff out drugs and contraband produce being imported into countries. Recently, dogs have been used to assist to sniff out cancer in people, detect biochemical changes in diabetics who are becoming hypoglycemic, detect impending seizures! Amazing!
Other uses, outside of their scent abilities, include use as assistance dogs (physical and mental), therapy/social dogs, and hearing dogs. These service dogs are utilized for their acute hearing abilities, retrieving abilities, and problem solving abilities. Legally defined by the Federal government, service dogs are trained to meet the needs of their partner who has a disability (usually physical). These dogs are allowed to accompany their partner in public places. These dog's are not considered 'pets', however they are certainly still a companion to their partner. While by law (Americans with Disabilities Act) therapy/social dogs are not considered 'service dogs', they certainly perform a valuable service. These dogs provide a social 'bridge' for people with a variety of social disabilities such as autism and post traumatic stress disorder and other mentally debilitating disorders. These dogs are used for boosting confidence, feelings of independence, and bring comfort, calming and a feeling of well-being.
As a puppy raiser for KSDS (www.ksds.org), I think it is important here to mention the thousands of handlers, trainers and caregivers of these special dogs in service. Countless numbers of hours in training are required in order for these dogs to hone their unique skills and to achieve exceptional levels of performance. Every working dog has been given thousands of hours of training and love by a team of dedicated people. Without their dedication, individuals and communities would be at a loss for the unrivaled service these dogs provide.
These working dogs happily perform their jobs with enthusiasm, intensity and focus. They give a real meaning to the phrase 'man's best friend'.
