Does your dog work? Should your dog work?

On Terrierman's Daily Dose, he wrote a great post lately entitled "And What is the Work of Your Dog?" His is a blog that I read frequently but do not often comment on. I don't know about working terriers. My dog experience is largely and completely related on this blog, and doesn't amount to much when compared with others, both on and off the blogosphere.

It's a very good question, though. Dogs only recently became our couch adornments (I mean, other than the toy breeds, whose whole point is to be couch adornments). Pretty much every breed was created for a purpose, some more specific than others. It's worth looking at the history of your breed, and considering your expectations of your dog, and how their lives go.

Tail Dock Ban in Scotland: recent article

On Thursday, I posted The Doberman: Do Looks Make the Breed?, and discussed the merits of tail docking at three days versus the complications, healing time, and trauma of an adult dog's tail having to be amputated due to injury.

On Doberman-Chat.com, somebody posted an article about the tail dock ban in Scotland. Granted, the article discusses working breeds in the context of spaniels, terriers, and retrievers as working breeds, but arguably (in conformation shows, anyway!) the Doberman is officially labelled as a "Working" breed, as opposed to a "Sporting" breed, which is what I would consider spaniels and retrievers to be.

Anyway, if interested, the article is here: The Tail Wags Dog Welfare (I know they speak English in Scotland, so I'm not sure what the deal is with the title phrasing). There is a picture of an undocked, injured tail, so be warned.

Book Review: How To Use Dogs Effectively In Modern Police Work, by Irvin E. Marders

When poking around to see what kind of training and treatment New York State police dogs received (Cooperstown is nearby, and I believe that's where the K9 headquarters is), I came across the phrase that they use the "Baltimore Method" with the dogs. From the State Police site:

The “new method” of training dictated that the canines be sociable, allowed to be in and around the general public, and reside in the handlers residence. Most canines up to this point were extremely aggressive and kenneled when not in use. This method, is still one of the most prevalent training methods in the United States.

Well that's interesting, I thought. It makes sense to me, though, and is a principle I believe strongly, that a working dog, police or otherwise, needs to be socialized with a range of people so that she is not suspicious of people as a rule, but only when ordered or necessary. Of course, I then went to the Google to see if I could turn up more about the Baltimore Method. I found what seems to be a personally maintained historical web site about canine units in the Baltimore City Police Department, that does include information about and some pictures of the dogs.

It also mentioned a book, How to Use Dogs Effectively in Modern Police Work, by Irvin E. Marders. And, though I am not a police officer, and they tend not to get civilians involved with training (And use the Baltimore Method, so no kennels), I just had to read it.

Service Dogs: ins and outs

Elka is not a service dog.

A service dog, by definition, performs a service for the owner (or handler, depending on which terminology you want to use) that the individual would otherwise not be able to accomplish on his or her own as a result of a disability. A service dog is hopefully of steady temperament and a good working drive.  A service dog has been extensively trained and behaves appropriately while "on duty".

Here's the ringer, however: is there a nationally recognized certification for service dogs?

Nope.

Book Review: Scent of the Missing, by Susannah Charlson

Working dogs fascinate me.  It doesn't matter if they're herding sheep (of which I have none), protection dogs, or service dogs, I love reading about them, and their training.  The versatility and intelligence of the dog is something I don't get tired of.  Scent of the Missing, by Susannah Charlson, is the memoir of a woman who works with a search and rescue team, who then gets approved to be a handler and gets her own search puppy to raise to be a search dog.  The puppy is a Golden Retriever and charmingly named (I thought) Puzzle.