Jobs for Dogs Tips
Read these 6 Jobs for Dogs Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Dog tips and hundreds of other topics.
Therapy Dog Material
You may have thought that your lovable, adorable canine would make a good therapy dog. After all, you think he's great and so would other folks, right?
To see if your dog really is cut out to be a therapy dog, check the following criteria for therapy work:
• Your dog is generally friendly and tolerant of all types of people, young and old.
• Your dog is amiable to being handled and petted by strangers.
• Your dog is well trained and will respond to basic obedience commands.
• Your dog is not skittish or alarmed by sudden noises.
• Your dog adjusts well to new situations and surroundings.
If your dog can meet all the above, then he'll make a perfect therapy dog. It's a great way to get involved in the community and put your canine towards the worthwhile cause of helping those in need.
Therapy Dogs Make a Difference
Canine therapy work is open to a variety of dogs, mixed breeds, and purebreds alike. Therapy dogs are trained ambassadors of good will. They can make visits to hospitals, nursing homes, psychiatric wards, or anywhere they can help provide some social company and cheer. Studies have shown that interaction with a friendly dog, especially for sick, recovering, or mentally distraught people, can help alleviate depression and speed recovery.
Search & Rescue Work
Search and rescue dogs do what might take a team of 20 to 30 trained search people to do. They sniff out and track down missing people. Because of a dog's keen sense of smell, hearing, and ability to see at night, he is an ideal candidate for search and rescue work. The dogs that are better suited for this line of work are outdoor dogs with good physical endurance, focus, and trainability.
If you are looking for a worthwhile volunteer line of work with your dog, consider training for search and rescue. It's an intensive training for both dog and handler. It often takes a year of work, twice a week to become ready to take on a mission. Search and rescue fulfills the much needed job of finding lost loved ones during emergencies, disasters, crime scenes, and daily mishaps.
Service Work Dogs
Service dogs can do an amazing variety of tasks for the people that they help. A guide dog assists his blind handler to navigate around obstacles, both in public places and around the home. A hearing dog alerts his deaf handler to sounds like the doorbell or ring of a telephone. A seizure alert dog will respond to assist his handler during a seizure by activating an emergency alert and staying by his handler's side. A mobility assist dog helps to be his handler's arms and legs.
Work for the Outdoor Dog
If you and your dog are the outdoor types, consider training with your canine to become a search and rescue dog and handler team. Both you and your dog should be physically fit and suited towards spending a great deal of time in the elements. Dogs who are best suited for search and rescue like being outside, have good physical endurance, and are fairly trainable. You'll be volunteering your time in a worthwhile field to help find missing people. It's a challenging and rewarding role for both you and your canine.
Herding Trials
Herding breeds like Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, and Shetland Sheepdogs are ideal candidates to participate in trials for the type of work that they were meant to do – herding trials. Depending on the club that you decide to participate in, rules will vary. However, activities typically include training your canine to herd stock from a pen and guide the herd through an obstacle course. It's a great way for energetic canines to use some of their natural instinct.
