What are Canines Used For?
Overview
Canines play a vital role in various activities, showcasing their versatility and intelligence. From service dogs assisting individuals with disabilities to working dogs supporting law enforcement and sporting dogs excelling in competitions, these loyal companions are truly remarkable. Their unique skills and training make them invaluable in numerous settings, enriching our lives in countless ways.
Service Canines
Service dogs include those are trained for people with disease or disability. Some of the most common uses are allergy detection, autism, guide, hearing, medical alert, mobility assistance, psychiatric, and therapy. Although each function has different associated tasks that they are trained for, all have the commonality of being trained through operant conditioning [4].
Working Dogs
Working dogs include those that are trained for agriculture and farming uses as well as detection, protection, and searching. Some of these types of dogs include the Bernese Mountain Dog which is used for pulling carts and the Alaskan Malamute and Huskey which are used for sled pulling. The most visible of this class of dogs are the ones used by first responders and the military. Bomb detection, narcotic detection, tracking, cadaver, apprehension, and electronic detection are just some of the specialties in which canines are trained [5].
Sporting Dogs
Sporting dogs are those that were bred and trained for use in hunting and retrieving activities. Four main breeds are still used for these activities today. Like the other categories, each has to be trained for its designed purpose, which is done by focusing on its unique genetic abilities [6].