service dogs

Today’s post comes to us from our Teen Librarian, Kelley:

It’s not just a snappy title – I really do have enormous faith and trust in a dog. My husband is blind and he (and I) depend every day upon the amazing skills of his guide dog Becca to help him navigate his world. I can go off to work and not worry about him, because I know he and Becca will manage perfectly well. They’re not stuck at home and are never bored. They go on long walks, golf, visit friends… at this point they actually have a much richer social life than I do! I am filled with wonder every time I see the two of them working together – she warns him of curbs, cars, and dangers both underfoot and at head height, she finds doors, counters, empty seats, and me (!) whenever needed and with great determination and enthusiasm.

Once we were shopping at the grocery store, and a family with children walked by. The parents conscientiously cautioned their kids about not distracting Becca while she was working, telling them that she was a service dog. The littlest child wasn’t quite sure what a service dog was, but he used his own best judgement, and looked out for us for the rest of our shopping trip. He alerted everyone: “Don’t bother that dog- she’s a serious dog!” every time we crossed paths. It was adorable, but he was absolutely correct- Becca is a very serious dog when she is working.

Other dogs besides our Becca do serious work that truly helps others too. These dogs all have natural talents that are carefully perfected with exhaustive training. Detection dogs have exceptional senses of smell. A detection dog is trained to sniff out a particular substance or group of substances such as currency, illegal drugs, explosives, blood, insects, and even cancer. Herding dogs work with various types of livestock, such as cattle, sheep, goats, reindeer, and even poultry. Military dogs assist members of the military with their operations. Police dogs, often called K-9s, are trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in the line of duty. Search and rescue dogs have high energy, great stamina and focus. These highly trained animals serve in many different fields, including tracking, specialized search, avalanche rescue, and cadaver location. Therapy dogs offer emotional support to sick or injured persons, often visiting hospitals, schools, hospices, nursing homes and more. Service dogs are working dogs that have been specially trained to assist persons with disabilities.

There are many other types of working dogs out there who have real jobs that they take very seriously, and new types of jobs for dogs are being developed all the time. You can read more about them with our doggone good list of books about inspiring dogs who love to work. Good dogs!!

What the Dog Knows : The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs by Cat Warren
Dogs of Courage : The Heroism and Heart of Working Dogs Around the World by Lisa Rogak
Loyal : 38 Inspiring Tales of Bravery, Heroism, and the Devotion of Dogs by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh
Every Dog Has a Gift : True Stories of Dogs Who Bring Hope & Healing Into Our Lives by Rachel McPherson with Deborah Mitchell
Soldier Dogs : The Untold Story of America’s Canine Heroes by Maria Goodavage
War Dogs : Tales of Canine Heroism, History, and Love by Rebecca Frankel

From the Children’s Room:

Working Dogs by Josh Gregory
Buddy, the First Seeing Eye Dog by Eva Moore
Super Sniffers : Dog Detectives on the Job by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Top Dogs : True Stories of Canines That Made History by Elizabeth MacLeod

Hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since “doggy memoir” Marley & Me came out. The runaway popularity of this dog tale spawned several spinoff books (Marley: A Dog Like No Other, Bad Dog, Marley!, A Very Marley Christmas, to name a few), and a very successful movie (Marley & Me starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston). I cried like a baby, you know you did, too!

Suddenly, book deals for dogs became a regular thing. Stories of how animals make a difference in so many lives can make for some pretty compelling reading, especially if you’re an animal lover to begin with. Here are a few more dog tales that will tug at your heartstrings:

A Dog Named Boo by Lisa J. Edwards. Boo was found by Lisa in a cardboard box outside a pet store. Lisa, a professional dog trainer, felt drawn to the runt of the litter, and decided to take him home and train him to be a companion animal for her terminally ill brother, who was becoming more physically restricted by the day. Unfortunately, Boo turned out to be the class dunce. Boo’s apparent failure to live up to Lisa’s expectations was followed shortly by the loss of the family member she loved most. It was when things were at their worst, however, that Boo’s exceptional talent for giving love and comfort showed.

Wallace by Jim Gorant. Today, Wallace is a champion; but in the summer of 2005, he was living in a shelter, a refugee from a suspicious pit-bull breeding operation. Then Andrew “Roo” Yori entered the picture. A scientist and shelter volunteer, Roo could immediately see that Wallace was something special. When Roo learned that Wallace was about to be put down, he and his wife frantically fought to keep Wallace alive until they could adopt him. Overcoming everything from injuries to prejudice against the breed, the unlikely pair persevered to become world champions.

Until Tuesday by Luis Carlos Montalván. Captain Luis Montalvan never backed down from a challenge during his two tours of duty in Iraq. After returning home from combat, however, the pressures of his physical wounds, traumatic brain injury, and crippling post-traumatic stress disorder began to take their toll. Then Luis met Tuesday, a beautiful and sensitive golden retriever trained to assist the disabled. A unique story about the love between a man and a dog, and how they healed each other’s souls.