dogs have been estimated to have been domesticated by mankind for over 30,000 years, being selectively bred by our ancestors over time to assist humankind in various tasks.
our ancestors dogs became vital to their survival, they guarded their homes, livestock and children against other top predictors who regarded humans as a food source. dogs were also a valuable partner in hunting activities, enabling humans to bring down faster game animals to feed their growing communities.
dogs also through their scavenging helped to keep human settlements free of food waste that if not cleaned up would have become a breeding ground for disease and vermin.
in todays modern times, dogs still play a important part in human life, though not in the same ways hey did for our ancestors. we still have dogs who protect our homes and communities, but we also have dogs with more specialized tasks.
we have all seen working dogs out in our communities, helping to serve as police dogs, search and rescue dogs, and drug and explosive detection dogs. these dogs help to keep our communities safe and save lives.
when a child or senior citizen goes missing in the wilderness for example, time is often quick to run out for their survival. the search for a missing person goes a lot quicker when a well trained dog is assigned to the job. the dog may be be the difference in finding a missing child alive.
we have also met other service dogs in active duty. seeing eye dogs and other assistance dogs who help their handlers live a independent life that they may not have been able to lead had they not had their dog there to give them their support they need in every day tasks that those of us who do not have disabilities may take for granted. something as simple as picking up fallen objects of doing laundry can be a daunting task for some people.
these dogs help make the lives of those they assist less stressful and not only help their handlers with physical handicaps but mental ones as well. PTS dogs for example help give their handlers more confidence in their day to day lives to help them live through the stress and fear that they carry within. these dogs ell them that there is nothing to fear and to comfort them in the event that they take a flashback episode.
some service dogs even alert their handlers that they are about to take a seizure, allowing the handler sufficient time to take medication or call for medical assistance.
many people feel that in todays age of technology that we no longer need to train dogs to help assist people in independent living. but i beg to differ on those opinions! dogs have many advantages over machines. they are living feeling beings who give their handlers emotional support that no one else can give them. the love of a dog in unconditional. they do not see our bodies as disabled, they just see us for our internal selves, our soul.
dogs never need to have batteries replaced, they do not require expensive replacement parts or software updates.
if a dog is well cared for and loved they can live a healthy life in excess of 15 years, most appliances and technical machinery have a warranty of less then a year.
in my video series survival dogs i will be showing how the human canine bond can be strengthened by doing training and bonding exercises often restrained for use in training dogs for people with disabilities.
its my belief that everyone should have a dog who can assist them in any situation. you never know when you will need your dog to preform a certain task that may save your life.
a very special thanks to the people who allowed me to use their images in this video:
please visit their photo streams on flickr to view more photos or amazing working dogs in action!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/margeehh/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/funksphotos/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/texasjeep/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/c-j-berry/
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seizure alert dogs PSAby mistresschocolat7,988 views
tumbs up for the greatest creature on the planet, dogs \m/
oly355 1 year ago 5