LN 125 Utility of Dogs
Dog origins - Why?
What's in it for people What's in it for dogs
●
companionship ●
food
●
work: ●
shelter
• herding ●
protection
• hunting ●
companionship
• guarding
●
food?
Dog diversity – by selective breeding
● Labrador - webbed feet; bred to instinctively retrieve
● Golden retriever - carry things in mouth
● Terriers - aggressive - attack vermin
● German shepherd - guard dog / herding / protective
● Beagles - bred to track rabbits (scent) - run off alone in pursuit
● Dachshund - bred to track badgers
● Boxers - grab onto large game and hold it till hunter arrived
● Poodle - descendant of herding dogs (?)
Dog- sensory organs
• Dogs can see in much dimmer light than humans.
Dogs can detect motion better than humans can.
• A rough estimate is that dogs have about 20/75
vision.
• Dogs have been shown to be able to discriminate
between humans (e.g., identifying their human guardian)
at a range of between 800 and 900 m.
Visual field of 240 degrees compared with the
human field of 200 degrees.
Hearing
• The hearing ability of a dog is dependent on breed and age, though the range of
hearing is usually around 40 Hz to 60 kHz (60,000 Hz)
• As with humans, some dog breeds' hearing ranges narrow with age, such as
the German shepherd and miniature poodle. The ears of a dog are controlled by at
least 18 muscles, which allows the ears to tilt and rotate.
• As dogs hear higher frequency sounds than humans. Ultrasonic signals are
used in training whistles, as a dog will respond much better to such levels.
• So-called "Nelson" dog whistles generate sounds at frequencies higher than those
audible to humans but well within the range of a dog's hearing.
• While the human brain is dominated by
a large visual cortex, the dog brain is
Smell dominated by an olfactory cortex.
• The olfactory bulb in dogs is roughly
forty times bigger than the olfactory
bulb in humans, relative to total brain
size, with 125 to 220 million smell-
sensitive receptors.
• The bloodhound exceeds this standard
with nearly 300 million receptors.
Dog intelligence
• Dog intelligence is the ability of a dog to learn,
think, and solve problems.
• Dog trainers, owners, and researchers have as much
difficulty agreeing on a method for testing canine
intelligence as they do for human intelligence.
• One specific difficulty is confusing a breed's genetic
characteristics and a dog's obedience training with
intelligence.
• Dogs can do many things that we can’t, including
things that we’d like to do but just don’t know how to.
• Among them are predicting earthquakes, picking
up foreign languages almost instantly, detecting
cancer and low blood sugar in humans, and even
sensing impending death.
• The latest research points to dogs being able to do all
these things naturally, and with training they can
perform other amazing feats—some at a level
surpassing humans or high-tech equipment.
Brightest Dogs Excellent Working Above Average Average Fair Working/ Lowest Degree of
Dogs Working Dogs Working/ Obedience Working/
Obedience Intelligence Obedience
Intelligence Intelligence
Understanding of Less than 5 repetitions. 5 to 15 repetitions. 15 to 25 repetitions. 25 to 40 40 to 80 80 to 100
New Commands: repetitions. repetitions. repetitions or more.
Obey First 95% of the time or 85% of the time or 70% of the time or 50% of the time or 30% of the time or 25% of the time or
Command: better. better. better. better. better. worse.
Border Collie Pembroke Welsh Chesapeake Bay Soft-coated Skye Terrier Shih Tzu
Poodle Corgi Retriever Wheaten Terrier Norfolk Terrier Basset Hound
German Shepherd Miniature Schnauzer Puli Bedlington Terrier Sealyham Terrier Mastiff
Golden Retriever English Springer Yorkshire Terrier Fox Terrier (Smooth) Pug Beagle
Doberman Pinscher Spaniel Giant Schnauzer Curly Coated French Bulldog Pekingese
Shetland Sheepdog Belgian Shepherd Airedale Terrier Retriever Griffon Bruxellois Bloodhound
Labrador Retriever Tervuren Bouvier des Irish Wolfhound Maltese Borzoi
Papillon Schipperke Flandres Kuvasz Italian Greyhound Chow Chow
Rottweiler Belgian Sheepdog Border Terrier Australian Shepherd Chinese Crested Bulldog
Australian Cattle Dog Collie Briard Saluki Basenji
Welsh Springer Finnish Spitz Afghan Hound
Spaniel Pointer
Utility of dogs
• Although most modern dogs are kept as pets, there are still a tremendous number
of ways in which dogs can and do assist humans, and more uses are found for
them every year.
• Guarding
• Tracking
• Defence
• Hunting
• Patrolling
• Races
• Riot control
• Rescue
• Mine detection
Detection Dog Or Sniffer Dog
• A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to and works at using its
sense (almost always the sense of smell) detect substances such as
explosives, illegal drugs, or blood.
• Hunting dogs that search for game and
• Search dogs that search for missing humans Not considered
detection dogs.
• Cadaver dogs - human remains detection dogs
• They are also used for drug raids to find where the drugs are.
• One of the oldest uses of detection dogs is in
hunting for truffles.
• Detection dogs have been trained to search for many
substances, including:
– Plants, animals, produce and other agricultural items (used
by customs services to detect possible invasive species.
– Crime evidence
– Currency
– Drugs
– Explosives
• The breeds often used include Beagles, Labrador
Retrievers, and Golden Retrievers.
Mine Detection:
• Dogs are now used for mine clearance operations.
• Each dog requires extensive training, together with his handler.
• The dog becomes acutely sensitive both explosive vapour smells and human behavior.
• Once a dog and his handler reach the required level of performance for field work after
about 18 months to 2 years, they will be assigned to a demining dog field centre.
• General Training Program schedule is as follows
– 1-6 Month Social training and ball play
– 6-12 months Obedience
– 12-18 months Ball & explosives
– 18-20 months Mines
– 20-22 months Handler
Problems in using dog in demining
• Failure to detect mines
• Disease problem while introducing dog in new countries.
• Quarantine restriction may be troublesome
• Lack of trained veterinarians
• Dogs need to acclimatize after arrival in a new country
and environment.
• Times claimed for acclimatization are between 2 weeks
and 6 months.
POLICE DOG (K-9s)
• A police dog is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-
enforcement personnel in their work.
• A growing number of law-enforcement organizations outfit dogs with bulletproof vests,
and some even go so far as to make the dogs sworn officers, with their own police badges
and IDs Furthermore, a police dog killed in the line of duty is given a full police funeral.
The most common dog breeds
used as police dogs include
German Shepherds
and Belgian Malinois.
‣ German Shepherd (protect the officer, attack dog)
‣ Dutch Shepherd (protect the officer, attack dog)
‣ Belgian Malinois (protect the officer, attack dog)
‣ Boxer (Germany) (protect the officer, attack dog)
‣ Doberman Pinscher (protect the officer, attack dog)
‣ Rottweiler (protect the officer, attack dog)
‣ Labrador Retriever (sniff out bombs, sniff out drugs)
‣ Springer Spaniel (sniff out bombs, sniff out drugs)
‣ Bloodhound (track down criminals, sniff out bombs, sniff out drugs)
‣ Beagle (sniff out bombs, sniff out drugs, sniff out foodstuffs)
War Dogs or K9 Corps Military Working Dogs
• Similar to police dogs, military working dogs assist members of the military with
their operations. These dogs may be used as detectors, trackers, sentries,
scouts, and for search and rescue. Most of the military working dogs are
German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds, and Belgian Malinois.
Scouts Dog:
• Scouts dog Some dogs are trained to silently locate booby traps and concealed
enemies such as snipers.
• The dog's keen senses of smell and hearing would make them far more effective at
detecting these dangers than humans.
• The best scout dogs are described as having a disposition intermediate to docile
tracking dogs and aggressive attack dogs.
Search And Rescue (SAR) Dogs:
• The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in responding to
law enforcement requests for missing people.
• Dedicated handlers and hard working, well-trained dogs are required in search efforts
to be effective in their task. Search and rescue (SAR) dogs detect human scent.
• Search and rescue dogs have great agility and exceptional senses of smell
and hearing.
• These highly trained animals serve in many different fields, including
tracking, specialized search, avalanche rescue, and cadaver location.
• Breeds often used include Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Border
Collies, and German Shepherds.
Disaster Dogs:
• Disaster dogs are used to locate victims of catastrophic or mass-
casualty events (eg, earthquakes, landslides, building collapses,
aviation incidents).
• Many disaster dogs in the US are trained to meet the Federal
Emergency Management Agency K9 standards for domestic or
international deployment; advanced agility and off-lead training are
prerequisites reflecting the nature of these dogs' application.
• Disaster dogs rely primarily on air scent, and may be limited in mass-
casualty events by their inability to differentiate between survivors and
recently-deceased victims.
Guard Dog:
• Guard dog is a dog employed to guard against, and watch for, unwanted or
unexpected people or animals. Both guard dogs and watch dogs bark to alert
their owners of an intruder's presence and scare away the intruder.
• The watch dog's function ends here; a guard dog is capable of attacking
or restraining the intruder.
• Females: Better for personal guardians (Maternal instinct): Easy to train, fast learners
• Males: Better for property (Territorial Instinct)
• Less Independent, adopt to new family
• Eg: Doberman, Rottweiler
Retriever Dog:
• A retriever is a type of gun dog that retrieves game for a hunter. Generally gun-
dogs are divided into three major classifications: retrievers, flushing spaniels, and
pointing breeds.Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and
return them to the hunter without damage.
• Although spaniels and some pointing breeds routinely retrieve game, and many
retrievers are skilled in finding game, retrievers are distinguished in that non-slip
retrieval is their primary function. As a result, retriever breeds are bred for soft
mouths and a great willingness to please, learn, and obey.
• The retriever's willingness to please and trainability have made retrievers such as
the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever popular as assistance dogs.
Hunting dogs:
• Hunting dogs assist hunters in finding,
tracking, and retrieving game, or in
routing vermin.
• Less frequently a dog, or rather or a pack
of them, actually fights a predator, such
as a bear or feral pig.
A labrador retriever with a duck
• Sled dogs, although today primarily used in sporting events, still can assist in
transporting people and supplies in rugged, snowy terrain.
• Performing dogs such as Circus dogs and dog actors are trained to perform
acts that are not intrinsically useful, but instead provide entertainment to their
audience or enable human artistic performances.
A sled dog team at work.
Service Dogs:
• Specially trained to assist persons with disabilities.
• The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) has special guidelines regarding
service dogs and their treatment in public places.
Therapy Dogs:
• Animal-assisted therapy involves the use of trained, certified animals as part of a
medical patient's therapeutic plan.
• These "therapy dogs" offer emotional support to sick or injured persons, often
visiting hospitals and nursing homes. They may also visit schools and day care
centers to help educate children about dogs.
Specially trained to perform tasks
that mitigate a handlers disability.
Trained to bring comfort and joy
to those in a hospital, school or
other group care environments.
Provides support and emotional comfort
to a handler with a mental illness
Herding dogs
• Herding dogs work with various types of livestock,
such as sheep and cattle. A herding dog is
basically born for the job.
• However, not all herding breeds are naturally expert
herders. Some can have their skills honed with
training, while others are better suited to lives as
companion dogs. Dogs that do become herders can also
compete in dog herding trials.
• A well trained dog can adapt to control any sort of
domestic and many wild animals.
Sports dogs & Race Dogs
• Sport dog's are trained to an extremely high level of obedience. Competition consists of three
phases: Tracking, Obedience, and Defense.
• Dog racing, also called greyhound racing, the racing of greyhounds around an enclosed track
in pursuit of an electrically controlled and propelled mechanical hare (rabbit).
• Each phase begins with 100 points and points are then deducted for every mistake
the dog and handler team make.
• Each team must achieve a minimum of 70 points per phase, and when
temperament and mood of the animal are constantly assessed just passing is an
achievement for most competitors.
Turnspit dogs:
• Turnspit dogs were used as a source of
power, they turned a treadmill connected
to a roasting spit.
• Similar arrangements were used for
household duties such as churning butter.
Draught animals:
• Dogs were used as draught animals to pull
small carts for farms, peddlers, or
travellers (milk, fish, rags & bones, meat,
bread, and other products), to deliver mail,
and to pull carts carrying people for
transportation or entertainment.
• They were used in World War I to pull small
field guns. Dogs in harness sometimes had
A photochrom from the late 19th century showing two peddlers selling milk
guard dogs to protect them from stray dogs. from a dogcart near Brussels, Belgium
