Facts about Dogs in the Workforce

 

 

That furry creature sleeping peacefully at your feet at the end of the day truly is man’s best friend; but did you know that there are facts about dogs actively participating in the workforce?   How did man’s best friend become a viable working member of the community? 

To understand how the dog has become such an important stronghold in different occupations, it should first be understood how they were able to get to this point.  Like man himself, the dog has had to develop over time.  While the ever faithful dog has been around for centuries, it actually evolved from a mammal that had many characteristics resembling a weasel; extremely agile, short legged, five toed, long slender bodies and tails as well as the low skulls associated with weasels.  This small prehistoric critter was called a Miacis; existing around 40 million years ago by living in a tree and feasting upon smaller animals in the forests.   

Over the years, the animal we now know as the dog gradually took form.  It is likely that its ancestral roots developed from the Miacis to the grey wolf to the dog, with the animal becoming less and less feral over time until man discovered the dog’s ability to become domesticated around 15,000 years ago.  It is believed that perhaps the Neolithic man was the first to recognize the animal had potential in daily use and enjoyment.  Certain traits that were inherent in these early dogs were found to be desirable by humans, and specific breeding began to enhance those traits.  Emerging from a handful of original breeds, the canine family has grown to now consist of over 170 dog breeds that are recognized by the AKS, and countless others that are not.  Some of the traits displayed by the breeds have led to the dog being used for some very important means.

The dog has become a valuable member of many families around the world.  Known to be an intelligent creature, many breeds of dogs have become quite talented in a variety of occupations besides being just a pet, however.  Professional pooches have long been lauded for the hard work they put into their specialty fields with no reward other than a good meal and a few pats on the head.  Many people don’t even realize these facts about dogs in the workplace, or realize the valuable service they provide.   Drug sniffing dogs, bomb sniffing dogs and seeing eye dogs are all well known professions for canines; here are a few others that may receive fewer accolades but are just as deserving of our praise.

Beagle Brigade.       The United States Department of Agriculture has a division called APHIS, which is the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services.  It is the responsibility of APHIS to detect substances coming into the country that are forbidden; items such as fruits and meat.  Such items might be carried in the luggage of visitors or tourists that are arriving at airports from points overseas, and are not visibly noticeable by APHIS personnel.  They are, however, able to be sensed by smell; not from the USDA employees, but by cute, adorable beagles. 

Present at each and every major border crossing in the United States as well as at international airports, the team of canines called the Beagle Brigade assist their human counterparts by sniffing the luggage, vehicles and freight that individuals are carrying into the United States.  The beagles are looking for food items that may be harboring foreign insects that could endanger the native vegetation in the US, or that may contain potential for diseases that could threaten crops. 

Like many breeds, beagles have an exceptionally keen sense of smell.  A natural stubborn streak also accompanies the traits of this dog, which could lead to a difficulty in training.  However, the beagle is also a dog with a huge appetite; a handy feature that makes training a snap for them.  This breed was chosen specifically for the amiability of the beagle; people love their friendly disposition and their small size proves to not be intimidating to travelers.  The dogs are trained to discern around 50 different scents; upon detecting one of the scents, the beagle will simply sit calmly next to the offending item until its human partner arrives to check it out visually.

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