When you hear the word “hero” you often times don’t associate that word with a dog. Hero’s have super powers or can be the average Joe. A hero can be a police officer, fireman, or solider. Teachers and people in our community can be heroes. See how much we forget about what our canines can do for us? During the rescue effort following the terrorist attacks at the Pentagon and the World Trade Centers service dogs who could detect human remains, bombs, drugs, chemicals, and explosives were in high demand!
What is so special about service detection dogs, you ask? Well for one all dogs are born with the gift of smell. Their ability to smell things we cannot and the ability to trace some scents to their origins makes the dog a great tool in service detection and Search and Rescues(SAR). While all dogs may not be suited for this kind of labor(minis, toys, and small breeds would become overwhelmed and do not have the stamina), but dog breeds like Labrador Retrievers are excellent and thrive at being a service dog.
Labrador Retrieves by nature and instinct are great hunters and great at retrieving their prey. They are also physically adapted for the rigorous jobs that being a service detection dog or SAR dog entails. In the past, working breeds such as the Belgian Malinois and, more commonly, the German Shepherd, took over these types of roles. But today, the Labrador Retriever is gaining huge popularity as the breed of choice for these demanding and potentially dangerous situations.
What makes the Labrador Retriever so fit for this kind of work? Being a natural hunter, the Golden Retriever when his human hunter has fell some sort of fowl or animal, the Retriever’s job is to hunt for the scent that ultimatly leads him or her to the prey so they can return it to their hunting owners. This is why the Lab is such a great dog for service work. The Labrador Retriever is also unique in the sense that when it is on the trail of a certain scent it has the special ability to tune out or block other scents so it’s focus is just on the one scent. These dogs are highly intelligent, they train easy, and physically they have the body strength and stamina to withstand many rugged conditions. You may be interested in some really nice dog accessories. You can pick up some that are great such as cheap dog clothes and some nice dog crate cover so your dog can sleep well.
Because of many breeds of dogs are unique in their “nose” abilities the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs, and the Auburn University’s Canine Detection Training Center have all initiated detection-dog breeding programs that are 100% exclusive to the Labrador Retriever.