Dogs are more than just pets. Canines are intelligent animals that work alongside people in the workplace.
To find out more about the benefits of working with dogs, we’ve spoken to Lynne Fisher, Marketing and Sales Support Manager at Cliverton, a leading provider of animal business insurance.
“Dogs have been an integral part of our society for thousands of years. A selection of our four-legged friends can also be trained as working dogs, from Labrador Retrievers to Cocker Spaniels and German Shepherds. These breeds have excellent instincts, an acute sense of smell, and enjoy being active in the professional field.
“Here at Cliverton, we understand the important role dogs play in our personal and professional lives. Our security insurance provides a number of covers from public liability to wrongful arrest, enabling professionals within the security industry to confidently work alongside dogs in a variety of environments.”
To celebrate dogs for their ruff-ing good jobs, Cliverton have collated a list of the hard-working dog breeds. Which do you think will make the cut?
Police dogs – German Shepherds
Dogs are invaluable to the police service. Once trained, police dogs use their impressive senses to help find vulnerable people and active criminals. This breed has all of the necessary character traits to succeed in the forces, from an outstanding work ethic to intelligence.
In Devon and Cornwall, the police department has started training three German Shepherd puppies. To become the next Sherlock Bones, brothers Baxter, Rex, and Jax will attend a specialised developmental programme. They may be small and fluffy now, but in time they will grow up to be the perfect police dogs.
Security dogs – Rottweilers
German Shepherds may be the ideal police dog, but what about Rottweilers? Also previously known in German as a Rottweiler Metzgerhund, these dogs share multiple characteristics with their popular cousins. This breed is all about endurance, intelligence, and strength. This means they make great security dogs.
Security dogs are useful for a number of reasons. First of all, Rottweilers can be used as a means of home security. They are also utilised for professional use. A business might organise an event, for example, and seek multiple security options, such as dogs and personnel.
Service dogs – Labrador Retriever
Service dogs can be trained to help with a number of medical scenarios, from identifying seizures to improving mobility and guiding those with visual impairments. Assistance Dogs UK, a company that oversees the training of service dogs, has coupled over 7,000 dogs with their humans. On average, however, only 50 to 60 per cent of all service dogs actually complete their training.
So which breed is most likely to pass with flying colours and be the best service dog? The answer is simple: Labrador Retrievers. These dogs will go above and beyond to impress and please their owners, and they are also a very intelligent breed. This means that Labrador Retrievers are easy to train and eager to become the perfect service dog.
Hunting dogs – Springer Spaniels
Spaniels are rooted in history as the ideal hunting companions. The tradition of hunting with Spaniels dates back to the 19th century when the Duke of Norfolk began breeding ‘Norfolk Spaniels’. Even today, this breed of dog is used while hunting in the wild, whether this is for environmental purposes or sport.
Springer Spaniels are country dogs. They are full of energy and always ready to spring across a field. This, combined with their incredible sense of smell and intelligence, amounts to the Springer Spaniel being an ideal hunting dog. A day full of exercise and honest work is perfect for this breed.
These are just a handful of the many hard-working dogs out there. Border Collies, for example, are the perfect farm dogs, herding sheep like professional pups. Which dogs do you think will benefit your business?
