From hero, to K9, to herder, to entertainer, dogs have had an
astonishing range of professions since they first joined forces
with our ancient ancestors as hunters and guards.
In Working Dogs, author Carrie Owens introduces 39 hard working dogs who perform both traditional and nontraditional canine duties.
One of the most intriguing is the story of Saint Guinefort, a greyhound in medieval France who killed a deadly snake to protect his master's infant. Mistaking the snake's blood on Guinefort's mouth for the blood of his child, the master killed his loyal dog in a rage. As the infant cried out, he realized his tragic error. In his grief, he threw the dog's body in a well and planted a grove of trees around it to honor the brave greyhound. Local peasants and villagers, when they learned the story, began making pilgrimages to the grove to pray to Saint Guinefort.
Despite the best efforts of the Inquisition to eradicate the cult of Saint Guinefort, people continued to visit the grove up to 1940, praying for the protection of their children. In 1987,.a movie was even made about the dog and his cult.
Other portraits in the book include dogs performing as hunter, herder, guide dog, mine and drug detectors, earthquake predictor, Frisbee disc dog, junkyard dog, rodeo clown, performance artist, show dog, actor, dancer, and much more. Certainly one of the most unusual professions is insect detector. Arrow Pest Service in Florida employs two talented bug detecting beagles, Sherlock and Scout, who are certified pest controllers. The dogs sniff out termites, charging $200 per house inspection, then go home to a typical house pet's life with their owner and employer, Terry Glover.
Chug, an amiable and suave black lab, had a beer named after him - Black Dog Beer - and spends a good bit of his days accompanying Spanish Peaks publicity director, Vickie Andreassi, on sales calls and publicity events. Despite his status as beer icon, Chug remains a down-to-earth, calm, sweet-tempered working dog.
Dr. Buddha, a loving little pug, is a professional miracle work of sorts. On her regular visits to Ronald McDonald House and shelters for abused children, she brings cheer, comfort, and laughter to the lives of kids who have little to smile about. In one physical therapy session, Dr. Buddha inspired one child in a wheelchair to take his first steps when he wanted to take yer for a walk. Intensely serious about her therapeutic responsibilities, Dr. Buddha isn't above clowning it up on the playground equipment just to entertain her human charges.
A delightful tribute to professional canines of every breed and all walks of life, Working Dogs is filled with loving tales of our devoted canine companions who work not only for food, but for the praise and affection of their humans.
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