Domestic dogs have an array of hyperdeveloped senses. Thanks to their coevolution and long bond with humans, dogs can work with us and let us enjoy their fabulous physical abilities. For them, this work is a fulfilling task because they love to please their master and make the most of their mental faculties in exchange for a greedy reward and a caress. Working with dogs is also very rewarding from our point of view; This association is found in a lot of professions that we simply could not do as well without them. Here are two roles that our canine companions hold beautifully, and fantastic powers that allow them to do their job so well.

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Rescue dogs

Dogs are good at rescue thanks to their extraordinary olfactory abilities. In hard-to-reach places for humans, the agility, energy, stamina and smell of dogs make it possible to search a large area in the shortest amount of time.

Rescue dogs and their trainers are often deployed when people go missing or as a result of natural disasters to help find people who may be in danger. The dog and handler work as a team. Different dogs are trained to look for different things: the smell of a living person (when people are buried under debris, after an earthquake for example), follow tracks, follow a very particular smell, such as that of a garment belonging to a missing person, in order to locate him.

Medical dogs

There are two main types of medical dogs: medical alert dogs and biological detection dogs. Alert dogs live with their master and spend every moment with him. Thanks to their excellent sense of smell, they are able to detect the slightest physiological changes, as certain odors are released before a medical emergency. These dogs work with people suffering from diseases such as type 2 diabetes or with severe allergies, and alert their owners if they detect an abnormal change. The master can then get to safety or take the necessary medication.

Biosensing dogs can be trained to recognize odors that humans give off when they develop specific diseases such as certain cancers or malaria, as particles associated with these pathologies are released into the breath and urine. Dogs can smell these molecules and alert doctors for further testing.

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