2. «
A working dog is a working animal, i.e.,
a type of dog that is not merely a pet but learns
and performs tasks to assist and/or entertain its
human companions, or a breed of such origin.
6. The Story of a Military Dog,Layka
3-Legged Military Dog Skydives to Test Canine Combat Vest
Layka, a Belgian Malinois, was on the cover of National Geographic
magazine.
National Geographic
PUBLISHED JUNE 12, 2014
Layka, a military service dog wounded in Afghanistan andfeatured on the
June cover of National Geographicmagazine, has a new career: free-fall
equipment tester. The Belgian Malinois was recently selected to test a
specially designed canine combat vest, and her skydive was captured in
the above video.
7. The role of dogs in the U.S. military has been evolving since World War I. They have been used
extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq to protect troops by leading patrols and sniffing out explosives.
Different vests have been used over the years to help protect the dogs during combat, but handlers
found that some of the heavier vests caused the dogs to overheat.
In recent years, the company Hardpoint Technologies, working with the special operations community,
has been working on a vest designed to improve a military dog's performance and safety. Hardpoint
developed a lightweight, multipurpose canine work vest that can be used across a range of military
missions, from patrol to detection.
Layka tested the vest in a parachute jump last month. The vest is equipped with convenient straps and
handles so that troops can easily carry a dog or even "wear" it as a backpack. It also has multiple
access points to attach leashes, and pockets that can carry ice packs to help cool the dogs in hot
climates. The vest also serves as a harness for tandem parachute jumps with a handler.
8. While in Afghanistan, Layka was shot by enemy forces during a search
operation. But she managed to attack the shooter and protect her
handler, Staff Sgt. Julian McDonald, who later adopted her. The dog had
to have a limb amputated and is now retired from military service.
The All Veteran Group, a team of combat veterans who apply their military
skills to the civilian world, organized Layka's jump. Group president and
founder Mike Elliott, who has also accompanied former President George
H. W. Bush on tandem jumps, accompanied Layka and Sergeant
McDonald on their jump. (On Thursday morning, Elliott made another
tandem jump with President Bush in honor of his 90th birthday.)
9. "I was truly impressed with Layka," Elliott says. "She was very calm, very
disciplined." When the airplane doors opened, Layka got a little fidgety, he
said, which is typical of both people and dogs. But once in the air
skydiving, she was calm.
To learn more about war dogs and their role in military operations, read
National Geographic magazine's June cover story "The Dogs of War"and
our online coverage, including "War Dog Helps Family Cope" and aseries
of historical war dog stories.
10. Siberian Husky the "Snow Dog"
Huskies are very active and
energetic.That’s why,they were
used to pull heavy loads long
distances through difficult
conditions in the past.Also, In
Alaska and Canada,people used
them as sled dogs but nowadays
they have the status of family pets
and show dogs.
11. Dog sledding in the untouched snowy landscapes is
an adventure uniting lovers of dogs and nature.
Here is a video of excited sled dogs.
http://youtu.be/Qv4I_MDX7ws
12. Heroic Military Dogs
Here is a video about military dogs
http://youtu.be/gSa5KZtb5To
13. Therapy Dogs
A therapy dog is a dog trained to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals,retirement
homes, nursing homes, schools, disaster areas, and to people with learning difficulties.
Golden Retrievers are often used as therapy dogs due to their calm demeanor, gentle disposition, and
friendliness to strangers.
14. The First Therapy Dog,SMOKY
During World War II, Corporal William Wynne found an adult,
female Yorkshire Terrierabandoned on the battlefield; he named the
dog Smoky. Smoky began as a therapy dog when Wynne was hospitalized
for a jungle disease. As Wynne recovered, his friends brought Smoky to the
hospital to cheer the soldier up. Smoky immediately became popular with
the other wounded soldiers. The commanding officer, Dr. Charles Mayo (of
the Mayo Clinic), allowed Smoky to go on ward rounds and also to sleep
with Wynne on his hospital bed. Smoky’s use as a therapy dog continued
for 12 years, during and after World War
15. The systematic use of therapy dogs is attributed to Elaine Smith[citation needed],
who worked as a registered nurse. Smith noticed how well patients
responded to visits by a chaplain and his Golden Retriever. In 1976, Smith
started a program for training dogs to visit institutions. Other health care
professionals noticed the therapeutic effect of animal companionship,
such as relieving stress, lowering blood pressure, and raising mood, and the
demand for therapy dogs continued to grow. In recent years, therapy
dogs have been enlisted to help children overcome speech and
emotional disorders.
16. In 1982, Nancy Stanley founded Tender Loving Zoo (TLZ), a non-profit organization that
introduced animal therapy to severely disabled children and convalescent hospitals for
the elderly. She got the idea while working at the Los Angeles Zoo, where she noticed
how disabled visitors responded eagerly to animals. She researched the beneficial effects
that animals can have on patients and then began taking her pet miniature poodle,
Freeway, to the Revere Developmental Center for the severely disabled.[citation needed]
Inspired by the response of the patients and the encouragement of the staff, she bought
a van, recruited helpers and persuaded a pet store to lend baby animals. Soon requests
for TLZ visits were coming from schools, hospitals and convalescent homes throughout the
county. Partly as a result of Stanley's work, the concept of dog-therapy has broadened to
"animal-assisted therapy" or "pet therapy", including many other species, such as therapy
cats, therapy rabbits and therapy birds.[1]
Benefits[edit]
17. Research indicates that interaction with therapy dogs can temporarily
affect the release of various neurotransmitters in the brain; levels
of oxytocin (linked with bonding) and dopamine(involved in the reward-motivation
system) are increased, while cortisol levels (an
immunosuppressant associated with stress) are decreased.[2]
One example of the use of therapy dogs is the building of self-confidence.
Many children have difficulties reading. As a result, they can develop low
self-esteem when reading in public. By reading to a dog, children relax
and focus on the dog and 'the reading', therefore building self-confidence.[
citation needed]
18. If you need information about TDI(Therapy Dogs International),you
can copy and paste the following website.
http://www.tdi-dog.org/OurPrograms.aspx?Page=Hospitals+(Children%27s)
Some hospitals such as Phoenix Children's Hospital's provides an Animal-Assisted Therapy Program
to patients and their families for therapeutic purposes
. http://youtu.be/VgXYFnwguj8 (6.41 mins)
19. Speaking Activity
Questions
1.Do you like dogs?Why?/Why not?
2.Are dogs really man’s best friend?
3.What kind of dogs do you like and dislike?
4.Do you think dogs are the best kind of pet?
5.Do you think dogs have a ood life?
6.Are you afraid of dogs?If so,why?/If not,do you know anyone who
is afraid of dogs?Why do you think he/she is afraid of dogs?
20. Questions
What do you think of dogs that bark non-stop?
Do you think people spend too much money on dogs?
In what ways are dogs helpful to humans?
Are there many abandoned dogs in your town?
What do you think of the abandoned dogs?
Do you believe in the excuses of people who abandon their pet
dogs?
What do you think about the concept of dog-therapy?
21. Do you know any other kind of pets that can
assist therapy?If you do,
Please tell as how they are used as therapy
pets?