Let's Celebrate Our Canine Co-Workers This Labor Day!

Each year on Labor Day, we've saluted not only the hard working woman and men of our country, but their canine companions, too, because we dogs work to protect our humans and their property every day of our lives. And then there are what we call the professional working dogs, like the heroic search and rescue, drug detection, service and therapy dogs and...well, you name it, and your canine companions do the work. We even win prizes for you in agility competitions!

We though we'd share a few photos of some very brave working dogs, or dogs working...or maybe just  dogs working to have fun with you!

As so many of us enjoy our day off from our labors, we urge you to take a moment to salute all of the many workers who enrich our lives just by doing their jobs. And perhaps give a nod to the physical laborer-someone who works with their hands and the sweat of their brows to bring us the food on our table, the machines we use daily to make our lives easier, among so many other products and services that we often take for granted. A happy, healthy and safe Labor Day to all!

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Military Dogs Now Officially Dubbed PTSD Sufferers

Photo of retired military dog, Cora, and Marine Cpl., Drew Daniel Adams, by Tony Perry, courtesy of the LA Times.

Although we've previously written about military dogs and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the information in this recent article in The LA Times gives new information: A working group of dog trainers and other specialists at the dog training facility at Lackland Air Force Base has officially labeled traumatized military working dogs who have served in combat areas as having PTSD. They agreed to this designation without the "lengthy professional vetting" that is required for a medical designation because "a delay could endanger those who depend on the dogs." Namely, combat troops.

According to the article, when Cora, the retired Belgian Malinois, pictured above, initially retired from active military duty and returned to the U.S. two years ago, "...there was not a term for the condition that had undercut her combat effectiveness and shattered her nerves. Now there is: canine post traumatic stress disorder." And veterinarians and military dog handlers agree that "dogs, like humans, can require treatment for PTSD", including conditioning, retraining and anti-anxiety medication. And we particularly love this assessment: "Some dogs, like 5 year-old Cora, just need to be treated as honored combat veterans and allowed to lead less stressful lives."

Sometimes these canine war veterans can be retrained for other types of work with the military or law enforcement, and others are simply retired and adopted as family pets. But today's treatment of military dogs is a far cry from the disposal of canines during the Vietnam War when the military simply left behind hundreds of working dogs, labeling them "excess equipment." We've come a long way, baby.

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