Where would we be without dogs-Dogs as special members of modern 21st century society.? I am not a dog owner but it is easy to see the special role played by dogs in 21 st  century society if you take time out and think about it. As a non-dog owner, the first though that goes through my mind is “How many dogs are there in the world?” Estimating the global dog population is fraught with difficulty, due to strays, feral and wild dogs in addition to other problems associated with counting “man’s best friend”. However, some “experts” believe that the figure could be as high as 1 billion, whilst others put the figure at between 200 – 500 million. Whatever the number there are a lot of dogs out there, including feral, companion and working dogs. Around the world, dogs are seen differently by different societies. For some dogs are seen as been unclean through religious belief, others see dogs as a source of food, whilst others see them as a pest to society being perceived as contributing to global warming, vectors for disease and a threat to sustainability of earth’s resources. However, for many humans dogs also play many positive roles in society around planet Earth and these are summarised below: - Companion animals – cats and dogs kept as companion animals and providers of social support. Assistance animals – specially trained dogs that provide support to the disabled and the blind Special sections of society – dogs are being recognised for the special roles they can play in development of children with autism-spectrum disorders and war veterans with “post-traumatic stress disorder” Working dogs – The Working Dog Centre at Massey University in New Zealand defines a working dog as “a dog that performs tasks to assist its human companions”. Here dogs benefit society in many ways by playing key roles for example: - o Security dogs – military and police o Farm dogs – for example herding animals like sheep o Detection dogs – “sniffer” dogs used as rescue dogs, detection of narcotics, explosives and even early detection of disease. o Conservation dogs – estimating the population of some species of wild animals is difficult, for example water voles living on inaccessible parts of river banks and islands. Dogs are now being trained to assist with this by being able to recognise the smell of water vole faeces and then identify inaccessible areas where nests might exist to allow mapping and future monitoring. Max or Bella as companion animals and more I know I have possibly upset some people by referring to dogs as “man’s best friend” which is possibly true in some societies where “man” likes to take the dog for a walk to his local bar / pub as an excuse to drink a beer. However, I am about to talk about the special bond that exists between “man and dog”. So, let’s clear the air before going any further and avoid that half of the population get angrier with me. I am not being sexist in my use of the word “man” and I use this to refer to “man” in the wider general context of mankind. Many people know about the special bond that exists between “man and dog”. Although there is a chance that you are reading this as a cat owner, it is more likely that you own a dog. On this basis, many of you will be well aware of just how special a dog is. On a non-scientific level, dog owners will talk passionately about how dogs are loyal, keep their owners happy and healthy, give them a sense of belonging (pet parent) and helping with their self-esteem where they feel more confident to face life’s challenges and less fearful of crime when they own a dog. To hear personal testimony to the benefits of dog ownership on mental health, please read my colleague Marielle Petterson’s article on this website Look after your dog and they will look after you! Moving away from our own personal feelings, it is well known amongst psychologists that social support is critical for both our mental and physical wellbeing. This support originates from many areas for example professional health workers, like doctors and nurses and it also originates from within our own family. However, let’s think about families where there are no children or where a spouse has suffered bereavement of their loved one. In these scenarios, the family pet, be it a cat or a dog can play a critical role in providing social support within the family unit, a fact borne out by scientific study. The importance of dogs in society is also being more greatly understood at a professional level. We see this through greater funding for research both in the petfood industry, for example the Mars WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition and in academia, for example Society for Companion Animal Studies in the UK and the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University in the US. Some might perceive the global pet food corporations as only being in the business to make money from the sales of commercially prepared dog food. Of course, this is true and it is foolish to think business does not exist to make money. However, the “big” boys of the petfood industry also invest a lot to help us better understand the importance of pets in society and the animal-human interactions. I am sure the cynics amongst us will say that this is only a mechanism to further increase their profits. I would be lying if I didn’t think this might be the case and this could well be one of the spin-offs from the money invested in researching the “animal-human bond”. As the importance of understanding the role of animals in society has grown over the past 30 years or so, this has given rise to the science of Anthrozoology or “Human-Animal Interactions” (HAI). Although this considers interactions in its widest context, including wildlife and laboratory animals it also includes the “human-companion animal bond” and a more general “human-animal bond”. Whilst other benefits might arise from HAI research, for example on animal welfare, one aim is to better understand the positive effects on the health of both humans and animals through a better understanding of their interactions. In a society facing growing pressures on medical services, HAI might help us identity novel approaches towards health management in the future. Sadly, some people see dogs differently either for them to physically abuse or as mechanisms for supporting gambling through dog- fighting. These are key issues for society to challenge, influence and change minds. Whether you are a dog owners or not, take time out and think about the key roles Max and Bella play in society about a society without dogs. Where would senior citizens be without their pet dog? Where would farmers be without sheepdogs? Where would blind people be without guide dogs? Where would national security be without detection(“sniffer”) dogs?  

Petfoodschool contact us at: office@petfoodschool.com