Belgian Shepherd makes Time List of 100 Most Influential Animals in 2016

 

Diesel the dog
Photo from: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/diesel-dog-gets-bravery-award-7080999

Diesel was a Belgian Shepherd that was employed by the French police. During a search Diesel ran into an apartment of a Paris bombing suspect. Diesel sustained multiple gunshot wounds from the suspect before passing away. His sacrifice saved the lives of all of his fellow police officers. He was rewarded the Dickin Medal and will be remembered in the hearts and minds of people everywhere.

 

Diesel is not the only brave dog that put his life on the line for the public. K-9 units are used all over the world and do everything from search and rescue to explosive detection. While many breeds of dogs are used in k-9 units, they can be hand picked for certain purposes. Here are a few breeds that are employed on the force today and their jobs.

 

Bloodhound

 

Bloodhounds are wonderful, calm guard dogs that also have an impeccable sense of smell. They are often used in bomb and drug detection but are more commonly known for finding missing persons, suspects, and cadavers. These pups are cool, calm, and collected under pressure but are unbelievably determined to find the source of the scent. If you adopt a bloodhound, understand that their snoot has a mind of its own!

 

Belgian Malinois

 

These pups are a great attack and guard dog and are used all over the world in airports, government buildings, and on patrol. They are most used to chase down perpetrators and track suspects. These dogs replaced German Shepherds on many k-9 units because they will respond to commands, positive or negative, and have been known to withstand longer shifts. While they may be

mean and menacing on the job they are wonderful family dogs that will fiercely protect their pack and will snuggle up with you at the end of the day.

 

German Shepherd

 

This dog is the stereotypical “police dog” we have seen in film and television. It is most known for catching bag guys and sniffing out drugs on airports. This pup is, however, much more than what the movies portray. They are fiercely loyal dogs that will do anything for their coworkers and are constantly focused on the task at hand. At home they are sweet, loving companions and are always happy to sit by your side while you read or accept belly rubs while watching TV.

 

All dogs on K-9 units deserve our respect and our appreciation. Be sure not to pet a police dog while he or she is working and try to always be respectful of the police that are working with their fuzzy coworkers.

 

 

Source: http://time.com/4301509/most-influential-animals/