Service Dog Extraordinaire

A service dog is a type of assistance dog specifically trained to help people who have physical and/or mental disabilities. Some dogs are even trained to help with medical conditions.

Any breed or mixture of breeds of dog might produce one capable of service work, though few dogs have all of the health and temperament qualities needed.

With that in mind I thought my dog, Ebony, who is well-behaved, sensitive, and smart would make a great service dog.

So she is now in training!

State's Official Dog

An Oregon sheep rancher successfully lobbied state legislators to introduce a bill to designate the Border Collie as the state's official dog. It was introduced last winter and if passes, it will be signed into law.

Dogs have long played a part in our daily lives, and some have played a part in history. Wanting to honor the Border Collies' role in Oregon's agricultural history, the breed may soon become Oregon's Official Dog.

Several states have honored canines by designated them as the official state dog.

Maryland was first in the state dog tradition in 1964 by naming its native breed, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, their official state dog. More recently, the Alaskan Malamute, the largest and oldest of the Arctic breeds, got its designation after an Anchorage kindergartner inspired a group of kids to lobby Alaska's state legislature. In 2009, the rare Chinook became the state dog of New Hampshire after a successful campaign started by a dog-loving science teacher and some enthusiastic students who got a civics lesson, too.

The honored breed often has a longstanding relationship with state residents and represents a part of the state's history. For example, Chinooks were bred by sled-dog driver and explorer Arthur Walden in the early 1900's.

Nine other breeds have been declared official state dogs:

The Catahoula Leopard Dog (Louisiana, 1979) is bred to handle cattle and hogs and has a reputation for size and strength. American settlers in the South developed this spotted breed.

The Boston Terrier (Massachusetts, 1979), bred from crossing Bulldogs and English terriers, was developed after the Civil War in Boston as a strong, smart fighting dog.

The Plott Hound (North Carolina, 1989) gets its name from the German immigrant who settled in North Carolina in 1750 with five Hanoverian Hounds. Plott bred dogs for hunting boar and bear.

The Great Dane (Pennsylvania, 1965) developed in Germany as a hunting and guard dog was widely used as a working dog during Pennsylvania's frontier days.

The Boykin Spaniel (South Carolina, 1985) is a hard-working bird dog which began with a stray dog who had a knack for retrieving waterfowl.

The Blue Lacy (Texas, 2005) was thought to have resulted from a cross between a coyote and a Greyhound, and was developed in Texas in the mid-1800s.

President George Washington bred the American Foxhound (Virginia, 1966) in the 1700s. Today, the breed participates in competitive field trails and fox hunting.

The American Water Spaniel (Wisconsin, 1985), bred to retrieve from boats, was developed in the Great Lakes region of the United States in the mid 1800s.

Rescue Dog Check List

Considering adopting a rescue dog?

Here are some tips from rescue experts for the best chance at a successful forever adoption:

1. Do not look at this a saving a dog, so much as looking for a lifelong pet. The rescues main concern should be to fit the dog to the family.

2. Find out whether the organization is a registered 501(c)(3)non-profit. If it handles any volume of dogs, it should be.

3. Call your local humane society to see it it is familiar with the rescue.

4. If you want a particular breed, contact the local breed club or go through the American Kennel Club national breed club's rescue coordinator or network.

5. The dog should be spayed or neutered and receive appropriate vaccinations before you take him/her home. Many rescued dogs also have microchips for easier identification.

6. If the rescue does not ask you plenty of questions, move on to another organization. They want to put each dog into a home for the rest of his/her life.

7. Your adopted dog should come with a written contract that says if for any reason you cannot keep him/her, you will return the dog to the rescue. Also, the rescue should offer a written record of where the dog came from, why it was surrendered, and any known health or behavior problems.

8. It is best if the dog you want to adopt has been in a foster home. The foster family has a chance to find out the dog's temperament and training level, and to identify any behavioral issues. This is not always possible.

9. Ask for references from people who have adopted from the rescue, then check them. If the organization will not put any of its previous adopters in touch with you, move on.

10. Take a good look at the dog to see if he/she is healthy and social.

Remember, it is worth all the work to have the right dog as a new member of your family.