Exploring the Service and Safety Animals

Industry

Lesson 13

Next Generation Science/Common Core Standards Addressed!

• HS‐LS2‐8. Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on: (1) distinguishing between group and individual behavior, (2) identifying evidence supporting the outcomes of group behavior, and (3) developing logical and reasonable arguments based on evidence. Examples of group behaviors could include flocking, schooling, herding, and cooperative behaviors such as hunting, migrating, and swarming.]

Bell Work!

• Describe service and safety animals.• Discuss how dogs are used as service

and safety animals.• Discuss how donkeys are used as service

and safety animals.• Discuss how llamas are used as service

and safety animals.• Discuss how geese are used as service

and safety animals.

Terms

• Goslings• Guard dogs• Handler• Jack• Jenny

• Multipurpose dogs• Safety animal• Service animal• Single-purpose dogs

Interest Approach

• Invite your local law enforcement officials in to talk about their K-9 unit. Have them talk about how the animal is trained, what it is fed, how many hours per week it works, and any other questions students may have.

Describe service and safety animals.

Objective #1

What are service and safety animals?

• Service animals– any animal that gives assistance in some way

• Safety animals– an animal that protects humans and their property

• Both types of animals are very important to humans.

• The kind of animal depends on the job and their natural instincts and ability to be trained.

• This type of animal is a minute part of the industry but they are extremely important.

What are service and safety animals?

• animals must go through extensive training

• some are used to protect humans but others are used to protect other animals

• programs designed to assist in training

• 4-H has a program with specific guidelines

• help humans do things they cannot do

Discuss how dogs are used as service and safety animals.

Objective #2

How are dogs used as service and safety animals?

• dogs are fairly easy to train for a variety of tasks

• service tasks– K-9 units

• safety– warn against intruders

How are dogs used as service and safety animals?

• Guard Dogs– dogs used to protect

property– trained to bark, bite, or

attack the intruder– sometimes just the

presence of a dog deters animal predators and human intruders

• Common breeds used as guard dogs– Akbash– Pyrenees– Komondor– Maremma Sheepdog– Border Collies

Training the Dogs

• requires excellent management skills• handler and dog must work together• handler

– person who works with the dog must be firm, gentle and patient

• Dogs trained for single or multi purpose– single-purpose dogs

• trained for only one activity

– multipurpose dogs• trained for more than one activity

Training Dogs

• obtain puppies so you can begin to train at early age an early age

• patience is the best tool when training

• 25% of dogs trained are unsuccessful

• monitor your dog for bad behaviors from the start

• Guard dog behaviors– attentive to flock– protective against

predators– trusted not to injure

the stock it is protecting

Care for the Dog

• Feeding– feed dog to maintain

health– clean water should

always be available

• Medical treatment– vaccinations– other health care

practices

• Grooming

Discuss how donkeys are used as service and safety animals.

Objective #3

How are donkeys used as service animals?

• guard other animals like sheep because of their natural dislike of dogs

• guarding is a part of their temperament

• Jack– male donkey

• Jenny– female donkey

Mules can also be tough!

How are donkeys used as service animals?

• training donkey for security- make sure donkey gets along with animals they will be protecting

• donkeys graze on the same things as sheep/goats so they are easy to feed

• donkeys do not require much veterinary care

• similar to horses for treatment

Discuss how llamas are used as service and safety animals.

Objective #4

How are llamas used as service and safety animals?

• used as pack animals for many years

• recently being used as guard animals

• easy to train because of natural instincts to protect and become aggressive

• do not scare easily• become aggressive by

chasing, kicking, pawing , and sometimes killing predators

How are llamas used as service and safety animals?

• bond with sheep quickly

• almost never have social conflicts with sheep

• feeding is easy since they eat the same things

• feed with sheep to create bond

• Llamas do not have many health concerns

• heat stress is the largest concern

• they live up to 20 years or more

Discuss how geese are used as service and safety animals.

Objective #5

How are geese used as service and safety animals?

• used like dogs to warn humans against intruders

• can be very mean and aggressive

• use their wings to beat a person repeatedly

• very vocal

How are geese used as service and safety animals?

• Training– start with goslings

• baby geese of either sex

– main training issue is to let them know their boundaries

• Feeding– provide plenty of fresh

water– need a high protein

diet– special feeds

• Health – easy to keep healthy if

fed a balanced diet– heat stress is the only

problem to keep in mind

Review

• What are service and safety animals?

• How are dogs used for service and safety?

• How are donkeys used as service animals?

• How are llamas used as service animals?

• How are geese used as service and safety animals?

The End!