Dogs are wonderful creatures, which is why almost half of the American population owns at least one canine. Ask most dog owners, and they will have a tale of their dog’s amazing or noble deeds. Dogs give back so much, whether you are fostering dogs, deciding to adopt one, or have already settled on a companion for life. We salute a few of our canine friends who have achieved some ‘pawsome’ and incredible acts for the first time.
Champions of champions
Dogs have exceeded every human expectation of what they’re capable of physically. No physical feat seems too daunting for our canine companions. Plenty of dogs have performed unimaginable feats of strength and courage, whether it’s overcoming adversity to scaling Mount Everest or trailblazing across the North Pole. Likewise, some dogs are just cut out for setting records. For example, Jiff the Pomeranian may be tiny, but you might struggle to catch him. Jiff owns the Guinness World record for walking on two paws- he is the first fastest pooch over 10 meters.
Saving lives, one woof at a time
Our relationship with dogs has existed for millennia. Most likely, dogs have been helping humans out of tricky predicaments for a similar span of time. But it’s only been recently that we’ve come to understand a dog’s capacity to help humans medically, and detect modern diseases. In 2003, probably one of the most important ‘dog firsts’ occurred. Researchers discovered that dogs were capable of detecting cancer in humans through sniffing. Such techniques have gone from strength to strength since then, with dogs more widely being used for cancer detection due to their super sniffing powers.
Larking around
If asked, dogs would do anything to save their beloved owners. They’d also do anything to make their owners laugh. Renown for their work ethic, It’s no surprise that it’s a Border Collie called Sweat Pea, is probably the first mutt to walk 100 meters with a can balanced on its nose! At the other end of the scale are the firsts which still require some skill, but mainly a really big mouth. A Golden Retriever called Augie, earned himself the honor of being the first dog to fit five regulation-sized tennis balls in his mouth at the same time. What will dogs surprise us with next? The first talking dog? Nothing it seems is out of the realms of possibility for our canine friends.
Article by: Jane Anderson, a freelance writer, editor and dog owner
Photo by Ryan Walton on Unsplash