Assistance Dogs are bred to help individuals with physical disabilities or vision impairments. They are trained to become an extension of someone in need, assisting them with all aspects of their day-to-day routines. Training and nutrition are two key elements in preparing a dog for its service role.

Dedicated to providing the most nutritious food for their dogs, the Mira Foundation exclusively feeds all its dogs Eukanuba, formulated with DHA, proven to make puppies more trainable. Assistance dogs go through a pairing process where they are matched with a recipient based on lifestyle, personality and needs. The dog's main job requirement is to help the individual carry out his/her regular daily activities.

Police dogs are trained to specifically assist police and law-enforcement personnel with their work. These working dogs are often referred to as K9s. A traditional role for a police dog is to enforce public order, such as chasing and holding individuals suspected of committing a crime. Tracking dogs are trained to find suspects, missing persons or illegal substances. As a less common role, cadaver dogs are trained to detect the odour of decomposing bodies. Despite the differences in day-to-day activities, all police dogs aim to serve and protect, just like their human counterparts.

Disaster dogs are trained to find human scent in an unnatural environment, including collapsed buildings or areas affected by natural disasters. The dog is specifically trained on unstable footing, small confined spaces and other settings not usually found in the wilderness. A disaster dog should have specific qualities and traits such as being agile, obedient, following directional commands and be able to find and give an alert, such as a bark.

For 40 years, Eukanuba has been providing premium nutrition to meet the specific nutritional needs of exceptional dogs with jobs. More information is available online at www.eukanuba.ca.

- News Canada