For eons, dogs have been helping man survive in the harshest territories imaginable. They have been helping us in every step of our development, from hunting, to herding, to traveling, as well as being one of our greatest companions. However, not all dogs are the same; some excel in certain activities more then others. An example of dogs that are better in certain fields would be the New Guinean hunting dog, the herding dog, and the Arctic sled dog. The similarities and differences between these three types of dogs are what allow them to be so helpful to humans.

All of these dogs do share certain characteristics that make them helpful to humans. First of all, certain areas would not have been settled if it had not been for these canines. Without the sled dogs, the Inuits would never have been able to settle the arctic. If there had not been herding dogs, then sheep herders of Europe would not have been able to do what they do for a living, and without hunting dogs, the native people of New Guinea would have little to no luck finding any animals to eat. The dogs also share other abilities. Both the herding dog, and the sled dogs have to learn directional commands, in order to properly preform their jobs. The sled dogs and the hunting dogs help their owners to find prey that humans would never be able to. Finally, all of these dogs share one other characteristic. They all form bonds with their owners that are extremely strong, and these help the relationship between man and animal blossom and flourish.

These dogs may seem to be very similar, but in actuality they are extremely different. The hunting dog, for example, is said to have spiritual powers that allow it to sense spirits in the jungle. None of the other dogs are said to have these powers. The dogs even have differences in their similarities. As I said before, the sled dogs and the herding dogs have to learn commands, but their commands are very different. The sled dogs only learn commands like stop, go, and left and right, while the herding dogs learn complex commands like “go back, you missed one”. While both the sled dogs and the hunting dogs help find prey, they do it in very different ways. The sled dogs find seal breathing holes, and let their owners know where they are, and the hunting dogs run their prey up trees. The largest difference is what environment the dog is suited for. Sled dogs are suited for the arctic, hunting dogs to the tropical rainforest, and herding dogs to the drizzly European highlands. These differences are what allow these dogs to be so helpful to humans.

These dogs are well adapted for where they live and for what their job is. They all share characteristics, yet are extremely diverse. They are devoted to us humans, and are hard workers that have allowed humans to inhabit every corner of the globe. They are able to assist us in our conquest for discovery because they are similar in their ability to love us and help us, yet different enough to thrive in any climate. They are one of man’s greatest allies and they have been with us since the dawn of time, and will be with us far into the future.