Do Working Dogs Get Bored When They Retire?by Courtney Mroch | More from this Blogger 06 Aug 2008 03:45 PM I wish I could remember which book it was I read where a lady adopts a retired police dog (I think a German Shepherd), but then worries thinking it might be sick because it grows listless and seems so unhappy. Eventually she figures out that the dog misses working and sets about creating jobs to keep it busy. I want to say it was a book I read by Elizabeth Dearl, Twice Dead, but I'm not positive. (I know that book had a ferret. I just can't remember if it was her book or someone else's that had the retired police dog in it, too.) It wasn't the main plot of the book, just a subplot, but I got to thinking about it when yet another neighbor made a comment about Murph. Our windows are low and he loves looking out of them. Everyone is forever telling me how blue he looks, though. (Which he very well might be. I really do worry that he's not living up to his full potential and truly is bored silly most days.)
Bored Murph looking out the window Not that Murph's ever been a working dog. He helps me with chores, sure, but he's never had an actual occupation like some dogs do. But what about the dogs that have? The ones who bring home the bones and bury them in the yard? Do they get bored and seem listless like the dog in the book I mentioned? Or was that a fictional dilemma? I bet some dogs do end up missing their jobs. Like retired canine actors. I bet they miss hanging out on sets and being in the spotlight. Or what about retired ranch dogs? I wonder if, when their bones get too old and their joints too achy to herd, they miss the days when they ran with wild abandon and determined vigor. But one I'm really curious about is a cadaver dog. I've been watching Nancy Grace with Wayne the past week and following the case of the missing tot, Caylee Anthony, and her mom Casey. Cadaver dogs were used to sniff Casey's car. When cadaver dogs retire are they happy not to have to smell Death anymore? I think if I was a dog I'd bury my retired nose in more pleasant smells for the remainder of my days. Although...what's pleasant to a dog? Maybe they don't mind it so much. After all, they have very different palates. (I'm thinking of Aimee's Moose and my Murph who both have been known to eat and roll in some pretty gross things after being lured in by a bad smell. Rather, a smell that we humans find bad. To them it's apparently enticing. Ick!) Question to Readers What do you think? Do they get bored or not? Leave a comment below or click here to cast your vote in the poll in the forums. Related Articles Learn more about Courtney Mroch  Courtney Mroch is a wife, a proud pet parent, and a writer. She's been with her husband, high school sweetheart Wayne Pryor, over 20 years, married 11 of those. She's "mom" to Mr. Meow, a.k. Relevantpets tags User Comments  Valorie Delp (49340) 07 Aug 2008 02:09 AMInteresting blog Courtney. One of my daughter's best friends is getting a seeing eye dog and I was just wondering about how it would feel--sad to be adopted from its original care takers or happy to be of service. ;-)  Courtney Mroch (9169) 07 Aug 2008 06:43 AMI wonder the same thing about such dogs. Do they miss their first people? The ones who taught them? (And in some cases they know 2 sets...ones that rear them, then the ones that train, then they go on to whoever they will serve.) Are they confused or do they understand? Hmmm...you just might have inspired another blog, Valorie. Thanks! Community Tags boredom, dogs, Retired, working dogs Discuss this article
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