Dolphins In The Navy
Image Source: WIRED
If you've never heard about this before then prepare to be amazed! But here in the US the US Navy Marine Mammal Program have actually set out to train dolphins to detect MINES. Now, I know dolphins are incredibly smart creatures, but I didn't know they were smart enough to be trained like that. They are great for this thanks to their sonar-detecting ability.
The Gambian Pouched Rat
Image Source: Reddit
It turns out that many countries find ways to detect mines using any animals they can get their hands on. Over in Gambia, Africa, where they don't have to worry about water mines, they employ these giant rats to go off hunting for mines. They do this because these creatures aren't actually heavy enough to set off the mines if they walk across them. It can take a while to train them though.
Dogs In The Military
Image Source: Reddit
We'll get on to dogs quite a few times within this list, they're incredibly smart animals and pretty much everyone's favourite four-legged friends. Most of the jobs they're employed to do tend to relate to their incredible sense of smell and in the military that's no different. They are great at detecting bombs and can help steer soldiers clear of finding a nasty surprise out there.
Police Dogs
Image Source: Reddit
There are a whole range of breeds of dogs that are used within police forces around the world, most commonly German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois' and Bloodhounds. They are all specially trained in order to help members of the police force do their job, from assisting them in the location of drugs, following criminals or victims scents and apprehending suspects.
Seizure Dogs
Image Source: Reddit
Like I said, there are a whole range of jobs that dogs can complete around the world and perhaps one of the craziest ones to believe is the fact they can help people either before or after they've had a seizure. They do so by putting their body between the sufferer and the floor, barking to assist others for help and in some cases set off alarms to let them know it's coming.
Hypo Hounds
Image Source: Reddit
Not only can some dogs help people suffering from seizures, they are also able to help detect low blood sugar levels in diabetics and then alert them to changes in their blood sugar levels. In some cases, which you'll probably be able to find online somewhere, dogs can even be trained to bring these people water and anything else they need to avoid an issue with their sugar levels.
Guide Dogs
Image Source: Reddit
This is probably the most common example of animals with jobs, and one that you might actually see in various places during your time spent outside. Millions of people around the world are registered to be blind or partially blind at least and one of the best ways to offer them help is to provide them with guide dogs to help them get out and travel away from their home.
Miniature Horse Guides
Image Source: Reddit
You might only know of dogs being service animals to the disabled community, but in recent years, particularly here in the US, miniature horses have actually now been approved to be service animals. They are great for this for many reasons, one, they are able to remain focused for long periods of time and two, they are able to naturally guide people easily.
Snake Masseuse
Image Source: Guide Posts
Okay, so these little things weren't actually trained to become a masseuse, but their natural body movements and feelings have supposedly made them the perfect characters to do so. Over in Germany, a salon have employed the tactics of introducing snakes to the massage room to help people relax. I can't imagine this helps everyone relax though, some people are terrified!
Truffle Pigs
Image Source: Rural Living Today
You might not always associate pigs as being animals you use to hunt, they're often the ones being hunted instead! However, truffle pigs are great for being able to detect, you guessed it, truffles. They are incredibly talented at spotting these truffles even when they're buried deep underground! You'll know truffles as being a very expensive food to purchase, stores or restaurants.
Menswear Dog
Image Source: Reddit
Have you ever tried to put clothes on your dog before? Most of them really don't like it and would tend to shrug off anything you put on them. Not Bodhi though, he is a little Shiba Inu who became a household name and even started a modelling career. You might have spotted him in publications like GQ and Esquire and even some dog feed companies too.
Monkey Mobility Help
Image Source: Abilities Expo
For those who have suffered issues regarding their mobility, they might want to consider introducing some capuchin monkeys into their home. That might sound weird without any context, but after they've been trained they can actually help perform a boatload of tasks that have become difficult for people like dialling the phone, turning stuff on and off and scratching a few itches.
Cancer Dogs
Image Source: Reddit
We've already mentioned how incredible dogs' sense of smell can be, but did you know that they can actually divert this talent to help detect ovarian cancer in women? They don't smell the actual person but instead smell some blood and tissue samples taken from people who are being tested. They are trying to find a way to make this even more efficient too.
Coal Mine Canaries
Image Source: Reddit
Although this isn't put in to practice anymore, in first world countries at the very least; it was an extremely cruel thing that people chose to do to these beautiful birds. Mining was obviously a very important aspect of people's lives back in the day thanks to the reliance of the materials; but people used to die of carbon monoxide poisoning all the time. So they began sending in canaries first to save themselves the trouble.
The Chief Mouser
Image Source: NY Post
Cats have long been used as little creature hunters as a result of their own natural predatory instinct. In fact, around 10 Downing Street where the prime minister of the UK lives, they have permanently kept cats within the vicinity in order to capture any mouse around the place. In 2015 even, they gave the 10 Downing Street cat its own title, The Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office.
Beach Donkeys
Image Source: Reddit
This is quite a British tradition more than anywhere else in the world, but donkeys were long used, since the 1800's, as an animal for people to enjoy seeing and riding whilst at the beaches. It seems like quite an odd animal to choose doesn't it? Considering they're actually quite stubborn animals and don't always enjoy spending time around people they must have been trained well.
Fishing Birds
Image Source: Reddit
Fishing has long been an important way for people to finance their own lives, especially in the lower income countries where its a job that many poorer people live by. Over in Asia, many fishermen have chosen to use birds known as Cormorants to help them catch fish. They do so by diving in to the ocean and snapping up the fish and they don't swallow them.
Science Ferret
Image Source: RSPCA
Okay, so this one is a little more specific than the rest of the points on this list, but would you believe it if I said that a ferret was the only reason that a national laboratory every finished? I know it sounds crazy, but back in the 70's in the UK, a ferret was used to help clean all of the dust from inside the pipes of an accelerator as they couldn't think of any other way!
Honey Birds
Image Source: Fact Animal
This time we're heading to Africa and looking at these little guys known as the Greater Honeyguides. Yep, their name says it all and that's exactly the job that they have! It's been known to be quite a beneficial partnership for these birds to work with humans as they help direct them to where the honey is located, the humans find and take the honey whilst the birds get the wax.
Police Horse
Image Source: Reddit
Although Police Horses aren't as common as they once were, they used to be the ONLY way police could get around back in the day, they are still commonly seen, particularly in the UK. They obviously don't travel very fast, but they do allow police forces to move through crowds quicker and also have a greater vantage point when watching over specific areas too.
Dog Hunters
Image Source: Reddit
Obviously, as mentioned before, animals can be used to go out hunting and what better animal to do so than our favourite four-legged friends. Dogs have long been used to go hunting, whether that's for other animals or maybe people. Many hunters choose to use dogs to make the whole hunting process easier for them; whether that be chasing or finding the prey they're looking for.
Delivery Pigeons
Image Source: Reddit
You've probably heard the stories about how pigeons have been used to carry messages and other small items, particularly during periods like the war when there had to be discreet ways to get messages across without the enemy discovering or understanding what was happening. Would you put all of your trust in a pigeon? They probably had no choice!
Therapy Rabbits
Image Source: Reddit
When you think about animals that you can use to help yourself feel better you probably think about the usual domesticated pets like dogs and cats right? Well, did you know that there are actually therapy rabbits out there too! They are great for helping the emotional support of a person as they're very quiet but they also bond with their owners quite rapidly.
Gavel The Vice Regal
Image Source: Guide Posts
Over in Queensland, Australia, this little guy you see in the image above you was initially believed to be a police dog. However, they noticed that he was actually just to friendly to be expected to go chasing down criminals and instead was named Vice Regal (Dog) of their government house. That means he's always attending any important ceremonies these days.
Mayor Dog
Image Source: Guide Posts
From one dog working in the government building to a dog that is technically the MAYOR of his little town. Rabbit Hash, in Kentucky, has long had its share of crazy and random mayors including 4 separate dogs! I can't imagine he's all that good at getting through any debates, but then again, who's gonna be saying no to that cute little guys cute little face?
Bomb Bees
Image Source: Reddit
So we've already discussed how dogs can be used to locate bombs within the military, but here in the US, experts have actually discovered that bees have the ability to be trained to detect explosives. Its quite a crazy way to train them, but they essentially trick the bees into thinking that the materials in bombs men that nectar is nearby, so they are interested in the particular item.
Guard Monkeys
Image Source: Reddit
During the early 2000's government officials in India discovered that small rhesus monkeys were actually stealing valuable equipment and food from their buildings, so what did they do to stop them? They employed larger monkeys known as Langur monkeys and paid them in their favourite food, Bananas. It worked too, they would attack any unwelcome visitors.
Wine Making Sheep
Image Source: NBC News
Okay, so the sheep aren't actually the ones making the wines, but over in New Zealand, most vineyards have now introduced sheep in order to avoid having to use pesticides around their crops. They use smaller sheep in order to avoid them being able to actually reach the grapes, but they are able to remove the leaves from the vines and their poo helps fertilise the soil!
Coconut Monkeys
Image Source: Reddit
Have you ever seen the videos of workers trying to collect coconuts from trees? It can be quite a tedious job, as well as one that can be quite dangerous. Instead, in many Asian Countries they now actually employ macaques to climb the trees and collect them for them. This obviously goes much quicker thanks to them being in their natural habitat and they're usually rewarded with food or warmth.
Acting Dogs
Image Source: Petcube
You might be surprised how many dogs are out there who have appeared in numerous productions for film and TV; as a result of them having to be trained to stay or do certain things not all dogs are suitable to appear on our screens. Have you ever managed to spot the same dog on more than one show? And do you think they earn a lot of money for doing it too?