The dog has played an important and significant role for mankind throughout history. It's no coincidence that they are known as "Man's best friend". Traditional tasks that the dog has performed include hunting, herding and guarding. In modern times its role has adapted to perform complex tasks in a great number of new areas which many people are not aware of or thinking about. My aim with this report is to attempt to chart as many different ways of using dogs as possible, in order to make society conscious of the great benefits the dog can offer society. .

The aim with the present study was to investigate whether there is a difference between the course participants who find their way to the dog-school respective the Swedish Working Dog Association. The study have focused on four issues; why the course participants have chosen the dog-school respectively the Swedish Working Dog Association, why the participants bought their dog, if the participants are satisfied with their dogs and if it is more likely that they turn to the dog-school?s than to the Swedish Working Dog Association with their first dog? Course participants from two dog-schools and from two of the local clubs belonging to the Swedish Working Dog Association in Skaraborg, Sweden, answered a questionnaire. In total 85 answers were collected, including 60 from the course participants from Swedish Working Dog Associations and 25 from the dog school?s course.

In 1936 a governmental breeding project was started with aim on military use. The police later came to use dogs from this project as well. In order to utilize dogs that could fit for other purposes training and education of dogs for search of different substances and of guide dogs for blind persons was performed. A political decision to privatize the whole dog programme was taken in 1992. During most part of the time one had serious economical issues since too few of the dogs that were bred could be considered to fulfil the basic demands for service. To satisfy the need of service dogs private bred dogs were bought as well.