Barkwatch: There Are Dog Lifeguards on This Beach 🐶

On the beach of Levante, near Málaga, dogs go on patrol to save people from drowning. Don't worry, it's not a tiny sausage dog on duty. Labradors or Newfoundlands (in special life jackets) support the human lifeguards in their work.

The dogs have a number of advantages, they can swim long distances, pull heavy loads and, above all, detect ocean currents that humans cannot. Newfoundlands can swim almost 4 miles and pull up to six people at the same time, and Labradors also have an extremely fine sense of smell that allows them to track down missing people.

Of course, the dogs have to be trained before they go on patrol on the beach. This training lasts between eight and twelve months and starts when the puppies are four-months old.

The dogs work for a maximum of four months at a time, for one and a half hours per shift. Can they implement this work schedule into my office hours, please?