Dogs have been man’s best friend for quite some time now. Even as we move into the digital age dogs seem to prove their loyalty again and again. Scientists all over the world are creating robots to help people with everything and anything, from spaceship assistants to pet robots. So will science take the lead and replace our favorite fluffy companion or will dogs triumph?

It’s uncertain what the future holds. Some advances are to be praised, but some aren’t. For example, we’ve managed to get the first picture of a Black Hole, but we’ve also turned casino games into online casino games. So while you’re sitting there, clicking away, your dog is eagerly awaiting you to take him for a walk in the park. It’s sad and makes you ask yourself if you actually deserve a dog or not. Dogs love people more than people love themselves. The great Mark Twain one said that “Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit you would stay out and your dog would go in.”  So if you question the loyalty of dogs here are a few exemplary dogs that have left their mark on history.

1. Trakr

The eleventh of September will be remembered as a global tragedy. In the months following the attack, over 300 rescue dogs and humans were endlessly searching for survivors, namely people trapped under the rubbles or people no longer breathing. Among the K-9 teams were James Symington and his canine partner Trakr. Both of them were accredited for finding the last survivor- a woman trapped under a massive concrete and steel rubble. This Canadian German-shepherd was recognized by Time magazine as of the 10 most heroic animals of all time.

2. Balto

In the middle of the 1920s, in mid-winter, the town of Nome in Alaska had a serious case of diphtheria. A medical serum was delivered to Anchorage to help with the situation. To make the problem worse the only way of transport was dog-sleds and Anchorage was 500 miles away. Many villagers volunteered to help with the crisis and after setting up a few checkpoints, where they could rest during the five-day race, they set on a journey accompanied by their faithful dogs. Guuner  Kaasen and Balto were the last stretch of the race for the medical serum. Later, the Siberian Husky became the face of monumental success and in 1995 received a cartoon with the same name in his homage.

3. Jofi    

Even those not interested in psychology know the venerable name of Sigmund Freud. A little known fact is that he was a dog-lover and owned many dogs during his career, but the one that is the most famous is Jofi. He believed that dogs have the ability to read humans, which is why it accompanied him during his sessions. When Jofi was relaxed it meant that the patient was relaxed, but when Jofi would stand up it meant that his patient was anxious. Furthermore when Jofi would get up and head for the door Freud knew that 50 minutes had passed so he could politely ask his patients to leave. With time, this Chow-Chow became as famous as the late psychoanalyst.