By 1st Lt. Jean Marie Kratzer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Dogs are widely considered man’s best friend, and for good reason. Though we believe that all dogs are exceptional creatures, there are some pooches that can sniff out bombs and drugs, perform search and rescue missions, track down suspects, prevent arson and even locate computer devices that contain illegal material. These dogs are called police dogs and they ask nothing in return for their phenomenal deeds.

In order to pay tribute to K9s, here are 21 incredible things everyone should know about them:

1. DOGS HAVE BEEN USED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR CENTURIES

Just because ancient cultures weren’t familiar with the concept of police dogs doesn’t mean that they didn’t use canines for similar purposes, including protection and warfare. Historical sources and evidence suggest that Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Persians and Romans were well aware of the importance of dogs, employing them to protect property, track down criminals and participate in battles as early as the 5th century BC.
We don’t know how much effort they put in handling and training those dogs, but more recent documents show that people in the Middle Ages actually gave money to local law enforcement so that they would be able to take care of bloodhounds. In return, these bloodhounds kept villages safe and pursued outlaws until they were found and captured.

Dogs also had a prominent role in Jamestown, where colonists kept them as protection against the Indians. They were used as guards and mascots during the American Civil War and were considered valuable guardians and messengers during WW1 and WW2.