Do you know how hard rescue dogs work in thick white snow and to move big white sheep? In the two articles, “It’s a Dog’s Life” by Rebecca Upjohn Snyder and “Hide-and-Seek School” by Vivienne Lenk they discuss herding and avalanche dogs doing hard work. In the article, “It’s a Dog’s Life” by Rebecca Upjohn Snyder she discusses an owner named David, owning herding dogs who do a hard job, which is moving animals in their assigned pens. In “Hide-and-Seek School” by Vivienne Lenk she discusses avalanche dogs training and working in snowy avalanches to save people’s lives. Both dogs in “It’s a Dog’s Life” by Rebecca Upjohn Snyder and “Hide-and-Seek School” by Vivienne Lenk have numerous similarities and differences.

In the articles, “It’s a Dog’s Life” by Rebecca Upjohn Snyder and “Hide-and-Seek School” by Vivienne Lenk they have many similarities about the dogs. A first similarity is, in both texts the dogs have to show people what hard work they do. The herding dogs have to demonstrate their challenging skills they learn and avalanche dogs have to show their trainers how they can save lives in the cold snow. In “It’s a Dog’s Life” by Rebecca Upjohn Snyder she states “During the herding demonstrations he gives all over the Northeastern USA, he calls children (and sometimes adults) from the audience into a pen. Then the fun begins. Sheep have four feet and kids have only two. Sheep don’t want to go into small pens. In fact, they want to run as far away from pens and people as they can. When the kids finally give up chasing the sheep, David calls his dogs. Within minutes the dogs pen the sheep and everyone is laughing. David says that after giving it a try themselves, people will say “Oh, it’s harder than it looks!” ” In “Hide-and-Seek School” by Vivienne Lenk she states “High atop a snow-covered mountain in Colorado, four bright eyed and bushy tailed students are being tested in a very serious subject: hide-and-seek. To help the students pass the test, their teachers will bury themselves in snow. This isn’t a typical school. It’s an avalanche-rescue drill for dogs at Breckenridge Ski Resort.” A second reason is both dogs have fun even though they work. In the article “It’s a Dog’s Life” by Rebecca Upjohn Snyder she states  “They want to work all the time, and this is the problem when people get them as pets,” says David. Border collies need work to burn off their energy and to keep their brains busy. Those two things keep them happy.” In “Hide-and-Seek School” by Vivienne Lenk she states “When snow season is over, the dogs get a well-earned break. They do all things students do on summer vacation-swim, play, and relax. They just get to be dogs.” Even though herding dogs and avalanche dogs have many similarities they have differences too.

In the articles  “It’s a Dog’s Life” by Rebecca Upjohn Snyder and “Hide-and-Seek School” by Vivienne Lenk  they have numerous differences about the dogs. A first   difference is they both have different kind of jobs they have to do. In “It’s a Dog’s Life” by Rebecca Upjohn Snyder the border collies have to help herd sheep and many other animals. In “Hide-and-Seek School” by Vivienne Lenk the avalanche dogs have to save people from buried avalanches. For example, in “It’s a Dog’s Life” by Rebecca Upjohn Snyder she states “They were chosen for their instinct to gather stock, or farm animals, and bring them back to their masters.” In “It’s a Dog’s Life” by Rebecca Upjohn Snyder she  also states “ “I’ve seen border collies stare down 2000 pound Black Angus steers,” says David.” For example, in “Hide-and-Seek School” by Vivienne Lenk she states “ “The dogs are trained to find people buried in avalanches,” said Aaron Robbins, Rube’s owner and handler.” Another major difference they have is avalanche dogs work with humans, but herding dogs work with other animals. For example, in “It’s a Dog’s Life” by Rebecca Upjohn Snyder she states “David has been herding sheep with his border collies on Wellscroft Farm in New Hampshire for 30 years. She also states “They were chosen for their instinct to gather stock, or farm animals, and bring them back to their owners.” In “Hide-and-Seek School” by Vivienne Lenk she states “At first, the game is easy. The handlers run and hide, perhaps jumping into a hole in the snow, while the dogs are held back by others. Then the dogs are released to find the hiding handlers.” Those are some differences both dogs have.

In conclusion, the two articles, “It’s a Dog’s Life” by Rebecca Upjohn Snyder and “Hide-and-Seek School” by Vivienne Lenk they have numerous similarities and differences about avalanche dogs and herding dogs. After reading these two articles and many more books about rescue dogs, I now know they are not just pets, they are animals that are trained to perform risky jobs. I would love to be saved by rescue dogs because without them we would be hopeless in life.