Rescue dog has various meanings:

• A large dog that has been trained to physically rescue humans from disasters. Three notable breeds of rescue dog are the St. Bernard (which specializes in rescuing humans who have become trapped in snow in the Alps), the Newfoundland (which specializes in rescuing humans who have fallen off boats), and the Bernese Mountain Dog.

• A search and rescue dog, who works with a handler to find missing persons or animals or to find and help dig out victims of disasters such as earthquakes. (See also search and rescue.)

• A dog that has been rescued from possible euthanasia in an animal shelter, that has been rescued from an abusive or severely neglectful home, or that is simply no longer wanted by its owner (the most common reason); usually these dogs are placed in new homes with new owners, possibly after evaluation and rehabilitation by rescue groups or foster homes.

Working dogsDogs as pets