St Bernards are trained to rescue people lost in snow. Labradors can swim into the sea and drag back fish nets.
Pointers help hunters spot their prey.
But in one part of Outer Delhi, it is the humble stray dog which helps residents steal electricity. But unlike their pedigreed cousins, who are invariably rewarded for their efforts, the friendly neighbourhood pie dogs in an unauthorised colony in Nangloi go unrewarded. The poor dogs act as couriers, ferrying electricity wires across a filthy canal. One end of the wire is strung around the dog's neck and he is forced to swim across. More often than not, the terrified dog has to be egged on by power thieves who pelt stones at him.