The following elements—proximity to the owner, and attention-getting behavior—are by now familiar to us as characteristic of dogs, and go into their being such fine companions for humans. And they are also essential for the survival of the person whose life was at risk. So are such dogs truly heroes? They are. But did they know what they were doing? There is no evidence that they did. And they don't know they're acting heroically. Dogs certainly have the potential, with training, to be rescuers.Even the untrained dog may come to your aid — but without knowing exactly what to do. Their success is due instead to what they do know: that something has happened to you, which makes them anxious. If they express that anxiety in a way that attracts other people—people with an understanding of emergencies— to the scene, or allows you to get out of a hole in the ice, it is great.