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What would you do
if you were sailing on a ship far from loved ones and you didn't know when you'd be able to set foot on land again?
For the crew of the cargo ship, the Avantour,
the Covid pandemic made this nightmare scenario a reality.
What is happening?
to the people we love that are home.
Lives Less Ordinary from the BBC World Service tells their remarkable story in a new eight part series.
Listen now.
Search for Lives Less Ordinary wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
Hello and welcome to The Conversation from the BBC World Service.
This is the show which puts women in the spotlight and allows us to hear the most incredible stories and insights from all around the world.
I'm Dashiani Navanayagam.
Now, the companionship of a pet can be a powerful bond,
and it's no exaggeration to say that my dog Byron is one of my best friends.
I'm often really surprised at just how quickly he picks things up,
like the other week I taught him to tidy up his toys.
But in the grand scheme of things, these are pretty basic tasks.
Dogs can be taught a whole range of complex and in-depth skills which not only enrich their owners' lives but can also save them.
So today I'm talking to two women involved in training service dogs.