Working

Working dog refers to a dog bred or trained to perform tasks to assist its human companions on a regular basis. This dog is registered in the breed registries of The Kennel Club under the category of the Working Group. Working dogs are highly prized for their physical and mental abilities to help people in various tasks, including pulling carts or sleds, guarding, land and water rescues, and police and military work.

a-man-with-a-working-breed-sled-dogs-in-a-snowy-land

Most dogs selected to be trained for work are strong, highly intelligent dogs with good temperaments. They are easy to teach and thrive with people who enjoy training and giving them a job to do. These working dogs excel in the training class, obedience, and agility or flyball rings. Working closely with humans, dogs in the Working Group tend to form strong ties with its family, providing as much love and companionship anyone could hope for.

It is important to note that each country categorises dogs differently. For example, American Kennel Club (US) and The Kennel (UK) do not recognise dogs that are used to herd and guard cattle on farms as belonging to the working group category despite their working roles. These dogs are in a separate category, which is the Pastoral Group. The same goes for dogs as hunting companions, which are categorised by the Kennel Club under the Gundog Group. However, Australia and New Zealand kennel clubs refer to a working dog as one trained to work livestock, no matter the breed.

Want a dog from the Working Group? Here is a list of all the dogs registered under the Toy Group of The Kennel Club in the UK.

Working Dog Highlights:

Working dogs are easy to train.
They are willing to work any jobs.
They form strong bonds with their family.
They are medium-to-giant dogs.
They are loyal partners that offer protection.
Working dogs often have a high stamina for fieldwork.

Reminder:
Each dog breed may not exhibit the same temperament or is not as easy to train regardless if they come from the same breed group. Some factors that affect their upbringing are its environment, training and socialisation. Before buying a dog, make sure you do your research.