Working dog
A working dog refers to a dog that performs tasks to assist their human companions. Within this general description, however, there are several ways in which the phrase is used.
- To identify any dog that performs any task on a regular basis to assist people. In this context, a dog who helps a rancher manage cattle or who performs tricks for a trainer who receives pay for his act is a working dog, as is an assistance dog. This might be in comparison to a companion dog, whose purpose is primarily as a pet.
- To distinguish between show dogs, who are bred primarily for their appearance in an attempt to match some breed club's detailed description of what such a breed should look like, and working dogs, who are bred primarily for their ability to perform a task. For example, a Border Collie who is a champion show dog is not necessarily good at herding sheep; a Border Collie who is a champion at sheepdog trials might be laughed out of the show ring for his nonstandard appearance.
- For some breeds, there are separate registries for tracking the ancestry of working dogs and that of show dogs. For example, in Australia, there are separate registries for working and show Australian Kelpies; the working registry encourages the breeding of any Kelpies with a strong instinct to herd, no matter their appearance or coat color; the show registry encourages breeding only among Kelpies whose ancestors were registered as show dogs and who have only solid-colored coats.
- As a catch-all for dog breeds whose original purpose was to perform tasks that do not fit into a more specific category of work. For example, the American Kennel Club uses Working Dogs to describe breeds who were originally bred for jobs other than herding or hunting. Such jobs might include pulling carts, guarding, and so on. See Working Dog Group.
Jobs performed by dogs
Although most modern dogs are kept as pets, there are still a tremendous number of ways in which dogs can and do assist humans, and more uses are found for them every year. The following list provides an idea of the versatility of dogs:
- Service dogs assist people who are physically unable to do everything that they need to do. This includes guide dogs for the blind, hearing dogs for the deaf, and others.
- Therapy dogs visit people who are incapacitated or prevented in some way from having freedom of movement; these dogs provide cheer and entertainment for the elderly in retirement facilities, the ill and injured in hospitals, and so on.
- Hunting dogs assist hunters in finding, tracking, and retrieving game.
- Tracking dogs help find lost people and animals or track down possible criminals.
- Cadaver dogs use their scenting ability to discover bodies at the scenes of disasters or crimes.
- Rescue dogs assist people who are in difficult situations, such as in the water after a boat disaster, lost in the mountains, and so on.
- Detection dogs of a wide variety help to detect termites in homes, illegal substances in luggage, and many other uses.
- Police dogs usually are trained to immobilize possible criminals while assisting officers in making arrests or investigating the scene of a crime.
- Herding dogs are still invaluable to shepherds and cattle herders around the world for managin their flocks; different breeds are used for herding or for guarding the flocks and herds. Modern herding dogs help to control wild geese in parks or goats used for weed control.
- Guard dogs and watch dogs help to protect private property.
- Sled dogs, although today primarily used in sporting events, still can assist in transporting people and supplies in rugged, snowy terrain.
