Working dog
:''For the comedy group, see
Working Dog Productions.
A
working dog refers to a canine
working animal, i.e. a
dog that is not merely a
pet but learns and performs tasks to assist and/or entertain its human companions, or a breed of such origin.
Some might argue that the variety of often exclusive canine jobs is a better justification for the dog's honorary title "man's best friend" than the more accidental popularity as the most popular kind of pet in Western cultures.
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 its acts 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 that are bred primarily for their appearance in an attempt to match a
breed club's
detailed description of what such a
breed should look like, and
working dogs that are bred primarily for their ability to perform a task. For example, a
Border Collie that is a champion show dog is not necessarily good at
herding sheep; a Border Collie that is a champion at
sheepdog trials might be laughed out of the show ring for its nonstandard appearance. It is possible that a specimen may excel in both appearance and performance, but it is very unlikely.
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.
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:
*
Assistance dogs help people with various disabilities in every day tasks. Some examples include
mobility assistance dogs for the physically handicapped,
guide dogs for the
blind, and hearing dogs for the
hearing impaired.
*
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. The very act of training dogs can also act as a therapy for human handlers, as in a prisoner rehabilitation project.
*
Rescue dogs assist people who are in difficult situations, such as in the water after a boat disaster.
*
Search dogs locate people who are missing such as lost in the wilderness, people who walk away from nursing homes, covered in snow avalanches, buried under collapsed buildings, and so on.
*
Herding dogs are still invaluable to shepherds and cattle herders around the world for managing their flocks; different breeds are used for the different jobs involved in herding, and for guarding the flocks and herds. Modern herding dogs help to control wild geese in parks or goats used for weed control. A good dog can adapt to control any sort of domestic and many wild animals.
*
Sled dogs, although today primarily used in sporting events, still can assist in transporting people and supplies in rugged, snowy terrain.
*
Performing dogs such as
Circus dogs and
dog actors are trained to perform acts that are not intrinsically useful, but instead provide entertainment to their audience or enable human artistic performances.
*Canine
mascots, who accompany their teams or organizations for support and publicity
Jobs with teeth & Strong paw of the law
*
Hunting dogs assist hunters in finding, tracking, and retrieving game, or in routing vermin. Less frequently a dog, or rather or a pack of them, actually fights a predator, such as a bear.
*
Guard dogs and
watch dogs help to protect private or public property, either inliving or used for patrols, as in the military and with security firms.
*
Fighting dogs are used (or abused) to generate income in
dog fighting.
*
Tracking dogs help find lost people and animals or track down possible criminals.
*
Cadaver dog or Human Remains Detection Dogss use their scenting ability to discover bodies or human remains at the scenes of disasters, crimes, accidents, or suicides.
*
Detection dogs of a wide variety help to detect termites in homes, illegal substances in luggage, bombs, chemicals, and many other substances.
*
War Dogs or
K9 Corps are used by armed forces in many of the same roles as civilian working dogs, but in a military context. In addition, specialized military tasks such as mine detection or wire laying have been assigned to dogs.
*
Police dogs, also sometimes called K9 Units, are usually trained to track or immobilize possible criminals while assisting officers in making arrests or investigating the scene of a crime. Some are even specially trained for anti-terrorist units, as in Austria.
Rescue and Disaster Dogs
Dogs are commonly used as
search and rescue workers in cases of lost persons and disasters. The
St. Bernard was historically used in Europe in the case of
avalanches and lost travelers. Search dogs in the US are used in lost person searches each year saving human lives. Several Breeds of dogs were used during World War I to locate wounded soldiers in the field. In the aftermath of the
9-11 attacks in
New York, search dogs searched the rubble pile for survivors and cadaver dogs again searched the removed debris for human remains. Several cities in
Italy are experimenting with working dogs as rescue swimmers. In this situation, a strong and well-trained dog is equipped with
flotation devices and dropped in the water near a floundering swimmer. The swimmer then grabs onto the dog, and the animal tows the swimmer to shore.The
Newfoundland has long been used for water rescue, not only on shore, but from fishing boats as well.
The
breeding of working dogs has resulted in highly intelligent, hardy, alert dogs that are often attractive and extremely loyal. As a result, many working breeds are sought after as family pets. Unfortunately, many owners fail to consider that such dogs are rarely passive, so the abandonment rate is very high.
Working dogs make excellent pets as long as potential owners realize that these dogs must be given 'work' to do. Dogs that are not to be used for their original purpose must be trained from a young age and are best suited to active persons and families.
Obedience training,
dog sports such as
flyball,
dancing and
agility, informal or novelty shows, and trial work are all excellent channels for these breeds' energy. At the very least they must have daily walks or other exercise at an appropriate level for the breed, given toys, played with, and provided with human company.
Working dogs who are chained, left alone, or ignored become bored, vocal, and even
neurotic; they may exhibit malaise, lethargy, or destructive behaviour or become escape artists. Working dogs inappropriately chosen as pets are far too often surrendered to shelters when their inventiveness and determination to find something to do exceeds their owner's tolerance for destruction. Working dogs were bred to work all day every day. It is a tragedy for both the dog and the owner when the owner underestimates the amount of attention and time a working dog requires.
*The
National Geographic Channel has aired several dozen episodes of a documentary program "Dogs with Jobs"[
1], portraying dogs in useful, often less-common, jobs.
