Working Dogs List

As you can guess from the title, working dogs types and breeds are intended for performing of some definite kind of service. We may call them also service dogs. They are generally obedient, balanced, calm guards and devoted assistants of their owner. The size of a working dog is usually more than medium.
Among working dogs breeds there are: service dogs, guard dog breeds, shepherd dogs, guide dogs - assistant dogs for visually impaired people, military dogs K9 and search&rescue dogs. These working dogs serve for human well being and satisfy our needs already for many years.

Disappearence of Working Dogs

Absolutely all working dog breeds are intended for performing of definite functions. But far not every dog representative of this group performs it the same way: some does it excellent, some is just a useful assistant for a human.
The features of working dogs, that define the rate of their efficiency are inherited. That's why for getting a first rate service dog there is a careful selection of dogs needed.
But the difficulty lays in the fact that high class working dogs have not high ability for reproduce, and this ability becomes lower with every next generation.

Many dog breeders cross high class working dog with a middle-class bitch with the hope to get a reproduce with bright working features, but it often does not work. That's why working dog breeds begin gradually to lose their unique features, that is threatened with extinction.

Working Dogs Types

If you want to train an excellent working dog, who will do all its duties perfect, you should exercise it regularly. Only in this case a working dog may become a good friend and an excellent assistant of a human.
Of course, all working dogs have one intention - to perform a definite work. But, in spite of the fact that many dog breeds are united to one working group, their characteristics are very different, as they perform different functions.

For instance, an experienced hunter knows, that German Shepherd is absolutely not for hunting. In their turn Hounds do not perform service or guard functions. But both of these breeds are working dogs.

To exclude confusion among working dogs types, it is better to divide them into several subgroups, such as:

1. Guard dogs. The most common working dog breeds in this subgroup are, of course, Shepherd dog breeds. These dog breeds are bred especially for guard of something or someone.

2. Professional fighting dogs. These are Pit Bull Terriers. All the other breeds of so called fight dogs were not originally intended for professional fights, that's why they cannot be counted to this subgroup.

3. Hunting dogs. These dogs are not in the group of working dogs nowadays, at it was written before, but they are excellent assistants of human in hunting. the brightest representatives here are hounds. There are two categories of dogs in this subgroup: dogs searching for prey (such as Labrador, Setter, Spaniel etc) and dogs hunting prey (Hound, Husky and so on).

4. Transitional subgroup of working dogs. Here are the dogs, that have been performing their working functions, but with the flow of time they characteristics a way changed. These dogs are beyond their own group. For instance, here are constantly counted dogs from guard dogs group: Middle-Asian Shepherds; from Hounds: Setters, Spaniels etc.

5. Universal working dogs. These are dogs, that are very easy to adapt for different lively conditions, and with time they may lose those individual characteristics, common for their breed. For example, such working dog as Black Russian Terrier was originally used for guard functions in military conditions. But nowadays this breed has undergone serious changes and is distinguished with intelligence and generally does not perform its original function. These working dogs whether perform function of a guard and are on a leash or become absolutely home dogs living with their owners. The other example of a working dog, that has become a universal dog in the flow of time, is German Shepherd. It is well known, that this dog is excellent guard, but if it lacks definite training and learning, this working dog stops to perform its original duties and just exists by the side of its owner and does nothing. Such examples of universal working dogs are multitude.

6. The last subgroup - Shepherd dog breeds. These dogs are the best friends of children, because they are very calm and balanced, kind, friendly and clever. These dogs are perfect babysitters, Such subgroup includes Golden Retrievers and Collie.