Login
Login

Working dog

{{Short description|Dog trained to perform practical tasks}}

{{About||the comedy group|Working Dog Productions|the winery in New Jersey|Working Dog Winery}}

File:London Police Dogs.jpg patrolling in London]]

File:Caoguia2006.jpg in Brazil]]

File:Murgjo_Sharr_Mountain_Dog_Nedi_Limani.jpg livestock guarding dogs at work in the Šar Mountains]]

A working dog is a dog used to perform practical tasks, as opposed to pet or companion dogs.

Definitions vary on what a working dog is, they are sometimes described as any dog trained for and employed in meaningful work; other times as any dog whose breed heritage or physical characteristics lend itself to working irrespective of an individual animal's training or employment; and other times again it is used as a synonym for herding dog.{{cite web |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/working-dog |title=working dog |author= |date=2020 |website=Collins Dictionary |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C. |access-date=21 January 2020 |quote=a dog of suitable breed or training kept for its practical use, such as herding sheep, rather than as a pet or for showing}}{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/working%20dog |title=working dog|author= |date=2019 |website=Merriam-Webster |access-date=21 January 2020 |quote=a dog suitable by size, breeding, or training for useful work (such as draft or herding) especially as distinguished from one suitable primarily for pet, show, or sporting use}}{{cite web |url=https://www.lexico.com/definition/working_dog |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126055509/https://www.lexico.com/definition/working_dog |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 26, 2020 |title=working dog|author= |date=2019 |website=Lexico |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=21 January 2020 |quote=A dog trained to work with livestock.}}

Working dog types

File:2008년 중앙119구조단 중국 쓰촨성 대지진 국제 출동(四川省 大地震, 사천성 대지진) DSC09472.JPG working in Seoul]]

Roles performed by dogs that sometimes sees them classified as working dogs include:

  • Assistance or service dog{{cite journal |last=Olson |first=Patricia N. |date=1 August 2002 |title=The modern working dog—a call for interdisciplinary collaboration |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association |volume=221 |issue=3 |pages=352–355 |doi=10.2460/javma.2002.221.352 |pmid=12164529 |url=https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/resources/javma_221_3_352.pdf |access-date=22 January 2020 |archive-date=26 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126055512/https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/resources/javma_221_3_352.pdf |url-status=dead }} trained to help a disabled person in some way, such as guiding a visually impaired person, providing mobility assistance, and psychiatric service. Often overlap with Therapy dog used to provide companionship or to help people rehabilitate from injuries.
  • Carriage dog{{Cite web |date=2018-01-29 |title=British Carriage Dog Society |url=http://carriagedog.org/BCDS/Welcome |access-date=2022-04-11 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129184331/http://carriagedog.org/BCDS/Welcome |archive-date=29 January 2018 |url-status=dead}} historically used to provide protection to carriage passengers or merchandise
  • Detection dog or sniffer dog, trained to detect for example drugs or land mines.
  • Drafting dog{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/animal/working-dog |title=Working dog|author= |date=2019 |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc |access-date=21 January 2020 |quote=any of various breeds of dog bred as guard, herding, draft, or rescue animals.}} traditionally used to pull small carts. Now survive in modern age as a novelty or in carting sport.
  • Guard dog used to protect buildings or livestock
  • Herding dog
  • Hunting dog used to hunt wildlife or assist hunters. Are split into several varieties, including hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, catch dogs, bay dogs, or gun dogs.
  • Military working dog{{cite book |last=Rogak |first=Lisa |date=2011 |title=The dogs of war: the courage, love and loyalty of military working dogs |location=New York |publisher=Thomas Dunne Books |isbn=9781250008817 }} trained in combat, or used scouts, sentries, messengers, mercy dogs, and trackers
  • Search and rescue dog
  • Sled dog{{cite book |last1=Coppinger |first1=Raymond |last2=Schneider |first2=Richard |chapter=Evolution of working dogs |date=1995 |title=The domestic dog: its evolution, behaviour and interactions with people |editor1-last=Serpell |editor1-first=James |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/domesticdogitsev00serp/page/21 21–50] |isbn=0521425379 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/domesticdogitsev00serp/page/21 }}
  • Working terrier is a terrier bred to hunt small mammals, such as a badger, fox and rat.Glover, John. (2014). [https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Ratting_with_Terriers/_erMsgEACAAJ?hl=en Ratting With Terriers]. Suffolk, England. Skycat Publications. {{ISBN|9780993022302}}

Working dogs in Australia

File:Sheep-Dog-Show.JPG in Australia]]

Working dogs are known as an Australian icon. They are prevalent in Australia due to the large agricultural industry. Working dogs can be seen herding cattle or sheep and are also used to guard poultry from foxes and cats. A report in 2019 stated that there were over 270,000 stock herding dogs in Australia.{{Cite news |date=2019-06-25 |title=The history of the working dog, an 'indispensable' Aussie icon |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-26/working-dogs-history-of-an-aussie-icon/11096742 |access-date=2022-07-12}} Some popular breeds for farm work include Border Collies, Kelpies, Maremmas and Australian Cattle Dogs.

Events to showcase the skills of working dogs are held through Australia alongside key local festivals and events. Trials and performances include high jumps, sheepdog speed trials and sled or weighted pulls.{{Cite web |last=Gasparini |first=Faith |title=Dog Lovers Show {{!}} Outdoor Arena {{!}} Talented Working Dogs Live |url=https://dogloversshow.com.au/sydney/attractions/outdoor-arena/ |access-date=2022-07-12 |website=Dog Lovers Show Sydney |language=en-AU |archive-date=2022-06-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627115244/https://dogloversshow.com.au/sydney/attractions/outdoor-arena/ |url-status=dead }}

Kennel club classification

File:Dogcart3.jpgs were common. A photochrom from the late 19th century showing two peddlers selling milk from a dogcart near Brussels, Belgium.]]

When competing in conformation shows, a number of kennel clubs classify various pedigree dog breeds into a "working group" or "working dogs group", although it varies between kennel club what breeds are so classified. The Kennel Club classifies mastiff, pinscher, sled dog, select livestock guardian dog and some other breeds in their working group.{{cite web |url=https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/breed/Default.aspx?group=WKG |title=Working Group|author= |date=2020 |website=The Kennel Club |publisher=The Kennel Club Ltd |access-date=21 January 2020 }} The American Kennel Club's working group and the Canadian Kennel Club's working dogs group are very similar to The Kennel Club's except they include all livestock guardian dog breeds and all full sized spitz breeds (not just sled dogs) recognised by the clubs.{{cite web |url=https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/working/ |title=Working Group|author= |date=2020 |website=American Kennel Club |publisher=American Kennel Club, Inc |access-date=21 January 2020 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.ckc.ca/en/Choosing-a-Dog/Choosing-a-Breed/Working-Dogs |title=Working Dogs|author= |date=2020 |website=Canadian Kennel Club |access-date=22 January 2020 }} Both the Australian National Kennel Council's and New Zealand Kennel Club's working dogs groups comprise herding dog breeds and select livestock guardian dog breeds recognised by those clubs.{{cite web |url=http://ankc.org.au/Breed/Index/5 |title=Group 5 (Working Dogs) |author= |date=2015 |website=Australian National Kennel Council |publisher=Australian National Kennel Council Ltd |access-date=22 January 2020 |archive-date=24 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224035120/http://ankc.org.au/Breed/Index/5 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=https://www.dogsnz.org.nz/pdfs/bs-working.pdf |title=Standards of the breeds: Group 5 – Working Dogs|author= |date=2020 |website=New Zealand Kennel Club |publisher=Dogs New Zealand |access-date=22 January 2020 }} The Fédération cynologique internationale has no working group.{{cite web |url=http://www.fci.be/en/Nomenclature/ |title=FCI breeds nomenclature|author= |date=2020 |website=Fédération Cynologique Internationale |access-date=22 January 2020 }}

See also

{{Portal|Dogs}}

  • {{annotated link|Seizure response dog}}
  • {{annotated link|Working animal}}
  • Mojee

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Working animals}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Working dog}}