The Working Group: Athletes, Administrators & Aristocrats

The Working Group: Athletes, Administrators & Aristocrats

For every “big” job around the hearth and home, and out in the hinterlands, there’s very likely a dog in the Working Group that can get things done. Whether it’s heavy lifting, long-hauling, or hazardous hunting that’s required, these tough and tenacious purebreds enjoy nothing more than breaking a sweat—or at least exerting themselves in their immediate environment. (Just ask any Dogo Argentino.) To work in tandem with one of these industrious dogs (or with an entire team) is to understand that anything is possible if you have enough heart and a healthy dose of self-esteem.

Included among the more active breeds recognized in this Group are several animated athletes. The Siberian Husky and Samoyed are the long-distance runners of the bunch. The Newfoundland and Portuguese Water Dog are the champion swimmers, and the Alaskan Malamute, Bernese Mountain Dog, and Rottweiler can be counted on to do their very best in any tractor pull. Fitness is what these breeds are all about, and “going for it” is what gives them their genuine sense of purpose.

A number of the Working breeds demonstrate their capabilities as coach as well as colleague. These are the administrators of the dog world, if not the dictators. Take, for example, the livestock guardians. Breeds like the Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Komondor, and Tibetan Mastiff are instilled with the desire to protect and serve. Their typically cool and calm demeanor is offset by a take charge approach whenever the stakes are high. Interlopers have been warned.

As for the aristocrats of the Group, a few Working dogs are well-known for having a distinctive aura and noble bearing. France has its Great Pyrenees, Japan has its Akita, and Germany has its Leonberger. And then there’s the Great Dane, the “Apollo of Dogs.” It doesn’t get more aristocratic than being referred to as a mythological god!

Through the articles and interviews assembled in this edition, SHOWSIGHT has endeavored to celebrate the tough yet tender breeds of the Working Group through the words of the breeders, judges, and exhibitors who know them best. We hope you enjoy!