Working Dog Breeds - Characteristics & Purpose

Working dog breeds are intelligent, powerful, observant, and alert, and they pick things up quickly. They are excellent in jobs like property guarding, pulling sleds, and conducting water rescues because they were developed to help people.

This group includes, to name a few, Doberman Pinschers, Siberian Huskies, Rottweilers, and Great Danes. They make fantastic companions, but potential owners must understand how to teach and socialize a dog because they are big and instinctively protective. The Working Group contains breeds that may not be suitable for novice dog owners.

Many kennel clubs categorize different pedigree dog breeds into a “working group” or “working dogs group” when they compete in conformation competitions, though the breeds that are thus categorised vary from kennel club to kennel club.

The Kennel Club classifies breeds including the Mastiff, Pinscher, sled dogs, particular livestock guardian dogs, and several others in their Working Group.

The Working Group of the American Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Club are largely similar to those of the Kennel Club, with the exception that they also contain all full-sized spitz breeds (rather than only sled dog varieties) and all livestock guardian dog breeds recognized by the societies.

Herding dog breeds and specific livestock guardian dog breeds are included in the Working Groups of both the New Zealand Kennel Club and the Australian National Kennel Council. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale has no Working group.