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General Information
about Working Dogs
All of the dogs listed below belong to the collection of dogs referred to as
Working Dogs.
Dogs in the
Working group, were developed to perform a wide variety of tasks, such as herding,
droving, pulling, hauling, herding, hunting, rescuing and guarding.
The very nature of many of these tasks require a big, strong dog.
These dogs have a long and close association with man and have
provided invaluable help to their owners. The working dogs are
generally large, intelligent, and protective of their masters.
Working dogs have always been viewed as real assets to their
owners and have worked with man replacing larger animals such as
horses when none such animals were available. Advanced technology
and machinery have negated some of the working requirements of
these dogs but strength, courage and a fast reactions ensure that
this partnership will continue long into the future.
Working
Dog Breed Duties and Tasks
Characteristics and features
of Working Dogs have been introduced and strengthened
by
breeding with animals who already demonstrated the desired traits.
Breeding for appearance was only introduced in the 19th Century.
Before this time dogs and puppies were bred to increase useful abilities and traits
helpful for the duties they were intended for. Thus, the
various Working breeds were introduced to help man
according to his specific requirements such as:
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Guarding
premises
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Herding
or Droving various animals including cattle and reindeer
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Pulling
or hauling various vehicles such as carts and sleds
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Hunting
which could range from all kinds of smaller animals to big
game including lions and tigers
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Performing
water and mountain rescues
In
this day and age not every Rottweiler might be called to undertake these tasks, but
nevertheless, they still harbour the skills and characteristics that made
the breeding program successful. Many of the Working
dogs group are still gainfully employed as:
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The working dogs are
medium to giant size and are strong, often independent, domineering
and difficult to manage. This, together with the immense sizes of
many of the breeds, make many of the working dogs unsuitable as a
normal family pet or first time dog owners. These dogs
require firm control and must be properly trained. Formal obedience
training should include a proper socialising program. Training
need not be difficult as Working dog breeds are generally quick to
learn and intelligent. Some of the working dog breeds are easier
to handle such as the Newfoundland dog, the Portuguese Water Dog,
the Samoyed and the Saint Bernard.
Information
about Working Dogs
To discover more about
specific breeds of Working Dogs, their origins, history, temperaments and
characteristics please follow one of the following links:
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