Dogs love to work, and I love to see ones who have the peaceful confidence that only comes from doing their job. People, horses, and many other animals truly psychologically benefit from having a role, whether it is to work for others all day everyday, a few days per season, or an hour a week, it is good to have a purpose. Below I have a galleries of some of my favorite breeds doing what they were born to do!
[I own none of these pictures but use them to illustrate the beauty of a dog at work].
Herding:
[I own none of these pictures but use them to illustrate the beauty of a dog at work].
Herding:
Scent detection:
Pulling:
Racing:
Large game hunting:
Service:
Therapy:
Rescue:
Guard/Attack:
Game Hunting:
Hounds:
Agility:
Other:
Dogs with jobs can be as simple as a therapy dog that waits patiently while a child reads for 1 hour each Wednesday, or as burdened as a police dog that works nearly everyday in all types of stressful situations. Your dog would certainly love a job, but that doesn't mean you have to fully invest in any of the above categories, maybe your dogs job is simply to walk by your side as you go around the black a few times a day. One simple way to increase the "work" your dog does in a day is the use of a backpack - Baron loves when he sees me pull out his backpack to go for a walk or hike, and it is clear that he has more of a working mentality when he wears it - even if he is just carrying my call phone, keys, and water bottles. What jobs do your dogs do, and how do you know they benefit from having a chance to work?