Working dogs part 2 covers: Cow dogs, Detection dogs, Disaster dogs, Draught and Fighting dogs; yes fighting dogs too are designed to be working dogs and so have been included in this topic! 6 Cow dogs: Cow dogs or herding dogs are among the hardest workers on a ranch; they help in finding livestock, herding as well as moving animals within the ranch boundaries. Such dogs are much praised and are an integral part of the cattle industry. They save on rancher’s time and save on livestock value by reducing weight loss due to cattle over-activity. Their job description calls for over-average sight and hearing capabilities. Most dogs that fit the bill seem to be Border Collies, Australian Working Collies, Australian Cattle Dogs, Australian Working Kelpies, Catahoulas, Black Mouth Curs and Australian Shepherds although other breeds, if well trained and able to bind well with a rancher could also be part of a winning dog dog-owner team. 7 Detection dogs: A detection dog best uses its smell sense (although hearing sense could also be involved). A detection dog job could be summarized as: Being trained at supporting the laws by facilitating search and seizure for court purposes. Other detection jobs are in the fields of drug, cash (real and counterfeit), bomb detection, with the most unusual ones trained at finding lost pets and termites! Note: Some common characteristics between detection dog and cadaver dog jobs exist but the cadaver dog is trained to react differently; with more reserve. 8 Disaster dogs: These dogs are used for disaster search and rescue (SAR); a very good smelling sense is required as they use their noses to find victims deep inside the dangerous maze created by collapsed buildings resulting from earthquake, hurricane, explosion and other calamities such as land slide. Disaster dogs are able to differentiate living beings from dead people so they can focus on live victims. These dogs also have the ability to concentrate on a search while disconnecting from any surrounding distractions. The Labrador dog ranks first among other SAR qualified dog breeds. A few words about the disaster dog handler; a disaster search dog handler needs to have a very good understanding of safety, collapsed structures, roping, HAZMAT, convention of building safety marking systems, fitting within a command structure and of course training and handling his dog. 9 Draught dogs: Draught dogs have been and are still used to haul loads, turning water wheel and pulling cart in a few countries. However in most countries it has just become part of “the old good times”. In Switzerland, the most frequently used breed was the Sennenhund, hauling dairy wagons. The same applies to Netherland. Interestingly though in Portugal, the Portuguese water dog used to pull fishing nets in the water and served as a messenger from boat to boat. Historically speaking the geographical and economical development of the Arctic’s regions is mainly due to Draught dogs. 10 Fighting dogs: (Please note that dogrrific, indeed, does not support dog fights) Not sure why fighting dog is a category among working dogs but it is. Dog fights have unfortunately been a fact of recent news; these will certainly not stop anytime soon, just as rooster fights have not stopped. Most of Central America, Russia, Japan (does not specifically ban it) and South Africa allows or does not rigorously apply somehow lenient laws. Many fighting dog breeds are known to be descendants of the following breeds: Mastiff, Bulldog, Sheppard, Bull, and Terrier A very good source offering a full list of fighting dog breeds is Wikipedia (if visiting Wikipedia just close the new opened window to come back here!) Working dogs part 3 will cover: Greater hospitality dog Guard dog Hunting dog Mascot dog And Military dog … Stay tuned!