Working Dogs

[Toby2]

Does anyone hear work their dogs in the way they were bred to be worked?

I hunt with my Lab every fall, and I have a friend whose 4 "children" have helped him bag deer, elk, moose, and more.

[redridinghood1313]

after initially fighting it (since it makes her a mess, stinky, and is just kinda nasty to watch) I work my dog as a ground dog.

[HOHAMBULLS]

I own American Bulldogs and currently have dogs involved in wieght pulling and protection training. We hope to expand into more areas in the near future. I feel that if you are planning to reproduce with "working" type dog's, the parents should be tried and proven and worthy of reproducing.

[crowcrow]

my staffordshire terrier works in logging/weight pulling,agility and obedience for fun. and is skilled in dog woodsmenship/ranch dog.

[k9teacher]

My dogs do the "work" that they were intended to do. Since they are mixes they wear many hats....

They take walks with me.

They bark at the door and front window when people pass.

They can even spell T-R-E-A-T and C-O-O-K-I-E

They chase squirrels and yes, sometimes the cats too.

They decorate the house with fur-balls.

They love us even when we dont deserve it.

I could go on and on but I think you get the point.;)

[HOHAMBULLS]

I know that American Bulldogs were designed specifically to assist farmers/butchers in controlling loose and unruly animals such as 3000 lb bulls and such, I am just curious as to what type of breed was developed for the work you have mentioned? Or do you feel that working breeds should be joked about?
"My dogs do the "work" that they were intended to do. Since they are mixes they wear many hats....

They take walks with me.

They bark at the door and front window when people pass.

They can even spell T-R-E-A-T and C-O-O-K-I-E

They chase squirrels and yes, sometimes the cats too.

They decorate the house with fur-balls.

They love us even when we dont deserve it.

I could go on and on but I think you get the point."

There are alot of owners/trainers that DO work their dogs in a positve manner, and I am sure that they are very serious about it, I am thinking that the original post was directed at those owners/trainers, not you and your "interior designer" type pooches. No disreapect intended, just understand that most owners of working breeds are very serious about their dog's capabilities and the work they perform, and take offense to jokes like you have made. Have a wonderful day.:rolleyes:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cf26b3127cce95750711815f00000016108JbMmblw5o
http://www.geocities.com/wtpullrs/Reg11.80lb.Bull.CharlieJohnson.jpg

[k9teacher]

My post was never supposed to be an insult or a joke to anyone that trains and / or titles their dogs for the job the breed was supposed to do. I find it admirable and do understand the time and work involved to accomplish this. In my younger days I trained Newfoundlands in Obedience, Draft work and Water Rescue and Search and Rescue. Due to circumstance way beyond my control I am no longer able to do this type of training and work.

All I ment was that my dogs do the work that Companion Dogs are ment to do. They are both obedience trained and for the most part are well behaved and any hiking trail, beach or city street we have taken them on. If being a lab mix makes you an "interior design" pooch.....well I guess they are. They give my and family great enjoyment and I see that as their job.

I see that you are very proud and serious about you dogs and obviously love your breed. I have seen many post from you on this site.

I am new....if the working dogs section is just for people who do spend the time effort training for specific task I will definitely just read them quietly from the side line.

To anyone that I may have inadvertantly insulted please accept my apology.

[HOHAMBULLS]

I do not feel insulted, but you are very right about your statement "you are very proud and serious about you dogs and obviously love your breed" I just felt that you were making a joke about something that I and many other owner/trainers take very seriously. Like I said before, I intend no dis respect towards you K9, just feel that a post about working dogs deserves a bit more seriousness and respect than what you offered.;)

[StarWhisper]

With my GSD's (I have two) I do herding, agility, tracking, obedience and rally.

With my mixed breed (I have one) I do agility and obedience.

All three of my dogs are "Canine Good Citizens" and do therapy work.

I am proud of my dogs and what we have accomplished together.

The "work" they do however does not cease once we are home or out of the ring but continues in every day life.

My dogs are members of my family and they have daily jobs around the house.

[redridinghood1313]

K9, I don't feel insulted either, probably though because I didn't actually spend much time training my dog to work like Hoham has. It was either work her or lose my mind as she hunted incessantly.
I do feel being a companion can be a job. As a kid we had a cockerpoo who felt the family's welfare was her job. So, she would do rounds and check on all of us kids--alerting my parents if she felt anything was amiss. More than a few times she caught something. She was a good worker.