What Makes a Good Working Dog? ©
A working dog can be defined in a lot of different ways, and really the type of work a dog does is what defines its overall necessary traits. There are a few characteristics that all working dogs must have in order to work well:
• Strong nerves, good adaptability/bounce-back: Every dog might be rattled by something on any occasion, but what matters most is how quickly he rebounds. Ideally, a good working dog is not bothered by much but when he is, he quickly rebounds and moves through it. For example, something falls over and bangs on the floor. A strong nerved dog either doesn’t react at all or mildly does and quickly moves on.
• Highly motivated: A motivated dog is easier to train more successfully and is more reliable as a worker. The primary drives for motivation are food and toy/prey, as these are the easiest to manipulate for training purposes.
• Biddable: Independent dogs are far more difficult to work with, so a biddable dog that is willing to work for you for the right motivation is necessary.
• A level of sociability: This is different for different kinds of work, but a dog that is adaptable to all kinds of people as well as other dogs is important. You cannot have a dog that focuses or reacts to new people, strange dogs, etc.
• Focus: A working dog needs to be able to focus on the task at hand. Highly distractible dogs are difficult to make reliable.
Now that we know some of the basics for all working dogs, there are differences within each facet of work. A comparison of a few kinds of work will demonstrate how and why these various traits are important.
