Dogs in the working group are large to very large.  They were bred for various jobs including cart and sled pulling, guarding homes or livestock, water rescues, bull bating, and hunting large wild game.  There are many mastiff varieties in this group.  There is a wide variety of coat types and care needed.  Here are some of the most common working dog breed:

Alaskan Malamute

Bernese Mountain Dog

Boxer

Cane Corso

Doberman Pinscher

Dogo Argentino

Great Dane

Great Pyrenees

Komondor

Mastiff

Newfoundland

Portuguese Water Dog

Rottweiler

Siberian Husky

Breeds used as guard dogs tend to bond closely with their family or livestock.  However, they are often suspicious of strangers and take significant socialization throughout their lives to help them be comfortable in human society.  Dogs like the Komondor and Great Pyrenees were used to guard sheep. They both have thick coats that would have helped protect them from wolf attacks and helped them blend in with the sheep.  The Komondor’s coat has thick cords of fur that need maintenance to prevent them all from becoming one solid matted clump.  They generally do not like strange dogs or humans invading what they consider their space.  Dogs like the Cane Corso, Mastiff, rottweiler, Doberman Pincher, and Great Dane were used as guard dogs for property and are often similarly suspicious of strangers.

Rotweilers and Boxers have a history of being used to help control cattle at a butcher.  Boxers were also used as bull bating dogs. Bull bating was a sport where dogs were set on a bull to take it down.  This practice thankfully has not continued.  These breeds have, however, retained their energy level.  They need significant exercise and have a tendency to play roughly which some dogs take as a threat.

Those bred for pulling need significant exercise.   Siberian huskies, Alaskan malamutes, and Bernese mountain dogs were all bred for pulling.  They often do well with other dogs.  They need significant exercise to be fulfilled.  They also all have thick undercoats that will keep them warm and need maintenance.  If they do not get the exercise they need, they often become destructive.  These can be great breeds if you want a regular cool weather hiking companion or enjoy the sport of skijoring.  Keep in mind that their thick coats can cause them to overheat faster in hot weather.

Breeds used for large game hunting may still retain the high prey drive and may look at smaller dogs as prey animals.   Dogs like the Dogo Argentino are very strong dogs.  The take a special handler who is willing to do a significant amount of work on impulse control and responsiveness to cues.

Dogs like the newfoundland and Portuguese water dog were used to help on boats.  Portuguese’s water dogs would retrieve lost tackle, herd fish into nets and bring things from one ship to another by swimming between the boats.  Newfoundlands were used similarly and were also used to pull carts. The coats of these breeds need regular maintenance.  When they do get wet it is important to dry all the way through to the skin to prevent skin irritation.

Health considerations need to be taken into account.  Since these are all large breeds, hip and elbow dysplasia need to be evaluated.  Some of the giant breeds do have a predisposition to osteosarcoma (bone cancer).  Knowing if the parent dog has ever needed a kneed surgery is also a good question since part of a torn knee is related to the dog’s conformation.

Here is a link to an interview with a Dogo Argentino Breeder.

Here is a link to an interview with an Anatolian breeder