Working Dogs More Than Just a Pet

Click on a dog to learn more. Service Dogs Disaster Search Dogs Water Rescue Dogs Police Dogs Guide Dogs Fire Dogs Therapy Dogs Security Dogs

Disaster Search Dogs Disaster search dogs specialize in rescuing people who are trapped or buried in rubble such as wood, snow, crumbling buildings, etc. They have qualities including strength, obedience, good senses of smell and hearing. The most common dogs for disaster search dogs are German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Border Collies and Golden Retrievers.German ShepherdsLabrador RetrieversBorder ColliesGolden Retrievers by Nora, Jared, Keely and Kate Return to Menu

Fire Dogs Fire dogs come to the scene of the fire with the firemen. They sniff to find out how and where the fire started. Fire dogs are also called arson dogs. Qualities of an arson dog are spirit, strength, a good sense of smell and curiosity. Possible breeds are Chocolate, Yellow and Black Labs. The job of an arson dog is difficult because most of the evidence is either burned in the fire or washed away by the water that extinguishes the fire.ChocolateYellowBlack Labs by Brendan, Adam and Emily Return to Menu

Guide Dogs Guide dogs are helpful to humans. Their job is to guide blind people to different places. They are trained from when they are puppies to cross streets safely, go on shopping trips, go to every type of public place that their owners need to go, and travel all over the world. Guide dogs need to have certain qualities. They need to be the right size to guide people, intelligent, and easy to care for. The most common breeds for this job are Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd. Golden RetrieverLabrador RetrieverGerman Shepherd by Ari, Jennifer, and Matthew H. Return to Menu

Police Dogs Police dogs have strength, curiosity, intelligence and speed. It is also helpful to have anger and self control in other situations. Dogs in cold climates need thick fur and in hot climates, thin fur. Common breeds used in this kind of work are Bloodhounds, German Shepherds, Belgian Malionois, Rottweilers, and Labrador Retrievers. BloodhoundsGerman ShepherdsLabrador Retrievers by Megan, Jack and Liam Return to Menu

Security Dogs Security dogs sniff for things in airports that are not allowed. Also some security dogs are trained to search for stolen money. Security dogs are usually small and have better noses than humans. They also have wet noses so that they have their powerful sense of smell. Most security dogs are a lot bigger than beagles. Some common breeds are German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Beagle, Labrador Retriever, and Golden Retriever.German ShepherdBeagleLabrador RetrieverGolden Retriever by Miguel and Hailey Return to Menu

Service Dogs Service Dogs help people with mental and physical disabilities by retrieving laundry and newspapers. They help people cross the road and warn of danger. They should be strong, helpful, kind, faithful and calm. The common breeds are normally Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds. They make great Service Dogs.Labrador RetrieversGolden RetrieversGerman Shepherds by Ella, Kendall, Lindsay and Matthew S. Return to Menu

Therapy Dogs Therapy dogs help sad and lonely people by visiting them in hospitals and schools. They help people after disasters and people who have lost loved ones. They help by keeping people company and letting them know that a friend is there for them. Therapy dogs are obedient, cheerful, calm, helpful and friendly and they help people by cheering them up. They have a good personality, and are good with people. They can also heal bodies by getting rid of depression. Breeds such as German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Chihuahuas, and Yorkshire Terriers make good therapy dogs.German ShepherdsLabrador Retrievers ChihuahuasYorkshire Terriers by Ricky, Cindy and Jake Return to Menu

Water Rescue Dogs Water rescue dogs search for drowning victims and help them get to shore. Some qualities they need are to be strong swimmers. They have to be able to lift up heavy objects, they should have an instinct for retrieving and a strong sense of smell. Some common breeds of water rescue dogs are, Portuguese Water Dog, Golden Retriever, Newfoundland, and Labrador Retriever. Portuguese Water DogGolden Retriever NewfoundlandLabrador Retriever by Katie, Nicole, Karen and Michelle Return to Menu

Chihuahua  Loyal, ideal pet.  The smallest breed of dogs.  5 inches in height.  1-6 pounds.  Smooth, short hair or long coat.  Large, straight, noticeable ears when at attention.  Black, white, or tan is preferred in Mexico, but they can be other colors too. by Ella Return to Menu

German Shepherd  Normally two feet tall  Loyal, courageous and smart  Normally brown and black  Often guide for blind people  Looks like a wolf by Matthew S. Return to Menu

German Shepherd  German shepherds weigh pounds  inches high  Life span years  Strong, agile and alert  Medium coat length  Brown, black and peach color fur by Nora Return to Menu

German Shepherds  Strong, handsome, athletic  Alert, well balanced, fearless, smart  Male, inches high, female, inches high, lbs.  Usually brown and black  Looks like a wolf  Originated in Germany  Sometimes aggressive to other dogs  Dense outer coat, straight hair by Ricky Return to Menu

Golden Retriever  Medium sized hunting dog  Water resistant fur  Males are about 24 inches tall  Weigh 70 to 80 pounds  Good for guiding blind because they’re very friendly  Rich golden color by Karen Return to Menu

Golden Retriever  21 to 24 inches high  Intelligent, hard- working and help the blind, very friendly  55 to 75 pounds  Thick coat  Gold-colored hair by Kendall Return to Menu

Labrador Retriever  Tough, fearless and gentle with children.  Strong, good for police work.  Height is 21.5 to 24.5 inches, weight is 55 to 75 lbs.  Short, straight coat that may be black, yellow or chocolate in color.  Very popular with families that have children. by Liam Return to Menu

Newfoundland  Patient, sometimes bad tempered, loyalty is steady.  Females are about 26 inches high. Males are about 28 inches high.  Females weigh around 120 pounds. Males weigh around 150 pounds.  Has a flat, and longish coat.  Their coat color is black, bronze, gray, or white and black. by Katie Return to Menu

Bloodhounds  Large hound dog in the sporting group  Wrinkled face  inches tall  pounds  Used as hunting dogs since 8 th century A.D. in Europe  Very intelligent  Strong and curious  Highly developed sense of smell, sight and hearing  Can identify criminals and their tools, such as explosives and poison  Fast and self-controlled  Very fast-acting by Jack Return to Menu

Labrador Retriever  22 1/2 to 24 1/2 inches  Black, yellow, or chocolate color  Hair is soft but if you touch it, it feels stiff  Powerful jaws  55 to 80 pounds  Friendly eyes expressing intelligence by Jake Return to Menu

German Shepherd  Height inches  Alert, not very hostile  pounds in weight  Is not timid, fearless  Pointed ears, short hair  Black, grey, tan, white, cream or a combo by Matthew H. Return to Menu

German Shepherd  pounds  inches  Medium sized  Large and athletic  Good sense of smell and sight  Ideal for police dogs  Loving and friendly by Megan Return to Menu

Black Labrador Retriever  Strong and powerful  Has a thick water- resistant coat  Has a great instinct for retrieving things  Weight is 50 to 80 pounds  Height is 21.5 to 24.5 inches by Brendan Return to Menu

Labrador Retriever  The most common Labrador Retriever is black, but can be yellow or chocolate  Labrador Retrievers are intelligent and energetic  They are medium sized dogs  Fully grown sized Labrador Retrievers are about 22.5 in inches  Labrador Retrievers don’t usually weigh over 70 lbs by Michelle Return to Menu

Labrador Retriever  Medium sized  Short thick fur  About 21½ - 23½ inches (female), 22½ - 24½ inches (male)  Kind and stable personalities  Ranging from pounds  Athletic and mostly used as disaster search dogs by Kate Return to Menu

Golden Retriever  pounds  inches  Life span: years  Thick furry coat  Love to retrieve  Color: golden, light, color grays or whitens because of the aging process  Strong, kind, gentle and popular. by Jared Return to Menu

Golden Retriever  Females weigh about 65 lbs. and males weigh about 75 lbs.  Are usually medium in size and 21½-24 in.  Gold in color varying from a white-blonde to a golden brown  Are loyal, gentle, well-behaved, good hunters, alert, resilient, trustful, energetic, and full of spirit  Has a thick coat that dries easily  Are good guide dogs because are dependable, intelligent, great at hearing, seeing, and smelling by Jennifer Return to Menu

Beagle  Weight is about 18 to 30 pounds  Height is about 12 to 15 inches  The country of origin is Great Britain  The life span of a beagle is about 12 to 15 years  They are nice dogs  They are great sniffers  And their coat of fur is brown, white and black by Miguel Return to Menu

Labrador Retriever  Medium sized dog  A male is inches and pounds  A female is inches and pounds  Coat is thick and water resistant  Colors are chocolate, yellow, or black  Personality is gentle by Ari Return to Menu

Labrador Retriever  Labrador Retrievers were originally bred in Newfoundland, but today they are used in the U.S. as service dogs  Labradors have short, dense coats that come in yellow, black, or brown  They’re intelligent and energetic  The full-grown labs are 22.5 in. on average  They weigh lbs. by Lindsay Return to Menu

Golden Retriever  Height, 24 inches  Weight is 70 to 80 pounds  Coat is very rich and wavy  Very gentle and caring  Trained to hunt birds, ducks, rats, and mice  Life span is 12 to 13 years by Hailey Return to Menu

Yorkshire Terrier  Long hair, neat, compact and well proportioned  Blue, black, and tan  Usually does not exceed seven pounds.  Friendly and playful  8-9 inches height  Life span of Yorkshire Terrier is years  Yorkshire Terriers look fancy, but it’s a perky, fun and loving breed. by Cindy Return to Menu

Border Collies  Originated in Scotland and England  They weigh pounds  Their height is inches  Their usual life span is years  They are bred to herd cattle or to dig people out of earthquakes  Obedient, good at tracking and agility  Can be almost any color by Keely Return to Menu

Portuguese Water Dog  Strong swimmers  Dive down to twelve feet  Have webbed feet and curved tail acts as rudder  Male in lbs.  Thick curly hair  Colors, black and white, and brown and white  Descended from sheep dogs by Nicole Return to Menu