Working DogsMore 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 DogsDisaster 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.

by Nora, Jared, Keely and Kate

Return toMenu

Fire DogsFire 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.

by Brendan, Adam and Emily

Return toMenu

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.

by Ari, Jennifer, and Matthew H.

Return toMenu

Police DogsPolice 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.

by Megan, Jack and Liam

Return toMenu

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.

by Miguel and Hailey

Return toMenu

Service DogsService 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.

by Ella, Kendall, Lindsay and Matthew S.

Return toMenu

Therapy DogsTherapy 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.

by Ricky, Cindy and Jake

Return toMenu

Water Rescue DogsWater 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.

by Katie, Nicole, Karen and Michelle

Return toMenu

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 toMenu

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 toMenu

German Shepherd German shepherds

weigh 75-95 pounds 22-26 inches high Life span 12-13 years Strong, agile and alert Medium coat length Brown, black and

peach color fur

by Nora

Return toMenu

German Shepherds Strong, handsome, athletic Alert, well balanced, fearless,

smart Male, 24-26 inches high,

female, 22-24 inches high,75-95 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 toMenu

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 toMenu

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 toMenu

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 toMenu

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 toMenu

Bloodhounds Large hound dog in the sporting group Wrinkled face 23-27 inches tall 80-110 pounds Used as hunting dogs since 8th 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 toMenu

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 toMenu

German Shepherd Height 22-26 inches Alert, not very hostile 75-95 pounds in weight Is not timid, fearless Pointed ears, short hair Black, grey, tan, white,

cream or a combo

by Matthew H.

Return toMenu

German Shepherd 75-95 pounds 22-26 inches Medium sized Large and athletic Good sense of smell

and sight Ideal for police dogs Loving and friendly

by Megan

Return toMenu

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 toMenu

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.-24.5 inches

Labrador Retrievers don’t usually weigh over 70 lbs

by Michelle

Return toMenu

Labrador Retriever Medium sized Short thick fur About 21½ - 23½ inches

(female), 22½ - 24½ inches (male)

Kind and stable personalities

Ranging from 55-80 pounds

Athletic and mostly used as disaster search dogs

by Kate

Return toMenu

Golden Retriever 55-75 pounds 21.5-24 inches Life span: 12-13 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 toMenu

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 toMenu

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 toMenu

Labrador Retriever Medium sized dog A male is 22.5-24.5 inches

and 55-70 pounds A female is 21.5-23.5

inches and 55-70 pounds Coat is thick and water

resistant Colors are chocolate,

yellow, or black Personality is gentle

by Ari

Return toMenu

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 55-70 lbs.

by Lindsay

Return toMenu

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 toMenu

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 14-16 years Yorkshire Terriers look fancy,

but it’s a perky, fun and loving breed.

by Cindy

Return toMenu

Border Collies Originated in Scotland and

England They weigh 25-50 pounds Their height is 18-22 inches Their usual life span is 12-14

years They are bred to herd cattle or

to dig people out of earthquakes

Obedient, good at tracking and agility

Can be almost any colorby Keely

Return toMenu

Portuguese Water Dog Strong swimmers Dive down to twelve feet Have webbed feet and

curved tail acts as rudder Male 20-23 in. 42-60 lbs. Thick curly hair Colors, black and white,

and brown and white Descended from sheep

dogs

by Nicole

Return toMenu