Working Group

In this group – the largest of the six – are to be found a number of interesting breeds. All are herd and guard dogs and come from as far apart as Alaska and Australia. For centuries dogs that tended sheep and herded cattle were of any size, shape or colour and, as long as they were efficient, their appearance was of no particular importance. Different types of farm dog, however, did not evolve by accident; shepherds, farmers, butchers and drovers all bred dogs to suit their needs. A dog used for working sheep could not always control a herd of cattle or take on the tasks of a drover's dog. Shepherds and flockmasters required dogs with stamina that could work long hours, often in difficult conditions. Farmers and butchers who worked cattle needed audacious and quick-witted dogs to deal with lively heifers on the farm or when driving a herd to market. The life of a drover's dog was quite different from that of a sheep or farm dog. Before the introduction of the railway, cattle and sheep were driven hundreds of miles by drovers and their dogs. They came from as far away as Scotland and Wales and were taken to holding areas where they were rested and fattened before being going to the main markets at Barnet, Smithfield, Hereford and Gloucester. The journeys were long and arduous and specially trained dogs, working in packs, would drive the stock by day and guard it at night. The life of a drovers dog was tough and often short, but without them the movement of livestock would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible. In the agricultural world today, machinery takes care of most aspects of farm life but it cannot replace the dog which still plays an active part on many farms around the world. Some of the countries that have their own herding breeds are Australia, Belgium, France, Hungary, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Australia is represented by the Australian Cattle Dog (known also as the Australian Heeler) and the Kelpie, both breeds that are still working actively. Descended from British stock and the Dingo, both are adaptable breeds that not only work cattle and sheep but also horses, goats and other small farm animals. Belgium has the Bouvier des Flandres – a cattle dog – and the Belgian sheepdog. The name Bouvier means 'cowherd' or 'ox drover'. It was a capable breed that worked in Belgium and France. It could drive and protect large herds with little or no assistance from man. In the First World War it became almost extinct as a result of heavy losses while working with the army. Since the Second World War the breed has been re-established and in 1961 the standard for the breed was set. The Belgian Sheepdog has four varieties – the Long-haired Tervuren and Groenendael, the Short-haired Malinois and – rarest of these breeds – the Wired-haired Laekenois. Until the latter part of the nineteenth century all four types were working sheepdogs and guard dogs, but, as the twentieth century approached and transport was developed and improved, their services were no longer required. Nowadays the Tervuren and Groenendael, both popular breeds in Belgium, work for the police and the military as guard dogs. The Beauceron and the Briard come from France. In the early part of the nineteenth century the long-haired Briard and the short-haired Beauceron were considered to be two varieties of the same breed. It was not until 1896 that each was officially recognised in its own right as a distinct breed. Both breeds were sheepdogs and guard dogs; when carrying out the task of a sheepdog they, like other European herding breeds, were capable of managing large flocks with little or no assistance from the flockmasters. The Briard, an ancient breed which goes back to the twelfth century, was used by the military in the First World War. Nowadays, it is still used on the farm for herding and guarding farm property, and also by the police who employ them in different roles. The Komondor, Kuvasz and Puli are from Hungary. The Komondor is of Oriental origin and the ancestors of the Kuvasz are possibly Tibetan; both these medium to large sized dogs are ancient breeds and were used for guarding flocks against predators. The Puli, also an ancient breed, arrived in Hungary with the Magyars about 1000 years ago; the breed was and still is used on the plains to herd and guard the flocks. Both the Komondor and the Puli have corded coats, the former is white – like most large protective breeds – and the latter is black. The Polish Lowland Sheepdog, known in its own country as Polski Owczarek Nizinny, is not unlike the Bearded Collie in appearance. Originally a herding dog, mainly in the southern part of Poland it declined in numbers during the Second World War. Since then the breed has been saved from extinction and is today an efficient worker and reliable pet. Sweden's herding dog the Vastgotaspet or the Swedish Vallhund, came originally from the province of Vastgotaspetsen in south-west Sweden. There are similarities between the Vallhund and the Pembroke Corgi not only in appearance but also in working characteristics. The Vallhund is an ancient breed and is believed to have been used by the Vikings and brought by them to the British Isles. It is also possible that a corgi-type dog was imported to Sweden as long ago as the eleventh century. In the United Kingdom there are nine herding breeds: – the Bearded Collie or Beard, the Border Collie, the rough and smooth Collies, the Lancashire Heeler, the old English Sheepdog, the Shetland Sheepdog and the Cardigan and Pembroke Corgis. All these breeds have stamina and a natural herding ability which enabled them to fetch and drive either cattle, sheep or ponies from the pastures or markets, thus saving the farmer from taking on extra labour. Today none of these breeds is working regularly except for the Border Collie, which is still to be seen on farms and smallholdings. Guard dogs have existed for centuries – guarding being one of a dog's most natural instincts – but it is only within the last hundred years that particular attention has been paid to evolving certain breeds for this purpose. In the nineteenth century poaching in Britain was a serious problem on many country estates and was punishable by death. Many gamekeepers feared for their lives as poachers would kill rather than take the risk of being caught. In the 1850's the Bullmastiff – a cross between the Mastiff and the Bulldog – was bred and developed to assist gamekeepers with their tasks. It was a fast, agile dog that was a silent worker, capable of stopping its victims without attacking. Although used originally by gamekeepers for guarding and protecting, since the early part of the twentieth century it was used by the police and the military as a guard dog. In the last fifty years German breeds have become dominant as guard dogs: the German Shepherd, the Rottweiler and the Boxer – once herding breeds – and the Dobermann. They have replaced British breeds which are seldom used nowadays. The working group would not be complete without mention of the Spitz group of northern dogs, the Pyrenean and the breeds from Switzerland. All these animals worked in difficult and treacherous conditions as draught dogs, mountain guides and guard dogs. The Spitz breeds include the Alaskan Malamute, the Samoyed, the Eskimo Dog and the Siberian Husky. The Malamute is considered to be the national dog of Alaska, a kindly dog and companion that has lived and worked with the Mahlemut Indians in the Alaskan territories of north west Canada. It is the largest and strongest of this group of four. A tireless worker that was adept at pulling heavy loads in temperatures well below zero. The all-white Samoyeds lived with the Samoyed people, after whom they are named, in northern Siberia. The tribe used them for herding and guarding reindeer. The breed was chosen by the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen in the Arctic and by Captain Robert Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton on their expeditions in the Antarctic. The Eskimo dog, from Greenland and Canada, has been used by the Inuits – north American Eskimos – for over a thousand years. A fine sled-dog, it is used for pulling heavy loads and hunting. The Siberian Husky was the sled-dog of the Chukchi people, a nomadic tribe in the wastelands of Siberia. The Siberian Husky is a team dog and was used successfully by prospectors during the Alaskan gold rush. Since early in the twentieth century the breed have been used for sled-racing. It is now a popular sport and takes place in several countries around the world. Records show that the first team of Huskies to race in America were brought from Siberia in 19O9 and entered in the All Alaska Sweepstake race, which they won. The first international race for Huskie sled-dog teams took place in Russia in the early part of 1996. The event which is to be held annually, was staged between Moscow and St. Petersburg, a distance of 900 kilometers. Seven teams from western Europe participated, one of which, an Italian team, was the victor. The Pyrenean Mountain dog is an ancient breed that worked in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, protecting and guarding shepherds and their flocks. Like other protective breeds that worked alone above the snow line, they are invariably white. This colouring gave them a certain protection against brigands, but not necessarily against wild animals. Switzerland has a number of breeds in the working group: they are the Saint Bernard and the Swiss Mountain Dogs. The Saint Bernard, used for rescue work in the Swiss Alps, was bred by the monks in the Hospice du Grand Saint Bernard. There are four types of Swiss Mountain Dogs: the Bernese, the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, the Appenzell and – the smallest of the four – the Entlebuch. All are black and tan with white markings and are descended from dogs introduced into Switzerland by the Roman Legions. The breeds in this group must surely be regarded as the all-rounders of the canine world, considering the number of specialised tasks they undertook. Owing to the nature of their work, they have become closely associated with man; this has led to a tendency to become one-man dogs, a trait to be found in many working breeds throughout the world to this day. Rosamund Walters.