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The Types Of Jobs Dogs Do Great At

We all know that a dog is a man’s best friend, but while dogs are generally known for the lifelong loyalty and companionship they offer, that’s not all that they can do.

Working dogs can effectively learn to put their extraordinary natural abilities to work with intensive training.

This equips them to perform serious jobs in various fields, all of which serve to assist us humans daily.

We share the types of jobs dogs do and excel at in this article.

black and white collie dog looking at camera yellow background

Below are some of the most prominent jobs that our four-legged companions excel at.

The Types Of Jobs Dogs Do Great At

Therapy and Emotional Support

Animal-assisted therapy relies on using trained and certified animals to aid patients along their road to recovery from emotional and psychological trauma.

While almost all domestic animals can be trained to do this job, dogs are generally the most popular emotional support animals (ESAs).

Perhaps it’s their inherently outgoing personalities, or maybe it’s their instinctively supportive nature.

Whatever it is, there’s no denying that a dog makes the perfect animal for emotional support for patients struggling with their emotional and psychological wellbeing.

A therapy dog’s sole purpose is to make you feel better by providing unconditional love, physical comfort, and emotional support when needed most.

It’s just one of the many types of jobs dogs do.

Older man with Animal-assisted therapy relies on using trained and certified animals to aid patients along their road to recovery from emotional and psychological trauma.

Physical Disability Assistance

Service dogs are specifically trained to help people with different disabilities.

Unlike therapy dogs, who focus more on dealing with emotional and psychological pain, service dogs specialize in helping those suffering from physical disabilities and discomfort.

The most common examples of service dogs include hearing dogs for the deaf or hard of hearing, guide dogs for the blind and the visually impaired, mobility assistance dogs for the physically disabled, and seizure dogs for those who have epilepsy. (National Geographic)

little girl with downs syndrome with her therapy dog

Search and Rescue

Pair a working dog’s exceptional sense of smell and direction with their great agility and bravery, and you’ve got yourself a search and rescue dog (SAR) (List25).

Often a fundamental part of law enforcement, these highly trained heroes offer tremendous help in various fields, including avalanche rescue, specialized search, and cadaver tracking, among many others.

They also play a key role in criminal investigations, usually employed to track a missing person or object.

rescue dog searching snow

Detection Work

Among other things, K9s are trained to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their search for drugs, explosives, concealed weapons, blood, human remains, and other crime scene evidence.

Known for their extraordinary sense of smell, some detection dogs can even learn to sniff out diseases like various types of cancer and blood sugar abnormalities.

Commonly used in law enforcement, wildlife biology, and health care, a detection dog is basically a jack of all trades with a master’s degree in sniffing arts.

K9 medic unit assisting medics

Herding Cattle and Sheep

Do you know how usually that one dog at the park won’t stop barking and running around in circles?

Well, their herding DNA probably tells them to round up the rest of the dogs.

Herding dogs are specifically bred to work with various types of livestock. These highly energetic pups tirelessly run circles around the herd, moving them in an orderly fashion to their grazing pastures and then back to their appointed barns and shelters.

Since they’re pretty much born for the job, herding dogs operate mostly on instinct and typically require little training to hone their innate skills before they can become expertly keep hundreds of rebellious cattle and headstrong sheep in check.

Herding dog specifically bred to work with various types of livestock, these highly energetic pups tirelessly run circles around the herd, moving them in an orderly fashion to their grazing pastures and then back to their appointed barns and shelters.

Livestock Guarding

Like most animals, dogs have strong, protective instincts, which is why it comes as no surprise that farmers who raise valuable livestock often recruit guardian dogs to chase off coyotes, wolves, and other imposing predators who come sneaking under cover of darkness looking for a delicious meal.

Instead of herding the animals, guard dogs fiercely protect the livestock like they’re their own puppies.

Because they’re required to keep a watchful eye around the clock, you’ll often find that the dog breeds commonly used for livestock guarding typically have thick double coats that enable them to live outdoors in cold weather like the Great Pyrenees Dogs and the Komondors.

dog grazing with goats he is herding

Our dogs will always stare at our food longingly at dinner, jump on us enthusiastically the minute we walk through the door, and bark excessively at every squirrel they see at the park.

But as you can see, we can count on our furry companions to do a lot more than that.

What’s even more impressive is that many other jobs beyond this list working dogs can perform, such as delivering medications and supplies to remote towns and even acting!

Isn’t it amazing what our canine companions can do?

Can you think of other types of jobs dogs do and are great at?

About Julee: Julee Morrison is an experienced author with 35 years of expertise in parenting and recipes. She is the author of four cookbooks: The Instant Pot College Cookbook, The How-To Cookbook for Teens, The Complete Cookbook for Teens, and The Complete College Cookbook. Julee is passionate about baking, crystals, reading, and family. Her writing has appeared in The LA Times (Bon Jovi Obsession Goes Global), Disney's Family Fun Magazine (August 2010, July 2009, September 2008), and My Family Gave Up Television (page 92, Disney Family Fun August 2010). Her great ideas have been featured in Disney's Family Fun (Page 80, September 2008) and the Write for Charity book From the Heart (May 2010). Julee's work has also been published in Weight Watchers Magazine, All You Magazine (Jan. 2011, February 2011, June 2013), Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine (Oct. 2011), Red River Family Magazine (Jan. 2011), BonAppetit.com, and more. Notably, her article "My Toddler Stood on Elvis' Grave and Scaled Over Boulders to Get to a Dinosaur" made AP News, and "The Sly Way I Cured My Child's Lying Habit" was featured on PopSugar. When she's not writing, Julee enjoys spending time with her family and exploring new baking recipes.
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