26 breeds comprise the Working Dog Group. That designation says it all: these are dogs with a job to do, whether it is pulling a sled in the Iditarod or rescuing a swimmer at the local beach. Over all, they are large dogs bred for specific skills and the intelligence to apply those skills correctly. They are often highly independent, which enables them to assess new situations and apply their knowledge intelligently.

The 26 working breeds are as follows:

Akita
Alaskan Malamute
Anatolian Shepherd
Bernese Mountain Dog
Black Russian Terrier
Boxer
Bull Mastiff
Doberman Pinscher
Dogue de Bordeaux
German Pinscher
Giant Schnauzer
Great Dane
Great Pyrenees
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
Komondor
Kuvasz
Mastiff
Neopolitan Mastiff
Newfoundland
Portuguese Water Dog
Rottweiler
Saint Bernard
Samoyed
Siberian Husky
Standard Schnauzer
Tibetan Mastiff

Broadly speaking, working dogs perform jobs in the following categories:

• Scent detectors: dogs trained to identify particular smells to aid law enforcement find illegal materials (drugs or arms) or to locate people in need of help (e.g. earthquake rescue).
• Assistance dogs: animals trained to aid people with specific disorders or handicaps.
• Guard dogs: trained to provide personal or property protection on command or when situations arise that warrant the dog's action.
• Hunting dogs: retrievers and terriers trained to assist the hunter.
• Therapy dogs: Serene animals trained to provide gentle reassurance to patients in clinical settings.
• War dogs: used as far back as Ancient Rome, these dogs detect mines and enemy soldiers.
• Police dogs: specially trained to assist law enforcement officers in all aspects of their duties.
• SAR dogs: Search And Rescue dogs who have been trained to work in often precarious situations to find humans in need of assistance, often in life and death situations.
• Water rescue dogs: animals who excel at swimming, often in treacherous waters, trained to rescue people and bring them to shore.
• Guardians: Large dogs who protect livestock from predators.