Why a working life is as good as it comes
A study by Guide Dogs last week concluded that three-quarters of Britain’s pet dogs suffer from poor mental health. The pet industry is now bigger than the working dog world — but it seems it’s not as healthy, mentally or physically.
The Kennel Club lists 38 gundog breeds, and that is without hound, working or pastoral groups. Each group includes serious working dogs such as the border collie, Alaskan malamute and beagle. The vast majority of these breeds are not trained to behave in the way they do, but follow instinct alone. It would be difficult to train an Alaskan malamute to point like the vizsla, for example, or a beagle to herd like the border collie.
Nothing is impossible, but these mental instincts go a long way to making our lives as working dog handlers
