05/09/2026
🐾 We really need to talk about working breeds…
One of the things I find quite sad is seeing dogs described as “too much”, “crazy”, “obsessive” or “impossible to tire out” when quite often, they’re actually just doing exactly what generations of breeding have designed them to do.
A Spaniel wants to search and flush. A Collie notices movement and may naturally want to control it. Retrievers have been bred to pick things up and carry them, and Terriers were bred to chase, dig and investigate.
Obviously every dog is an individual, but genetics really do matter.
And something I don’t think everyone necessarily realises when choosing a puppy is that there can also be a big difference between different lines of the same breed.
Take Cocker Spaniels as an example.
A show-line Cocker and a working-line Cocker are both Cocker Spaniels, but they haven’t necessarily been bred with exactly the same priorities.
Working Cockers have traditionally been selected for things like stamina, speed, searching, flushing and working closely alongside their handler. So you can end up with an incredibly busy little dog who wants to use their nose, investigate absolutely everything and keep going!
Show-line Cockers have generally been bred more towards appearance and conformation. That certainly doesn’t mean they’re lazy or don’t have Spaniel instincts — far from it — but on average you may not see quite the same intensity of working drive.
And it isn’t just Spaniels.
A working-line Labrador bred for field work can be quite different in drive and energy from a Labrador predominantly bred from show lines.
A working Border Collie who has generations of livestock work behind them may be incredibly sensitive to movement and have a very strong desire to control it, compared with some Collies bred more towards showing or companionship.
Of course, even puppies within the same litter can be completely different, so breed and breeding line are never a guarantee of exactly what dog you’re going to get. But they can tell us quite a lot about the traits that dog may be more likely to have.
And this is why I think researching the dog you’re thinking of bringing home is so important.
Not just what they look like.
Not just their size.
But what were they actually bred to do? What are the parents like? Are they working lines? What sort of mental and physical outlets is this dog likely to need? And does that genuinely fit with your life?
Because those instincts don’t suddenly disappear just because that dog now lives in a family home.
Behaviour is one of the biggest reasons dogs are relinquished to rescue in the UK, and some UK research has suggested around a third of relinquishments are linked to behaviours owners are struggling with.
What we don’t have is a reliable figure telling us exactly how many of those dogs are working breeds whose needs simply weren’t understood before they came home — and I don’t want to make up a statistic that doesn’t exist.
But sadly, trainers and rescues do see this kind of mismatch.
And this is the bit that gets to me.
The dog hasn’t done anything wrong.
They didn’t choose their genetics or the lifestyle they ended up living in. They’re simply being the dog we humans spent generations breeding them to be.
So rather than constantly trying to stop all of those behaviours, perhaps we need to look at what our dog is actually trying to do and find appropriate ways of letting them do some of it.
And no, that absolutely does NOT mean everyone with a working breed needs to suddenly start working sheep or spending their weekends at gun dog trials! 😂
There are so many little things we can incorporate into normal life.
You could hide treats or toys in long grass and let your Spaniel search them out.
Let your Retriever carry something on their walk, or teach them to retrieve different objects.
Give your Terrier somewhere they’re genuinely allowed to dig!
Scent work, tracking, hide and seek, scatter feeding, problem-solving games, trick training, agility, searching games and little training challenges around the house can all give dogs opportunities to use their brains and bodies in ways that make sense to them.
Even something as simple as a cardboard box filled with scrunched-up paper with treats hidden inside can be great fun.
And another thing I think is really important — please don’t feel that owning a working breed means you need to exercise them until they collapse!
Sometimes we accidentally create an athlete who needs more and more exercise just to feel tired.
Learning to relax, settle and switch off is an incredibly important skill too.
For me, it isn’t about creating an exhausted dog. It’s about trying to create a fulfilled dog whose needs are being met, while also teaching them the skills they need to live happily within our world.
So if you’re thinking about bringing a dog into your life, look past that gorgeous little face for a moment. ❤️
Research what they were bred for. Ask about the parents and the lines they come from. Speak to people who genuinely understand the breed and think carefully about whether those traits will fit your lifestyle not just now, but for the next 10–15 years.
And if you already live with that whirlwind of a Spaniel, the Collie who notices absolutely everything that moves, or the Terrier who is convinced every hedge contains something fascinating… try not to see those things as faults.
They’re part of who your dog is.
We can teach them boundaries. We can teach them life skills. We can absolutely help them learn how to cope in our world.
But we can also cherish the dog underneath all of that and give some of those wonderful instincts somewhere appropriate to go.
Because quite often, the thing that drives us slightly mad is also part of what makes that dog so wonderfully them. ❤️🐾
Cherish the dog in front of you, not just the dog you expected them to be.
— The Ethical Dog Trainers Network
www.ethicaldogtrainers.co.uk
