working dog

noun

: a dog suitable by size, breeding, or training for useful work (such as draft or herding) especially as distinguished from one suitable primarily for pet, show, or sporting use

Examples of working dog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As each dog learns to herd and manage livestock, progress is measured through a series of real-world challenges that test skill, instinct, and partnership, culminating in a final working dog competition where one is crowned Wonder Dog champion. —Peter White, Deadline, 7 May 2026

Wolves killed or injured 42 head of livestock and one working dog during the last biological year, according to the annual report. —Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 7 May 2026

Back then, stray dogs mingled with working dogs and beloved pets, roaming the city, eating abundant quantities of garbage, and becoming in the process a symptom of the growing city’s chaos. —Rachel Sugar, Curbed, 8 Apr. 2026

The emphasis is more on their functionality as a working dog, rather than their breed. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for working dog

• analog
• analogue
• catalogue
• decalogue
• demagogue
• dialogue
• epilogue
• homologue
• monologue
• pedagogue
• synagogue
• tagalog