Do not get us wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with non-working breeds of dog – the companionship, pet dogs that many of us have. Moreover, in today’s world, most dogs that fall in the working group serve most people as just pets.

Still, we just love working dogs. We love their background, their heritage and their specific skills that make them the best at doing certain tasks and fulfilling certain roles. Without further ado, here are our favorite 21 working dog breeds.

1. Boxer

The Boxer is a breed belonging to the working group which was developed in Germany, bred from Old English Bulldog and the now-extinct Bullenbeisser. The latter were traditionally used in hunting, especially for wild boar, deer and bears.

Over the years, boxers have been used for all kinds of work. For instance, they were used in World War I as attack dogs, messenger dogs, pack carriers and guard dogs. They fulfilled similar roles in World War II and their popularity rose after this particular disaster as many returning soldiers brought their boxers home with them.

Today, these powerful but gentle and smart dogs are used as guard dogs, but also as fire alarm dogs. Due to their gentle nature, they also work as seeing guide dogs. However, they are now mostly “used” and loved as family dogs because of their ability to get along so great with children.