Working versus sporting versus house dog
Who decides the definition?
I have a Boxer, a breed that was designed to hunt bear.
Sure I do not use my Boxer to hunt bear; but when there is an animal in his territory, he hunts. Be it squirrel, rabbit, cat, or mice, he hunts, the nose to the ground, the shoulders drop and he is off. Sure he has never caught a squirrel or rabbit... yet; I have had to call him off a few; but if he ever did they would be dead. Just ask the mice, or the neighbour's cat. Sure he didn't kill the cat; but it sure was sporting watching them go around, the cat broke for the fence, the Boxer caught him for another go round then the cat went for the fence again, damn near didn't make it, I thought he was coming back in the way the fence shook when the dog hit it. Boxers box, and when the cat hunched its back and hissed, well my boy slapped him across the face... then the game was on! Mice, well, they just become squeak toys that move, when he gets a new squeak toy his objective is to stop the squeak... works on mice too, pound them into the ground with both front feet, rise up on his rear feet and come down. I have taught him that the frogs in the pond and toads in the yard are off limits. There was that one time when he went for a cat hiding in the garden... it wasn't a cat, and he lost; but now when there is a skunk smell, he walks so that he is touching my leg... he learned from one experience!
As for working, you should see him. When I am doing yard work, he is working, moving his bone from here to there, then lay down and think about it, then move it again, same thing with his rawhide. I cannot begin to count how often we will meet on the walk, him going one was on his business, me going the other. At the end of a day I do not know who is more tired, him or me.
My first Boxer was a birder, he would charge out of the house to the feeders looking for birds and squirrels to chase. One winter day I let him in the gate to the backyard and he was off! When I got to the back yard I watched him soar thru the air and grab a Morning Dove in his mouth, he came down, shook his head to kill the bird, then walked around the yard for minutes head held high showing off his bird... doe that make him a birder? All that time practicing with the Frisbee paid off, could he ever jump and twist his body around in the air.
My grandfather had a mixed terrier that would kill Ground Hogs, above and below ground. If the Hog made it to it's hole, Penny would go right down after it.
All dogs hunt, it is sporting to watch them, its just how we define them . And I had an hour to kill during my lunch break with nobody in the office to talk to.
