work dog
nounEtymology From work + dog.
1
A working dog; a dog breed created to perform specific tasks (e.g. herding).
- Wisps of straw stuck in the workdog’s coat, mud was on her feet, she reeked of cow.1944, Emily Carr, “The Cousins’ Bobtails”, in The House of All Sorts:
- Roy is my best work dog, a real powerhouse. He is very intelligent and I can trust him to do anything — whether it’s bringing in the big aggressive male sheep […] or gently catching a baby lamb who’s become separated from its mother.2012 April 13, Emma Gray, “Love me, love my dogs”, in The Daily Mail:
2 more examples
- Border collies are the only dogs I like. […] They are work dogs, not lap dogs.2013 August 26, Dan Nosowitz, “I Met the World’s Smartest Dog”, in Popular Science:
- He's such a good dog. He's headstrong and incorrigible and relentless and I love him for it. He's half French Briard and half Maremmane, the South Tuscan sheepdog. So he's all workdog and smart as a whip.2015, Stephen Sumner, Phantom Pain: A Memoire: It’s All in Your Head: