Working dogs including police, military, search-and-rescue, and herding dogs have specialized enrichment needs driven by high drive and specific task training. Meeting these needs prevents behavioral problems and improves welfare.
Working dogs occupy a welfare space that differs from companion dogs in important ways. Their genetic selection for high drive means that enrichment must be task-oriented, not merely novel or stimulating. A police dog given puzzle feeders designed for companion dogs will not satisfy the working drive that pushes it toward compulsive patrolling or hyperreactivity. The welfare needs of working dogs are also institutional, meaning the organization that employs them bears responsibility for meeting enrichment, veterinary, and psychological needs that in companion dogs falls to individual owners. When working dogs retire, often at 8-10 years old, they face a welfare transition that requires active management to prevent behavioral deterioration.