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Loyal and affectionate, working dogs can be trusted guardians. They are friendly and affectionate by nature towards those who are part of their family circle, and usually prove amenable to training. Bear in mind, however, that male dogs of these larger breeds often grow considerably larger than bitches and can be rather more assertive by nature as well. Aside from exhibiting your dog, depending on the breed you choose you may even be able to take part in sled-racing competitions with your pet, helping to keep both of you fit. Sled dogs do need thorough grooming, but a number of the other working breeds are shorthaired, so that coat care in such cases is relatively straightforward. It is very important to investigate the individual origins of a particular breed of interest, as members of this group can be quite diverse in terms of their ancestries and tenperament. The large size and strength of many working breeds means that controlling them on a lead may be difficult. They also have correspondingly large appetites, making them relatively coatly to keep, and cleaning up after them can be a considerably more daunting task than poop-scooping after a terrier, for example. Also, as is usual for large dogs generally, their maximum lifespan is likely to be shorter than that of smaller breeds, rarely exceeding ten years.
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