Our History
The International Working Dog Breeding Association (IWDBA) was organized in 2005 to support professional education and interaction regarding Applied Science, Veterinary Care and Husbandry, and Program Management issues related to the Selective Breeding, Rearing, and Assessment of dogs involved in working occupations. The IWDBA is organized as an association of individuals and organizations involved or interested in one or more aspects of selecting, assessing, breeding, whelping, caring for, training, and managing activities related to the production of working dogs for employment in one or more of the working dog occupations. These individuals include scientists, veterinarians, managers, training and assessment personnel, handlers, end-users of trained dogs or their services, and others. The canine occupations include those related to substance detection using the scent of smell, police and military work, service as guides for people with hearing, sight, or other impairments, and service as assistance dogs for people with physical or other impairments.
The IWDBA and its loosely-affiliated predecessor hosted the 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007 International Working Dog Breeding Conferences, and is planning another meeting for May 2009 in Ieper, Belgium. Please visit our Conferences Section for information regarding our past Conferences, and visit our Information Section for more information about IWDBA.