About the IWDA:
We provide tools, educational materials, and training opportunities to assist our members in breeding healthy, behaviorally appropriate dogs ideally suited for performing their work. Our members include professional working dog organizations (from military, guide, detection and assistance fields), sport, show and conservation breeders, academics, veterinarians, breed and sporting clubs and working collaboratives.
IWDA is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors – find out more about our board of directors here.
Latest Knowledgebase Features:
IWDC and Breeder’s Workshop 2025 Schedule Update
Join us as we delve into the schedule of the upcoming International Working Dog Conference and Breeder’s Workshop 2025!
What’s Happening at the International Working Dog Conference 2025?
Join us as we explore some of the highlights of the upcoming International Working Dog Conference!
Building a Healthy Relationship with Your Nonprofit Board – With Laura Edwards
2024 Webinar series recording. Discover the keys to building a thriving partnership with your nonprofit board in this insightful presentation…
The GDBART is a short (10-15 minute) test that is completed in a room. The room is set up in a particular way so that the dog…
Upcoming Events:
IWDA members, enjoy your free access to our webinar series – join us live or watch the recorded sessions afterwards. Log into your Membership area to register.
Our Board of Directors:
IWDA is governed by a Board of Directors that has varied in size over the years. We are proud to have a Board who is dedicated to our mission and contributes to the development of further working dog science and best practice. Our Board represents different countries around the globe, and different specialisations within the working dog industry, which gives the IWDA a well-rounded perspective.
The International Working Dog Conference
Since 1999, the International Working Dog Conference gives working dog professionals and our members the chance to explore and present the latest industry related advancements.
Initially held in San Antonio, Texas, the IWDC is now an international event – we have met in Australia, Belgium, South Africa, France, Canada and Sweden. The challenges of 2021 did not stop us and resulted in a successful virtual conference. Past conferences are now shared through presentations, lectures and resources which are made available to our members in our IWDC Conference Archives.
The International Working Dog Registry
The IWDR is an online database in which users can store and maintain working dog records (including pedigrees, health and working behavior records, production outcomes, work placement details, and more).
The database includes a variety of helpful tools, such as test matings, data collaboration, and estimated breeding value (EBV) calculations for specific health and behavior traits. These tools help you decide exactly which dogs are genetically most likely to produce puppies that will meet your breeding program objectives.
The IWDR is proudly owned by the IWDA, however, registration is separate.
The Early Socialization Project
The Early Socialization Project delivers an extensive socialization guideline for working dog puppies from birth to beyond 9 weeks. This is a user friendly educational resource for working dog breeding programs and organisations aiming for confidence, handler focus, & stable psychological and physiological development in their puppies. Our goal is to provide a step-by-step guide to consistent and reliable results, and therefore give our working dog puppies the best chance of success in their future role.
The Early Socialization Project is a collaboration between the IWDR, Southeastern Guide Dogs, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, and Guide Dogs Queensland.
