A working animal is an animal , usually domesticated , that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks . They may be close members of the family , such as guide dogs or other assistance dogs , or they may be animals trained to provide tractive force , such as draft horses or logging elephants . They may also be used for milking or herding , jobs that require human training to encourage the animal to cooperate . On rare occasions , wild animals may be not only tamed , but trained to perform work , though often solely for novelty or entertainment purposes , as such animals tend to lack the traits of trustworthiness and mild temper that characterize the true domesticated working animal . A working rat is any rat which is trained for specific tasks as a working animal .
A working animal is incapable of being trained.