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Mods I don't think this is against rules cuz I'm not really giving super personal info and I just wanna hear opinions rather than start drama or go against rules. - Pretty self explanatory. I'm getting a puppy to train since my current service dog is going to retire soon (NOT LIKE IN GAME DW, she's just getting old </3) and I've only trained my one dog and want to know which pup will work with my level of training needs, activity level, etc. I know I can just Google this but I want peoples' genuine opinions on this rather than AI or articles, and if anyone has a SD and has any recommendations please let me know! Also I get that any dog breed can be a service dog, it's more of an individual thing, but I'm tryn'a find which dog breed's temperment and in general trainability is more suitable for my situation. So basically here's some things about me: - not super strong, so big dogs may be hard to hold for me if they pull (though training can help with this obviously)
- need a dog that can help with psychiatric stuff (not specifying which disibilities I have)
- medium dog size I've found works best for me, since DPT is necessary
- one that can be somewhat active (like goes for regular walks and runs but not extreme) and go to work and my classes with me
- trainibility (sorry if I spelled that wrong) what I mean by this is their typical emperment and disposition.
Feel free to comment, I just want input! ^^ Total Votes: 11
| Golden Retriever : | 4 | 36% | | | Labrador : | 1 | 9% | | | German Shepherd : | 2 | 18% | | | A Mix (comment please) : | 1 | 9% | | | Any Doggo : | 0 | 0% | | | Other (comment!) : | 1 | 9% | | | Great Pyrenees : | 0 | 0% | | | Border Collie : | 0 | 0% | | | Husky : | 0 | 0% | | | Depends : | 0 | 0% | | | Bernese Mountain Dog : | 1 | 9% | | | Beagle : | 1 | 9% | | | Australian Shepherd : | 0 | 0% | | | Blue Heeler : | 0 | 0% | | | Belgian Malinois : | 0 | 0% | | | Boxer : | 0 | 0% | | | Pitbull : | 0 | 0% | | | Pomeranian : | 0 | 0% | | | Poodle : | 0 | 0% | | You have cast your vote. |
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Other: rottweiler mixed with saint bernard "St. Weiler" |
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Darkseeker
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Mix: I currently have a German/Australian Shepherd Mix, and while he isn't a service dog, he was very easy to train & has a calm demeanor (other than during playtime, of course lol). Shepherds in general do great with exercise, though some may need more activity than others. They were bred to be working dogs (as were most on the list), so they do well if they're given a job to do. The only downside is the shedding & maintaining his coat, (he takes a while to groom), but other than that, they're great dogs ^.^ |
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unless you want to listen to the song of the huskies and encounter neighbors then not a husky especially as they have a mind of their own. If you get one then might as well get a second husky. You will need a dog who is calm and focused on the task. It will need to be trained to not get distracted. I would say either germen shepherd or a mix breed. Border collies are meant for herding. In any case make sure to do your research on the dog breeds first, ask questions. |
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Thank y'all so much for the input! This is very helpful (I'm actually taking notes lol). |
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Darkseeker
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Golden retrievers or Labradors are normally easy for training and from what ive seen are both used by many people as service dogs |
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Darkseeker
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hello! i work with animals for a living and see service dogs quite often. most service dogs fall under what are called the 'fab four' breeds - golden retrievers, labrador retrievers, poodles, and collies. other breeds can make excellent service animals as well, but i will say that the best and most well-trained service dogs i've encountered have all been from the fab four breeds. golden retrievers and labradors are extremely loyal and food-motivated (lol), which makes them extremely trainable. poodles and collies are incredibly intelligent and pick up training very fast. i love mixed breeds as pets, but i wouldn't recommend one as a service dog. unfortunately they can be unpredictable in terms of temperment and trainability, especially if coming from a rescue background. that being said, i know of quite a few service dog programs who use golden retriever/labrador retriever mixes, and these dogs are fantastic! trying to train any kind of hound, such as a beagle, as a service dog sounds like a genuine nightmare to me. hounds are lots of fun but they are VERY stubborn and notorious for being difficult to train because of their high tracking and prey drive. in my opinion, your best bet would be a golden retriever, labrador retriever, or a mix of the two. they meet the criteria you listed perfectly, and they are popular as service dogs for a reason. i do want to offer another word of advice - most service dog handlers do not train their own dogs. this is because training a service dog is a multi-year process that requires an extreme amount of dedication and knowledge in order to ensure that the dog is successful. most service dogs start out in homes with puppy raisers, who begin desensitizing them. they then move on to more specific training with different handlers, which involves learning tasks and commands for their specific job. it's not uncommon at all for dogs to either 'flunk out' of their program and be placed in a pet home at any point during the process, or ultimately become a better fit for another set of needs. for example, a dog that is originally planned to be a psychiatric service dog might have qualities and traits that make it better suited for a job as a guide dog. best of luck with your research, and i hope that this was helpful! ^^ |
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Golden Retrievers are pretty good SDs, I voted for them since I would suggest them ¯_(ツ)_/¯ |
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I agree with Honey. It depends on your particular need for an SD. I have a family member that uses border collies for a more medical alert type of SD. They're very smart and very trainable. However, they do have an insane amount of energy. Goldens are a nice option but they are stronger and from experience in vet med, tend to get a lot of ear infections or hot spots that can be recurring and financially expensive due to purchasing of medication. Labs I think would be best as there are many good breeders for them and likely breeders that specifically aim for SDs. My best advice would be to get in contact with a SD training company to talk to them about options. If it is a mental health aid, then they might be able to find you a good match with a pre-trained animal. The certification process for your own trained animal can also be a bit of a 'jumping through hoops' situaiton as well. |
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@Honey and Urux - Thanks so much for your answers! I do agree 100%. I just cannot afford a service animal from other places and people right now, with student debt and lots of other things going on. Reguarding the situation, I have a current medical alert and psychiatric service dog I've trained to help sniff my blood sugar and and alert and do DPT for anxiety attacks and a couple other tasks. Took a couple of years to train her, and it was difficult but we did it together and now she's 7 and still doing it well. Though training never really stops, I still have to go over the basics sometimes, not that she always needs to, but just so she stays sharp. So I have trained my own SD before, and it's just a matter of timing and money. Because I know that service dog training with even me was expensive (excluding the fees for the pupper herself), but at least it's not like $45k at once ^^" So basically, I've decided to get a golden retriever! :) The doggo just needs to be a good candidate, which in my opinion is tough to find. Anyways thanks everyone for responding to this, I appretiate it a lot!! - EDIT: oh, and also, there's no 'certification' or 'registration' for service animals, just so ya know. It's just a matter if they can do obedience tasks along with the tasks to aid the owner's disability and be able to go to public access places safely and professionally. |
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