The short answer is Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers. There are exceptions of course. Dogs from the Working group are easy to train but tend to be protective. Field dogs tend to more interested in their environment than people. Small dogs can’t pick up large objects or pull wheelchairs. Large dogs are hard to put under a table in a restaurant or out of the way on a bus or plane. A good Service Dog is not protective, is people oriented, is not overly active, and is confident but not dominate or submissive. Service dogs should not require complex grooming.
What breeds make good Hearing Dogs?
Since most Hearing Dogs are rescued from shelters, most of them are mixed breeds. They come in all different sizes, shapes, and colors. The great majority of Hearing Dog applicants request small to medium sized dogs, so most Hearing Dogs are Sheltie size or smaller. In addition to size, personality and temperament are important for a Hearing Dog. They must be energetic, ready to work in an instant when a sound occurs. They must be friendly and people oriented. Because of these requirements, a lot of Terrier mixes are used along with various combinations of Poodles, Cockers, Llasa Apsos, Shih Tzus,Chihuahuas.
Why shouldn't an Assistance Dog be protective?
An Assistance Dogs job is to make a disabled individual more able, not to protect them. The dog’s presence is a natural deterrent. Because disabled people take their Assistance Dogs into public places and many are not able to physically restrain their dogs, the Assistance Dog must be safe for the public. Many dogs, especially working breeds, will sense their owner’s disability and their vulnerability. These dogs can learn on their own to protect at inappropriate times. This can be compounded by an individual who doesn’t recognize that they are unconsciously encouraging this behavior.
How long does it take to train a Service Dog?
Assistance Dogs International approximates 120 hours over 6 months. A well-trained Service Dog should be trained 1 to 2 hours per day over 6 months – in other words 180 to 360 hours.
I think it would be cool to be able to take my dog out in public. How do I do this?
Remember that no dog has access rights – only people have access rights. In most countries and States only 3 groups of people are legally allowed to take trained dogs out in public:
- people with disabilities partnered with assistance dogs
- professional trainers of assistance dogs for people with disabilities
- civil service providers on the job, such as police, fire and customs inspectors.
No one in these three groups is legally allowed to take their “pet” or “pet therapy” dogs out in public.