Service Dogs

This is a highly subjective way of looking at potential characteristics of breeds; but it is a good place to start.

Group 1: High reactivity, low trainability, aggressiveness:

Lhasa Apso, Pomeranian, Maltese, Cocker Spaniel, Boston Terrier, Pekinese, Beagle, Yorkshire Terrier, Weimaraner, Pug, Irish Setter

Group 2: Low trainability: 

English Bulldog, Old English Sheepdog, Elkhound, Bloodhound, Basset Hound.

Group 3: Low trainability, high aggressiveness: 

Samoyed/Malamute/Husky, Sain’t Bernard, Afghan, Boxer, Dalmatian, Great Dane, Chow Chow.

Group 4: High reactivity, aggressiveness:

Shetland Sheepdog, Shi Tzu, Poodle (miniature, toy, and standard), Bichon Frise, Springer Spaniel, Corgi.

Group 5: Low reactivity, high trainability, low aggressiveness: 

Retriever (Labrador, Golden), Newfoundland, Collie.

Others in this cluster (but usually too high-energy): German Shorthaired Pointer, Vizla, Brittany Spaniel, Keeshond, Australian Sheepdog.

Group 6: Very high aggressiveness: 

German Shepherd, Akita, Doberman, Rottweiler. Note that we sometimes use some of these breeds if we are working with an adult.

Group 7: High reactivity, very high aggressiveness: 

Terriers (including Cairn, Highland, Fox, Scottish, Silky, Airedale, and most likely American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier), Schnauzers, Chihuahua, Dachshund.

We consider all of these characteristics and quite honestly, once again, these traits very greatly from litter-to-litter, breeder-to-breeder and there is no definitive way to say - "YES, THESE DOGS ARE THE BEST SERVICE DOGS". Golden Retrievers are one of the better purebred breeds, however, purebred Goldens have high rates of medical complications and much shorter life spans (don't believe us, do some research and you will find that the breed is plagued by common medical complications). We are not big fans of labs because MOST have high energy that is difficult for most homes and handlers to handle. This is mostly to do with the breeders and not just the breed, the breed is common due to price and availability. 

As the list of acceptable and un-acceptable traits shown above states there are many "maybe" breeds. The Old English Sheepdog (low trainability) falls in this in-between space and yet they are one of our favorite. Why? Because of their natural calm demeanor and their desire to be with their human. We see worldwide that OES are trained as champion herding (extremely intelligent) and even water diving dogs. However, we would agree that most pure-bred OES from MOST non-competative US and European breeders are truly dull. We say this with the utmost affection as some of our purebred OES are quite dull. Can they be trained? Yes, of course they can. Is it more difficult? Yes it is. Would they make good service dogs for un-experienced handlers? No, they would not. 

Just like purebred breeders cross male and female who have complimenting attributes, Open Range crosses breeds to accomplish the same. By themselves poodles can be high strung and difficult to manage, but when combined with purebred OES we have complimenting traits and characteristics. 

• Docile OES offsets high-strung Poodles
• Intelligent Poodles offsets the not-so intelligent OES
• Both have non-shedding, low-dander coats

This concept is why it is more than possible to find and place mix-breed pound pups in Service Dog environments. The most important thing to consider when placing a rescue is there developed behaviors (aggressiveness, fear, lack of training, etc.). 

One advantage of mixed-breed dogs is that they’re less likely to have inherited diseases. A recent study of mixed breeds vs. purebreds looked at 24 different genetic disorders. For 13 of the genetic disorders, no difference was found between mixed breeds and purebreds, but purebred dogs were found to be more likely to have 10 of the genetic disorders. Unfortunately, the study focused on the number of diseases rather than the prevalence of each disease, so it's hard to draw firm conclusions, but in general, it does seem like mixed-breed dogs tend to be healthier. In other words, there are some inherited diseases that are just as common in mixed-breed as purebred dogs, but unfortunately, there are many inherited diseases that are much more common in purebred dogs.

A disadvantage of mixed-breed dogs is that we have less information upfront about possible temperament issues, such as aggression. So just as with a purebred dog, any time we consider training a mixed-breed dog, we rely on the temperament test results and the evaluation period to determine whether or not that specific dog is a good candidate for Service Dog work. I once asked the Head Trainer of the biggest Hearing Dogs nonprofit in California if he had some easier way of finding good candidate dogs (even with all our experience, we find it quite difficult). He said that their organization has just as much difficulty as we do, and it's part of the reason why Service Dogs are so rare.

Like Open Range, many Service Dog Breeders specialize in temperament. Open Range goes above and beyond by testing for known and common genetic disorders in the lineage of each breeding pair. As stated above, mix-breed dogs seem to benefit from fewer genetic complications, Open Range goes the distance in our due diligence to get purebred parents with NO genetic traits that lead to common (and un-common) complications.

Hopefully it helps you understand the complexity of choosing a Service Dog but it probably doesn't simplify the process. Here are our key takeaways when search for your perfect service dog:

• Age: we recommend new puppy of 8 weeks if you plan on training yourself
• Size: variable to your needs
• General Temperament: more often than not, should be calm. Sometimes people with public fear, anxiety, or certain PTSD conditions may want a dog that displays confidence in public that is more assertive than some Service Dogs (this is a complex behavior and should be discussed with a professional).
• Aggressiveness: the pup or dog should not show no natural signs of aggression.
• Fear: the pup or dog should not show signs of abuse or fear.
• Energy: for most people the dog should have low energy levels. People with more active lifestyles may want a pup who can keep up.
• Trainability: this attribute is highly subjective and we would say that trainability is simply "intelligence". More important than trainability is your (the "handlers") ability to shape or train their pup. Intelligence is a double edged sword and you should be careful when desiring a super smart dog. Problems with smart dogs: boredom, escaping, breaking in, breaking out, etc. It is best to have a good balance of behavioral traits.
• Last but not least - YOU!!! If you are willing to become an accomplished handler than you can shape a pup in many directions. You can shape out fear, calm a hyper dog, train a slow dog, and much more. You are as dynamic as your dog and you should find a dog that provides you (and your home) balance.