Selecting a Service Dog

Service dogs help millions of people all over the world live fuller and happier lives every day. Finding the right service dog to fit into your lifestyle is a big decision. There are many different paths for acquiring a service dog. You can find a dog through a breeder, train your own dog, or use a service that provides trained dogs. The most common method is using a program specialized in partnering up pre-trained service dogs with their new owners. Below we have laid out common steps to expect during this process.

Steps to Getting a Pre-Trained Service Dog

1. Discuss with your healthcare provider. Due to HIPPA protections no one can demand to see any type of medical documentation regarding your disability. However, being willing to discuss your needs with the right people at the right time will only help the process. Additionally, getting documentation and keeping it on your phone discussing the validity of your service dog for a disability is an easy way to deal with people who might challenge your dog performing a certain action in the future. This aspect is a personal choice which should be carefully considered.
2. Prepare for the purchase of your dog. The cost can exceed $35,000. This number may come as a shock, but service dogs provide invaluable and life-saving assistance to their owners. The cost includes the initial training the dog requires. There is financial aid assistance available for some qualifying individuals. Health insurance does not cover the cost of a service dog. 
3. Choose a service dog provider, check their accreditation details, online reviews, reach out to people who have worked with them before, and pay attention to the type of training they provide. Look out for red flags such as use of choke chains or similar hybrids which are extremely inappropriate in a service dog context.  A service dog or parent of a candidate should be so stable in temperament and driven to cooperate that painful corrective tools are not necessary.  The presence of them indicates an issue with the dog or raising methods to produce reliable service dogs who aren’t at risk for developing other issues due to suboptimal raising/ownership practices.
4. Submit an application. There is often a waiting period. The organization will assess your application to determine if you are an eligible candidate. You will be asked to share private information about your lifestyle and disabilities.  All of this information is expected to remain confidential and collected so the supplier of the dog can best help you.
5. Meet with the service dog provider. After your application is approved, meet with the service provider for an interview. In person is preferable, online is now a common option. 
6. Matching with a dog. An organization will help you match with a dog right for your needs. One of the benefits of using an organization is that they do most of the vetting for you. Dogs with health concerns or unstable temperaments should be removed from the training program. 
7. Attend training sessions. Once you have matched with a dog you will begin attending training sessions before bringing them home. These sessions are opportunities to bond with your dog. The organization wants you to learn about your dog’s needs and help support the successful creation of a lifelong team. 
8. Bringing your dog home. When the training process is complete, it is time to integrate the dog into your life. You are not on your own. There should be follow-up support from your provider, and it’s recommended to find a local trainer to assist with proper development in person. Service dogs usually go through eighteen months of initial training. Expect small behavioral changes as the dog fully matures which occurs at around 2.5-3 years old. If the right raising practices are maintained most of these changes will lead to a deeper connection with your dog and functional improvements in the real world.

Drives

Dogs have different drives, and not all are compatible with your needs. A dog’s drive represents its intrinsic motivation and energy level to perform a behavior. Many motivators create different levels of drive. Some breeds are more driven to work and learn than others.  Service dogs need drive to handle their responsibilities. The level of a drive needed from a dog for service work needs to align with needs that help best mitigate a disability and the related lifestyle of its person. 

We analyze drive from two perspectives. First, there is the stereotypical drive of a particular breed or group, like herding or working class. Then there is the drive of an individual dog compared to other dogs of the same breed.

Stereotypical Breed Drives

High drive-Herding and working dogs like German Shepherds are considered high drive. Dogs with a high drive require a lot of exercise and mental stimulation. Due to their innate motivation to bond and learn, they often make excellent service dogs. This drive is not recommended for inexperienced dog owners if self-training. 

Medium drive- These dogs are well suited for the majority of people and lifestyles. They need exercise but not as much as high drive dogs. 

Low drive– very cooperative and docile. May not have enough drive to meet the requirements of a service dog.

Within each breed, individual dogs have different levels of drive. Our general advice is to try and find a service dog with a balanced high/medium drive. You want to find a middle ground where the dog is stable and not overexcitable. A dog with ample energy and desire to learn and bond with its person while retaining self-control. For example, the best service dog candidate for a German Shepherd generally has a medium/low drive compared to other German Shepherds. Similarly, the ideal Golden Retriever candidate would likely have a higher drive than other dogs of the same breed.  These are not hard rules but helpful tips to consider. 

• Alert
• Friendly
• Curious
• Confident
• Strong Eye Contact
• Willing to Please
• Emotional Intelligence
• Inhibition
• Focus on its Partner
• Responsiveness to their Partner
• Emotional Intelligence
• Ability to Problem Solve Independently
• Ability to Learn & Retain Commands
• Ability to Maintain Skills in Different Public Settings

* One of the many benefits to purchasing a pre trained service dog is that the supplier will ensure your dog possesses as many of these traits as possible. 

In service work, some breeds are better suited for certain disabilities than others. For example, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is not the right selection for someone with mobility issues due to its size.  This list provides a list of breeds who possess inherent traits that are most likely to help you reach your goals.  Breed is super important factor to consider but not the end all. The traits of an individual dog aligning with your needs from start to finish are more important. Selecting an appropriate breed for you helps set up for success.  And there are always exceptions.  From pit bulls to chihuahuas, almost all breeds have individuals who are successfully operating as service dogs right now. 

• German Shepherds– smart, well behaved, easy to train, commonly used for mobility assistance due to their size and strength, Low/Medium drive German Shepherds make better psychiatric service dogs than high drive.
• Golden Retrievers-consistent temperament, intelligent, docile, friendly, desire to learn, very energetic.  Widely considered one of the easiest breeds to self train.
• Labrador Retrievers– consistent temperament, balanced traits. Known for assisting visually or hearing impaired, fetching items for owners.
• Bernese Mountain Dogs– strengths include problem solving, retrieving, opening doors, mobility assistance, patience and calm disposition.
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel– energetic, commonly used as therapy dogs, requires quality training to avoid barking in public areas, and requires less exercise than other breeds making them a candidate for those with busy lives at home or work.
• Poodles– known to help those with diabetes, PTSD, or epilepsy, due to size less helpful with mobility issues. 

Tips to Selects a Service Dog for Self-Training

Consider your capabilities as a dog trainer if you plan to self-train your service dog. The big benefit to training your own dog is developing the bond at a young age with your pup. 

• Find a breeder with experience breeding and training service dogs. Breeders are busy and may not be able to meet your expectations for extra help. However, their advice, support, and care to see you be successful with your dog is an invaluable resource.
• Establish a strong level of trust in the breeder you choose. Ask questions about their practices and expect to answer questions about yours. You are relying on them to provide extraordinary care and make important decisions.
• Avoid breeders with a “1st pick of the litter, 2nd, etc.”  The best breeders usually provide a couple of choices for a client. Breeders have spent at least eight weeks observing them closely, so they know the pups best and their family tree. They are best equipped to choose a service dog candidate that best fits your needs.
• Choose a breed based on needs related to your disability and lifestyle. Do extensive research and get to know the nuances of the breed.
• Consider the traits of the breed in terms of training. Does your experience as a dog owner align with skills required to train a certain breed? Some are easier to train than others depending on skill level.
• Ensure the pup’s parents are AKC registered, and that they are cleared of abnormal physical and genetic health traits related to vulnerabilities of their breed. Ask to see documentation of testing that has occurred. This also shows the breeder you are likely to be a responsible owner of their pup.
• Be patient. Gaining access to the best-bred candidates often requires a waiting period, sometimes beyond a year.
• Enjoy the process. You are likely getting your service dog at a young age so you can share that part of their life which is fun!!  Do your homework ahead of time so you can be in the moment with your pup and deeply connect.

Acquiring the right service dog requires careful consideration. We hope these tips help guide you in your selection. Create a checklist of your needs and compare it to the capabilities of potential service dog matches. Choose a dog that is right for your individual needs. Owning a service dog brings added responsibility, but the commitment is very rewarding. 

My Experience Getting a Service Dog

As an owner of a pack of three dogs since I was 22, I was confident in my training skills along with a desire to improve. At the time I had a lot of autonomy in my life and expected to for at least a year and a half. These were important factors that gave me confidence in seeking-out a puppy to self-train instead of purchasing a pre-trained service dog. Just like with my other dogs, I wanted to take part in all those special moments during puppyhood with this woof who is expected to be one of the biggest parts of my life in the upcoming decade. 

After falling in love with 101 Dalmatians as a child, I almost made an emotional decision to get a Dalmatian puppy. Looking back, that would’ve been a huge mistake, and I’m not sure the pup would have successfully made it to service dog status. The general characteristics of Dalmatians don’t align with what’s needed from a service dog. 

Due to career ambitions and the expectation of being in sensitive areas frequently, I needed to find the most reliable, well-behaved dog to support me. Finding the right breeder who would help set us up for success. One of my first dogs was a German Shepherd (GSD) whose natural intelligence and ability to read me seemed incredible. Despite initial, emotionally driven thoughts to avoid the breed because I didn’t want anything to “replace” my previous Shepherd. I knew this breed was the right choice for me when self-selecting a puppy to become a service dog. 

Next came finding a reliable breeder. I searched internet forums, reviewed articles, and did significant due diligence. There aren’t many private breeders who explicitly specialize in service dog breeding, raising and training. I got lucky and found an amazing fit with the person I thought would best support my goals and needs. I based my decision on an abundant amount of information on their website explaining the most detailed caretaking practices I had ever read from a breeder. They also provided videos of puppies impressively behaving like fully trained service dogs at only 14 weeks old. 

After many conversations it was clear their values expressed online were authentically represented. In the contract, the breeder had the strongest health guarantees possible, standing behind the dogs produced. I was impressed by their vetting process, they wanted to make sure I would be a responsible owner for the lifetime of their pup. Their process reflected a great amount of care towards the dogs. I believe these standards represent the best practices in the industry and should be something providers and buyers strive for. 

I was told there was a waiting list with no guarantee that the right puppy for my needs would arise from a given litter. That is the truth with biology. Genetics is a mathematical probability at its core, not certainty. I accepted that and committed to getting a dog from this person because I deeply believed it was the right choice for me. In many cases, when getting a puppy or service dog, the best suppliers provide extraordinary attention to each litter and do not over breed their dogs even though they are in short supply.

If choosing this route be patient in getting your pup. It took six months, from the time I was added to the waiting list, until I was united with my dog. During that time, the breeder pointed me towards a lot of information to help me understand why their dogs behaved so amazingly and how I could train mine to do the same. I felt a lot of pressure because I had time restraints due to my career, but all of the extra investment was worth every second.

When my pup was nine weeks old, I flew across the country to meet her, the breeder, and make sure everything looked as advertised in person. I was relieved that everything was in order. I wanted a female due to their smaller size. The beeder said one specifically stood out as a strong candidate for my situation. I went to this breeder because of their expertise in choosing the right pup for me. I was not a service dog expert, and it would’ve been foolish for me to insist on a dog based on their behavior in an hour-long interaction when the breeder had observed them for nine weeks. There is a tremendous amount of trust in the process on both sides. That’s the right way to do it. I returned three weeks later and stayed on the property training with my pup for over a week. I learned how to put into place what I read about and how to attain our future goal of having complete faith in my dog’s ability as a helpful service animal. The process of getting the right service dog puppy for me was mission accomplished! Then began the next huge step to bond, raise, and teach my dog how to operate in the world.