The BEST Breeds For Service Dog Work

[@DoggyU]

What's your favorite breed for service dog work? Want to learn more about my new puppy? 🐶Watch this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmTNnputeMh_mJY My FREE and Low-Cost Training Resources 👇: 🦮 Service Dog 101 Course: courses.doggyu.com/p/service-dog-101 🐕‍🦺 Behavior Interruptions & Alerts Course: courses.doggyu.com/p/bia 👉🏽 Sign Up For my FREE Dog Training Foundations Mini-Course: www.doggyu.com/ 🎉 JOIN the DOGGY•U Community! (150+ Exclusive Training Videos!) patreon.com/doggyu

[@erinheathermcintyre5063]

@@DoggyU what's my favorite breed to work with for SD??? Jeepers creepers, I'm on my first SD so it would have to be the breed I have now a Rhodesian Ridgeback x English Mastiff. But I don't know what I'll have next (lol definitely not a lab though) Being a trainer who has world's of time 99% of ppl don't have or even want to spend on training. I like a challenge that is still achievable. I'm on my first SD so I'll probably change my mind 100x before I need my next SD. I know next year I'm getting a Malinois but for PSA and IGP. Who knows where my head will be when Cricket 🦗🐾 is ready to retire I still got lots of time to think about it. I can't really judge other breeds for SD. Like a car, I'd have to work with a bunch of breeds doing SD to make a far call, with me only 2 years into life with a SD

[@coor0kun]

LABS!! Of course I'm over here obsessing over Labs in all your recent videos 😂

[@DoggyU]

@@coor0kun haha love it!

[@Scarletlight525]

I have a Belgian Tervueren, which are my favourite for the right handler. But for others I usually actually recommend standard poodles. I both knew what to look for and had some luck in finding my dog. His breeder has been going for nearly 30 years and has great success predicting the temperaments of their puppies. I get some of that scary dog privilege, but with little to no actual scariness! Yes, he has a big bark, but believe me in an actual emergency he'd use me as a human shield! And I'd let him 😂

[@khanhhm5762]

Personally for me, for guide work, i'm a German shepherd girl, hands-down. But for service work that isn't guide related for me, I currently have a rat terrier. I'm not sure that that will always be my breed of choice because there are other breeds that I really love, so… Who knows… I thought this was a great video. I thought you did a great job talking about why labs and goldens Are generally very successful as service dogs. They aren't for me, though my first dog was a little black lab, my second dog was a lab/golden cross, and I do like both breeds, I just don't personally want them as part of my life. Having said all that, I recognize that every person has very individual needs and experiences, so what works for me isn't going to work for the next person.

[@frankcohen7881]

Needed this affirmation that I made the right decision. I have an amazing yellow English female lab that was bred for service.

[@DoggyU]

I'm so glad you have a lovely little lab to work with! They really are nice dogs!

[@coor0kun]

Service bred Labs are so amazing!! Bench and field bred are so different - also lovely (I have a rescue field bred pet Lab), but service bred lines get the best of both worlds!

[@portablegrump]

Getting a Golden Retriever as my SDIT has been the best decision I've made. He's been flying through his classes and loves to work, he gets so excited when he sees his vest. Would 100% recommend a well-bred health tested golden.

[@DoggyU]

Love it! So glad you're having such an awesome experience with your pup!

[@mobstercrow7515]

My therapist has a golden that is in training to become a therapy dog, he's about a year old I think. I have a standard poodle that is in training to be a service dog (almost done with training) he's 7 months old and he gets along well with the golden. They lay next to each other and sleep during my entire therapy session. Sometimes they play with toys together during our session. Watching dogs play and chill together is the best therapy ever. Talking with a therapist has never helped anything for me, I've had at least 36 therapists since I was 3 (I'm 18 now), none of them have ever helped. Seeing my therapists dog getting along with my dog really makes me happy and it bring a huge smile to my face, I don't know what I would do without them.

[@SomeoneBeginingWithI]

If you're considering getting a german shepherd in the UK, particularly for medical alert, be aware that ambulance personnel (at least in some areas of the country) have been trained not to touch or approach a patient who has a german shepherd as their assistance dog. They're supposed to call the police to get a police dog handler out to ensure the dog is under control before approaching the patient. This is because of concern that a breed with strong guarding instincts, however well trained, could become protective if their human is incapacitated. If there's a high chance you'll need ambulance care in public, you may be safer if your assistance dog is a retriever, spaniel, or some other breed without a fighting or guarding background.

[@StarkK9Academy]

Wow I didn’t know that! Often policies in UK inspire policies in America and responders do need proper training in how to assess SD, signs of protection, because any dog can go into protection mode out of love for owner so they need to be aware and not assume all SDs are docile.

[@Boone22]

Wow!

[@erinheathermcintyre5063]

Woah that's crazy. But very interesting Being a Canadian we don't have that issue. Only if the GSD is acting in a manner that causes concern if you are in a medical emergency

[@DoggyU]

Wow! Thanks for the info! I'd never heard this before!

[@nadinabbott3991]

I got a rescue. He is succeeding. I am so happy that he is succeeding. He is a mini Rottweiler, all 15 pounds…I need his nose, not anything else. He has alerted now twice mostly within range for blood sugars. But we walked into this with volhard test in hand, and knowing lobo could wash out. Just wanted to share. Been an intense three months now. We started his training the day after he got home. It’s possible…but it’s work. And you are one of my go to channels.

[@jk6919]

My son's current service dog is a Dutch Shepherd mix. She's great and works really hard....but is definitely not the right dog for service work. She just happened to be the dog my son trusts. His service dog in training is a Golden Retriever. We picked Golden over Lab because of the innate kindness of Goldens. The experience of training the two dogs is night and day. His current dog is intelligent, takes to training quickly...and is *always* on. Like most Dutchies, she's just intense. Though she lives to work, it is work. The 8 month old Golden is intelligent, takes to training...and super chill. Plus, many of the tasks we need are just innate. He naturally retrieves and carries, he naturally just settles at our feet, is naturally neutral to friendly with all humans and animals. It's just a totally different experience. Should add, the new dog is from hunter and show champion lines known for disposition and drive, with several working service dogs in the lineage.

[@DoggyU]

Thank you for sharing your experience with the different breeds! I think this is a pretty common experience. That doesn't mean that other breeds *can't* be good service dogs, just that working with natural behavior is generally much easier and can also be easier on the dog as well. It took quite a bit of work to teach my own herding SD to settle, retrieve etc. It just wasn't an innate behavior. She can still do it, but other breeds are easier and likely a bit happier doing it.

[@StarkK9Academy]

The right Dutchie can be an awesome SD as the K9 relationship grows. It’s so much fun to train two different types of dogs at the same time and appreciating their own unique strengths.

[@singlesightart]

10:29 Haha too friendly yes. So all three of my guides (over a 20 year period) have come from The Seeing Eye, my first dog was an EXTREMELY one person black Lab (shepherd in a lab suite as they called her). She didn’t care about other people at all. Dog 2 was my tiny (45lb, 19.5 inch tall shepherd). She liked a few people but was very work focused. She did like food like a lab though. My current dog is another, larger shepherd who is lighter colored and has a broken ear so, extra cute and she looooves people. She’s a lab in a shepherd suit. The gentle leader is still a regular tool after 6 years of work because she’s so friendly. It’s not dangerous , just mildly annoying since my previous two were much less people oriented. I ended up asking the school for a more aloof dog for next time. All that to say if I were owner training and not getting a dog from a scythes breeds and trains its own dogs, a lab would probably be the way I’d go, especially since outside service dog specific breeding colonies, there’s probably a lot more variation in temperament and soundness if you need a SD .

[@zravenwolf1408]

I loved this. I'm in the process of raising and training my first service dog---not a lab or golden, sorry---and despite the fact that I personally don't enjoy living with either breed, they are the number one and two breeds I recommend for service work, or anyone who just wants a good, active family companion. My pup, a year old now, was specifically bred for this. Her mama is intuitive and does natural medical and psychiatric work, but hates being in a car or having strangers near her. She's not aggressive, just miserable, which is why I never trained her. The pup's sire is a retired psychiatric service dog. and is just truly phenomenal. My pup has an almost perfect blend of their traits. All of that being said, I dread that she's so pretty. lol. She's a collie and everyone loves Lassie. It's something I'm already dealing with now. I'd love to be able to place invisibility vests on us both. But, she's super food motivated, toy motivated and social.

[@DoggyU]

Sounds like an awesome prospect (and the one of the mysterious Fab 4 choices LOL!) But yeah, pretty dogs are so annoying (says the pretty dog guardian) 😂

[@ameliacorey3848]

This makes me so happy to hear & to be reaffirmed that my female black lab prospect that I'm getting soon was the right choice. She comes from a fantastic working lab breeder & did amazing through the temperament testing. ❤ Love your channel & how many resources it has given me on my journey to be an owner trainer. This will be my first service dog so having all this content has been crucial for me.

[@DoggyU]

Yay! I'm so glad you're finding my resources useful! Good luck with your new pup! I LOVE black labs. If I didn't film videos for a living, I likely would have gotten a black lab

[@bugbean5500]

The program where my SD is from breeds labs and lab-golden mixes but also works with waterdogs (Portuguese and Lagotto) as non-shedding breeds because they prefer them to Poodles. I was advised to take a retriever but had very good reasons for a fluffy dog so I´m with a Portie now for almost 6 months :-) He´s just a dream dog and very much like a lab in many ways. Not your typical PWD but still he´s much more sensitive than most labs. I was told many times by his trainer that he´s the most easy going and calm PWD they ever had but still... When we´ve been on holidays with other handlers and their lab SDs I completely understood why they are the number one breed for SD work. Not that they did it better, but they needed less attention from their handlers to do so than my PWD. The trainer always says that labs do things as they´re taught to do them whilst the waterdogs are smarter and put way more own thoughts and ideas into it which can be great but also exhausting sometimes. I guess it depends on how much active handling and training you want to do in your everyday life. I´m very happy about him looking so cute and fluffy because people are almost never scared and also public access has not been an issue even in sensitive places so far. That seems to be a huge advantage of the non-shedding breeds because they are perceived as being more hygenic by the public. People interfering with him too much also isn´t an issure but I guess that´s a cultural difference between the US and Europe. It happens, but people here are more reserved in general. And children are just wonderful, I didn´t have a single child run up to him even tough he´s honestly one of the cutest and sweetest dogs I have ever met (and sometimes strangers tell me exactly this without distracting him in any way). So I would never want to have a dog that people think is scary. I don´t like the attention tough and this aspect would be easier with a lab for sure but again, it´s not as uncomfortable here as what you describe in the US. I´m happy with my more maintainance SD breed but I totally get why labs are the best fit for most handlers knowing 10+ teams with labs from the same program so high quality training isn´t a factor because they´re all trained to the same standards. I´d say if there isn´t a very good reason not to go with a lab, go with a lab!

[@DoggyU]

I've trained several porties (not for service work) and they can be such a fun breed! But they tend towards more suspicious/guardy behavior, as is in their breed standard, which can make them unsuitable for service work. I've also trained a few Lagottos and they are REALLY fun, but neither were appropriate for service work. Would love to work with more of them! Glad you got the perfect fit for you! And yes - Europe seems to have much better human behavior around dogs and less entitlement LOL!

[@bugbean5500]

@@DoggyU He´s so much fun for sure! Maybe it´s the blood lines because they get their waterdogs from only three breeders. Nevertheless, my SD´s brother didn´t make it into the program after puppy raising whilst their own bred lab-goldens are suited more than 95% of the time. My dog isn´t guardy/suspicious at all but he picks up on my emotions instantly and it´s possible that he starts to offer blocking behaviors when someone´s making me uncomfortable which isn´t something he was ever taught to do. But he´s totally fine with paramedics, doctors etc. touching me. He is sometimes a bit too friendly because they usually love him and being pet with a high pitch voice is just too much for him to keep his calm 😀 hope you find some suited ones in order to be able to work with them more. I got to know several at the program and they aren´t the easiest to handle but make amazing SDs for certain people.

[@desireeking4556]

I love labs. I was raised around black labs. I only really got into looking into service dogs because I noticed how well behaved and task oriented our newish English lab is. She was rescued from an abusive home and is still so loving and caring. I hope to have a dog like her once I get a job and my own place.

[@ThePyrshepnBelgn]

I have a Belgian Sheepdogs as my service dog. His litter has 3 service dogs in it. They are calmer than most other Belgians. They still aren't really chill, but im really active so it works.

[@reneemckinnon5731]

I have PTSD and mobility issues so I needed scary dog privilege (in my opinion) as well as a dog that can do heavy mobility work as I was told that I’ll probably end up in a wheelchair later in life when I was 12 or 13, and it looks like is going to be the case soon, at least part time. Because of this, I got a bullmastiff/American staffy mix. He’s very friendly and he gets a lot of attention because these types of dogs are very popular where I live and he is quite a handsome boy. I’ve had people wanting to take selfies with him, show him to family members on their video call, take photos and video of us without even asking for permission, and having people do “drive by” pats and scruffing on his head. 😐 It’s extremely frustrating when you’re just out living life and trying to train an SDiT but you get stopped every second step you take around a store. I now only let specific people to interact with him like employees of the store we’re in, dog trainers at the local kennel club, and family. It’s sad that people are so entitled and believe they have the right to do anything they want with your dog, especially a service dog. On a different note: I ended up getting the Petgeek remote reward thing after watching your video on it, and besides the sounds it makes, it’s awesome!🤩 Now I have to work out a way to stop the dreaded sounds even though the dogs love them 😅 Thanks for recommending it, I have so many ideas of how to use it 😊

[@DoggyU]

Yeah the entitlement of the general public can be super frustrating! So glad the Pet Geek is working for you! I wonder if it could be opened and the voicebox taken out LOL!

[@StarkK9Academy]

We have very similar challenges and need, and experiences with some ppl in public not having self control which can trigger many owner/trainers. For me, when ppl cross that boundary I think it’s time for tough therapy challenge that my pup & I will over come and has actually strengthened the both of us, I have to mentally prepare and reframe others entitlement into something that will strengthen and better myself and my pup. I got a Shepherd Mix that I believe is part Mal & Lab.

[@StarkK9Academy]

@@Faithy2222 totally hear ya. I have had to learn to laugh at the idiots. Reframing is key w taking SD in public. Think of it as strengthening you and your dog w dealing w distractions. It all begins with that daily self reflection, am I level or elevated stress/anxiety, if I’m level and just don’t want to deal w ppl I gotta remind myself avoidance is not optional for K9 or me. Sometimes avoidance is what’s needed in avoiding a reactive k9 or person, other times it’s a strengthening exercise just to go to Walmart. 😜

[@reneemckinnon5731]

@@DoggyUI’m going to check it out, I took classes on electronics at school so I should just be able to detach the speaker and it’ll solve the problem 👌🏽 We did one training session with it then I had to leave him home alone for a little bit and when I came home he’d gotten into the kibble container (which was in a closed pantry, he knows how to open some doors), and ate so much that he hasn’t eaten for about three days now. He’s really not himself and I’m just keeping an eye on him for any signs of bloat or anything else like that. 🤞🏽 He’s too smart for his own good sometimes. I’ll let you know how it goes with the button though, I’ll probably film it so anyone else who wants to do it can have a little tutorial Thanks for everything 🫶🏼

[@reneemckinnon5731]

@@StarkK9AcademyI taught my boy the cue “ignore”, he looks straight ahead immediately and disengages with them. People hate it when they hear me use it lol 😂 but it often shuts the idiots up. If I’m standing still I’ll often have him sit or stand between my legs or feet, that way if they do go to touch him their hands are going into sexual harassment territory, I can’t stand people touching my dogs without asking even when they’re pets let alone a working K9 🙄

[@Felix-jo7nj]

personally i never thought much of labs until i did more research and saw show labs, field labs, all the wonderful things they do and even meeting a lab pup that i almost, just almost got myself in trouble for wanting to take home LMAO. i'm still on the fence about whether i'd want to go down the service dog route down the path, but i'd love a black lab (or maybe a poodle) even if i didn't. they're amazing dogs even if goldens aren't too much my speed! i am still sure that the breeds i'd go with for my own personal needs would be the collie (roughs/smoothie), or lab, but i'd certainly wait until i had more space. this video was very helpful in learning more about labs in a perspective i've never thought of before! it also makes me feel like i 100% would go with a bench/show lab. not just for my lifestyle/chronic illness, but i also love their built like a loaf shape :]

[@DoggyU]

haha yes! I love a big blocky head on a bench male!

[@UNbalancedDogTrainer]

I love this! This is like people with certain body types getting recruited for some professional sport. Those individuals are more likely to be successful with the activity.

[@Bre_Ripley]

I’m getting a purebred English lab in 6 months to be my service dog and I can’t wait!!!!!

[@DoggyU]

Congrats! 🎉

[@Bre_Ripley]

@@DoggyU thank you!

[@busywithdogs]

I love the information, I tell people all the time that those breeds make great service dogs. We did not go the retriever route for my prospect because my hubby and I are both allergic to Labs and Goldens. Poodles were out of the question because of maintenance. I hate the grooming needs of our 10-pound Shih Tzu. "Non-shedding" coats are just not my cup of tea, but I do it out of love, so I knew that I was not compatible with a Standard Poodle. There is not a good groomer in our area (our vet vehemently speaks against them) so all grooming falls to me. The happy-go-lucky traits of retrievers would be so nice, but I am working with what I can. For my prospect, the goal is public access, but for my situation, it's not a deal breaker. I also spend most of my time at home, so if she never has public access it will be okay. Not everyone is in my situation, and I know that in general, those are like you said, "the terrific two". Keep up the good work.

[@Phoenix-yl3go]

I have a beautiful service dog who is semi owner trained I say semi because he is a ‘failed’ service dog and I re trained him for the service work I needed him for (which is less intense). He’s a Labrador (mostly), he’s a quarter golden retriever because his dad was half and half. He’s gorgeous and not boring at all. Also those of you who think labs are boring you can have a service dog and a pet dog that’s maybe a bit more unusual. And yes, she’s right you’ll have some ‘scary’ dog factor on a black lab, my boy is large and i’ve had people cross the road when they see us or even a few have jumped. I wouldn’t trade him for anything, and when he’s ready to retire i’m going back again for another lab, golden or mix of the two. Thanks for the vid @Doggy-u. I would love to see another video about breeds that could be great for service work that are similar to labs? (I love learning about dog breeds).

[@DoggyU]

It's really hard for me to recommend other breeds, as most come very much down to the individual dogs, vs. being able to recommend an entire breed in a more blanket way like I feel comfortable doing with labs and goldens.

[@Phoenix-yl3go]

@@DoggyU I understand and I figured that’s probably why. You still might be able to talk some pros and cons for some breeds that might work for assistance dogs? (No pressure, I’m just interested). But I do know individual temperament has a lot to do with weather a dog fits assistance work. Good luck with your beautiful lab puppy!

[@DoggyU]

@@Phoenix-yl3go I'll definitely put it on the ideas list!

[@MaxToTheExtreme]

Labs and Goldens are AMAZING!! I sometimes wish I would have chosen one for my sd, but I love my girl and wouldn’t trade her for anything. I have an Aussie and, man, teaching her to retrieve has been a challenge, it would be nice to have a built in retrieval instinct lol

[@EmpressKittyKat]

This is a great video! My first SD was a border/kelpie cross who just happened to be available when I needed her and she was great in a lot of ways, but I’ll never get a herding breed again. I fiancé has a working line GSD as well and considered training her because I know she’d learn all the tasks flawlessly, but she’s way too protective and I can foresee many issues in the public. So when I set out for a replacement I was looking for whatever dog could do the job, even if it was “boring”. Besides, I was actually looking forward to have a mundane-looking SD because they attract less attention. Boring black lab was my top contender, but I was also in contact with a golden breeder for a bit. Well long story short I actually ended up with a standard poodle 😆 I’ve trained with and talked to lots of owner handlers and the one thing the retrievers had in common was that they had to spend a lot of time learning to ignore strangers. I knew that would be particularly frustrating for me personally as all my life I’ve had primitive spitz breeds (Nihon ken) where I really didn’t have to train that. There are pros and cons to each breed and you have to pick which cons are going to be too much for you to deal with when you’re at your worst needing help I ended up finding a breeder that has a SD herself (who is the grandmother of my service dog. My dog has a brother and several aunts and uncles excelling at service dog, and even more getting rally and fields trial titles. Shes bombproof and recovers from stressful stimuli immediately. I think it would be great if you did a video on how to find the right lines with poodles, as the vast majority of poodle breeders aren’t evaluating their dogs with the intent of breeding more suitable SD candidates, but the ones that are are producing some truly fantastic dogs. If I ever stray from poodles, I’ll get a black lab (black goes with everything and is the least conspicuous) but I don’t see myself ever going back on poodles, I’m so pleased with my girl’s performance

[@StarkK9Academy]

Girlfriend ur 💯 on everything you said about top two pic & getting a scary dog. Laura “learn to love labs” soooo get ya! I too wanted to get a pure Mal, not for SD work but for my companion & protection dog. I support those who prefer going to great ethical breeders as well as those who support adopt don’t shop ppl. Here in So Cal we can find a variety of awesome dogs at local shelters and saving rescues is a mission for my daughter and I. My daughter picked out an awesome 8.5W Shepard Mix and of course I gave her the Super Pup Test and she checked off all the boxes, so we got her. She is approaching her 1 year and it has been a joy until that teenager stage hit. 😜She’s a beauty & we get ppl and kiddos talking to her every where we go which is a high challenge & distraction when were working, but she and I are up for the challenge where as most ppl and dogs would not be, so I agree w u 💯 “no pretty/attractive dog.” Still a SD in the store even with a retriever or lab will by nature attract some attention (far less) but often some, new SD owner/trainers be aware of that - and Happy Traing to ya! Looking forward to the Bringing New Puppy home video! Ok gotta ask what is your other two dog breeds to make the Fab Four?

[@DoggyU]

So poodles are in the top three but significantly lower than labs and goldens. Some people put collies as the 4th while others put GSDs. I put neither LOL! Now for guide work is a different story. Certain GSDs can be well-suited for the guiding roll for a high-activity level human that puts in 4-7 miles a day of guide work.

[@StarkK9Academy]

@@DoggyU a toy poodle is the first dog my parents bought home as a surprise gift and I got to train. What was ur first dog?

[@DoggyU]

@@StarkK9Academy Jake was my first dog of my own! I wasn't allowed to have dogs as a kid so I left right after college, bought a house with a yard, and adopted Jake :)

[@StarkK9Academy]

@@DoggyU a couple of my daughter’s friends parents will not let them get a dog, that’s tough cuz dogs bless kids in sooo many different ways. It’s awesome that your love for dogs created such a great community that is helping people get SD’s that wouldn’t be able to.

[@DoggyU]

@@StarkK9Academy thank you! I actually started learning training with dogs at the local humane society, and then on exotics like cheetahs and rhinoceros when I did an internship as an animal keeper at a conservation center. Then I took what I learned and invested it into dog training :)

[@mithryanna]

I think something many people don't consider that is worth mentioning is that a dog with naturally high suspicion / guarding tendencies is an ESPECIALLY bad fit for psychiatric service work, which seems to be in high demand. Those types of dogs are very in tune with their handlers' emotional state, and someone with high anxiety, PTSD, etc. will be more reactive to stimuli, which will in turn encourage more reactivity from the dog. As someone considering a service dog for psychiatric service myself, I am very mindful of this. I feel that even if I got a "normal" non-service dog, this would be something I have to consider. (Sadly, because I LOVE guardian breeds, but I was not so impaired in the past when I had them as I am now.)

[@StarkK9Academy]

Excellent Point!!! My SD is hitting her 1yr and that teen year for many dogs changes their intensity level. Some refer to it as the Fear Stage, I refer to it as the Heightened Stage. I a Shepherd Mix that was rescued and right now because she’s so in in tuned to my emotions, as well as my daughters, she becomes reactive when my daughter is unexpectedly reactive, so were working on that and most owner/trainers especially first timers wouldn’t be able to handle this in a calm state as well as the potential of a reactive dog triggering their anxiety/ptsd

[@bugbean5500]

Totally agree and the dog´s reactivity can feel like a loss of control over the situation which could trigger even more as it is a common theme with PTSD. An always friendly and emotionally stable dog you can rely on is the way to go with psychiatric disorders.

[@singlesightart]

@@mithryanna this comment reminds me so much of my Seeing Eye dogs’ (Shepherd for current and my previous) react to me vs my husband. I am very low key emotionally so my shepherds don’t really get reactive when I handle them. When my husband dies, they are much more so. I have worked with my husband about toning things down and not transmitting as much when he handles them but it’s been a process. We have made a lot of progress over the years though.

[@one_field]

Keep in mind that not all psychiatric work is for anxiety or ptsd (tho I acknowledge the frequency of comorbidities!) and for some psych tasks, a watchful dog is really helpful. As someone living with hallucinations and delusions, I get a lot of mileage out of the innate instincts of my livestock guardian breed dog. Most of the training I've poured into him has been socialization and public access manners (we do our first AKC Canine Good Citizen test this coming week! Yay) because a lot of his tasks are things he does naturally. So, as always, considering all the factors for the totality of the need is important. I'm not nitpicking here (you are right that MANY psych disabilities come with anxiety and having a reactive dog can exacerbate access issues) but I'm trying to prevent people from reading your very good point, and coming away with a hard and fast rule for everyone. If you have schizophrenia spectrum disabilities and can handle the extra work of training a big, intelligent dog that might not be as outgoing or neutral as the standard service breeds, the instincts and size can be very helpful. As examples: my lgd already does hallucination checks for me just by default, since his natural state is one of calm alertness and constant analysis of his surroundings, without the stressful hyper-vigilance of high prey drive breeds. No panting or tight focus; just a calm watchfulness that lets me know there's nothing unusual going on around me that my brain might be missing, masking or inventing. I've added to that by training a "go say hi" task for greeting people (if any are present) and a "sound check" task (look at the source of unusual sounds if any are present) but those are barely work for him because they're self-rewarding and natural to his breed. He's also big enough to provide significant pressure for DPT (I get terrible low blood pressure fainting spells) and to anchor me in seizures. He can stabilize me for standing and getting up or down from the floor, and again, these are natural to him (Anatolians worked for draft as well, for thousands of years, and he took to load training like it was just what he was made for). Tasks like body blocking/crowd prevention and keeping strangers from touching me without permission (which has been a problem since puberty for me, bc men in America have entitlement problems apparently) and tasks like "cover me" (sitting in reverse heel to watch behind me) are also very natural tasks to him and aren't like work, but just life in its proper order. His instincts are practically tailor made to help with my disabilities and needs. All that to say, certain guardian breeds can be perfect for the right situation of handler needs and abilities, especially for psychiatric work. It just really depends on what the disability is and how capable the handler is for a more challenging public access training stage. It does take more up front training to socialize them properly and get things like a nice heel, and quick response to cues when there are distractions present, since the dog is highly independent, naturally suspicious and not food motivated at all. For me, those are surmountable and the long-term benefits by far outweigh the additional early training requirements.

[@mithryanna]

@one_field I am glad you found a good fit for you. I have also seen people with cattle dogs, GSD, and more for PSD, and while it's not the norm, I know that every person, disability, and dog is different. For me, while I am not schizophrenic, I do experience psychosis from time to time and in those moments I need a dog who can guide me through some of that and be able to act semi independently, while making good decisions on their own, including not being overly protective if I need medical attention, etc. During one of my early episodes, I was not living alone and we were watching my friend's GSD. Now, he was a very particular kind of GSD: very neurotic, clingy, and scared of things like cats. He was a beautiful big baby. When I was full-blown ill he started FREAKING out (can't blame him, as he was not trained to handle that kind of situation, and he desperately wanted to help me but didn't know how!) and would not leave my side. When my partner would check on me, the GSD would whine-yodel at him like he wanted to tell him to back off, but it came out like an unsure, desperate plea because he was too much of a pushover for any kind of real confrontation, let alone aggression (thankfully!). As an added bonus, in my disoriented state I had trouble comprehending the dog's actions and became even more anxious and scared, believing the dog was hurt or ill, or that there was something or someone to be wary of. For me, I think I should try to stick to an unflappable lab or lab mix, or at least a dog with that sort of temperament and instincts. I really want to find one of those needle in the haystack adult dogs to rescue because puppies and kittens make me uncomfortable, and when choosing an animal, pet or otherwise, I prefer an adult who already has a set personality and quirks to assess, so I can determine if we will coexist well, and in this case if they are suited to the job I need them for. It's hard because I naturally gravitate towards super intelligent dogs that are very attentive toward their owners, and that fits with guardian breeds/instincts. Maybe a poodle would be a better fit for my personality and needs? But I think I'm not likely to come across one, especially a good service prospect, unless I look at a breeder, though there are also breed-specific rescues. I try to be open-minded but my gut tells me that's not the direction I should focus on. I wish to have a similar positive experience to yours and dog's, and a lot of the tasking you mentioned would be on my own list of needs. Anxiety management through things like crowd handling and DPT would go a long way toward prevention of more serious symptoms. My psychosis does differ from some peoples' in that I don't have any hallucinations, and instead it's 100% disorganized thinking with delusional beliefs. It's like I'm only seeing and hearing what's really there, but my brain can't properly interpret the input and tries to piece together why I'm seeing and hearing things, but can't explain it, so it starts filling in the blanks with nonsensical stuff--like live action madlibs, to an extent. I need a dog to be able to help me with medication compliance when this first starts happening, before it's full-blown, for faster and more successful recovery. I would like them to be able to stick to my side and keep me focused on tasks like eating when I start to head in that direction because I also have ADHD, and when my other disabilities are in full tilt, the distraction and forgetfulness put me in the danger zone. At home, I feel like a big dog with a protective nature and keen intuition would be a huge asset, but I'm very worried about how we'd do outside of the home, or if I required assistance in the home during an episode. There was a very well-written article about malinois as service dogs (why you probably should NOT get one for service, but especially certain psychiatric needs like anxiety or PTSD) that is partially responsible for me realizing that most types of intense dog like an ACD or shepherd, not just malinois, would probably not be the best choice for my situation. (I will try to find it again and link it, but I've had trouble re-locating it in the past.) Anyway, thanks for your response to my initial comment, and I also thank you for reading this far in my wall of text; as you can probably tell it's an impactful topic for me. I do recognize that not every dog or situation is going to match my own, but most experienced trainers would recommend against naturally suspicious dogs with the instinct to guard or react based on their handler's emotional state for service work in general, but especially when the handler is naturally prone to reactivity themselves. This won't be the case in every psychiatric condition, but it is going to be true in the majority of cases. Like you said, comorbidities. :( I admire the teamwork you and your dog have been able to achieve and your perspective on some of the ways your dog's instincts mesh well with his work has been really interesting and helpful to hear. May I ask where you got your dog from (breeder, rescue, service dog organization, etc) and if you are fully self trained, or work with a trainer? I am rooting for you guys on your Good Citizen test and wish you continued success in your journey!

[@Smokeybluetheraccoon]

There's a very good reason that most service dogs are labs! I have to admit, I was definitely one of the people who didn't want a lab because they were "boring". And while I've come to my senses about that, I'm going with a different breed for more functional reasons, mainly because I want something lighter than even the smallest (healthy) lab that I've heard of.

[@DoggyU]

You may have said already, but what breed are you going with? I think there's definitely a lack of smaller purpose-bred dogs for service work. I did have to do quite a bit of searching to find smaller labs, but these lines have very small labs in them, sometimes as small as 35 lbs for females.

[@Smokeybluetheraccoon]

@@DoggyU I've found an Australian Cobberdog breeder with successful service dogs produced by this mom!

[@ShamanicSavant]

Labs are anything but boring. My current girl is only 7 months and she's already a fetching wizard. I can throw or hide a ball anywhere in our 2 acres of woods and she'll find it, bring it back, and deliver it to hand or right between my feet. Watching her work is amazing. My first Lab fetched my keys out of everything from snow to swamps thousands of times and never once failed to bring them back. All of my Labs have also been great at Frisbee, hunting, and water sports. This is all on top of being amazing SDs with impeccable manners. When most people say they're boring, what they really mean is they want to be different because so many people own Labs. They're the most popular dog in America for good reason :)

[@DoggyU]

@@ShamanicSavant 💯

[@Smokeybluetheraccoon]

@@ShamanicSavant I agree, I misjudged them. They're amazing and versatile dogs!

[@chefbus2537]

I am training a Rhodesian Ridgeback right now, her temperament for the work is great and she is sooooo smart. But yes, deciding to train her as a service dog after getting her made things difficult for me. Too smart for her own good, and she definitely tests me to see if I am serious. I have had two goldens (labs are only slightly better, double coats will just always be A LOT) in my life, and I really don't know if I would trade that grooming (labs are only slightly better, double coats will just always be A LOT) for the tests. Goldens are wonderful dogs, but I think I like her friendly with an edge more.

[@RaixCore]

I almost chose a Lab to be my first ever SDiT, but chose a Bernese Mountain Dog, and sometimes I regret it because of the success rates for purpose bred labs. The amazing breeder that I consulted with did happen to have labs as an option but weren't currently breeding them at the time, and it just so happened that they had my second chosen breed that I did tons of research on for lifestyle/temperament. BUT! Far down in the future, I'm going to pick a lab for sure. I love my giant darling though and I wouldn't trade him for the world. He's doing really good with his training so far! ♥

[@DoggyU]

A well-bred BMD can be so lovely! Good luck on your training journey!

[@one_field]

Love Berners! They're just way too short-lived and prone to health complications; the number of my friends who have spent 4+ years training/investing in them only to lose them before age 10 has been mind boggling. My heart isn't up to that... But they are so very loveable!

[@EdieBrown]

Thanks for confirming why I got a Labrador Retriever as a service dog. ♥

[@ugnkim]

This is so great! The end goal is to be able manage your disability and labs give you the best chance at that. Otherwise you may end up with dogs that are left at home, exhibit behavioral issues, and retire too early. And even worse, they may end up taking a step back with their disability. Thanks for making this video.

[@asecretcourtofcrowsandcloc4084]

This was verry interesting and you gave some great points. If possible I’d love a video on working with very friendly labs on ignoring/being less receptive to people and other dogs. I was always curious about how professional trainers in the field teach that especially to puppies.

[@DoggyU]

Definitely something I’ll be working on with my puppy. Lots of engage/disengage game but also close distraction work. I also have a video on Patreon showing working with a GSD on greetings that shows another example.

[@ShamanicSavant]

Yup, Labs all the way for SD work. There's a reason they're America's favorite dog... extremely user friendly, half trained right out of the box, winning personality, even tempered, all season, all terrain, versatile, not easily traumatized or intimidated, they like to work and love to please you. Plus they're great to snuggle with and keep you warm in winter. I've self trained 3 SDs in the last 35 years, and I'm working on my fourth right now, all Labs and all females. Each one different but all of them gave me everything I ever asked for and more. I have a life long love affair with the breed. My current girl "Arty" is a 7 month old black Lab from British working lines, so really good drive but naturally calm. She has the best on/off switch I've ever seen and holding up the legacy of great dogs I've been lucky enough to have in my life. You really can't find a better friend in this world than a well trained Lab :)

[@DoggyU]

Well I think that about sums it up! My pup is half American and half British field lines, both parents are excellent workers, both with lovely off switches. Here’s to hoping that passes down ;)

[@ShamanicSavant]

@@DoggyU Best of luck :) With your experience and a good Lab it's almost impossible to fail. Having had both, I much prefer working lines to conformation lines. Labs with a little drive just try a lot harder to please you, and there isn't the constant weight management issues you have with the English show lines. Boy or girl? +"""""""

[@bumblegummilk1274]

I’ve been considering getting a service dog sometime in the future (probably not for awhile though) and really had my heart set on a Swiss Shepherd because they’re just a dream dog of mine. I was trying to come up with any excuse I could as to why I should get a Swiss Shepherd over a breed with a better success rate. I was always open to a golden or lab, but it wasn’t until earlier this week that I started leaning more towards getting a golden retriever. Yesterday was the nail in the coffin for me when I was sick and rotting in bed with my little rat of a doodle and I thought “I need a dog that could rot with me” I just don’t think I would be able to give a herding breed the exercise they would require.

[@KS-ph5ci]

"She's got weird eyes." I would have laughed.

[@DoggyU]

I have gotten this comment SO. MANY. TIMES. The things people say ... lol

[@KS-ph5ci]

@@DoggyU I once said "please don't pet her, she's training" and they said "your dog is ugly anyway" 🤣 I said "You aren't that pleasing to me, either."

[@DoggyU]

@@KS-ph5ci 🤣

[@Lyckander]

I started working with a trainer before I got a puppy. He told me to get a Lab, I did, and I haven’t looked back. She’s so focused on me, she loves the challenge of learning new tasks, and she’s the right energy level now that she’s an adult. 10/10 would recommend.

[@DoggyU]

🤩🥰

[@assisting_ari]

Hudson is a byb golden and we have pedigree friends and let me tell you I can 100% tell the difference! My next AD will be a Golden, but definitely a pedigree/well-bred one 😅 already have a breeder lined up even though Hudson is only 2 - we love planning and rapport with breeders!

[@one_field]

As someone who adores the livestock guardian breeds (have been breeding, training and working them since 2012), I agree with your points in this video 100%. For the typical service tasks and the typical disabled handler training their own service dog, there's absolutely no better choice than the retriever gun dog breeds, for all the reasons you listed. There are unusual disabilities out there where the livestock guardians are a better match, if the handler can train them or has help, but they're highly specific situations and not the general, run-of-the-mill needs. For example, I have no need for retrieval tasks or "send" type tasks; all of my needs center on the dog being close at hand and pretty independent, able to understand the surroundings when I can't and unconcerned if I can't provide emotive feedback or rewards on a routine basis. The very traits that make labs excellent for so many disabled people would be useless to me, or worse (even mature lab emotional energy is death to my spoon count). But schizo-family disorders are absolutely not the normal target for service dog work, and I know that's not really the point of your video--which is helping the max number of people address the most likely disabilities with the max-probability-of-success breed for diy training. I LOVE the work you're doing and how much help you provide us at home, for free and on Patreon. You're amazing! ❤️ from the outlier that proves the bell curve! Lol.

[@R0ttiNg_B0N3Z]

Sooo happy you found the right dog❤❤❤

[@nebit214]

I think there should be a bit of clarification about the hunting dogs bit. I see a lot of folks who assume ALL hunting dogs are good choices. The truth is, labs and goldens have a very specific hunting style- they are bred not to hunt, but almost solely to retrieve. They do not find the ducks- rather they sit patiently with their owner in a blind for hours, and only go retrieve the ducks when asked. By contrast, most other sporting breeds are bred to actively find birds. Some hunt closer and with a bit less vigor, but others must be hunted over on horseback because they range so far out ahead of the hunter- and their point is almost purely instinct. These far ranging dogs need tons of exercise, are bred to run all day, and work mostly by themselves without much care for what the hunter is doing. While they are "sporting dogs" they are bred to behave and work entirely differently and for the most part do not have the same traits that make labs and golden great picks. While some of the spaniels can work well for service work, for the most part pointers, setters, versatile hunting dogs, and even the off-breed retrievers do not make good choices for most handlers.

[@DoggyU]

No arguments here.💯

[@one_field]

Seconded! I live in a bear-hunting region and there are a lot of hunting breeds in the area who would be terrible options for service work. They're loud, bred to be hyper, need tons of exercise, and generally have aggression issues. Plus the breeders treat them like they're disposable and won't live to old age anyway, so they do no health screening (again, that's around here; maybe breeders elsewhere are more responsible). Their purpose is to be released from a small box, run like mad while yelling their heads off and then charge at bears in a pack while screaming like they're being murdered (and the owners, all this time, sit in trucks watching the screens for the gps collars to stop moving and collect in one spot; then they drive as close as they can get, walk over and shoot the bear). I struggle to imagine a worse option for service dog training...

[@Izamota-q5v]

Chesepeke retrievers have a similiar style to the labs and goldens, but also have strong gaurding instincts and are notoriously hard to train - I kept seeing people say they wanted one for service work and none of them understood why they are generally a terrible fit. Flat coats are another - They're sweethearts and can work well but have even higher cancer rates than goldens.... aaand they have the attention span of a gnat with a puppy personality for AT LEAST 4 years. Some never lose their puppy attitude.

[@nebit214]

@@one_field This is also an excellent point- when you say "hunting dogs" instead of "sporting dogs" or "retrievers" many people also think of hounds, which are generally unsuitable.

[@erinheathermcintyre5063]

Lol. If you did get a mal for your next SD, that would be a wild journey. I'd actually love to watch someone with your skill walk that road with that breed. With a 2 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback x English Mastiff we are training through local trainers, trips from Yukon to Victoria BC and Edmonton Alberta for more training. Your 100% right about everything you are saying here. I def can not argue with any of it. The dog I have had been harder than a lab but has the right temperament, calm solid personality, nice and neutral. (50/50 nurture/nature) Total luck. Got her before my dr and shrink recommended thinking about getting one ❤️🐾 Your KZbin ***And especially Patreon, so much stuff there*** How long ago was your Malinois idea? I work with Mals and GSD doing IGP, PSA, monitoring for fun with locals so I'm farmliar with the working line of both. When trading GSD for SD do use working lines? Show lines seem too nervy for it but you got tons of experience with GSD SD

[@DoggyU]

Haha my goal is for my service dog training journey to be as easy and successful as possible and a Mal just doesn't fit well into that equation lol! I'm so glad you're loving the Patreon!

[@erinheathermcintyre5063]

@@DoggyU the GSDs we are mostly working with are Czech and Hungarian working lines. But not for SD. Very high drive. Some have that inner zen SD needs. I think of Mals in monitoring and PSA need to be able to keep focus with decoys with 22s with blanks, plastic jugs filled with rocks, and palm palms of empty cans being shaken all around them and yelled at. I can see a top level mal actually making a great SD but only if you really have the time and skill for that 1/2 dog 1/2 Tasmanian Devil. And as far as scary dog vibes. I gotta say, I'm guilty to the max of loving it. Even though my SD is a freaking sweetheart. When I really really want to be left alone she gets extra do not pet patches and a muzzle (if I won't need her to retrieve anything) then we get extra space. With my panic disorder and anxiety disorder scary dog vibes make me far more comfortable in public. Kind of like walking down the road with the SWAT team 🤣 . You feel super safe and everyone gives you a little space and wants to talk to me way less. I don't know if I'd feel the same with a lab. That said, training dogs every day has given me the extra little skill that helped make a Rhodesian Ridgeback x English Mastiff a success for me

[@DoggyU]

@@erinheathermcintyre5063 A lot of the guide lines were Czech lines as well and that works for guide dogs that get a lot of physical work. However, a lot of service dog work, for most people is "do a thing and then do nothing" it's the doing nothing where a lot of the working line Mals or GSDs just aren't at their happiest. Not saying there aren't some that fit in that box totally fine, it's just whether or not there's enough work for them to do to make the settling tolerable/desired.

[@StarkK9Academy]

I agree, ❤ to see Laura train a Mal Mix cuz it’s a total different experience but one I am sooo grateful for.

[@erinheathermcintyre5063]

@@DoggyU ❤️ my thoughts exactly. I definitely lucked out with my Rhodesian Ridgeback x English Mastiff because she can be calm like a mastiff and has endurance of a Ridgeback. She is for anxiety/panic disorders so tons of crowd control. Like in your video with you n whip at the library. The clip that ended up on someone else's video without credit. That video. Just at the store, movie theater, ski hill (yes she runs while I ski at our ski hill) even Evac trained so we can rappel off the chairlift up to 100' with only her and I and no assist. Buts tons of down time, like when I'm working, or in the dentist or docs office. School. And when I'm am training clients dogs, has to lay at the end of training area or if the other dogs can't handle her out, in a crate. There are definitely some Mals that have the right "stuff" for SD like my k9 CPR and first aid instructor has for her SD. But she is a full time dog trainer with busy school and pool so she has the skill to train that breed and has a few pet and 1 SD. But overall I'd have to agree, unless your doing some dog sport as well, they would go a bit nuts from boredom and lack of work.

[@kayladzierzanowski168]

I have a standard poodle and she does really well. Even naturally alerted to a low sugar at the groomers. She's a cardiac alert dog. I went with a poodle because I didn't want dog hair everywhere. What are your thoughts on this breed? Edit to add, she wasn't bought to be a service dog. She was a pet. Then she started alerting to POTS, a condition I didn't know I had when I got her.

[@DoggyU]

Poodles can be awesome service dogs. I have one in training right now that I adore!

[@lindagirl1140]

I’m wondering how you train “ too friendly”. My 3-year old mixed breed wants to greet absolutely everyone!

[@DoggyU]

I use this game to teach neutrality: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2aycoF9fJhnaLs

[@oneof7billionhumans]

if i hadnt already joined your patreon, the takeout argument would have done it! 😂 great point about scary dog privilege. i was feeling on the fence about getting a lab or a gsd and this video makes me feel a lot better about moving forward ❤️🐕‍🦺

[@DoggyU]

hahahah I'm glad you enjoyed that - it almost ended up on the cutting room floor 😂 I have the MOST experience of GSDs out of all types of service dogs, I know them inside and out, and I guess you could say that I specialize in training the breed ... and I'm not getting one for my particular needs, if that tells you anything. ;)

[@WingedSparrow7]

This may be a bit controversial but, I used to trian my cats to do cool tricks and stuff, recently I found how service dogs help so many people and im amazed by it!(/pos) , I’m pretty sure I’m not disabled but Im starting train them (my cats)to do things that help me throughout the day. It’s helped me tons, I am aware that theyre not able to be serivice animals and stuff but videos from people like you really help me when im looking for reference when It comes to training my cats! TYSM for introducing me to this(indirectly)as it’s also benifited me SO MUCH in my daily life!

[@DoggyU]

So glad you're enjoying the channel! I actually started my training journey on animals other than dogs! If you're into training cats, you should definitely check out @CatSchool - they have great cat training resources!

[@EpsilonAD]

There are working Assistance Animals that are cats in Australia. Assistance Animals have to pass public access tests but are not limited to only dogs. I wonder if it is different in other countries.

[@WingedSparrow7]

@@EpsilonAD I'm not sure if they have that in the uk, plus as I've previously stated I'm not actually disabled so I doubt I wouldd be allowed even if that was a thing here/nm

[@DoggyU]

@@EpsilonAD The US specifically designates dogs, and in certain cases, miniature horses as service animals, and that is it.

[@watchmoivies123]

This was very good, but I truly believe that if you really want a pure service dog, you should go to a organization that breeds those type of dogs my friend just got one from a wonderful organization and the dog is bomb proof it’s been through all kinds of tests health And temperament She got her service dog when the dog was two years old, and it was the best thing she could do. She’s tried to train her own and even went to professional trainers that did this, but I believe the best service dog is a dog that was bred to do that only And go through a lot of test for the work they’re going to do and the company that she got hers from. I think it’s like four out of 10 make it and they are labrador retriever.

[@DoggyU]

I agree with you: if you can afford it, getting a dog from an ADI accredited school is your best option in regards to success. And yes! Even program dogs have somewhere around a 50% success rate depending on school. But getting a program dog takes away so much of the risk of owner-training. It's just not an option for all handlers for a variety of reasons.

[@erinheathermcintyre5063]

@@watchmoivies123 that's all great if you have the $ to do that. I'm sure we all would love to have a finished SD delivered to our door. For the other 70% of us, we need to find another option even if it's not the absolute best choice available. Self training opened the door for me and in essence re-opened the world. I'm sure we all would love to drive this year's top most fuel efficient vehicles, but we are stuck in a beat up 30 year old chevy. I agree if you can afford to go the pre finished 1-2 year old SD, great. But in defense of the rest of us, that's financially out of reach.

[@StarkK9Academy]

@@DoggyUabsolutely agree. As I tell my clients if one has the funds to risk w/getting a dog from a breeder to breeds/trains pups to be SD but even though the risks are lower, there is still risk involved and most of my clients are able to take that financial risk, UNLESS the breeder has a can make that guarantee that for any time & any reason the prospect is not a perfect fit, they will do an exchange, and even in the best scenario that means a loss of a canine relationship and starting the bomb process over with another pup.

[@krisvanallen]

How do you feel about Field Retrievers?

[@DoggyU]

So, for most people, a bench bred lab is a better choice energy-level wise. Full disclosure, John Denver is a field lab. He would be way too much dog for most pet/typical homes, and is giving me a run for my money (but that's what I signed up for). That being said, my goals with him outside of service dog work are to be competitive in a variety of sports I already play with my other dogs, and some new ones. Field labs generally require significantly more exercise and mental stimulation to be happy and some will not be happy settling for long periods even with appropriate exercise and mental stim. So, they could be the right fit for handlers that are interested in playing dog sports and hike daily, but not a great fit for the average person who is working 8 hours a day in a more stationary role. Hope that helps!

[@katelawson1406]

I have had labs and shepherds as guide dogs and have loved both. My current shepherd has the personality of a Golden and retrieves better than my labs. They all had their own unique personalities and all were great at their jobs.

[@DoggyU]

I love a good GSD for guide work specifically!

[@StylaPet]

My current SD prospect is a 3mo Portuguese Water Dog and while I certainly wouldn’t recommend them for just anyone, I have owned the breed for 14years and am extremely comfortable with their temperament, needs and training style.

[@victoriar8668]

Such a great video! Thank you for all the information!

[@DoggyU]

You're welcome Victoria!

[@7mariepierre]

Here in Quebec, they use Labrador and Bernese mountain dog to be service dog. They even invented a new specie they called Labernois which would be Labernese in English which is a mix of those two dogs. The biggest dog training company here uses those breeds. My son currently has an Aussie. She is absolutely beautiful with her blue merle coat, but it’s a nightmare to go out with her for my autistic boy because she draws so much attention! I personally would love to have a golden retriever as a service dog for my anxiety and help me when I make things fall on the floor (I have back pain). Working with kids, a Lab or a golder would be a way better choice because they are more tolerant with kids unpredictable behaviours. Kids make my Aussie hyper vigilant and sends her in herding mode.

[@MaximillianandRubyGrace]

I don’t have or need a service dog But I soooo agree with you!

[@krisvanallen]

Shout out to the small service dogs: my Havanese, Zoe, has been perfect in her training in her first 2 1/2 years. (but my next dog, service or not, will be a Golden!)

[@Em-jt7im]

Thank you so much for this video! I really wanted to adopt a border collie, which is a hearding breed, but I do see that a lab, golden, or poodle might be better :)

[@coor0kun]

Trust - Labs are not boring! They know they deserve to be the center of attention 😂 And if you want flashy, get cool gear! There's SO much cool dog and SD gear out there now!

[@leemeyer4059]

Please talk about dealing with shedding of Labs and Goldens. Not something everyone with disabilities is able to handle.

[@DoggyU]

I did mention in the video that they definitely shed, as does any dog that has fur instead of hair. It can definitely be a nuisance, but so is the maintenance of hair. Definitely something to consider.

[@Izamota-q5v]

Golden hair is easier to clean up, because it stays in big soft clumps. Easier to get with a lint roller - Lab hair weaves its way into clothes/fabric and leaves more idividual bits all over the house, so its a bit more work.

[@rodneynoble452]

I'm a veteran with mobility issues, i.e. balance issues. I recently lost my service dog. He was a German Shepherd/Black Lab mix. Due to more frequent falls, my wife insists I get another dog. I'm working with a local non-profit group, called Gaurdian Paws. The first 4-6 weeks is training me, and my wife. We self trained Vandal, and didn't understand his ques. This organization I'm working with, has been recommending a larger, such as a Tabbitan Mastiff, Swiss Mountain Dog, and St. Berardi. My Vanal was a big boy, 120 lbs. so size isn't my main concern, my concerns is not knowing these breeds. If anyone in this community can help, I'm open too it.

[@DoggyU]

Of those three, I've only trained a St. Bernard for service work, and it was a real challenge. I'd work directly with the organization to find the right dog and breed for you, as these dogs are wildly different in temperament and health. If it were me, I'd recommend a large lab vs. one of these breeds, as they will more predictably have favorable outcomes.

[@vsmartdogs]

Kill or Demon Spawn or something like that 😂😂😂

[@DoggyU]

😂

[@AutumnRoseWilliams]

Could you do a video on specific task for those with depression? I have a blue heeler and he's super smart. I'm learning how to train him and he picks up things quickly. When I first got him I wasn't doing well and I noticed he would try and get me out the bed and once I got out the bed he was fine. I don't know if he was train do to that but it helped. Are there other task service dogs can do specific for depression?

[@DoggyU]

My video list is pretty much full until the end of the year, but I'll keep that in mind. The tasks for depression depend a lot on your symptoms and needs, but like you mentioned, waking up handler, time of day alarms to make sure you eat, get out of the house, etc. Medication retrieve, deep pressure therapy come to mind.

[@AutumnRoseWilliams]

@@DoggyU thank you!!! 💙

[@DoggyU]

@@AutumnRoseWilliams check my channel for videos on training DPT and Medication Retrieve 👍🏻 I have both available!

[@KS-ph5ci]

I don't think I look great with a golden, but a chocolate lab would be amazing. My first dog was a maligator. You have to be crazy to have one.

[@Hawkeye-d1p]

"Hi, I'm interested in learning about Bernese Mountain Dogs as potential service dogs for psychiatric support, specifically for anxiety. I'm looking for traits like loyalty, laziness, and a sweet temperament. I enjoy spending time outdoors, whether that's walking my dogs or playing with them in my backyard agility course or freestyle dancing with my golden doodle and schnoodle. I'm planning to get a new puppy to train as a service dog in the future. I've always thought it would be great to name him after my favorite actor. I prefer male dogs, as I find them easier to train and connect with. I also prefer dogs with long hair - there's something about it that I really love. On the other hand, I'm not a fan of short hair on dogs. Can you recommend any breeds that might be suitable for me as a service dog for anxiety?"

[@kathrynmcclatchy]

My first medical alert / mobility service dog was a black lab. He's 13.5 now and has literally been a life saver. We got his nephew, a blond lab, as his replacement in 2022, but the young one, while a Rockstar at alerting, seemed to have a social anxiety disorder and couldn't work in public. We had a really amazing and experienced professional trainer involved from 10-weeks on, but finally had to wash him out. That said, there are still the off labs who don't like being sociable or friendly. As a puppy he was so much like his uncle, but the older he got, the more stressed and scared he got about leaving home. I just got a 2.5 yr old black lab who was trained to be a hunting dog for my brother. He's an ok gun dog, but the things that disappointed his owner (my brother) about his hunting were the exact things I was looking for in a service dog. My brother gave him to me. It's been 8 weeks, and he's doing very well. He loves being with me 24/7, going out in public, etc. But he was taught with an e-collar, play rewards, and force fetch, so I'm having to recondition him to love food rewards and positive reinforcement. He seems to be getting more confidence and is starting to put it all together. We just started scent training this week. I do love my labs, but they also bring a lot of public attention. Everyone seems to stop me because "he looks just like my ___" and then they feel compelled to tell me about that dog. I don't care, I just want to get my groceries home before the ice cream melts! Dogs are great. People still need training. 😉

[@DoggyU]

People need so much training 😂 Glad your new lab is working out!

[@foxylynn]

See my only problem with labs and goldens is that they shed and I keep getting told I need a non shedding dog which is part of why I decided on the bernedoodle. But if a red lab was closer to my location and non shedding I would have gone with one

[@DoggyU]

Just wanted to point out here that "doodles" of any sort, often also shed. They may shed less, but they do still often shed because you can't predict the coat of a dog in those mixes. My BILs golden doodle sheds pretty significantly. If you're looking for a breed that doesn't shed, highly recommend checking out poodles that are bred for service work!

[@mithryanna]

I second Laura's recommendation of a poodle

[@KellyLS716]

How does one go about finding a bench lab breeder with good service dog prospects? It seems like so many are just breeding for looks and calmness but not really drive or intelligence. Unfortunately I often think of the bench lines as the slower dumber version of the breed.

[@Felix-jo7nj]

bench labs are the show line labs right? if so i may have a list of breeders you can look into and see if any work for you. do you potentially have reddit or instagram i could send it too? it's a bit long!

[@DoggyU]

There are many breeders breeding "dual purpose" labradors, meaning for show and sports. It's unlikely they will outperform purpose-bred field labs, but they're a nice mix of brains and beauty and many of these style of labs can make great service dogs for a moderately active handler. We don't necessarily need a breeder that's only breeding for service dog work, but instead, has had successful service dogs in the lines. Amongst any litter there will be dogs that excel in different activities.

[@KellyLS716]

@@DoggyU Thank you, so how do you start searching for a reputable breeder of these "dual purpose" labs?

[@DoggyU]

@@KellyLS716 I talk about this quite a bit in my Service Dog 101 course, along with how to know if the breeder meets the qualifications you'd want in a service dog, but generally, head out to dog shows and speak to handlers whose dogs you admire, look at other service dog handlers you admire online or in person with labs, and ask them who their breeder is, check out some of the facebook groups that are service dog or just generally breed related and search "dual purpose" or "service dog breeder" within the group and then research each individual breeder and if that dog might be a good fit for you. You can also go to your local breed club or look online at breed clubs who will often list their breeders.

[@KellyLS716]

@@DoggyU Thank you so much, I really appreciate this information

[@arianawolfmare]

For me, the best breed was a standard poodle. I'm highly allergic to dogs, but my reaction to poodles is easily managed with my regular allergy meds. There are mixes, but the variation among poodle mixes mean it's a bit too uncertain for me.

[@audenssupersecretaltaccoun9520]

I have a rescue poodle SDiT and a rescue lab that we recently added as our second dog, and it is going to take me a while to adjust to my lab. She is... slow, much slower than my poodle, however she has the much better retrieve out of the two and it's very nice. She also definitely has that food drive. I am probably team poodle, but labs are great for a lot of folks! I like my dogs sharp, witty, and driven, but just the right amount that they don't outsmart me too much 🤣 Poodles are definitely weird sometimes, and the coat maintenance can be rough, but I think my first wellbred dog in the future might end up being another poodle for service work when my boy gets close to retiring ❤️ I also wanted a Malinois for service work and even met with a breeder, but it didn't feel like the right fit. And things ended up changing and I needed to go through a rescue/shelter, which is not ideal, especially for a Malinois. So, I ended up with my poodle, and now my lab. They are not the dogs I would have initially picked, but they're both very good dogs, even with the quirks that come with adopting a dog vs purchasing from an ethical breeder. Now I just have to hope my boy passes his OFAs when he's 2 and that no other health issues arise that would cut his working career short.

[@DoggyU]

I think there's a lot of variety in labs regarding sharpness/drive/wittiness etc. I purposefully selected a field line vs. bench because I too enjoy those traits in a dog! But many people really like poodles! I find them to be a bit hit or miss with anxiety being common, but I have one in training now that I really love. But she's definitely less food motivated and a bit more aloof which I've found to be the case with many of the poodles I worked with. But they can make great service dogs, and there's definitely a reason that they're third most popular!

[@audenssupersecretaltaccoun9520]

Neither of my dogs are great examples of the breed being rescues, and I'm definitely not knocking a lab's intelligence, but poodles are definitely on another level sometimes, and being a mainly poodle handler and then getting a rescue lab who's most likely a bench line but somehow still has a ton of energy (she's like a 60-something pound tornado but the most blocky dog I've ever met, definitely has that bench line body type), it's weird for sure. My poodle picks things up usually insanely fast, whereas my lab tries so hard, probably harder than my poodle does usually, but she needs significantly more coaching and sessions to learn things. I think another huge difference is my poodle is so emotionally intelligent. He's a little bit sensitive sometimes, too, but overall he's very stable. Poodles are more sensitive in general as a breed, but that can be a good thing in some cases. My poodle is very in tune with my emotions but he doesn't become anxious, fearful, reactive, or protective during those moments. He has been fantastic at naturally comforting me during anxiety attacks, and sometimes even de-escalating my anxiety before it becomes an anxiety attack. He's multipurpose, so we had not even been focusing on those behaviors. I am about to start working with a professional trainer to finish his task work, but he is just one of the most fantastic dogs I've ever met, so I can only imagine how a wellbred purebred poodle would be to train and handle. 😁 I also love their silly haircuts after being converted to poodles, much like you are trying to convert people to labs! I love my lab, don't get me wrong about that! She's a great dog. She's not a poodle for sure, but I also didn't bring her home expecting a poodle. She's a pet for now, possibly a service dog in training for alternating working days or tandem teaming if the need arises. She is SO good at retrieving, it's crazy!

[@audenssupersecretaltaccoun9520]

She also has a very strong natural desire to walk next to me. She still gets distracted and her recall is a work in progress, but she often chooses to walk a slower pace next to me. My poodle is more of a run around and check in with me every now and then dog, whereas my lab likes to be close more frequently. She also doesn't mind my slower pace, but my poodle definitely wanted to walk faster than me initially.

[@DoggyU]

@@audenssupersecretaltaccoun9520 Great points! Thanks for sharing your poodle experiences! They are definitely a very intelligent breed! They *should* also have a natural retrieve, but I think that hasn't always been kept at the forefront when breeding them in comparison to labs and goldens. I also LOVE silly poodle haircuts. My client with the poodle is actually a groomer and I love what she does with her dog. That being said, I don't have the patience or the budget for that LOL!

[@DoggyU]

@@audenssupersecretaltaccoun9520 just read this comment and YES! Pace matters A LOT when selecting service dogs and labs have a more naturally matched gait to humans. It's actually one of the reasons they're so popular for guide work, as their natural gait is really a huge part of what they should be selected on!

[@Stephsgeckos]

I would love to get a lab for a service dog but my boyfriend is allergic to my current service dog he is a Beagle Rottweiler. We are thinking he's allergic to double coated dogs. I'm thinking about getting a poodle for my next service dog I'm slowly starting to like the breed. I was raised with labs though so I know how great they are.

[@cjsdogtraining]

how would i "wean" my dog off of a prong collar and use a normal collar? I have a 8 month old Great Dane as my prospect and she is doing wonderful. I chose a Great Dane because i am training her for mobility work and she is doing wonderful. i would like to stop using a prong collar because it makes her itchy and i feel like it is distracting to her thinking about that itch on her neck.

[@DoggyU]

I always think about training all my skills in an off-leash setting so that my leash becomes a safety belt and not a steering wheel, so if you're using the prong for leash walking, I'd look at how you're using your leash and collar, and see if you can train the same skill, but without the equipment. I have a full playlist on how I teach loose leash walking on my channel that may be helpful!

[@cjsdogtraining]

@DoggyU she is fully off leash trained, but for some reason, with the prong collar on she behaves better off leash or not every time she goes potty she is off leash and comes back when she is called so would i just have to re teach her on a flat collar for her to understand the same corrections the same way?

[@DoggyU]

@@cjsdogtraining so the prong collar likely represents the threat of correction/punishment, which is why she behaves better on it. The system that I use for training doesn't involve positive punishment (corrections) to get desired behaviors. Check out my "dog training" playlist for videos on the type of training I do. Using motivational training methods will help decrease your reliance on the prong collar to get behavior, making it easier to transition onto the flat collar. Hope that helps!

[@Izamota-q5v]

You could try doubling a flat collar with it, and only attach to the prong if you feel its nessecary. Once he's listening with both you can slowly phase out the prong starting in less stimulating environments - Or try a chain martingale first, since the sound of the chain portion will mimic the sounds of the prong.

[@witzkedm]

Does this extend to other types of retrievers?

[@DoggyU]

Great question - it depends! They all have their own quirks. Like I love Tollers, but their vocalness and more high-strung temperament can be difficult for service work, so their success rate is likely lower. I'd be looking at what the dog is bred for, but generally, if you don't see them used a lot in service work, there's probably a reason.

[@Boone22]

My daughter has 2 yellow labs, believe it or not..they taking longer to mentally grow up, they do hunt,but nutty when home on the farm. I will keep my Great Pyrenees over the lab,myself.

[@one_field]

Yeah for some situations the lgd breeds are perfect. I think they're under-appreciated for the low energy, low exercise requirements they bring to such a big, intelligent package. The coat maintenance and early socialization training are hurdles, and the extra time before you can get them spayed or neutered can be problematic for some situations. Low food drive and high independence mean extra effort in training. Once you get past those barriers, though, they're so perfect for so many tasks! I live on a farm with a Pyr, a Pyr x Maremma cross, and two purebred Anatolians (one in service work) and I could never switch to the codependent, needy breeds like labs and other retrievers; I have to have the calm, self-sufficient energy my lgds carry naturally. Labs emotionally drain me to exhaustion.

[@abigailsmith1900]

What about Jermaine shepherds

[@DoggyU]

There's very few German Shepherds that are the right fit for service work, though they do exist. I don't typically recommend them for psychiatric work, but they can be good options for mobility and guide work. But again, finding the right fit is much more challenging than finding a lab or golden with the right characteristics (not to mention structure for longevity).

[@abigailsmith1900]

@@DoggyU my sister’s German Shepherd is a purebred and she’s gonna have puppies and I was told I could have one for my psychiatric Service Dog I had my trainer look at them and see which one she thinks is the best. Do you think that would be a good option?

[@abigailsmith1900]

@@DoggyU I decided to go a labrador breeders that a lot of their dogs have been chosen for Service Dog. You definitely know more about this than I do 😊

[@themoonlit-wolf3773]

Is a German shepherd okay? Because I need a taller dog to help with mobility (balance, sturdy, the walking aid bar handle)

[@DoggyU]

The right german shepherd could be a good fit. However, I would look at getting a health-tested adult dog with structure that would support your physical needs with an established temperament that you can have a professional assess. Also, if you're needing to put a lot of consistent weight on the dog, I'd look at other durable medical equipment and use the dog for non-weight-bearing mobility tasks. Here's a good resource: mobilitydogresources.org/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEgZKZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbKmdSxKyC7zNFb0QUNBcfDF-KYQYSs1xfzX84yQWWEYefmrO0jB00tGFQ_aem_CWlByXnTsfZa__ao4veALw

[@themoonlit-wolf3773]

@@DoggyU thank you so much! I’m going to be training my own dog (with service trainer support). Should I get a puppy? And what age? I’m UK, do you know where to find breeders for service animals?

[@DoggyU]

@@themoonlit-wolf3773 I would definitely recommend you check out my Service Dog 101 course. It covers all of that and much more! Though the law portion of the course is US-based, everything else is designed for those just starting their service dog journey! You can find out more at courses.doggyu.com

[@onecupofsoup]

I just can’t handle lab and golden drool. It’s a sensory nightmare, what about then?

[@DoggyU]

I totally feel the same way! I think the drool factor really depends on the style of the lab or golden. The lab I'm getting has two parents that have tighter mouths, AKA not wet mouthed lol!

[@lilyseitz3596]

❤

[@GoldenWolf248]

I really wish I loved labs. I can see all their good qualities but their personality just rubs me the wrong way for some reason. (Same goes for pretty much all sporting breeds lol) I have a hard time getting attached which makes it difficult to have them as a psychiatric service dog. I prefer Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Huskies but I know they don’t do great as service dogs. :(

[@DoggyU]

I thought the same thing until I found the right lines of labs. But there's definitely individual GSDs and Rotties within the breed that could be a good fit! You'd likely need to look for a young adult though to be able to better assess suitability.

[@GoldenWolf248]

@@DoggyU I have GSD/Rottie service dog (he's my first so I've made a lot of mistakes). Definitely will go with an adult rescue dog next time with the right temperament. I don't mind mutts.

[@shiori510]

I wasn't looking for a SÐ ŵhen I got Horse, I just wanted a companion. He became my ɓèst friend by needing me às much as ì needed him, he drove his 2nd family nuts by growing so much taĺlèr then the border collie tĥey were told he was. He was ìgnored and left alone in the yard because the mum was scared of her huge dog, the only member of the family who wasn't scared of him was mums boyfriend who was there maybe once a week.

[@yiyimio]

Greetings from Ontario, Canada! My 2yo has a very good temperament. Even strangers can cuddle with him, but he is overly friendly. He loves to say hi to everyone, so he can sometimes be a bit bothersome. He’s an energetic Aussie, not a Lab, tho. I hope that one day he can become a therapy dog and visit nursing homes or help children with autism. Some people say I just need to wait for him to calm down-it can take years.

[@DoggyU]

I have a 15 year old cattle dog x aussie that has yet to "calm down" LOL!

[@one_field]

As someone who adores the livestock guardian breeds (have been breeding, training and working them since 2012), I agree with your points in this video 100%. For the typical service tasks and the typical disabled handler training their own service dog, there's absolutely no better choice than the retriever gun dog breeds, for all the reasons you listed. There are unusual disabilities out there where the livestock guardians are a better match, if the handler can train them or has help, but they're highly specific situations and not the general, run-of-the-mill needs. For example, I have no need for retrieval tasks or "send" type tasks; all of my needs center on the dog being close at hand and pretty independent, able to understand the surroundings when I can't and unconcerned if I can't provide emotive feedback or rewards on a routine basis. The very traits that make labs excellent for so many disabled people would be useless to me, or worse (even mature lab emotional energy is death to my spoon count). But schizo-family disorders are absolutely not the normal target for service dog work, and I know that's not really the point of your video--which is helping the max number of people address the most likely disabilities with the max-probability-of-success breed for diy training. I LOVE the work you're doing and how much help you provide us at home, for free and on Patreon. You're amazing! ❤️ from the outlier that proves the bell curve! Lol.

[@DoggyU]

Yes - exactly. Individual situations may vary! But the goal here is to help that middle segment be most successful 🥰

[@EmpressKittyKat]

This is a great video! My first SD was a border/kelpie cross who just happened to be available when I needed her and she was great in a lot of ways, but I’ll never get a herding breed again. I fiancé has a working line GSD as well and considered training her because I know she’d learn all the tasks flawlessly, but she’s way too protective and I can foresee many issues in the public. So when I set out for a replacement I was looking for whatever dog could do the job, even if it was “boring”. Besides, I was actually looking forward to have a mundane-looking SD because they attract less attention. Boring black lab was my top contender, but I was also in contact with a golden breeder for a bit. Well long story short I actually ended up with a standard poodle 😆 I’ve trained with and talked to lots of owner handlers and the one thing the retrievers had in common was that they had to spend a lot of time learning to ignore strangers. I knew that would be particularly frustrating for me personally as all my life I’ve had primitive spitz breeds (Nihon ken) where I really didn’t have to train that. There are pros and cons to each breed and you have to pick which cons are going to be too much for you to deal with when you’re at your worst needing help I ended up finding a breeder that has a SD herself (who is the grandmother of my service dog. My dog has a brother and several aunts and uncles excelling at service dog, and even more getting rally and fields trial titles. Shes bombproof and recovers from stressful stimuli immediately. I think it would be great if you did a video on how to find the right lines with poodles, as the vast majority of poodle breeders aren’t evaluating their dogs with the intent of breeding more suitable SD candidates, but the ones that are are producing some truly fantastic dogs. If I ever stray from poodles, I’ll get a black lab (black goes with everything and is the least conspicuous) but I don’t see myself ever going back on poodles, I’m so pleased with my girl’s performance

[@DoggyU]

Love this! Unfortunately, I don't have enough poodle experience to do that video, but I have a poodle that's finishing up my program right now that's awesome for the reasons you stated! And regarding black labs - if I didn't have to film my training as my career, I totally would have gone black lab! Yellow clothing is just less practical! LOL