Woohoo! It’s one of the most exciting and difficult choices a handler can make- choosing their own prospect! Let’s talk a little about what makes a good prospect, and how to spot red flags.
The most important thing in choosing a dog is temperament. Ideally, you’re looking for a puppy that:
is friendly without being excitable
recovers well from loud noises
Is curious without needing to engage
Is intelligent AND biddable- most dogs are one or the other.
Is CALM. Calmness is number 1 in priorities of temperament. Calmness sort of overlays the rest of these traits, but I thought I’d put it on the list just to make a point.
When choosing a puppy, it’s important to note that temperaments can change into adulthood, but there are some reliable predictors. The Volhard Puppy Aptitude test can be administered relatively easily and is a fairly reliable indication of temperament.
The other most reliable indication is mom and dad- if they have the same calmness and trainability, they will likely produce offspring fit for service work.
The second most important thing is suitability for your needs
When picking a dog, keep in mind what tasks you’ll need, and how well the dog will fit them.
A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel won’t be big enough to do crowd control work, but could do well with scent alerts. A German Shepherd could make a good mobility dog, but they tend to be sensitive, and if you want them to do psychiatric work, they might not be a good fit. Consider, too, allergies: in that case, a lab or golden retriever would be out of the picture.
Do I Go With A Rescue or a Breeder?
I will come out and say that if you are going to be owner training, I recommend starting with a well bred, purpose bred dog. How to know if the dog is well bred, and not just pure bred? I wrote an article on it:
I’ve mentioned this before, but the odds are not in your favor with service dog training. The more you can stack them in your favor, the better. Here are some benefits to getting a well bred dog:
Guarantee against some health issues, like hip dysplasia, heart issues, and eye issues
Stable temperament. We know that temperament has a genetic component. A dam and sire with good temperament, who are calm without being aloof and biddable without being neurotic, have a good chance of producing offspring with the same traits. Traits that would make a good service dog.
Support from the breeder- if something goes wrong, your pup get sick, gets lost, or you fall upon hard times, a good breeder will always be there to support you and your dog.
Now, it is technically possible to get a good service dog prospect from a rescue, but those are few and far between. Yes, my service dog was a rescue. No, I do not recommend it. I actually never got her with the intention of her being a service dog- she happened to alert one day, and I realized what she was capable of, and that I had nothing better to do with my time than try to train her. It was a bumpy road, and we were not a picture perfect team. She was an amazing dog, but had I not been a professional trainer, it would not have worked out.
My current prospect is a poodle whose sire is a cardiac alert dog, his grandsire is an AKC Grand Champion and a cardiac alert dog (yes, the ability is at least somewhat genetic), and the breeder has had many, many, dogs go on to become service dogs. The breeder is also an ethical breeder.
I should say that when choosing any dog, there are some red flags to look for:
Fearfulness or overeagerness. While one of these is less problematic in the long run, neither point to a good service dog candidate.
Older dogs or really young puppies: Older dogs (4+) may not have a very long time to be a working dog before they need to retire for fitness reasons, so it’s not recommended to train an older dog. Similarly, if the puppy was separated from their mother too young, that indicates a whole host of issues that usually don’t point to a good service dog candidate
Any aggression, of any kind- service dogs can not be aggressive, full stop. If there is any indication of aggression, I would go the other way. There are many other prospects you can work with that won’t be a liability.
If you want more information on picking a service dog prospect, or training your own service dog, reach out to us! We offer online consultations, in-home training, group classes, and if you are within our service area, we will also offer temperament testing.
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