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Send us an email with the subject: Advice Question or a message to My CRPS Service Dog's Facebook page and we'll answer it! |
April 7, 2019 Q: Which is better for a potential service dog – pure breed or rescue? A: Which ever one meets your criteria list and fits your budget. Breed is important, but not nearly as important as what that individual dog has to offer. When you look for a potential dog, there will never be a guarantee. You are gambling, essentially. Pure bred vs mutt – they each have their pros and cons, but neither will 100% promise you a good service dog. To start, I want to explain why relying on a pure bred dog is not an assurance for success. The favorite breed for programs to use for service dogs is the Labrador, and most programs use their own breeding program. In, The Dog Trainer’s Resource: The APDT Chronicle of the Dog Collection, there is a chapter on temperament testing. In this chapter, the writer talks about the benefits of temperament testing, but also the shortcomings. She reveals that temperament testing is never going to be a surefire, guarantee of what a dog will be like when they are older, stating, “If you start with the best material and do everything ‘correctly’, you will have a perfect, predictable dog. Such myths subject to dogs are extraordinarily cruel expectations and conditions while compelling their people to feel only grief and guilt.” She continues to point out that studies done by researchers looking at service dogs and temperament testing show that even if temperament testing as a puppy delivers promising results, on average, ¾ of the lot will grow up to be unsuitable for service dog work. Even within a service dog programs’ organization, there is no guarantee that every puppy in the litter will have the right stuff to be a service dog when it grows up. That’s why there are adoption programs for people to adopt dogs who failed out of service dog work or failed out of military dog work, another group that typically breeds their own dogs. Temperament testing is valuable tool for breeders, and shouldn’t be dismissed off-hand, but it’s vital for people to understand that it’s still just a guess. As the puppy matures, a good breeder will do multiple tests to track the pup’s development. How the puppy is raised, what their environment is, what their experiences are, that all helps to shape their results. But it is still a gamble. It is entirely possible to purchase a puppy from a reputable breeder, for the pup to come from two excellent service dog parents, to give promising temperament test results, and to start service dog training, only to fail. Learning how to be a service dog is hard. It demands a lot of focus, drive to work, desire to please, desire to work with a person, asks the dog to learn how to be completely chill in all sorts of settings and potentially stressful situations, and asks the dog to have the focus to learn very complex actions. Even dogs that turn out to be awesome service dogs go through periods of getting stressed out during their learning sessions, because it is a really hard subject. What makes or breaks the dog, is that individual dog’s ability to cope with the stress and move forward to success. It also depends on how good the trainer is, in their ability to help guide the dog and not cause them to burn out. Pure Breed from A Service Dog Breeder
Pure Breed Resources:
Research dog clubs for the breed you are interested in, and before you pick a breeder, check their reputation. The AKC is good place to check. Also, if any breeder shies away from you asking a lot of questions, that is a red flag. Research the breed itself too, don't just pick something because it's pretty or you met a nice one once. Pure Breed from a Shelter/Rescue
Pure Breed Rescue Resources;
Mutt from Shelter/Rescue
Ultimately, whether you choose pure-bred or mutt depends on what you need and what you can afford. Remember that neither route will guarantee a successful service dog. A whole lot of variables go into making a good service dog. Even beyond initial purchase the dog has to make it through intense obedience training, socialization, task training, and experience service dog life for what it is,
and not every dog has what it takes. Don’t let anyone promise you that a dog will for sure be a service dog, because dogs are not perfect robots. Don’t be swayed by the words, “rescue” or “shelter” – a dog is a dog. Letting yourself be led on by words that make you feel good may lead you to picking the wrong dog or making excuses for your dog because they had a rough start. In the same, “pure breed” sounds fancy and wonderful, but it doesn’t mean crap if the pure breed pup you chose has zero drive to work.
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Advice PostsEvery week, or so I try, I answer one question on Robbie's Facebook page. I will share each question & answer here, as well as on his page. All questions are kept anonymous. How Can I Ask a Question?1. Send me a message on Robbie's Facebook page Types of Questions- A specific problem a team may be experiencing ArchivesCategories
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