Dogs provide invaluable services to humans like companionship, protection, and unconditional love. But that’s not all!
These four-legged friends can also be trained to become service dogs to help people with different disabilities and conditions live better lives.
Any dog can become a service dog. However, when it comes to certain disabilities and conditions, some breeds perform better than others.
Are you considering getting a service dog? Then you are in the right place! In this article, we’ll list the best service dog breeds and explain what makes them great at their jobs.
![Service dog breed](https://www.dogingtonpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Service-dog-breed-1024x683.jpg)
What is a service dog?
A service dog is trained to help people with disabilities or illnesses live better, more independent lives.
THE Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) describes service dogs as “dogs trained individually to do work or carry out tasks for people with disabilities. » This means that each service dog is unique and the work each service dog does must be directly related to their owner’s disability or health condition.
By law, assistance dogs are not “pets”. And while they aren’t required to wear a vest, they usually wear one so community members can tell them apart from pets. The vest helps people know that the dogs are currently working and cannot be approached or petted to avoid distractions.
Additionally, because service dogs provide vital services to their handlers, they are entitled to a number of federal, state, and local legal rights.
Assistance Dog Tasks
As mentioned above, a service dog performs different jobs or tasks, depending on the condition of its owner. But some of the most common jobs they perform include:
- Guiding blind people to navigate the world around them
- Alert deaf people to different sounds
- Pulling a wheelchair
- Detect someone suffering from impending panic attacks and calm them down
- Remind a depressed person to take their medication
- Alert and protect a person with epilepsy before and during a seizure
Characteristics of a good service dog
![Man in a wheelchair with the help of a trained dog in a supermarket toilet](https://www.dogingtonpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Man-in-wheelchair-with-the-assistance-of-a-trained-dog-at-the-bathroom-of-a-supermarket-1024x683.jpg)
Although every service dog is different, there are certain characteristics that make them a reliable service animal. And they are the following:
- Easy to train
- Clever
- Reliable
- Calm and collected under pressure
- Not easily distracted
- Attentive
- Focused and able to concentrate on tasks
- Obedient
And certain dog breeds known to possess these characteristics and deliberately bred to retain these qualities make the best service dogs.
6 of the Best Service Dog Breeds
Of course, when it comes to selecting a service dog, it’s important to choose one that meets your specific needs. But the following service dog breeds are among the most common and popular:
1. Labrador Retriever
![Yellow Labrador Retriever on green lawn](https://www.dogingtonpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Yellow-labrador-retriever-on-green-grass-lawn-1024x683.jpg)
Without a doubt, the Labrador Retriever is one of the most popular service dog breeds. And it’s easy to understand why!
Labrador Retrievers are known for their friendly and easy-going temperaments. Although they are social dogs, they are also calm, engaged, and very intelligent, making them easier to train than most dog breeds.
This breed of assistance dog is ideal for owners with reduced mobility. In fact, these dogs can be trained to retrieve objects on command and guide their masters.
2. Golden Retriever
![Beautiful Golden Retriever dog standing](https://www.dogingtonpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/beautiful-Golden-Retriever-dog-standing-1024x683.jpg)
Similar to the Labrador Retriever, the Golden Retriever is another popular service dog breed, and for the same reasons too!
This service dog breed is affectionate and easy-going. And are eager to please and intelligent, so they are easy to train!
Goldies are great for physical and emotional work. Since they have a natural tendency to recover, they are perfect for people with limited mobility. Additionally, even though they are quite large dogs, they are gentle and kind, providing great service and changing the lives of those suffering from PTSD.
3. German Shepherd
![Beautiful German Shepherd dog lying on the grass](https://www.dogingtonpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Beautiful-german-shepherd-dog-lying-on-the-grass-1024x683.jpg)
Did you know that German Shepherds were the first service dog breed in the 1920s for visually impaired? And to this day, they are still among the most popular breeds for guide dogs.
German Shepherds are incredibly loyal, easy to train, alert and fearless. All the qualities that make them an excellent breed of assistance dog.
In addition to being an excellent guide dog, this service dog breed has an incredible sense of smell and can monitor a diabetic patient’s blood sugar levels.
4. Border Collie
![Black And White Border Collie Running On Green Grass](https://www.dogingtonpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Black-and-white-border-collie-running-on-the-green-grass-1024x683.jpg)
Considered the smartest dog breed in the world, it’s easy to see why Border Collies make excellent service dogs.
This service dog breed is easy to train and loves having a job. Since they are intelligent, they can perform well in various contexts.
Additionally, they can easily pick up on moods or emotions and can work well with owners with mental disabilities. And their size also makes them ideal for people with reduced mobility.
5. Pomeranian
![A happy Pomeranian](https://www.dogingtonpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/A-happy-Pomeranian-1024x683.jpg)
Don’t let their size fool you! Pomeranians are an excellent service dog breed. They are alert and extremely attentive to their owners. And thanks to their size, you can easily take them with you wherever you need help.
Although they are not suitable as guide or balance assistance dogs, these fluffy little dogs are what you would want if you need a medical alert dog. They can alert their managers of symptoms related to diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and asthma.
Additionally, they can also be trained to retrieve small items like medicine, which also makes them a perfect choice for those who suffer from mental disabilities.
6. Standard Poodle
![Black standard poodle walking](https://www.dogingtonpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Black-standard-poodle-running-1024x681.jpg)
The standard poodle is another common service dog breed. This dog has an excellent sense of smell that can detect allergens, a perfect trait for owners who suffer from life-threatening allergies.
The size, trainability, and social nature of a standard poodle are also characteristics that give them the ability to perform a variety of physical tasks, making them an excellent service dog breed.
Additionally, poodles are hypoallergenic. They don’t shed as much as other dog breeds, making them the ideal service dog breed for people with allergies.
Assistance Dogs vs. Working, Therapy, and Emotional Support Dogs: What’s the Difference?
Assistance, working, therapy and emotional support dogs all fulfill important roles in providing services to the hoomans who really needs it. But what are their differences from each other?
Assistance dogs VS working dogs
![Search and rescue dogs](https://www.dogingtonpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Search-and-rescue-dogs-1024x682.jpg)
Both service and working dogs are trained to perform specific tasks or jobs. However, their main difference is the type of work they do.
Assistance dogs are trained to specifically address their owner’s disabilities in order to improve their quality of life. These disabilities, according to ADAmaybe a “physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability”.
Meanwhile, working dogs are trained for a specific purpose to help humans in their daily work. Some examples of working dogs are detection, herding, hunting, search and rescue, police, and military dogs.
Assistance Dogs VS Therapy Dogs
![Young girl visited in hospital by therapy dog](https://www.dogingtonpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Young-Girl-Being-Visited-In-Hospital-By-Therapy-Dog-1024x683.jpg)
While service dogs are trained to work to alleviate their owners’ disabilities, therapy dogs are trained to provide affection and comfort not only to their owners, but also to various people.
And because therapy dogs are primarily responsible for providing psychological and physiological therapy, they are encouraged to interact with people while on duty.
Additionally, therapy dogs typically visit hospitals, schools, hospices, nursing homes, etc. And these days, police therapy dogs are becoming commonplace.
Assistance Dogs VS Emotional Support Dogs
![Portrait of an emotional support dog looking lovingly at the owner](https://www.dogingtonpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Portrait-of-emotional-support-dog-looking-lovingly-at-owner-1024x768.jpg)
According to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)emotional support dogs “providing emotional support that alleviates one or more symptoms or effects of a person’s disability. »
Although they provide emotional support, they are not specifically trained to perform tasks that help people with disabilities, such as being able to detect a person’s impending panic attacks or remind a depressed person to take their medication .
Furthermore, the ADA clearly states that service dogs are NOT emotional support or comfort dogs,”because providing emotional support or comfort is not a task related to a person’s disability.
Conclusion
Although the aforementioned breeds differ in breed, shape or size, these dogs share one important trait: their training, effort and hard work change the lives of their owners for the better.
Do you have a service dog? How do they help improve your quality of life? Share it with us in the comments below!