The quality of a service dog depends on the training and many other factors. Breed alone does not make or break a dog.
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Since I was told by a trainer form The Seeing Eye that boxers make good guide dogs, I'm going to believe her (this is the same trainer that want to start a program with me in a few years ^.^)
I can't decide if you're trying to insult my training abilities, or my experience....
I would not get a dog from a shelter to train as my first service dog. Too much risk. .... I know there are programs that get dogs from shelters, but the success rate is so low that I just can't risk it.
My organization's success rate is 50%. My personal success rate over the past two years that I've been doing evaluations, is 75%. Most breeders are excited to get 30%.
There IS definately a lot of risk in getting a dog from a shelter, and I would not suggest that someone who's never trained an assistance dog start with one from a shelter; though I'd also not suggest someone who's never trained an assistance dog pick a dog without the help of a trained professional.
One thing I have noticed about boxers is the rift in temperament between BYB dogs and well bred dogs is astronomical, which would make all the difference if you were getting a well bred prospect VS. a shelter dog.
That makes sense, thanks for the insight!
I guess it would depend on kind of service,but ive always wondered why its so rare to see small breed service dogs.. is it really a size thing or is it more about their temp/trainability?
Small dogs are definately as "trainable" as large dogs. In my org, we use larger dogs as service dogs because the small dogs are simply not big enough to do the job. Many recipients use power chairs, which are usually extremely tall, so a retrieve is just not very practical. Not to mention the dog would only be able to retrieve small objects (a common retrieve item here is a water bottle, which my chi certainly wouldn't be able to do; and especially not if she had to jump up onto a power chair to deliver it). Plus tasks like tugging commercial doors open, turning off/on lightswitches, pushing automatic door buttons, etc. would all be challenging for small dogs. Of course I'm not saying it can't be done, but it is limiting and would usually require more equipment - stairs to get to the lightswitch, etc. - and our recipients usually can't afford these things.
Of course guide dogs would also have to be a certain size in order to do guide work effectively.
We do also use the small dogs as hearing dogs, but that's more for the recipient's convenience than anything else..... it's much easier to fit in a restaurant booth, airplane, small office/cubicle, etc. with a small dog than with a large dog. But even then we have size restrictions - they really need to be at least 20 pounds or 12 inches tall, if they're smaller than that they will not be noticed in public and could possibly be stepped on or otherwise injured.
(I really try to avoid naming names, but....) Paws with a Cause in Michigan started with one trainer, a "pet dog" trainer, who decided to try to train one of his clients' dogs to alert to sounds for the client. In 20+ years that organization has grown to one of the largest and most well-respected in the industry.
