Service Dog: Looking at your needs

A few days ago I received a phone call from someone trying to understand my process for choosing whether or not a dog is appropriate for a person. Like I talked about in my last Blog, my application asks for details on their life. This is because it is going to tell me the energy level of the person, what type of household I am looking at putting a dog into, as well as, how experienced the person is with a dog.


The next thing you need to ask yourself is, what are my needs? Don't just ask yourself this, ask the others around you. I have friends that are writing lists, what do I struggle with and what does/can my dog do to help me. The other thing is, don't just rely upon your own assessment of yourself, others see things that you may miss or one behaviour you thing is an issue, actually may be completely normal or tied to something else that the dog can help with. Sitting down with the family and having a candid discussion about their concerns and needs goes a long way to create harmony in the family, you never want to receive a dog to help you, only to have your home life fall apart due to the dog.


Looking into different breeds, look at what their natural tendencies are. Going against their instinct is never wise. Some breeds are natural at picking up and bringing items, this is especially helpful if you have mobility or balance issues. Some breeds, even though they can retrieve, have genetic or physical characteristics that make bracing on them an issue, drastically reducing the life of the dog, like a Shepard. Always talk to your vet about what breeds you are considering and always have your dog/puppy physically assessed to ensure it is even a task that they can do.


Last time I talked about some dogs not being the norm when it comes to natural behaviours, this can also happen when choosing a breed that has the correct tendencies but not looking at the individual dog. Each dog is also an individual, just because you get a retriever, doesn't necessarily mean it will retrieve. Never go into choosing a dog blindly, and looking at puppies, try and match some of their natural behaviours with what you can work with and grow into what is going to help you. Getting a trainer involved will also help you not only choose the correct temperament but also assess the puppies behaviour in order to determine if they have the skills necessary.