Ideal therapy dog

[Andy in Germany]

I'm currently going through training to be a therapy dog handler as an additional qualification to my Occupational Therapy training. I grew up with a dog but haven't owned one since I left home.

Now I'm wondering what type of dog would be best if/when I finally get one.

Pedigrees are fine and mongrels are possible as long as I know their heritage but rescue dogs are out because we don't know how they may react in certain situations.

The dog would obviously need to be friendly and like people, which is as much an individual thing as breed, but it would also need to be a breed people aren't prejudiced against like a pit bull or a Dobermann.

Apart from that:

I work with a wide age range including children but mostly I'm with young adults, often men with Psychological issues and addiction issues. I don't think they'd relate well to a spaniel or a chihuahua. The dog wouldn't have to be big but would need to have 'presence'. I grew up with a West Highland and she commanded respect despite being small.

Non shedding would be great but not essential.

Suggestions I've had so far were Jack Russel, West Highland, Border Terrier, Shiba. At the other end of the range Berners or Huskies were suggested. Huskies aren't great for small children but they'd have more energy than my grown up clients...

Any thoughts?

 

[Dirk]

Get a Jack Russell.
You'll need therapy shortly afterwards.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Get a Jack Russell.
You'll need therapy shortly afterwards.

So it would seem:

View: https://youtu.be/A4N7G29GWQI

 

[Dave 123]

I can't see why you've not mentioned Labradors. Ok, they moult like jiggery, but if you get a nice, steady placid bitch you'll be on to a winner.

 

[pawl]

Don’t discount mongral . He was the most placid and obedient dog.I got him as stray.
Some pedigree dogs can be a bit leary. A friend who trains Border Collies for obedience competition will always choose a bitch as she feels they respond more readily to tracing.

Would not recommend the Border for pat dog purposes as they tend to be a one person dog.

 

[Crackle]

I've always found huskies quite aloof if they don't know you. It's taken about 3 years of occasionally seeing one whilst out to reaching the stage where I can stroke him and he sits on my feet whilst I do and even then he sometimes looks at me like I'm taking a bit of a liberty.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Don’t discount mongral . He was the most placid and obedient dog.I got him as stray.
Some pedigree dogs can be a bit leary. A friend who trains Border Collies for obedience competition will always choose a bitch as she feels they respond more readily to tracing.

Would not recommend the Border for pat dog purposes as they tend to be a one person dog.

Mongrels are fine as well. In fact from a purely business point of view some Therapists reckon they are better because they tend to be free of genetic defects that can plague pedigree dogs. They can also combine the best of both breeds. I just need to know them pretty much from birth so I can be as sure as possible that they don't have any 'trigger' reactions to certain people or appearances, which is why I can't use rescue dogs specifically as therapy dogs.

Useful information on the Border terrier, thanks.

 

[siadwell]

Cockapoo? Non-shedding, intelligent, good size, love attention. Or Aussie Labradoodle - bred as assistance dogs but quite rare.

 

[s7ephanie]

French bulldog, so funny friendly and .loving xxx

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I'm surprised you've ruled out Spaniels, Springers in particular

 

[Dirk]

Cockapoo? Non-shedding, intelligent, good size, love attention. Or Aussie Labradoodle - bred as assistance dogs but quite rare.

Expensive mongrels.

 

[Drago]

Labrador. A light groo twice a week and they don't she'd bad at all, it's greatly over egged. Labs love human contact. The only thing they love more is food. Intelligent, affectionate, loving, friendly. Don't worry too much between male or female - simply train obedience into them ruthlessly. My Lemmy is word obedient, not matter the environment or stimuli, when I want him to be, yet rolls on the floor and play fights at "Savage the Commie" when I let him have a nutty moment.

Pedigree dogs are fine if you choose a working lines from a working breed. Much less likely to suffer genetically inherited problems than even mongrels. It's show lines where genetic faults can pile up in the U bend of show-point-scoring oriented breeders minds.

 

[jefmcg]

Expensive mongrels.

Keep the races pure.

 

[Dirk]

Keep the races pure.

http://molosserdogs.com/m/articles/view/992-aryan-molossus---khurasani-dog

 

[Saluki]

Greyhound, Whippet, Lurcher. They love being fussed and there is not too much attention for them. My Saluki is a bit aloof though, they are a dog that are a bit up themselves.