What breed of dog is the most stable to be trained as a therapy dog?
What breed of dog is the most stable to trained as a therapy dog for a child with autism? We are going to purchase a pure bred puppy after the first of the year, but we’re not sure which way to go. I’ve looked at the AKC website, and it doesn’t list any specific breeds that are more stable then the other. We’re looking for a stable, family, dog that can be trained as a therapy dog for a child with autism. We are not interested in a stafford shire, hyperactive, or a breed that is large. We’re looking for a small to medium sized dog that doesn’t exceed 40 lbs. Can anyone give me some suggestions, opinions, places to look? We currently live in SE VA. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Please no rude answers. Thank you.
Therapy dogs are dogs that are selected for their outstanding temperaments and obedience. They accompany their trainers/handlers into hospitals, nursing homes, etc to aid in the healing process.
Perhaps the term you’re looking for is “service dog”. Service dogs are individually trained to mitigate disability. The dog must do something for the disabled handler that the handler cannot do for themselves. Service dogs are legally allowed to accompany the handler into places of public accommodation and increase the independence of the disabled person.
There are agencies that train service dogs for children with autism. I don’t condone what they do. Particularly, they engage in a practice called “tethering” by tying the dog to the child to serve as an anchor that prevents the kid from bolting. This is dangerous to the dog and to the child.
Perhaps your child would benefit from a well-trained pet or emotional support animal. This type of pet is recommended by a healthcare professional for a person with a disability who needs emotional support and companionship. An emotional support animal is allowed to live in most housing where pets are “off limits” but is NOT allowed to accompany the handler into places of public accommodation they way a service dog is because the dog has not received any specialized training.
Any breed of dog can be a well-trained pet for your autistic child to love on, but children should not be left unsupervised with ANY dog. Dogs are dogs and can and will break their training. Any dog can bite if provoked, even a well trained service dog. If you are looking for a breeder, ask about health certificates, hip and joint scores and the general health of the parents, grandparents and other offspring. Ask about temperament and see if any other pups have gone on to be trained as therapy dogs or service dogs (this will help determine outstanding temperament).
I recommend you enlist the help of a private trainer to select the puppy for you, or the help of an agency or organization that is accustomed to placing temperamentally sound dogs as pets for the disabled.
ETA @ Mutt: People have rights. Dogs do not. The disabled handler has the right to be accompanied by the service dog if its presence is necessary to mitigate disability.