Can I Train My Own German Shepherd To Be A Service Dog
Yes, you can train your German shepherd dog to be a service dog, but it will depend on what kind of service animal you need. A medical support dog requires specific service dog training that generally requires the services of a specialized dog trainer. It’s simpler to make your dog an emotional support animal. You may need to take your pet through obedience training and do owner training yourself.
German Shepherd As Physical Therapy Service Dogs
GSDs are very obedient and if trained properly, they can be very sociable.
As PT service dogs, they can help patients needing physical therapy to recover quickly by simply engaging in a play.
A simple catch and fetch game can improve a patients mobility and regaining muscle strength. They can also help console people stricken by disasters or even liven up moods.
How Important Is A German Shepherds Temperament
When it comes to service dogs, the right temperament is vital. For one thing, temperament often determines just how trainable a particular dog is.
A pooch who is willing to learn, obey, and please his or her human will fare well in this department.
There is another reason that temperament is so crucial with service dogs. Daily, service dogs interact with many more people than regular pets. What’s more, service dogs have to do this in noisy and unfamiliar environments.
All this while, they have to remain calm and collected while still helping their human out in a myriad of ways. As you can see, this is a pretty tall order.
So, how well do German Shepherds measure up as service dogs?
Well, as with most aspects, it is a bit difficult to generalize. After all, one GSD can differ from another rather drastically. Therefore, you cant really say that all German Shepherds have the right temperament to become a service dog.
Susan Briggs, MA, CPACO makes this point
You need a dog that is bred to have a stable temperament, that isnt particularly defensive around strangers, and that will not be spooked around novel situations.
German Shepherds that are properly bred, raised and train can behave well, but there are many that wouldnt be suitable for these tasks. The same is true for any breed.
How a German Shepherd is bred can have a significant impact on what their temperament is like.
Instead, look for something in the middle. This will allow you to get the best of both worlds.
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Are All German Shepherds Well
As you may be aware, there are several German Shepherd bloodlines. These bloodlines are either bred for domestic, working, or show purposes.
Many German Shepherds have had a long history of service in the military, police, and Search and Rescue.
Therefore, each of them has particular temperaments and capabilities. Due to this, not all of the bloodlines will be equally good in the position of a service dog.
Cindy Kelly is an AKC licensed breeder and has been training dogs for over three decades at Regis Regal German Shepherds in Illinois. As she explains it,
The East German working line dogs, which are also used for the canine and police force, are very trainable if they come from healthy bloodlines.
But unfortunately, they are also bred to have a tremendous drive, which makes it difficult for a person requiring a service dog because they generally have no off switch.
This is why you are better off picking a German Shepherd with an ideal temperament and drive to work as a service dog.
Such a dog will respond well to training and have a calmer nature. This will ensure that they are better suited to being around people in various environments.
German Shepherd Service Dog For Anxiety
People with anxiety disorders tend to have a sense of impending doom. They usually have frequent, intense fear or anxiety about everything that it affects their nervous system leading to hypertension. These feelings are very difficult to control that usually hamper with their daily activities.
With GSD service dogs around, anxiety attacks are prevented because GSDs can sense them before they happen. They even remind their handlers to take their medicine at a given time.
During anxiety attacks, GSD service dogs can calm their handlers by licking their face for distraction, fetch medicine, bring someone to help, retrieve a phone and preventing people from getting near their handlers.
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Training Goal #: Impulse Control
Learning to control their impulses is important for all puppies, and for the GSD, it can be one of the most important ways to curb problem behaviors to which this breed is prone if allowed to become bored: behaviors such as excessive barking, digging, aggressive chewing, and inappropriate chasing .
The key to impulse control is getting your dog to focus on you. This will have beneficial effects for all the rest of your training efforts, especially in AKC dog sports like Obedience and Rally.
Require that your puppy sit before getting food, playing with an exciting toy, going outside to play, or any other favorite activity. As your GSD puppy advances in obedience training and knows more commands, you can require more advanced commands or tricks in order to receive treats or play.
Can German Shepherds Be Both Service Dogs And Family Dogs
Generally, it is not recommended for a service dog to also be a family pet. Although German Shepherds can be taught to co-exist with other family members, they need to develop the strongest bond and loyalty to the person they are assisting.
That means they must prefer to be in the presence of their handler and follow their commands above anyone elses. Treating them as a family pet will be confusing and will interfere with their value as assistance animals.
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German Shepherds Are Very Loyal
Matching a canine helper with the right owner is essential to ensuring the pup is up to the tasks required. When you get a service dog, you need to know you can count on it to do its job. Likewise, it needs to be able to count on you. Trust establishes loyalty. A loyal service animal is committed to its owner, continuing to take its job seriously through the years.
German shepherds make outstanding service dogs because they are very loyal. Though they are often stand-offish at first, they are fiercely loyal once there is trust between them and their owners. GSDs are more loyal than some of the other breeds people frequently use as service dogs, including Labrador retrievers.
German Shepherd Service Dog Training
If the German Shepherd passes through the temperament test, they will need to pass through the service animal testing as well.
The exact training a service dog will receive depends on what sort of disability theyll be used for. Often, there is a specific disability in mind when the dog is being trained. Occasionally, the dogs may be trained for a particular person, who will have specific requirements for their dog.
Service dogs can perform many different tasks. For instance, they can be guide dogs for the blind, pull wheelchairs, or alert owners about seizures. People with diabetes use some dogs to warn them if their blood sugar drops too low.
Dogs likely also need familiarity with familiar public places. Many of those living in cities need to use public transportation. Shopping centers, elevators, and busy streets are all common areas that the dogs need contact with.
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To Deal With Physical Disability:
These service dogs assist physically disabled people. They give them assistance to get back into life. They help them to live life fully.
It is difficult for the disabled person to perform various activities. They help them by picking up items, getting them around, and many other tasks.
German Shepherds are incredibly the best service dogs for their intelligence.
Molly The German Shepherd
Molly is just 8 weeks of age. Yet, Molly is not just any German Shepherd puppy. Molly is a future service dog that has a long and fulfilling life ahead of her.
CPT selected Molly from an outstanding litter of German Shepherds bred in North Georgia. She excelled in the Friendliness, Restraint, Dominance, Tolerance, Energy, and Trainability criteria inherent to the CPT Puppy Test. Now that she is 8 weeks of age she is about to begin her service dog journey.
Although German Shepherds are used with decreasing frequency as service animals, the breeding line from which Molly comes exhibits excellent aptitude for the role. We expect that Molly will be an excellent representative of the German Shepherd breed.
Molly is scheduled to commence her first board train. She will have a total of 3 board trains before she reaches 18 24 months of age and graduates from the CPT service dog program.
Her first-stage board train will focus on housebreaking, household manners, sensory stimulation, environmental socialization, and imprint obedience. She will then spend time with her family before returning to CPT for more training.
The above is a video of Molly and her litter at 7 weeks of age.
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Are German Shepherds Suitable For Psychiatric Assistance
As mentioned, doctors and psychiatrists are focusing on how service dogs can help individuals suffering from mental health issues.
It is still a relatively new field, and dogs have been found to help with specific disorders.
Since research is still being conducted in this area, such service dogs aren’t all that common.
In some circumstances, people may have to face a few more barriers before they can be approved for a service dog for their mental health.
Despite this hesitance, the dogs have been found to help. They can reduce symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and panic attacks.
As with physical disabilities, psychiatric assistance pups are trained to perform tasks according to their owner’s diagnosis.
So, what exactly is it that these service dogs are supposed to do? And are German Shepherds suitable for such tasks?
Well, one of their main tasks is to provide their owners with tactile stimulation and reduce anxiety.
The dogs can also be trained to nudge or paw their human when they have disassociated.
Or when they need to be brought back to the present. They can also help to reduce undesirable or harmful behaviors.
And for individuals suffering from PTSD or anxiety, their service dogs can act as a barrier they will prevent other individuals from making unwanted contact.
As this is still a somewhat new area for service dogs, there are some mixed opinions about how German Shepherds will fare with psychiatric assistance.
The Benefits Of Training Your G Erman Shepherd To Become A Service Dog
There are many great reasons to train your German Shepherd to be a service dog and it can be very rewarding. Here are a few of the benefits of having a trained service animal:
- Personal support: each person experiences a disability differently. When you train a service dog yourself or assist in its training, you can custom train it to help in the specific ways you need help.
- Give Back to the Community: if you train your dog to help others, you and your dog together can brighten up the world and give back to your community. This is an extremely rewarding benefit.
- Become more active: whether its taking your dog for a therapeutic visit to a nursing home or taking them to a home to provide some quality emotional support, it will get you out of the house and connecting with others in your community. Not only are you giving back, youre getting back as well in the form of stronger community connections.
- Support your business: if youre a physical therapist, you can train your dog to provide support and help to your patients. This will not only help speed up their recovery but it will make your practice stand out. Who doesnt want to hang out with a dog while they recover?
Whatever your reasons for training your German Shepherd to be a service animal, you will not regret it. These are helpful skills for a dog to have so its well worth the effort. That said, it can take some effort.
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Breeder Requires An Applications For Service Dog:
The best breeder doesnt hand over their trained service dogs to anyone. They need them to fill an application to learn about how their trained dog is going to live.
They care for their trained service dogs as they have spent time with them. Moreover, the breeder is in demand as their bred dog is of high quality.
Estimated Cost Of A German Shepherd Service Dog
German Shepherds have different costs depending upon their size, training, and age.
As the age, size, and training enhance, the price of the German Shepherd increases. Specialized pieces of training demand more cost for service dogs.
If you train the German Shepherd yourself, it may cost less. But, you need to pay more attention to better service training sessions.
Different breeds cost differently. German Shepherds are one of the finest species thus, it costs higher. A breed of German Shepherd may cost between $5,000 and $65,000.
A German Shepherds pup may cost between $2,000 $7,000 if you train it yourself.
After getting a German Shepherd, you may get the cost of high-quality food for the service dog. Healthy food helps them grow well and live long. You can give them almond milk.
If you want to keep your German Shepherd healthy, keep them away from pretzels too. These can cause stomach disorders, and they can start vomiting.
Another cost incurred is the cost for food, accessories, and a vet. When a service dog gets injured, fell ill, or regular visit to the vet.
Having a German Shepherd can be costly. A German Shepherd lives over 9 to 13 years. The cost incurs per year may range from $500 to $1,500 per annum, and the overall cost may be more than $20,000.
Before buying a German Shepherd, estimate the expenses and financial status.
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Training Goal #: Begin Obedience Training
The German Shepherd Dogs work ethic is legendary, and you can encourage your dogs best working traits with early and ongoing training. GSDs excel at obedience, so begin teaching your puppy basic commands like sit, down, and stay, as well as loose-leash walking, from an early age. Enrolling in a puppy obedience class can be extremely helpful both for teaching these commands as well as socialization, and its not too early to begin thinking about CGC training as well.
A Lot Of People Tell Me Be Careful Dave He Is A Cat Killer But Actually Most Are Cat Chasers Not Cat Killers
Someone forgot to tell my cats that they are supposed to be afraid of dogs and they do not run away, so dogs do not chase them.
You should not allow your dog to fixate and obsess on cats, or other small animals. Allowing this behavior just makes them crazy and promotes not listening and being crazy.
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German Shepherd Service Dogs Provide Companionship:
When people get retired, they feel lonely. Some of the retired officers have German Shepherds as their companions.
These service dogs help them physically and emotionally. They engage the owner with different exciting activities to forget their loneliness.
Not every breed can support it emotionally. Few German Shepherd breeds give emotional help, such as Calmer breeds like Labradors and Golden Retrievers.
Are German Shepherds Good Psychiatric Service Dogs
Yes, German Shepherds can be good psychiatric service dogs. In fact, many people rely on this breed for a variety of mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and PTSD.
However, not all GSDs are equally suitable. Every dog must be evaluated, selected, and trained to ensure they can meet the specific needs of their handler.
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German Shepherds Are Highly Intelligent
A service dog needs to be smart enough to train. You need the dog to learn appropriate behaviors in public areas and when around other people. You may also rely on them to understand and perform complex tasks. They can’t just be intelligent, though. Service dogs must be interested in learning what their owners teach them.
German shepherds are one of the most intelligent dog breeds in the world. They are keen on learning and can pick up new skills quickly. GSDs are athletic and like having something to do. Their intelligence and trainability make them popular working dogs, so you often see them used as military dogs, police dogs, and drug-sniffing dogs. It’s also why they make excellent service dogs.
Training Goal #: Crate Training
This is also a good time for crate training, which Adams recommends as well. GSD trainer and dog sports enthusiast Alexa Hagood, LVMT, agrees: Crate breaks, even when brief, can help the puppy become acclimated to going in the crate and having some alone time. She notes that this can help reduce the risk of a puppy developing separation anxiety, and recommends beginning with using the crate for feeding times , and at times when the owner needs to do daily chores.
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Where To Find A Service Dog
Professional service dog training organizations and individuals who train service dogs are located throughout the U.S. They work to train dogs to perform a skill or skills specific to a handlers disability. As part of their training, service dogs are taught public access skills, such as house training, settling quietly at the handlers side in public, and remaining under control in a variety of settings.
Professional service dog trainers have high standards for their dogs, and the drop-out rates for service dog candidates can run as high as 50 to 70 percent. Fortunately, there are often long lists of available homes for dogs that dont make the cut.
Both nonprofit and for-profit organizations train service dogs. The cost of training a service dog can exceed $25,000. This may include training for the person with a disability who receives the dog and periodic follow-up training for the dog to ensure working reliability. Some organizations provide service dogs to disabled individuals at no cost or may offer financial aid for people who need, but cannot afford, a service dog. Other organizations may charge fees for a trained dog.
Persons with disabilities and those acting on their behalf are encouraged work with an experienced, reputable service dog organization or trainer. Carefully check out the organization, ask for recommendations, and make an informed decision before investing funds or time to acquire a trained service dog.