When owner training one of the biggest things you are going to need to know is how to choose a prospect. Now that could be its own post but right now I want to focus on something that makes choosing a prospect a lot easier.
Choosing a good breeder can make your dog training go way smoother. There are a few things to look out for when looking at breeders.
The first thing that can be really helpful is finding a breeder that specializes in breeding dogs for service work. This isn't always a possibility especially if you are going for a less common breed. Trainers who breed for service work should know what training/socialization/desensitization needs to be done in the early days of a puppy's life. My current service dog Grimm's breeder used desensitization sounds and sensations in their puppy's vicinity nearly from day one.
Grimm came to me at ten weeks already having been exposed to children, other dogs(large and small), and other animals. He also came to be used to being handled. He would let us touch his feet, ears, mouth, tail you name it. One of my favorite things about my breeder is that Grimm also came with a basis of training. He knew sit, down, and come. He was not solid on any of those things but he came with a strong foundation. In that same vein, it is important that your breeder will be working with a similar training style as you.
A trainer who breeds dogs for service work. will also know that not every dog is cut out to be a service dog. While it is possible to have an entire litter of viable candidates it is extremely rare. Breeders who claim their entire litter is service dog material should be looked at critically. In Grimm's litter, there were two dogs that were really cut out to be working dogs. There was another that could have worked out but we were told upfront that he would take more work and would likely be a better show dog/trick dog. This means a good breeder will be willing to move you to the next litter if there are no good candidates in the litter you signed up for.
The next thing I would look out for is someone who clearly cares about their dogs. Someone who does research about what is best for their dogs, who is willing to change practice if new evidence comes to light. Someone who is flexible with how you decide to manage your dog as long as you both have an understanding that you are trying to do what's best for a dog. All of the breeders I have talked to have had a process where we interview each other and we are able to go through our expectations for each other as well as what I needed in a service animal.
Here is a list of questions that will be important.
- What lifestyle do I lead? (if you are very active you will need an active dog if you are not you will need a dog who will be able to sit still with you)
- Is the dog eager to please? (do they want to make their handler happy)
- Is the dog driven by (whatever reward you feel most comfortable with treats/love/verbal praise/etc...)
-Is the dog friendly while still being able to focus on their handler?
This is all a lot to remember but I think it is all important when considering the breeder of a dog you will be sinking lots of time and money into and who will hopefully be keeping you safe at some point.
If you have any extra questions feel free to contact me! I love to help out with things like this. I made lots of mistakes in the past that I would love to help others not make!
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