Can any giant breed dog be taken in to be trained for......?

Question

being a service, guide, therapy, balance, seizure alert, hearing ear dog seeing eye dog? Any of those?

Which giant breed is the best and worst to be trained for one of these services? I know Great pyrenees are hard to train because they're strong willed.

Answer 1

Saint Bernards and Newfies are great Giant breed dogs for those things you have listed. Also knew a Great Dane who was in training with me and one of my Golden's. Also A bull Mastiff but he was a bit too clumsy and dropped out. Doesn't mean others of that breed would not make it through training.
Actually any breed can go through the training. They just have to pass it.

Good question!

Happy Holidays!

Answer 2

What an interesting question, I think I'll give it a star!

Most times it seems that Golden Retrievers, Labs and German Shephards are what you see as service dogs. However, I've seen Dobermans (on TV) and other even smaller breeds doing this work. I remember reading about a Sheltie that was a service dog too.

I think more important than the breed itself is the dog's temperament, attitude and alertness. The dog also has to be calm and in tune with it's master.

If you're looking for a pup and are considering training it to be a service dog that is absolutely wonderful. Good luck!

Answer 3

Any dog with the right temperament can be a service dog. Not all dogs are cut out for it, but I would think a Newfie or Saint would be great for the job, all the Danes I know are a little goofy and slightly uncoordinated and DEFINITELY do not know they are huge. But that doesn't in any way mean that the right one can't do it. I think a Pyranees would do just fine though, they are working dogs that THANK GOD still have that working drive, if you treat it like a job with them I think they would be just fine, Mastiff breeds for the most part would do well because generally speaking they are usually calm and docile. I think probably the Irish Wolfhound would have the hardest time, It says nothing in any of the standards I've checked about temperament, but the ones I've met tend to be rather aloof and wary of strangers, but of course a properly socialized dog would probably do as well as any other dog.

Answer 4

It really comes down to the individual dog.

I chose Bernese Mtn Dogs for several reasons... but when going through my litter I had 2 dogs that just kept coming to the forefront for:

* Structure (dog needs to be put together correctly if its going to be used for balance work and transfer work)
* Willingness to work combined with lack of distractability
* Fast learning combined with retention
* Temperament/steadiness

In the end I made my decision between the dogs based on 2 things. One pup was simply steadier when faced with a new situation... AND he had a shorter coat (ease of care). The pup I did not pick was the pick of the litter by three different long time show breeders and is now in a nice pet home.

I did look at Pyrs, Newfs, Dobes and Rotts when I was choosing a breed. Slobber ruled out the Newfs as well as the size for Newfs and Pyrs (fitting in the bulkhead at my feet on a plane is a BIG deal.. and a big deal for who I'm presently training for) And I'll admit it, I didn't choose Dobes or Rotts because of the public perception. People requiring the use of a Service Dog get enough grief from unknowledgable restaurant owners, hotel managers etc without having to deal with the breed's reputation on top of it.

Answer 5

Pretty much any breed/mix of dog can do service or therapy work or be "alert" dogs.

Great Danes can be great therapy dogs. They also are used for seizure alert dogs, parkinson support dogs, etc. One of my own Danes is a certified therapy dog.

*****German Shepherds, Goldens, Labs, Dobermans and the like are NOT giant breeds...breeds such as Great Danes, St. Bernards, Newfoundlands are giant breeds*******

Answer 6

There are a lot of "smooth giants", gonna need a lot more standards than that :) exceptional Dane Greyhound Leonberger Newfoundland St. Bernard greater Swiss Mountain dog Bernese Mountain dog Bullmastiff Cane Corso Irish Wolfhound Borzoi just to call a couple of :)

Answer 7

If this is a strictly hypothetical question, yes, giant breeds can be trained for service work if their personalities permit them. I recently read a story about a miniature horse trained for a blind man who lived on a farm. Breed is far less important than temperament. Plus, grooming needs to be a considering factor. Depending on the service the animal will be providing, and how capable the person with a disability, they will also need to be responsible for their care. Good question. I'm sure you will get lots of responses to it. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Answer 8

any breed, large or small, can be trained. st. Bernard's are the most common. most people that see them are not afraid, but other large/giant breeds cause fear in some people, so the st. B's are used more. think Beethoven from the movies. compare that with the rottie image, you'll see my point. people have made society afraid, the dogs are not the problem {the press does not help, they only go after large dogs in bite cases, not the small ones} its people. personally, i would like to see more of my breeds out there, i have a mastiff and a Rhodesian ridge back, which are rarely trained for that job.

Answer 9

Medium sized breeds and mutts generally make the best service dogs where they have to lead their keepers since their size makes them a better height for harness work.

Small sized dogs make the best service dogs where their function is for hearing or assistance since they are generally more agile and require less space.

Large dogs are best where they have to provide physical support for their keepers, helping people get to their feet for example.

So, yes, a giant breed is suitable for the latter type of service training as long as it has the physical and muscular strength as well as temperament for the job.

Regardless of size, the dog has to be alert, eager to please, intelligent and physically healthy.

Choosing and training a dog for Seizure alert is more difficult because having the ability to detect the signals is essential and overrides breed and size.

But in general, any dog can be trained for any of the services. Their suitability for the job might be in question though.

Answer 10

there are a great style of "tender giants", gonna want so lots greater standards than that :) great Dane Greyhound Leonberger Newfoundland St. Bernard greater effective Swiss Mountain dogs Bernese Mountain dogs Bullmastiff Cane Corso Irish Wolfhound Borzoi just to call some :)