# Poodle Service Dog: Pros and Cons



## Pytheis (Sep 17, 2019)

I’ve needed a service dog for 10 years now, and when my first prospect unexpectedly died at 8 months old, I simply haven’t tried again. That said, I now work part time as a dog trainer in a facility and find myself in a position to have/train a service dog. I’m considering what breed would be best for me. I want to set myself up for the best odds at not having to wash my service dog prospect, so I’m choosing the breed carefully.

I absolutely love German shepherds, far more than any breed. They’re the perfect dogs for me, except for the inappropriate aggression that’s becoming so common in the breed. German shepherds are also too sensitive to handler emotions, and I need a dog that can help with my anxiety disorder and PTSD. While I think a GSD would be a great pet, I don’t think they would work for me personally as a service dog.

I work regularly with labs and golden retrievers in my training job. I really dislike them, to be honest. Their constant goofiness, never serious attitudes, and late-maturing aspects drive me crazy. I dislike breeds that are super people friendly and stranger obsessed. I don’t like lab hair either. Between the two breeds, I’d take a golden, but would prefer a different breed altogether.

I am considering a standard poodle, but I have some questions for those of you with poodles and especially poodle service dogs. I’ve heard poodles are often shy/borderline fearful, handler sensitive, and sound/environmentally sensitive. I need a dog that won’t get anxious or have a meltdown when my stress levels skyrocket. The dog will also need to provide light mobility support, as well as retrieval tasks. I’m not thrilled with the grooming requirements of a poodle, but I can tolerate it. Do you think a poodle would do poorly in this role? Pros and cons to poodle service dogs vs. a lab or golden retriever?


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Have you considered a Belgian Malinois? A poodle may be too sensitive for your needs, though we have several members with service poodles who can provide better perspectives.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


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## Pytheis (Sep 17, 2019)

Liz said:


> Have you considered a Belgian Malinois? A poodle may be too sensitive for your needs, though we have several members with service poodles who can provide better perspectives.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


I’m concerned that a Belgian malinois will have similar issues to a German shepherd with being overly sensitive to my emotions and thinking he/she needs to protect me from some unseen threat when I start to have problems with anxiety. I had that problem with my last pet German shepherd.


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## Bailey_Whiskey (Jan 18, 2021)

Poodles can be sensitive too. I know mine comes running over when I am laughing at the tv / when I am upset at something. He has this “imma save my hooman” look when he does this.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

I’ve never known a dog so sensitive to my emotional energy—and the energy of everyone we encounter—as my standard poodle. A close second was my miniature poodle mix.

Maybe some lines are less so? But I tend to think of this quality as a poodle strength bordering on super power. Not a weakness to be bred out.

Standard poodles can also be very slow to mature.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Handler sensitive - definitely. My poodle borders on empathy as an adult which is not a word I ever expected to use for a dog. I was having a panic attack over a medical procedure recently and she proceeded to bring all of her toys onto my bed in the hopes one of them might make me happier. This is not a common behaviour for her, she almost never brings me toys and suddenly there were half a dozen on the bed next to me. She was rewarded by me laughing for each one, and loves laughter. She wants to solve my bad moods. She's wonderful for snuggling and not demanding a long walk on days I am not feeling well, but won't let me go more than one lazy day. 

Nervous - Definitely not. I described Annie as a bombproof puppy. Nothing really phased her. Notable for things she was afraid of where flapping tarps (let's go see!) and a bridge underpass (running through a few times, treats and a ball and no big deal the next time). Even her first time at a train station was no big deal, she just hopped right on with me onto this loud machine that had just made weird loud noises 20 seconds previously! Her first time in an elevator she just sat down. A good breeder doing a ton of socialization before you get the dog home helps. As an adult, she dislikes people moving in the dark and is reactive to prey objects and other things that are exciting but is afraid of little and she recovers pretty quickly. A more experienced owner probably could have prevented a lot of the reactivity to squirrels. She does remember bad things - left turns at a heel for rally are a bit of a challenge because I stepped on her feet and now she swings way out. So more sensitive than the average German Shepherd, probably. If she is frightened by a noise/something falling on her, she comes to lick my face. 

Light mobility support - Not so much. They aren't particularly solid dogs, far smaller than the average lab, golden, or shepherd. Annie will pull in her harness to help me up stairs on walks and in transit stations if I need her to, but it's really light and I justify that it's the only time she pulls me at all. I wouldn't lean on her at all. 

Friendliness -Annie likes people but is rather neutral to them. She is way less pushy than a golden/lab and started at around 6-7 months, without me having to really train it, only going to people for pets on my command. She tends to be a quick sniff and run away dog rather than a 'pet me, I'm yours' dog. Good friends of mine are excited when she deigns to let them massage her back. She would not make a good therapy dog. 

Poodles are different to train than a lab/golden or a shepherd. Can I describe it? No. They don't hang on your every word and stare like a shepherd/collie, and may not be as food motivated and eager as a lab/golden. Mine won't work for my instructor at class. She does the 'huh? You are not my human? Why?' thing. She is there for a good time, and doesn't have a huge attention span. If she isn't getting it, she gets frustrated, so it is best if we stop, but the next day she will get it right the first time, like she thought it through overnight and mulled it over. She hates repetition. She shuts down quickly at the word 'no!' in a stern voice, and does not do well with any sort of physical punishment/pain. She wants to be right, and quits trying if she isn't. She learns commands fast and loves the learning process, if I can explain what I want well enough. 

Annie was not chosen to be a service dog, but, if it wasn't for the squirrel reactivity, probably would be a decent one.

Hope that helps. I'm sure a few of the members with a service dog will chime in at some point.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

I have a poodle service dog to help me with my bipolar disorder. Poodles are VERY intelligent, My Asta is also very attuned to my moods and needs. He knows when he is on the job. Very focused. I am always training him with the help of my poodle dog mentors. Good to start in obedience because you need the basic commands to be rock solid. I found that training for special tasks started when he was about 3, so there is a curve and you want your service dog to be mature.I have not seen the shy/borderline fearful, handler sensitive, and sound/environmentally sensitive in service dogs. Poodles fit your needs for dog that won’t get anxious or have a meltdown when my stress levels skyrocket. Part of what Asta does could easily be transferable to the stress and anxiety you may have. Poodles are emotionally sensitive and of course must stay close to you. Think this a strength not a liability. Asta does not retrieve - not really interested in it. He has other quirks as well, the most would be that he does not like being wet. Rains come and he will stay on the porch and hold his pee/poop for when it stops raining tho sometimes of course he has to get wet to do his business.
I lucked out with Asta being such a good boy and helping me so much. As a puppy he was very confident and full of himself. It was difficult during the first couple of years. This is true about most poodles.
Do read some posts on the Service Dog sub-forum - Together it is a pretty good resource. Not to tout my posts but you might try looking as "Help me command worked" which if really where I started and there awesome and excellent posts there








"Help Me" command worked in crisis


Hi all. I have been training Asta to go to my DH and bring him to me when I am in difficulty. Today I went into a real bipolar tailspin and told Asta, " Help me, Help me" He dutifully went to get my DH but it turns out he was outside at the grill - Asta rang his potty bells, scratched on the...




www.poodleforum.com




Currently I post in Asta's training thread :Asta's training thread

Hope this helps. Be free to ask me any question or ask in the sub-forum where there are many more voices.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Hearing about this is really cool... 1st place agility winners, 1st place best in show, trick poodles, emotional support poodles, pet poodles, scent work poodles, couch potato poodles... What dont poodles do.


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## curlflooffan (Mar 27, 2020)

I think choosing the right breeder is going to be the most important thing here. Regardless of breed. Try to find one which perhaps has some proven service dogs in their line already. 

Beware of those claiming to have therapy dogs unless they can give proof. At least when I was looking for a pet puppy I had some suspicious conversations with breeders making that claim. 

Of course even service dog centres who have been breeding labs and goldens for generations to become service dogs always have puppies who fail. So I dont envy you this task, its a big investment with no guarantees.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Someone in my area with impaired vision has a Giant Schnauzer as a service dog. That dog seems to check off a lot of your requirements: aloof with strangers, serious attitude, sturdy build. I haven't met enough Giants to know if they are all as good, or if this one is an outlier.


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

Well stpoodles mature slow and not till late 2 or 3 and the grooming is intensive. There is someone on this forum that does have a service therapy dog though. Probably can shed more light. Since you love GSD, I'd probably stick with that. Its important though where you will purchase him from. I do Not know this breeder at all VOM HAUS EAMES GERMAN SHEPHERDS - German vs American but their website has some information. Perhaps contacting them and some others could assist in finding a qualified puppy as a therapy service dog. I also have an acquaintance that has a st poodle that she takes to hospice and nursing homes. He is a nice calm guy intros environments and very well mannered. I think he is 7 now and I believe he came from Wispynook Poodles So if you decide on a st poodle, keeping in mind they need grooming at least every 4 weeks with perhaps a fft clean up in-between, they also may be one to contact for more info.


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## Silverbelle (Mar 24, 2020)

A gal that purchased one of my Chinese Crested that turned out to be a wealth of information about Standard Poodles. Having MS she is in a wheelchair much of the time. She has had 3 Poodle service dogs. There are attributes and lines she specifically looks for to choose a service dog out of a litter. I know size was very important to her and a breeder that focused on temperament as priority. If you wanted to talk to her I know she wouldn't mind sharing what she knows and has been through.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

I think a Standard Poodle would be a good fit if you got it from the right breeder, and I also think a Giant Schnauzer or Beauceron would be a great fit too.


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

With a Giant Schnauzer you will more than likely have aggression issues, as well as very strong prey drive. They are extremely protective, which is a no no for a service dog.


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## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)

Another service dog poodle breeder.









Poodle Puppies * Fully Trained Service Poodles * Train Your Own Service Dog


Poodle Puppies * Fully Trained Service Poodles * Train Your Own Service Dog



www.figzservicedogs.com


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## Pytheis (Sep 17, 2019)

Sorry to everyone for taking so long to reply. Work has been insane!

It seems like there are mixed opinions on if a poodle would be a good fit for me. It bears researching further and talking to some breeders, I think. If anyone has any more recommendations on breeders that would be helpful to talk with, please let me know!


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