Primal K9s Service Dogs

There are several steps that go into finding an appropriate service dog prospect. Each one of these sections is no more important than the last. All of these requirements go hand-in-hand to ensure you have the highest possibility of having a finished service dog to help you gain your independence.

One of the most important steps in finding a service dog prospect is temperament testing. Temperament testing can be done as early as 7 weeks old. If initially tested at 7 weeks old the dog will need to be tested again at approximately 8 months old. There are several established Temperament tests available that I have studied and compiled together to develop my own temperament testing guide and scoring based off of the environment. Realistically we are not always going to have An ideal environment in order to temperament test. For instance some dogs may be tested at a breeder's facility while others are tested in a more stressful environment such as a shelter. The purpose of performing a temperament test is to see the dog response to certain pressures and discomfort. There are several different types of pressures from physical, audible, visual, etc. The dog's scoring response will allow me insight into how the dog will respond in different situations. This also shows me eagerness to please, areas of needed improvement, food drive, and potential task drive. When scoring, we are looking for a dog that is totally neutral to everything so they are controllable in every situations. It is important to not have fearful or over confidence or over friendly dogs as this could leave you vulnerable to a potential missed alert due to the dogs distraction, discomfort, fear, etc. If a dog exhibits any of these behaviors from any stimulus that the dog is unable to effectively be trained out of through reverse socialization due to age (past 6-8 months old when personality is solidified) , too extreme on the spectrum of soft to confident (ideal is center), or mental disability due to genetics or environment (anxiety, ocd, severe reactivity, etc.), it is not safe to have this dog as a Service Dog. They are no longer deemed controllable in public settings which puts service dogs, handlers, civilians, business owners, and property in immediate danger and is not only inappropriate, but is also illegal according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Before temperament testing, when searching for a dog there there are several factors at play. It is important to note that any breed of dog can be a service dog but not just any dog Has what it takes to do the high demand of work required by a service dog. A little over a quarter of dogs are within the personality range needed to be a service dog and not all of those dogs are capable of performing Effectively for public access training and finishing work. We have to factor in the dog's capabilities to perform the specific tasks that will be needed to aid in your disability. For instance if you need a mobility service dog then a corgi probably would not be for you. Another example would be needing sent detection for seizure alert, In this scenario a brachycephalic dog, like a pug, would not be my 1st choice. And in many cases the dog may be fully capable but does not have the inchrist in that specific type of work which would not leave the dog compatible for you. According to the ADA law states the tasks the dog performs for you need to specifically relate to your disability and aid you in your day-to-day life the same as any other medical equipment would. Some brains have what we call a higher "wash rate" than other dogs. The dogs with the lowest wash rate are called the fab 4 which includes German shepherd dog, Labrador retriever, and golden retriever. These dogs have the highest success rate Through genetics to ensure they can perform appropriately in all settings and give you some leeway where other breeds may not. Some breeds that have a very high wash rate would include guardian breed dogs like Great pyrenees because genetically they could develop a guarding behavior which is not appropriate for service dogs. In a majority of cases, a shelter dog or any other dog would work just fine as long as they pass the Required testing. Some instances where I may suggest a breeder would include mobility dogs. The reason for this is because you want to make sure the dog is OFA tested which is the orthopedic foundation for animals as well as genetically tested through them as well to ensure their hips joints and elbows are all sound so we do not damage the dog when using them for mobility. There is a difference between "pure bred" dogs otherwise known as" papered" dogs and well bred dogs. Well bred dogs are going to be registered as well as the parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, at least, have been all tested through the orthopedic foundation of animals (unless sourcing from out of the country as they have their own testing that will be labeled differently) and have also been titled for specific sports to prove their capabilities in what you need the dog to perform well in. If searching for a hunting dog, I wouldn't want the dogs genetics to show him as a great trick dog prospect. Although there is more to this, any breeder that does not a minimum of these requirements as well as temperament testing on their dogs is a back yard breeder, regardless of "papers" as papers can be faked and dogs can be faulty if not tested appropriately. Additionally, researching the breed to make sure it is also compatible with your lifestyle is important. We will always choose need over breed but you may not enjoy a dog that excessively drools, has a high activity rate, or a dog that requires high amounts of grooming.

After finding the right prospect for you, training can take 1-3 years to complete. Every dog has a different learning speed and every person has different capabilities and schedules that allow for training to progress. When training with Primal K9s Balanced Dog Training, we meet at the gun range, with first responders, take our first restaurant and grocery store outings together, go to heavily crowded events to ensure you as the handler and your dog as you medical equipment are capable of performing comfortably on your own. We run through rigorous training backed by AKC titles that prove the dogs to be controllable in public and individualize the training to meet your specific needs in every way. We provide you with the knowledge you need that protects you and your dog from discrimination or from your dog washing years down the road.