 |
 |
| Get the latest news and information from us. Join our newsletter! |
|
| |
 |
|
|
 |
|
What breed of dog would make a good hearing dog?
I have a German Shepherd now, and talk about shedding. I'm looking more for intelligence here. Other than German Shepherd.......I know how smart they are.
Answer:
The only figures I have seen based on breed are from the San Francisco SPCA Hearing Dog Program. These are quoted in Martha Hoffman's book, Lend Me an Ear; The Temperament, Selection, and Training of the Hearing Ear Dog. They use shelter dogs rather than special breeding programs, but they screen potential hearing dogs before admitting them into the program. Only 31% of the dogs admitted into the program graduate. The highest success rate is with poodles, at 43%. Terriers were the next group with a 34% success rate. Retrievers (labs, goldens, etc.) had a 30% success rate. Mixed breeds had about the same success rate as the purebred they most closely resembled.
My hearing dog is a standard poodle. He works well as a hearing dog, and there are some advantages to standard poodles. They don't shed, they are hypoalergenic, they don't drool, and they are not yappy like their miniature cousins. They are tall and thin. My dog is 28" at the shoulders, but only weights 60 pounds.
If you are planning on training your own hearing dog, I suggest you buy Ms Hoffman's book before selecting a dog. The book goes into a lot of detail about screening potential dogs. I also suggest you think about what you will do if the dog is not suitable. Most people find it difficult to train a dog for a year or two, then find out that the dog is not suitable as a service dog. You may want to get a dog that has already been trained. Most organizations have a waiting list, but it takes two years to train a service dog, so you don't get a fully trained hearing dog by training your own.
Back
|
Your answer to this question:
|
|
|
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
|
| |
 |
|
