Picking a puppy for a service dog is a very exciting experience. It can also bring a lot of pressure, as you want to ensure that you are picking a puppy that will be the perfect fit for the service you need. In today’s article, we are going to discuss the five main elements you should look for when picking a puppy for a service dog.
How to Pick a Puppy for Service Dog
The 5 things you should look for when picking a puppy for a service dog are: stayed with litter for 8 weeks, only pick 1 at a time, a socialized puppy, comfortable around strangers, and a food motivated puppy.
Stayed with litter for 8 weeks
It is essential that the puppy you choose for a service dog spent at least 8 weeks with its siblings and mother. This is a very important time in their development, and if they are ripped away from their litter too soon, it can cause a bunch of behavior issues. Puppies that are taken away from their litter too soon will likely have separation anxiety, and will also develop fear and aggression behavior issues at a higher rate. Obviously, these traits are not desirable for a puppy that will become a service dog.
One at a time
We are commonly asked if you should pick two service dogs at the same time. Our answer is just about always no. This is because raising two service dogs at the same time requires hundreds of hours of obedience and social training. Most of the time, one of the puppies will develop a lot faster than the other, which can cause tension between the puppies and also between you and the puppies. The two puppies might also become more attached with each other instead of with the humans they are supposed to service.
Socialized puppy
It is imperative that the puppy you choose was properly socialized by the breeder. Getting a puppy at the age of 8 weeks is equivalent to bringing home a 4 year old baby. Obviously, you wouldn’t have wanted for the baby to be left by itself in a room with the same toys for the first four years of its life. Likewise, you want a puppy that was socialized with other puppies and had some level of intellectual training at a young age.
Comfortable around strangers
It is also important that you choose a puppy that is comfortable around strangers. Just about all service dogs will be going out in public, so it is essential that they know how to behave around people they don’t know. If the puppy gets anxious when it first meets you, it is probably not a good idea to pick him/her as a service dog.
Food motivated
Lastly, you should always choose a puppy for a service dog that is food motivated. This mean they love to eat both dog food and treats. This is important because a large portion of obedience and confidence training in puppies are done through positive reinforcement with treats as a reward. If the puppy is not interested in treats, it will make it twice as hard to train them.
