Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Getting Started

Not all pups have what it takes to be a guide dog — does yours make the cut?

Paige Cerulli
By

Guide dogs accomplish amazing feats. They help keep their handlers safe, willingly go to work each day, and give their handlers a sense of independence. But it’s not easy to find a dog that will make a great guide dog. The selection process often starts by choosing one of the most popular guide dog breeds, but there’s a lot of training that goes into the process too, and not all dogs go on to have careers as guide dogs. Whether you’re waiting to be matched with your first guide dog or want to adopt or buy a dog with the same characteristics that make so many guide dogs successful, it’s important to understand just what goes into preparing a dog for this interesting career.

Yellow lab wearing a blue service dog vest

What breed of dog is used for guide dogs?

VCA Hospitals explains that while German shepherds were most often used as service dogs early on, many breeds serve as guide dogs today. Breeds like boxers, border collies, labradors, golden retrievers, standard poodles, collies, and Dobermans all tend to work well as guide dogs because of their size. Some mixes, like the standard poodle and labrador, are desirable because they don’t shed much, but they still have an ideal height to work as a guide dog.

Recommended Videos

Keep in mind that in addition to good breeding, a dog needs to have an ideal temperament, energy level, and walking stride to be able to do guide work well.

If you’re looking for a guide dog, you might not be able to select your dog on your own. According to the American Kennel Club, nonprofits carefully pair guide dogs with their handlers. These nonprofits consider everything from your lifestyle to your hobbies, your family, your living arrangements, and other pets that are present in the home to help ensure that the dog you’re matched with is a good fit. Then you will spend many hours training with your guide dog to develop a working relationship.

A handler needs to build a strong relationship with the guide dog for the dog to work at full potential. That’s why it’s so important to carefully pair dogs with handlers to help support that powerful bond.

How big should a guide dog be?

According to VCA Hospitals, there isn’t one perfect size for a guide dog; rather, it’s important that the dog be appropriately sized and matched with its handler. The handler must be comfortable with the dog’s height and the length of the harness; a dog that’s too small or too large will be a difficult fit for the handler.

Breeds like golden retrievers and labrador retrievers are highly popular because of their size range. Crossbreeds like the golden retriever and labrador mix also tend to work well because of their size.

Do guide dogs make good pets?

Guide dogs undergo rigorous training, but some dogs don’t make the final cut. The dogs start with obedience training and about a year of specialized schooling, reports Quartz. The cost of breeding and training a guide dog can surpass $50,000.

But after all that training, some dogs just aren’t ready for a career as a guide dog. When they’re identified early on in the training process, these dogs can be rehomed as pets. If you adopt a dog who started guide dog training, you’ll be getting a dog with, at a minimum, some decent obedience training, and you’ll likely end up with a great pet.

German Shepherd in a grassy field

Choosing your next dog

If you’re not specifically looking for a guide dog but you still want a dog that makes a great pet, any of the breeds that are often used as guide dogs would make a great choice. Be sure to research each breed thoroughly so you understand its characteristics and tendencies. That way, you can make sure that you’re making the choice that’s right for you, your family, and your new dog.

When you’re ready to bring home a guide dog, it’s also important to research the source that you’re getting the dog from. Adopting from a rescue can be rewarding, and if you choose to buy from a breeder, make sure that you’re choosing a reputable breeder who stands behind their dogs. Look for a breeder who does genetic testing on their dogs and who’s willing to take dogs back if they should ever need a home again in the future. A good breeder will be selective about homes, just like a good shelter or rescue will be. Be sure to openly discuss what you’re looking for in a dog, what your lifestyle is like, and any concerns you have so the breeder or rescue can match you with a dog that’s just the right fit.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Paige Cerulli
Paige Cerulli
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Paige's work has appeared in American Veterinarian, Business Insider, Healthline, and more. When she's not writing, Paige…
Have your heart set on a breed? Here’s why it’s important to consider different types of dogs
Think you need a small dog? Here's why you should research different types of dogs first
A woman kissing a dog

Perhaps you love your friend’s Yorkie. Maybe you grew up with a beagle and always dreamt of having one of your own. Getting fixated on a specific breed is normal and natural, and there’s no shame in it. Just like gender disappointment is a "thing" in parenting, so is dreaming about welcoming a specific dog with a distinct look and characteristics into your family.

Still, you want to consider different types of dogs while searching for a new furry family member. It may be difficult to wrap your head around, but researching other breeds and considering all of your options is an essential step in the process of choosing a dog breed. That doesn’t mean you must consider all dog breeds — that’s overwhelming — but you want to look into several. Here’s why and how to jumpstart your search for your next four-legged best friend.

Read more
Therapy dogs spread love wherever they go: Does your dog qualify?
Is your dog a social butterfly? They may make a great therapy dog
Therapy dog visits hospital patient

When therapy dogs walk through the door of the emergency room at the Mayagüez Medical Center in Puerto Rico, the atmosphere changes. "You can feel the tension lift, and you can see the happiness on the faces of the patients and staff when they see the dogs," said Joy Carson, a member of Puerto Rico Therapy Dogs Inc., who visited the hospital recently with her husband Ken and their therapy dogs Rosalie and Enzo. Along with medical centers, members of the nonprofit group visit such facilities as children’s hospitals, help centers for people with disabilities, and schools.

In addition to spreading love and comfort, a recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE revealed that the presence of therapy dogs provides significant reductions in pain, anxiety, and depression to patients in medical settings. According to experts at the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, being around these furry volunteers can also decrease stress, sadness, and fatigue in dementia patients, those suffering from anxiety, and people with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Read more
What are the 7 breed groups and where does my dog fit in? Find out what your pup is known for
The American Kennel Club dog groups and the breeds that fit in them
A group of dogs sits on the sidewalk during their walk

We know dogs came to us from wild canines (likely wolves or jackals) and probably domesticated themselves rather than the other way around. In the process, different types of pups came about, possibly splitting into groups more than 5,000 years ago! To categorize all these beasties, the American Kennel Club (AKC) has a list of recognized breeds, each of which fits into one of the seven groups. We'll walk you through the breed groups so you can determine where your pooch fits best.

What are breed groups?
Like any other classification system, these categories came about to help determine where each animal goes due to specific characteristics. In this case, breeds are placed together based on the original job they were bred to do. That means if you went back in time to your dog's ancestors, you would see them performing a job and being bred to do it well. Now, certain breeds continue to have similar dispositions as a result.

Read more