Service dogs play an imperative role for their handler by performing tasks which their handler is not capable of doing for themselves. Sometimes these tasks are lifesaving, and other times they enable their handler to live independently, without the need for further human assistance. In fact, one of the most commonly asked questions within the service dog world is, “which dog breeds make the best service dogs?“.
For decades, certain breeds have served as the posterchildren of service dog work. In today’s world, however, it is much more common to see a variety of breeds working as service dogs. Many future service dog handlers wonder if they can train their current pet dog to be a service dog, or if it would be worth rescuing a dog from the shelter and training them to serve this role. One of the breeds which often comes into question – particularly in heated social media discussions – are Pitbulls, which have seen a dramatic rise in popularity over more recent years. So, do pitbulls make good service dogs?
Can a Pitbull be a service dog?
Yes, Pitbulls technically can be service dogs, as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) explicitly states that any dog breed can function as a service dog, According to the ADA, a service animal must be a dog of any breed or any size which is trained to perform a task directly related to a person’s disability. The ADA is responsible for setting the governing standards for individuals in the United States living with disabilities, including the structure of service dog laws.
What makes a good service dog?
Service dogs are not characterized by their breed or genetic history. There have been some incredible stories of shelter dogs on the brink of euthanasia being rescued and becoming very successful service dogs. Service dogs come in all shapes and sizes, and they are as varied as the individuals who handle them.
This being said, there are certain characteristics which are necessary in every good service dog candidate. Some of these characteristics apply to the environments which they spend most of their time in, and others apply specifically to their work.
- Service dogs must be biddable. Service dogs are generally highly motivated to please their handler. They need to be eager to learn new skills and be focused while they are learning since a great deal of obedience and specialized training is required for their role. Although service dogs need to be eager to learn new skills, they must then be able to apply these skills independently without the assistance of human cuing.
- Service dogs must be environmentally stable. Service dogs accompany their handlers everywhere, which means that they often spend a great deal of time out in public. Occasionally they are working in highly stimulating, very busy environments with a great deal of novelty and unpredictability. Many times they are around food, other animals, fast moving objects and loud noises. They are often required to walk over different surfaces, go up/down elevators and lie quietly under restaurant tables. It is consequently imperative that they are very environmentally stable, meaning that they will not spook at or otherwise react to stimuli which most dogs would be uncomfortable with.
- Service dogs must be calm. Many dogs become excited by people and other animals. Some dogs are uncomfortable around these things, or become overstimulated when the environment is stimulating. Since service dogs are expected to be focused on their work regardless of what is going on around them, they cannot be impulsive and must be naturally slow to reach arousal.
- Service dogs must have the right body type for their tasks. Certain service dog types, such as stability and mobility dogs, need to have a certain body size and shape in order to effectively do their job. In any role where there is a physical component to a service dog’s task training, it is necessary that they have the right body type to carry out their role.
- Service dogs must be neutral. Service dogs should respond neutrally to everything while remaining focused on their handler. Even though they will still notice everything interesting about their surroundings, they cannot respond too positively or negatively to it. In other words, service dogs on the job cannot respond excitedly to stimuli, nor can they respond with obvious fear or discomfort. Being unable to maintain environmental neutrality while on the job results in moments where the dog’s focus is no longer on their handler but on something extraneous. These moments could be the difference between life and death for the dog’s handler.
- Service dogs must always be focused when working. Service dogs cannot be easily distracted and must be able to focus on their handler for very lengthy durations of time. Many service dog tasks require a dog to recognize when something particular is occurring with their handler where they need to respond rapidly and effectively. Sometimes these changes are minuscule, physical factors which can be easily missed if a dog is distracted. Regardless of which tasks a dog is trained to perform, they may need to perform them on a moment’s notice without the handler having to refocus and cue the dog.
Do Pitbulls make good service dogs?
There is a reason why, traditionally, Golden Retrievers and Labradors have been selected for service dog work. Naturally, these breeds are more prone to demonstrating the characteristics required to be good service dogs. There are even lines which have been selectively bred over generations specifically to produce top-notch service dog candidates, and even within these lines all puppies are temperament tested and thoroughly evaluated to ensure that only the best become service dogs.
The reason for this is that service dog work is incredibly demanding, and most dogs are not innately up for the task. If a dog is a little too excited, a little too reactive, a little too independent or a little too fearful, it can be potentially dangerous for their handler. Even though the ADA specifies that any dog can technically be a service dog, provided they are task-trained and working for a disabled individual, there are many instances where service dogs can be removed from a premises if they act inappropriately.
Selecting a dog who does not fulfill the aforementioned criteria to be a service dog can be very dangerous for a handler and hazardous or a nuisance to society. Factors such as genetics, epigenetics, prenatal and early life stress, and temperament play a significant role regarding which dogs make good service dogs. Just because a dog is a nice pet does not mean that they will make a good service dog. When the pressure increases, it is critical to have a dog who won’t break under it.
Although technically any dogs of any breed can train for service work, it is important to consider what Pitbulls have traditionally been bred for. Pitbulls were selected to reach rapid, heightened levels of arousal upon exposure to certain stimuli and then remain in this state for a length of time. Although most Pitbulls are not being selected to act in their traditional role, they are not usually being selectively bred for anything nowadays. If they are being selectively bred for something, it is usually sport work. The issue is that the numerous generations of selective – and then random – breeding specific to the Pitbull breed, combined with the increased prenatal and early life stress which most pitbulls experience, is not a recipe for successful service dogs. Many Pitbulls are adopted from shelters or purchased from breeders who are not selecting for service dog traits, and these factors can significantly disadvantage dogs.
When selecting a service dog, it is important to remember that this dog is going to have a really difficult job. Service dogs often need to work against all of their natural species-specific instincts in favor of doing what they have been trained to do instead. It is imperative to select a dog who will put their entire heart and soul into their work, while remaining neutral to everything on the outside. The easiest, least frustrating and minimally dangerous route to living a life as a service dog handler is to ensure that your service dog is truly cut out for the work.
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