Advice Needed for PSD Possible Breeds!

I'm in need of some brains to pick here. I have been advised by many, including a psychologist friend, that I need a PSD (Psychological Service Dog). To explain, in brief: My social anxiety has been getting increasingly worse this past year, and is now so bad I'm nearly homebound. This is because my biggest trigger is strangers, especially males, getting too physically close to me, and as I cannot drive I must take buses to get anywhere. As I cannot always have a trusted person along with me whenever I go out, a service dog is my best option.

Here's the problem (or rather, several) - I live in a 748 sq.ft. 1 bedroom apartment with 2 snakes, a BTS, a bunny, and my partner. Said beloved partner is not only allergic to dust/dander, but he is also very uncomfortable with dogs. For the work I need done, I really can't have a breed under 30lbs. Also, although any dog I get will have daily activity for training and walks, due to space restrictions and many joint and muscle issues I cannot have a really high energy breed like a retriever or lab.
Ideally, I want an easy to train, calm and friendly breed that will have the energy to work when we're out, but will be content to relax and chill out when at home.
Due to money and time restrictions among other factors, I would be training this dog myself, hopefully with the help of some charitable trainers.

So, I'd like some advice from all you dog folks. Knowing the above restrictions, what breed(s) do you recommend I look into? Right now, Collie is at the top of my list...but there aren't many rescues up here for them. In order, my desired traits are:
Trainability / Intelligence
Low key / Gentle (no 'run up and jump on you over and over')
Can tolerate an apartment
Low dander and saliva (I don't think the hair alone sets him off)

And I don't mind discussing my disabilities with others, so if you need more information to help me out please ask. :) I just want this to work out best for both of us.
Thanks!

Hello. I am no professional, but I have been a Veterinary Technician for 14yrs, so I have had alot of experience with a variety of breeds. We were also the local vet for the local service dog organization.

I was thinking of all your noted specifications. Now, I know you said you can't have a high energy dog. BUT.....you stated you are seeking a highly intelligent breed, that will be able to do his job well. Labrador is the first breed I thought of. They can be high energy as young dogs, but, you will have to work closely and do some intensive training with whatever dog you choose, so I wouldn't rules out a Lab. They are VERY good at service work, and when trained to do so, are very gentle. Dander will probably be an issue with any breed, but more so with medium to long hair dogs. Your idea of a Collie was within reason, disposition wise, however, believe me, those coats are notorious for shedding tumbleweeds, lol, as are German Shepherds as well. All dogs shed, just some more than others. Think of it that way. Collies (at least the ones I've met) are generally very calm, and gentle dogs. It's just the hair issue. Then again, there's nothing wrong with taking a long coated dog to the groomer to be shaved down periodically. Golden Retrievers are generally gentle intelligent dogs as well. Are you open to a mixed breed? Maybe you could reach out to local rescues that may have a young adult, that already has a calm disposition that you could work with? Hopefully my little bit of insight has helped somewhat. If there's any other questions you may have I wouldn't mind trying to answer them. I wish you the best of luck in your search!

how about a poodle. not the little toy ones i'm talking the big standard ones. they are around 40-50 lbs. and have hair not fur so no dander. it would mean regular trips to the groomer for haircuts but would be better for allergies. or even a labradoodle same thing has the poodle hair but more of a heavier build from the labrador.

I'm on my phone, so I'll come back and reply more later. I help train therapy dogs for kids on the autism spectrum. I would contact The Delta Society/Pet Partners for help. Also, more info on what you'd like to get out of the service dog would help.

If you're looking for a specific breed, like you said collies are a great option. I have what I consider a PSD dog that I adopted online thats collie mix, that being said I would check your local craigslist, and petfinder to see if any collies or collie mixes are available close to you. If you can't find the specific breed you're looking for, you could call/visit local shelters to see if any of the dogs match what you are looking for personality/size wise.

Skip thinking about breeds and look for individuals. Like people, all dogs are unique. Breeds can have tendencies towards certain behaviors, needs, and abilities, but also can stray from the standard. If you were interested in a work dog, an agility dog, a hunting dog, looking for a specific breed is a good idea. However, finding a dog that excels in the personality a PSD dog needs is broad enough that you have waaaaay more options to you than a short list of breeds.

Look for an older dog, not a pup. Anything over 3 or 4 years old could be a great candidate for a PSD pooch!

For what it's worth, I love lab mixes. We know ours is half black lab half.. something, probably pitbull or other terrier mix. He was a fun nutcase as a pup but now that he's got some years under his belt he's more of a social lazy bum than anything else 95% of the day.

For my case I rescued a pitbull :) she's smaller shedding not bad and she just wants me happy i loves her haha. I was looking for a companion dog when I first got clean and I found a pit bull rescue for fought dogs, four years later she's wonderful and I'm doing good too haha regular member of society lol

First off, thank you for the advice so far! :) I appreciate everything said in this case.

Now then, I know that labs are perfect for service work...but those are one of a few breeds that Ari particularly dislikes (including GSD, dobie, rottie, bullies and most terriers). Luckily, he says he might accept a golden retriever (my second favorite breed) though. And yes, I am quite open to mixed breeds. :)
I know that it all comes down to individual traits, and I fully intend to search the shelters as well, but with all the restrictions I have on me I wanted to 'short list' better candidate breeds.
I will be looking for an adult dog, at least 2 years old, as most have settled and fully developed their personality by then. Collie is my first preferred breed, and Standard Poodle is actually second (smart, gentle, good size, handles smaller spaces well for the most part) especially if I can find a lower cost groomer or learn to do the clipping myself. I'm also researching/finding out more about Golden retrievers, Springer spaniels, Airedales, Wheaten terriers, Whippets, and Samoyeds. All have pros and cons, but the basics on them show that they might be good options.

As far as what I would want from this dog - the main task would be 'crowd control' or keeping strangers from getting too close to me. This is why I need a larger dog that can both be noticed as a barrier and have enough mass/size to keep people at an acceptable distance. I would also need them to be able to lead me to 'safety' (ie less people) in case of attacks. Additionally, I would want them to redirect any negative behavior on my part, 'ground' or 'snap me out of it', and provide 'deep pressure therapy' for major episodes as I also have clinical depression and schizophrenia.

I welcome any comments, suggestions or advice here (and I look forward to your input, spygirl :)) so keep em coming!

I have mentioned this before in another thread, but I will put it here aswell. Have you entertained the idea of a rescue greyhound? They are a large breed ranging 40-60lb, easy to train, strive to please, have low grooming requirements, many people with dander issues do well with them, and indoors are couch potatoes. They do however require daily exercise, but nothing more than a bike ride around the block once or twice.

If anyone has a different experience with them in this situation please speak up. But to me, it seems they would be aa good fit. There are hundreds of greyhound rescues, so you would have a large variety of choice to find that special companion.

I would add, my only concern would be the bunny. But there are plenty of adopted greyhounds that do well with other small pets, its just one thing to make sure you talk about with the rescues.

Don't bother with breeds. You should pick one out from the shelter. A lot of therapy dogs are mutts! A lot of hearing aid dogs are mutts as well.

You don't need a "smart" dog. That just makes them a more of an intense dog. And they will get bored quicker. Unless they are well exercised they cause more problems . For your purpose any dog that gets along with you will be fine.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

OK, I've got the kid settled, the dogs settled, and I've had my morning cup of coffee. So now I'm fit to answer! :P

I second what everyone else is saying and look for individuals. While certain breeds usually are more inclined to be service or therapy dogs, not all can be. The group I work with pulls dogs out of shelters, evaluates them, and then we go from there. We just recently adopted out a Boston Terrier and some sort of Shepard mix to be therapy dogs. So when looking for a dog, I'd look for the following...

1. Can handle lots of petting in spots dogs normally don't like to be petted at, especially by strangers (back of head, top of head, haunches, tail, etc.) and can handle hard, clumsy petting.
2. Can easily handle lots of crowds with no visible stress markers.
3. A calmer disposition does help, but you'd be surprised how excitable some of our therapy dogs get behind the scenes. The important thing is that they can snap out of it quickly.
4. Can easily adapt to different situations.
5. Can easily pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test found HERE.

These are just some basic, quick things we look for. The therapy dog test is basically the CGC test, with a few extras dealing with people who might be disabled or patients that do not have all of cognitive facilities. So in short, you want a dog with a very high tolerance level, that is quick to obey, and can easily read your body language.

Now if you want to register this dog as a true service dog (meaning it can go anywhere with you), this document is where'd I start. CLICK HERE These are the minimum standards for a service dog. Also check out www.petpartners.org for lots more information.

Now, since you mentioned you'd eventually want this dog to "ground" you, I'd get a dog at least 45-50 pounds, that is slightly stocky. Think something similar to an Australian Cattle Dog size and structure. I think that would be a good size for any pressure training and would be a good blocker. I'd check out private foster groups that pull dogs out of shelters and ask if there are any good Canine Good Citizen candidates and go from there. Private groups tend to do a bit more evaluating and then you'll be able to see a dog in a less stressful environment. Meaning they'll tend to show their true personality, as opposed to the scared shelter dog. Some local breeders may have some adults that would fit your requirements as well. But a word of caution about breeders, particularly ones that work with working breeds. I would stay away from working dogs that do their job well. They may be difficult to work with and make your job harder. An example would be the two Great Pyrenees dogs that are in our therapy group. They are FANTASTIC with kids and excel at visiting patients in a nursing home. But they wouldn't make the best livestock guardians. They thrive on human companionship and would hate to be left out in the fields by themselves. Does that make sense? It's not that a working dog that does it's particular job well can't be a fantastic service dog, but it may make things a bit more difficult training wise.

I hope that's a good starting point and if you have more questions, feel free to ask. I'm getting legos thrown at me, so I guess it's play time now. :rolleyes:

I second spygirl's recommendation to focus on larger dogs. Our mutt is 85lbs and I still think he's small at times, so don't take a 50-60lb recommendation as the specific size range to look for. A dog that is dwarfed by a crowd might not feel as much like an anchor. Don't LIMIT yourself in size initially, you very well could find THE dog for you, and it might turn out to be in the triple digits for weight. Don't let that dissuade you from an awesome dog. As mentioned, some great pyrenees make fantastic leisure dogs. A friend had a 130lber that loved to eat, sleep, and cuddle. When walked in public, he was extremely calm, tolerated petting by strangers, but never got worked up or excited. I can picture a big dog like that being an awesome physical and mental anchor.

Great replies! Thank you all. :D Lets see if I can address the new things and clear a few things up here.

Greyhounds were actually my first choice, until emailing with a local rescue taught me that in general they can't 'sit' for more than a few seconds (and I need one that can sit on the bus seat beside me to keep people back), and they tend to be easily distracted and easily stressed. I adore them...but the sitting thing kind of burst that bubble. Unfortunate, too, as Ari was starting to take to the idea of a grey.

barbie.dragon - I agree now that 'smart' isn't really the right trait I need...more like 'quick to learn'. I don't want to rush the dog, of course, but I do need them to pick things up quickly and at least pass the CGC test to start service training as soon as possible so I can actually go places without panicking again. :) But thanks for making me realize the distinction.

Extra thanks to you, spygirl, for the recommendations there. :D Although I already have petpartners and the IAADP sites bookmarked, as I've been doing TONS of research on this for weeks (just ask Ari, he's already sick of hearing about it all the time), I do thank you for bringing them up and pointing out the adaptability and stress tolerance as well as the 'working dog washout' aspect. It makes sense.
As I said, breeds are just a guideline for me. I know that I have to go to the shelters and rescues and find individual dogs that 'fit'. I know the three part test, and would of course be asking about any existing training and issues. And yes, this will be a full service dog.

And, much as I wish I could just find THE dog regardless of breed, size, or coat type...I can't. Yes, I'll be open to mixes and will be fully alert for a dog that defies their breed standards, but if that special dog ends up being a mountain dog or great dane, or a maltese or bichon, I have to pass. The tiny dog wouldn't be able to do the work I need, and the huge dog would never be able to live with us.
My biggest concern, after making sure they would take well to training and public work, is that they fit in and can be comfortable in a small apartment. This place is rather...cozy, what with the cages for the snakes, lizard, and bunny, two computer desks and a sewing desk, a couch bisecting the main living area, and a hallway-like kitchen. It's comfortable for us, of course...but remember that Ari doesn't like dogs, especially getting close to him. He lived in Mexico most of his life, and even the 'pets' run loose all the time. He was chased and barked and growled at almost daily. Aside from that, it turns out he has never been exposed to a well trained dog, so all the ones he's known have been annoying at best (jumping and slobbering on him), and dangerous at worst.
Once I have found some likely candidates that fit all requirements, I'll be asking Ari to come meet them so we can see how they react to him. I need them to, for lack of a better way of putting it, want to comfort him or take pity on him rather than take advantage of him or want to intimidate him. In a way, I'll be training him as well as the dog. :)

I so appreciate your help, everyone, for even when you bring up something I already 'know', you make me think about it and see it in a different way. So thank you, and keep the advice coming. Also, if any of you know the local (Seattle) scene and can recommend good shelters and rescues I would be VERY grateful!