Advice Needed for PSD Possible Breeds!

[barbie.dragon]

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.
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[spygirl]

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!

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.

[mainbutter]

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.

[Argentra]

Great replies! Thank you all. 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. 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!