Medical Mutts: What do we look for in a service dog?

"Can any dog become a service dog? 🐾 The answer is . . . not quite!

While we’d love to see every dog succeed, it takes a special mix of temperament, health, and focus to make it through service dog training.

Here’s what we look for:

✅ Social and confident

✅ Strong work ethic and willingness to learn

✅ Good physical health and mobility

✅ Ability to thrive in various environments

At Medical Mutts, we carefully select dogs from shelters and rescues who show promise, but we also help owners train their own dogs! While some breed types are more likely to succeed, we’ve successfully trained dogs that aren’t typically seen as service dog breeds.

The biggest challenge? Confidence in public settings. Dogs that are anxious, reactive, or overly fearful often struggle to perform essential tasks in busy or distracting environments, making it difficult for them to succeed as reliable service dogs.

Continuously pushing a dog beyond their comfort zone is not only stressful for the dog and likely to increase fear, but it’s also unfair and unkind to them. Over time, this can lead to problematic behaviors and a decrease in their overall well-being.

Not every dog is cut out for service work, but that’s okay! Whether they graduate or not, every dog has an incredible role to play, even if it's just being a loving companion.

For more questions about our selection process for owner trained dogs, visit: https://www.medicalmutts.org/train-your-own-service-dog/assessing-your-dog