“A dog is a man’s best friend” – this is perhaps the most popular saying about the relationship of dogs and humans. This saying is best illustrated by service dogs, which are dogs specifically trained to help humans. There are different kinds of service dogs performing specialized tasks. Of the many breeds of dogs, the Dachshund in particular is being questioned by people whether it can be a good service dog or not. We’ll discuss everything you need to know about this question.
[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]Contents
Can a Dachshund Be a Good Service Dog?
The answer that you want to know is: YES. Dachshunds can become service dogs even if people don’t think of them as their first choice for it. But in general, Dachshunds are stubborn. They can be quite difficult to command. They often want to be independent. And because of that, it is hard to train them into service dogs. On the contrary, Dachshunds are very intelligent, which is what you can take advantage of if you want your Dachshund to be a good service dog.[/box]
What Do Service Dogs Do?
Let’s start by discussing all the important things about service dogs. These dogs are specifically trained to provide services. They can provide, physical, emotional, moral, or even medical support to people, most especially, their owners.
They are trained to help their owners successfully perform their daily activities including carrying objects, fetching things, opening doors, guiding people with hearing or seeing problems, pulling sled, dressing and undressing, helping people during medical emergencies, and more.
However, not all dogs can become service dogs. There are specific breeds ideal for a specific kind of servicing.
Making Your Dachshund into a Service Dog
It is indeed possible to turn your Dachshund into a service dog. But they won’t fit some kinds of service dogs because of their short stature and small size. For example, they are not ideal to become service dogs that help people walk, run, get up, and other forms of physical support.
If you want your Dachshund to be a good service dog, you can choose between two options: train it yourself or hire a trainer. For the first one, it is up to you to make your Dachshund a service dog. A little warning though, because of their stubbornness, it will be a tough and long journey towards getting there. And if you do so, make sure to train your Dachshund as early as possible. Dog training collars can also help out in training your Dachshund the humane way.
For the second one, you can hire a competent dog trainer who will turn your Dachshund into an excellent service dog. This choice requires you to allot some cash for paying your dog’s trainer. Good thing about this is that you don’t have to spend your own time and energy into the training process. If you are not confident about your training skills, then this might be a good choice.
Best Choices for a Service Dog
Though Dachshunds can be trained to become good service dogs, there are also other breeds of dogs suitable for the role. Some can even do far better than what Dachshunds can. The following are the best choices of breeds for service dogs:
- German Shepherd – these dogs can be trained for guarding and protecting. You can commonly see the police and military accompanied by German Shepherds in their work. German Shepherds can be excellent service dogs.
- Labrador Retriever – these dogs are best know for their friendliness and loyalty. They can develop a great relationship with their owners. They are good at assisting mobility disabled individuals. They can grab items and carry objects in their mouth.
- Golden Retriever – these dogs are best for emotional support work. They are usually assigned as service dogs for PTSD and anxiety. They are also good at fetching items and in guiding visually impaired individuals.
- Siberian Husky – these dogs are very friendly and loyal to their owners. They can become great service dogs when properly trained. They are most popular for pulling people through sled in the snow.
- Great Dane – these dogs may look intimidating. They usually have a calm composure and a stature best suited for helping people keeping up their balance and standing. Because of these, they are best for assisting people with disabilities in terms of mobility.
[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]
Conclusion
Overall, Dachshunds are smart dogs that can be trained to become service dogs. However, proper training is required. Still, in the wide array of dog breeds, Dachshunds are not at the top of the list that can become excellent service dogs. Hence, you might want to consider other breeds. If you love your Dachshund so much and want to become your service dog, choose a suitable role for it then train it yourself or ask the help of a professional dog trainer. [/box]
