One of the most loved and popular dog breeds is the goldendoodle, a crossbreed of golden retrievers and poodles, hence the name. Since both parents are smart and intelligent, so is the child. Goldendoodles are known for being energetic, mild-mannered, joyous, and friendly. They truly live up to the saying of: a man’s best friend. But one question is always asked by people about goldendoodles – can they make for great service dogs? Let’s find out the answer.

Do Goldendoodles Make Good Service Dogs?

Yes, goldendoodles can become good service dogs. They possess the qualities that a service dog must have, especially their high level of intelligence. Most people turn them into therapy dogs. They provide the affection needed by people in hospitals and nursing homes, especially those who feel alone. They can also give comfort to people who have suffered from stressful and traumatic experiences. Hence, they make for excellent emotional support dogs as well.[/box]

What Can a Service Dog Do?

Before we proceed on discussing why goldendoodles make for great service dogs and how to turn yours into one, let us first discuss the fundamentals or basic things about service dogs.

First of all, you must know that there are different kinds of service dogs. There are those that can provide stability and physical support to disabled people such as German Shepherds. There are also those that can pull sled for people such as Siberian Huskies. Some are even used by the police and soldiers for investigations like Rottweilers. And others are used to provide emotional support and therapy to emotionally unstable people or to those that just need someone else by their side. This category is where Goldendoodles fit in.

Some of the other things that service dogs do include the following:

• Answering/opening/closing the door.
• Retrieving items such as mail.
• Cleaning such as wiping the floor.
• Carrying important items in a backpack. They may include medicines and other important things.
• Calling for help/alerting humans of emergency.
• Aiding owners when they experience seizures or other debilitating conditions.
• Providing stability to physically disabled individuals.
• Guiding visually impaired people.

Why Can a Goldendoodle Be a Good Service Dog?

The following are the main reasons why Goldendoodles make for excellent service dogs:

• Goldendoodles are quick learners. This makes their training a lot easier compared to other breeds of dogs.
• Goldendoodles are innately compassionate and affectionate towards other people. This is why they make for great therapy dogs.
• Goldendoodles are hypoallergenic. This means that they have no shedding or low-shedding coats. This ensures that people around them won’t suffer from allergies caused by dog’s coat.
• Goldendoodles behave even within a crowd of people. They do not get startled when there are a lot of people. In fact, they can still perform the tasks given to them in the midst of a crowd.
• Goldendoodles are extremely patient. They can wait for their disabled owners when they tend to slowly move.
• Goldendoodles are attentive. They pay attention to their owners, especially if they are disabled.
• Goldendoodles are very loyal. They will always be with their owners especially in times of need.

Other Service Dog Related Articles:

• Are Pitbulls Good Service Dogs?
• Are Rottweilers Good Service Dogs?
• Are Dachshunds Good Service Dogs?
• Are German Shepherds Good Service Dogs?
• Are Huskies Good Service Dogs?

How to Train Your Goldendoodle to be a Great Service Dog?

In general, there are two ways on how you can turn your Goldendoodle into an amazing service dog. These are training by the owner or training by a specialized trainer.

Training by the Owner

This way of training means training your Goldendoodle by yourself. This method of training is actually recommended by the experts because if you do this, you can create a special bond with your dog and develop a certain kind of understanding between you two. It makes commanding your dog a lot easier. It will be able to easily recognize your commands and perform its tasks successfully.

There are many guide books that will help you train your dog; some even focus on Goldendoodles specifically. Occasionally, you can seek the guidance or assistance of specialized trainers, especially if you find training itself challenging.

Training by a Specialized Trainer

With this method of training, you leave all the training to a specialized trainer. This means that you leave your Goldendoodle to an expert for he or she will train your dog to become a service dog. This is actually not that much recommended by experts because your dog will get used to having a different master (the person training him) rather than you. But if you really don’t have the time to train your dog, then this may be the route to go.

How much Does it Cost to Train a Goldendoodle?

According to experts, the general cost of training any dog to become service dogs can range between $7,000 and $50,000. It really is quite expensive to turn your Goldendoodle into an amazing service dog. The following tips may help you finance this cost:

• Check your bank account. You might be enrolled in a flexible spending account that provides costs for service dogs. This can be a part of your healthcare plan.
• Seek the help of nonprofit organizations. If you are a disabled individual, there will be a lot of these groups that can help you have your own service dog.
• Make use of crowdfunding. Sites like GoFundMe will enable you to gather donations from people.
• Check local businesses for they may offer the services of therapy or service dogs.

Conclusion

Goldendoodles are indeed special dogs. You can utilize them by either making them great family pets or excellent service dogs. The latter is a good idea if you need a therapy dog. Having a goldendoodle right by your side will surely turn your life upside down for the better. Hence, you should really consider having one. But in doing so, make sure you take really good care of it by using the best dog chewing bones and even the best dog toothpaste.