When it comes to training service dogs for our recipients at Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, we only choose the best, which is why we work mainly with German Shepherds.
This breed is highly intelligent and has an extremely sophisticated sense of smell, also known as an olfactory system, which they rely on heavily to complete many of their tasks for their recipient. They also love being with their person and having a job, making them a great choice as a working dog for our recipients.
History of Service Dogs
German Shepherds were the first service dogs to be utilized heavily in Germany, and then they also served as the first service dogs in the United States as guide dogs.
Following World War 1, there were roughly 3,000 soldiers that had been blinded by mustard gas. To assist with this issue, it was discovered that German Shepherds could guide the affected soldiers; thus, they began training this breed to assist the visually impaired soldiers and serve as service dogs.
The first service dog was then imported into the US in 1929 to work as a guide dog for a visually impaired individual. This was the first official service dog in our country.
What Traits Make German Shepherds Great Service Dogs?
German Shepherds are a versatile breed that can be used for many different jobs. In many cases, they are exploited by the media as a dog with a very scary image that is “all teeth” that is seen as an attack dog for the military or police, but they are only doing what they are trained to do within these jobs. While police or military tasks may appear intense to the public, German shepherds are extremely versatile and can be trained to do many different tasks in life, such as that of a service dog that is perfectly safe and gentle in public, aiding recipients in mobility, waking them from nightmares, and alerting to and redirecting recipients during PTSD or anxiety attacks.
This common media portrayal of aggression often leads to the public leaning toward dogs they deem to be gentler than German Shepherds, such as Labrador or Golden Retrievers. While these breeds have a nice temperament in most cases and are also intelligent, breeds like Labradors typically take much longer to mature than German Shepherds.
Can Other Breeds Be Service Dogs?
Various breeds of dogs were originally bred for specific purposes, such as hunting, protection, herding, ratting, lap dogs, etc. Many of these breeds are too small to perform many of the necessary tasks. Others were intended to simply be companions and not have the degree of necessary intelligence, and still others are built with short respiratory systems which would also compromise their ability to be a service dog.
While Labradors and Golden Retrievers are great dogs, German Shepherds were specifically bred to be working dogs, among many other breeds. Some of these other breeds carry different talents and are genetically predisposed to perform and excel at certain types of work but do not fit into what is required of a service dog.
In some cases, depending on the characteristics of the dog, a rescue dog of mixed heritage can become a great service dog as well. Some of our successful service dogs have been mixed-breed rescues, although most of our service dogs, even the ones we’ve rescued, are German Shepherds.
Even with German Shepherds, we sometimes must do what is called a “career change” because some do not work out to become service dogs, although we typically stay around 90% successful with the dogs we train and pair.
German Shepherds Help Us Continue Our Life-Saving Mission
At Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, we have had amazing success with our German Shepherds, pairing hundreds of life-saving service dogs in the last 13 years. With this amazing breed, we can provide our recipients with the tools they need to regain their confidence, dignity, and independence.
To learn more about our mission, visit our website today!
Mrs. Borden’s expertise and accomplishments are acknowledged by numerous national awards from various industries and agencies including the 2018 Corporate Pet Industry Woman of the Year and multiple awards for her organization’s work in mental health and suicide prevention.
She is frequently requested as a Keynote Speaker, and as an Industry Consultant to teach service dog laws to judicial systems, attorneys, and businesses, and to assist in service dog bills in multiple states that were passed into law. In 2020, she started an Institute for Higher Learning and the Borden Veterinary Hospital. Additionally, she has written and teaches college-accredited/VA-approved apprenticeship courses on dog training and service dog training.
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