[nagdu] Why Labradors?

[Nicole Torcolini]

There are certainly other breeds besides labs that make good guide dogs and
other types of service dogs, but I have also seen certain breeds, such as
collies, which, JMHO, should not be service dogs. Some breeds are smart, but
do not have the want-to-please mentality  found in some of the breeds more
commonly used for guide dogs.
As for goldens, I think that they may be a little more laid back than labs.
I do not know if German Shepherds are more sensative to corrections, but I
do know that they are more likely to not eat or get slightly sick when
adjusting to change or in stressful situations, such as traveling. Also,
they are more likely to have medical or aggression problems, which is
partiallywhy, sadly, GDB no longer trains German Shepherds.
I have not interacted much with dobermen pinchers, but, from what other
people have said, I'm not quite sure why they are not used more. I guess
that, once schools find breeds that work, they are less likely to try
something new.

Nicole

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Raven Tolliver
Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2013 9:22 AM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] Why Labradors?

Hi,
I am wondering why the majority of dogs trained in most guide dog programs
are labrador retrievers. What is it about that breed that makes them
dominate in the guide dog field?
I notice that in other service dog areas, this breed is not used as often.
And when people train their own guide dogs or have them privately trained,
it seems that labradors are rarely chosen. What advantage do guide dog
programs feel labradors have over other breeds like the golden retriever,
German shepherd, doberman pinscher, or even the Australian shepherd.
When I asked a GEB instructor why they didn't pass more goldens through,
they said it was because a lot of goldens (their goldens anyway), didn't
have the confidence it took to be a guide dog. They were not confident
enough to make independent or executive decisions.
Also, I have heard that German shepherds are more sensitive to corrections,
and also require more of a routine. They do not adapt to new environments or
change as well as other breeds.
Do you guys find this to be true? What do you think?
Thanks.

--
Raven

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