Generally, no. There will always be outliers but herding dogs in particular require a lot of management for things like reactivity, etc, because they’re bred to be sensitive to movement and things in their environment. They also tend to really take cues from their handlers, which means if you’re anxious, they are liable to also get anxious. It’s not to say they CAN’T do it, but it is not the safest possible bet you could make.
My SD is a herding breed and I absolutely do not recommend it. I think the only reason it works is because I'm at the point where she is off-duty now more than she is on-duty and the task training I do with her to maintain her skills is very low-pressure.
Both would be best fit with someone who is able to give them a LOT of exercise and mental stimulation outside of service work. I have a border collie mix and can say that she was so much fun to train, but they are not super common for a reason.
For very specific handlers, very specific, carefully chosen dogs can be very successful.
Unfortunately, herding breeds are very emotionally sensitive. They struggle when their person is upset, which is not ideal for psych work for obvious reasons.
They’re also environmentally sensitive- they often have trouble with loud noises, bright lights, fast or unpredictable movement (like children, shopping carts, etc), being touched by strangers (drive by petting is inevitable in service work), etc.
Herding breeds in general, and border collies especially, also tend to be “mouthy” which could be a problem, especially if a child runs a little too close or something. Particularly while the dog is still young, and doesn’t have perfect impulse control.
Those factors are where choosing a prospect carefully matters. Choosing lines that are less sensitive, breeders with experience placing service dogs, and individual temperament tests for prospective puppies all make a difference.
Additionally, they’re usually higher energy than the breeds that are typically used. This makes it hard to balance meeting the dog’s needs with your own. When I was working my BC, he really needed to RUN for a good hour or so before he could be chill in public. I didn’t always have the time, energy, or capacity for this in the morning before class, appointments, etc. Some people think they “need” a high energy SD because they’re active, but the vast majority of people with an active lifestyle would still fit well with a golden, lab, or poodle.
My current SD (C-PTSD, TBI) is an Aussie cattle dog/Aussie shepherd mix — the answer to your question is a big No, they don’t work as well as other breeds. I’ve spent more time, money, tears and lots of energy trying to train out the breed characteristics of stubbornness, gets bored, and is sensitive to my emotions (ie gets flustered or shuts down). Also the “Aussie eye” of staring makes problems with other dogs who see it as a challenge; she doesn’t think she’s challenging, “just doing her job”. In public, that’s not acceptable.
Real talk, get a light colored lab or a golden. You will have so many fewer access challenges because people picture those breeds when they think of service dogs.
I had a black lab for my first sd and have a golden as my retiring sd. I've had barely any challenges with him even though objectively my first sd was the better behaved boyo (by a hair).
I have a MAS and several of the trainers at the service dog training place I work with have Aussies. I wouldn‘t recommend it unless you are extremely experienced with herding breeds, reading body language, and can do a ton of socialization.
My dog is an Aussie and he’s a service dog. I didn’t know he was going to be my service dog but he is. He’s 2 BUT we worked religiously everyday. I worked a lot on his confidence, neutrality, work under stress and he trusts me 100%. We’re with an organization for hearing dogs and I work one on one with a trainer for psychiatric. This breed is not for everyone, BUT I have an active lifestyle. I make sure he’s getting mental and physical stimulation. He also runs with me and we make training fun! We’re always improving !
https://preview.redd.it/t1yzucj4cm9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d5ae36d500451353b5cbbc407d06c4cc6493922f
In Colorado, I knew 3 border collie service dogs, but the handlers were all professional dog trainers and that likely made a difference with the breed choice and success.
Since everyone else already explained why herding breeds aren't a good choice, I figured I'd answer your updated question about breed recommendations!
The most recommended breeds are labs, goldens and poodles. They'll have the best chances of succeeding and shouldn't be too sensitive to handler emotions like herding breeds tend to be. These are the tried and true breeds for service work and if your goal is to have a succesful working dog I'd recommend staying within those three :)
Labs, goldens, and poodles are your best bet. There's a reason most of the big organizations use these breeds. Even with that said no dog will ever be a sure thing.
I don’t believe so generally.
That being said my service dog is aging out and we fostered puppies until we found the right one since it’s such a specific personality. Believe it or not, we landed on a boarder collie/ Aussie mix. He is the fastest learner I’ve ever had. After just 4 weeks of training he already has all of his basic commands down, can reliably retrieve my meds and shoes, and has learned hide and seek where he learns everyone in the house by name and how to go alert them.
He is a bit more reactive than I would like, but he has proved by the end of fostering that it can be trained out, so we felt confident taking him on.
I’m happy to report his reactivity has been steadily improving and he’s been a great choice for us.
I do think it’s atypical of the breeds though. So be careful.
https://preview.redd.it/tkowe8ry8n9d1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e2eaa5582408558b2a6a162a0fadf97ae4a41ca
Retrievers, poodles. There are people who have made successful SDs out of the occasional low-drive rough collie or GSD,but they are in the minority. I have a super-high-drive Malinois. It is 7 pm and 95 degrees out . . . and we are playing tug. Trust me - you don’t want a herding breed if you can help it.
Generally, no. There will always be outliers but herding dogs in particular require a lot of management for things like reactivity, etc, because they’re bred to be sensitive to movement and things in their environment. They also tend to really take cues from their handlers, which means if you’re anxious, they are liable to also get anxious. It’s not to say they CAN’T do it, but it is not the safest possible bet you could make.
My SD is a herding breed and I absolutely do not recommend it. I think the only reason it works is because I'm at the point where she is off-duty now more than she is on-duty and the task training I do with her to maintain her skills is very low-pressure.
Great answer
Can you tell I worked a herding breed? LOL
✨no Herding breeds are sensitive snowflakes. Edit for your edit: Goldens, Labs, poodles exclusively if you’re allergic to the first two.
Both would be best fit with someone who is able to give them a LOT of exercise and mental stimulation outside of service work. I have a border collie mix and can say that she was so much fun to train, but they are not super common for a reason.
For very specific handlers, very specific, carefully chosen dogs can be very successful. Unfortunately, herding breeds are very emotionally sensitive. They struggle when their person is upset, which is not ideal for psych work for obvious reasons. They’re also environmentally sensitive- they often have trouble with loud noises, bright lights, fast or unpredictable movement (like children, shopping carts, etc), being touched by strangers (drive by petting is inevitable in service work), etc. Herding breeds in general, and border collies especially, also tend to be “mouthy” which could be a problem, especially if a child runs a little too close or something. Particularly while the dog is still young, and doesn’t have perfect impulse control. Those factors are where choosing a prospect carefully matters. Choosing lines that are less sensitive, breeders with experience placing service dogs, and individual temperament tests for prospective puppies all make a difference. Additionally, they’re usually higher energy than the breeds that are typically used. This makes it hard to balance meeting the dog’s needs with your own. When I was working my BC, he really needed to RUN for a good hour or so before he could be chill in public. I didn’t always have the time, energy, or capacity for this in the morning before class, appointments, etc. Some people think they “need” a high energy SD because they’re active, but the vast majority of people with an active lifestyle would still fit well with a golden, lab, or poodle.
My current SD (C-PTSD, TBI) is an Aussie cattle dog/Aussie shepherd mix — the answer to your question is a big No, they don’t work as well as other breeds. I’ve spent more time, money, tears and lots of energy trying to train out the breed characteristics of stubbornness, gets bored, and is sensitive to my emotions (ie gets flustered or shuts down). Also the “Aussie eye” of staring makes problems with other dogs who see it as a challenge; she doesn’t think she’s challenging, “just doing her job”. In public, that’s not acceptable.
Real talk, get a light colored lab or a golden. You will have so many fewer access challenges because people picture those breeds when they think of service dogs. I had a black lab for my first sd and have a golden as my retiring sd. I've had barely any challenges with him even though objectively my first sd was the better behaved boyo (by a hair).
I have a MAS and several of the trainers at the service dog training place I work with have Aussies. I wouldn‘t recommend it unless you are extremely experienced with herding breeds, reading body language, and can do a ton of socialization.
My dog is an Aussie and he’s a service dog. I didn’t know he was going to be my service dog but he is. He’s 2 BUT we worked religiously everyday. I worked a lot on his confidence, neutrality, work under stress and he trusts me 100%. We’re with an organization for hearing dogs and I work one on one with a trainer for psychiatric. This breed is not for everyone, BUT I have an active lifestyle. I make sure he’s getting mental and physical stimulation. He also runs with me and we make training fun! We’re always improving ! https://preview.redd.it/t1yzucj4cm9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d5ae36d500451353b5cbbc407d06c4cc6493922f
In Colorado, I knew 3 border collie service dogs, but the handlers were all professional dog trainers and that likely made a difference with the breed choice and success.
Since everyone else already explained why herding breeds aren't a good choice, I figured I'd answer your updated question about breed recommendations! The most recommended breeds are labs, goldens and poodles. They'll have the best chances of succeeding and shouldn't be too sensitive to handler emotions like herding breeds tend to be. These are the tried and true breeds for service work and if your goal is to have a succesful working dog I'd recommend staying within those three :)
Labs, goldens, and poodles are your best bet. There's a reason most of the big organizations use these breeds. Even with that said no dog will ever be a sure thing.
I don’t believe so generally. That being said my service dog is aging out and we fostered puppies until we found the right one since it’s such a specific personality. Believe it or not, we landed on a boarder collie/ Aussie mix. He is the fastest learner I’ve ever had. After just 4 weeks of training he already has all of his basic commands down, can reliably retrieve my meds and shoes, and has learned hide and seek where he learns everyone in the house by name and how to go alert them. He is a bit more reactive than I would like, but he has proved by the end of fostering that it can be trained out, so we felt confident taking him on. I’m happy to report his reactivity has been steadily improving and he’s been a great choice for us. I do think it’s atypical of the breeds though. So be careful. https://preview.redd.it/tkowe8ry8n9d1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e2eaa5582408558b2a6a162a0fadf97ae4a41ca
Retrievers, poodles. There are people who have made successful SDs out of the occasional low-drive rough collie or GSD,but they are in the minority. I have a super-high-drive Malinois. It is 7 pm and 95 degrees out . . . and we are playing tug. Trust me - you don’t want a herding breed if you can help it.