If you find yourself in need of a service dog, you might wonder if the dog you already have can be trained to become one. Using your existing furry friend as one sounds great; however, not all dogs make effective service animals. Here are some traits that trainers look for in service dogs:

They Don’t Make a Mess

There are certain dog breeds that a puppy trainer in Las Vegas will tell you not to train as a service dog. They include breeds that tend to leave a mess in their wake. While they don’t do it intentionally, some dog breeds tend to drool excessively, shed non-stop, or are very “talkative”. Those breeds don’t generally make good service dogs because they leave messes (that owners can’t often readily clean up) or are distracting in public.

They Do Well With People

Since owners frequently rely on their service dogs in-public, they need to handle strangers well. Most everyone they come into contact with will be unfamiliar to them. Therefore, a professional trainer will look for dogs with a calm disposition. Anxious, hyper, or aggressive dogs can easily act out if something unexpected happens, thus adding one more problem to the owner’s difficulties.

They Learn New Things Well 

Services dogs must help their owners all-day. This means they need a willingness towards learning new commands. Dogs breeds that don’t possess strong intelligence will struggle to learn new information that’s thrown at them. Likewise, dog breeds that exhibit stubborn traits will not be a good candidate for service dog training.