What Makes Golden Retrievers Popular Service Dogs?
Besides being what people call “a man’s best friend”, some species of canines are incredibly intelligent, brave, and dedicated to taking care of their owner’s needs.
Often known as service dogs, this is why some of these furry friends are purposely trained to assist people with certain kinds of disabilities.
But since the level of intelligence, physical characteristics, and behavior varies from one species to another, some dog breeds are better at taking care of people living with disabilities than others.
And as one of the most common dogs deployed for these tasks, golden retrievers automatically get the spotlight.
Read on to learn some of the unique character traits that make golden retrievers better as a service pooch, thus their incredible popularity in the job.
What’s A Service Dog?
Simply put, a service dog is a canine that’s specially trained to help people who’re having certain kinds of disabilities. They help the people they are assigned to in navigating their day-to-day tasks.
Whether it’s autism, PTSD, diabetes, blindness, or a debilitating injury, a service dog can go a long way in helping a disabled person live their life at the most possible level of “normal”.
They may also do anything to protect the owner from harm, and even alert the people around them if something is wrong.
What Are Golden Retrievers?
A golden retriever is a domesticated dog that can fall in one of the various types of the Labrador breed originating from Scotland in the 19th century. The name “golden retriever” is often attributed to its beautiful coat of golden-colored fur.
It is usually medium to large in size, with a weight of around 55-90 pounds. Three common breeds exist: English, American, and Canadian golden retrievers, whose fur coat color may vary between light golden, golden, and dark golden irrespectively.
Apparently, this pooch is increasingly nailing interviews for the service dog job.
4 Reasons Why Golden Retrievers Make Great Service Dogs
1. Comforting Companions
Not only are they incredibly adorable, but golden retrievers are also great to have around as comforting companions. If you have a mental or emotional health issue, and your healthcare professional needs to recommend a dog that helps with emotional disabilities, there’s a big chance they will consider a golden retriever.
They are gentle and people-loving, often with a calming and soothing demeanor. These, together with the fact that they love pleasing humans are part of what makes golden retrievers a go-to for service dogs.
When you have PTSD, anxiety, phobias, or panic disorders, companionship from a golden retriever could be all you need to live a good life.
2. Intelligent Dogs
Golden retrievers are also incredibly intelligent and smart, sometimes enough to outwit humans – precisely those without knowledge of how or what service dogs are trained to do. They’re very observant and perceptive dogs as well.
Anyone might argue that most dogs are smart, but golden retrievers are notably different compared to other breeds in the way they learn and think. Their high intelligence quotient (IQ) compared to other dog breeds also makes golden retrievers easy to train as service dogs.
3. Golden Retrievers Are Hard Workers
We have to admit it: Golden retrievers are some of the hardest working dogs on the planet. But in all fairness, it’s not because they want to impress people with their canine body language or appearance. Rather, it’s because they’re extremely friendly, and their great personalities lead them into finding a companion they would give their life for.
4. They’re Loyal to Their Handler
Finally, golden retrievers are also very loyal to their owner, and it means the world to them if they can be in the same job. They love what they do, and as opined earlier, they are always eager to please their master, which in return makes their owner happy as well.
As the attachment between you and your loyal pooch grows, there’s a big chance you’ll feel the need to take good care of your dog, allowing him or her to serve your needs better. Unless completely lost or brutally mistreated, a golden retriever gone astray is a phenomenon unheard of.
To sum it up, golden retrievers are wonderful pooches that make great service dogs for an endless list of reasons. Their decent temperaments keep them on the list of suitable emotional support animals for people with disabilities, whether alone or living with family.