Breeders/Poodles For Service Work?

Help!

I have been looking into a medical alert service dog for years now. I've done research into ethical breeding and dog training. I don't plan on getting one super soon, but I have tried multiple different things to help with my disability and I feel that a service dog could help me more in my day-to-day life than the other things I've tried. I have been stuck between poodles, labs, and goldens for a while now. I've done a lot of research on different breeds, but I'm curious what breed would you guys recommend.

What I want in a service dog

  1. Obviously a breed that could excel in service work. (So most likely the FAB 4).

  2. Generally food motivated

  3. Medium to high energy, I've always been interested in trying dock diving, but I don't want a neurotic dog that can't sit still.

  4. The temperment I like, German Shorthaired Pointers have my favorite temperament because they are people friendly, clingy, silly but smart. The only thing I dislike about the breeds temperment is they have the attention span of a fly, some can be a little neurotic and lastly they would do horrible in service work. I mentioned the GSP, because I'm wondering if poodles/labs have a comparable temperment minus the less desirable traits that would make a dog like the GSP horrible for service work.

Additionally, what's your experience on poodles for service work? Should I only stick to goldens and labs? Lastly, does anyone know of any breeders around the New England area that have successful service dogs? I've looked at a lot of breeders and I have a few in mind but want more options to look into.

Posted Jul 4, 2026, 6:32 PM UTC

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