Breeders/Poodles For Service Work?
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
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Obviously a breed that could excel in service work. (So most likely the FAB 4).
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Generally food motivated
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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.
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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