As anyone who has been following this blog for quite some time knows, Bradley and I haven’t been partnered with each other terribly long. I brought him home when he was 11 weeks old and started his training shortly after. He’s now five years old.
Looking Ahead to the Future
For the past few years, my plan has been to acquire a puppy candidate to train as his successor. There are a number of reasons I came to this conclusion. Foremost is that I want Bradley to be able to retire at his own pace and to be able to ease into it. That’s a luxury that many service dogs, unfortunately, are not afforded.
Nothing is guaranteed, and when a service dog is suddenly no longer able to work, it’s devastating to both the handler an the dog. While I can’t predict the future, there is no way to deny that reality or, short of optimal medical care and maintenance, to guarantee against it happening.
My hope for Bradley is that he will live a long, healthy life and maintain his willingness and capability to perform his job for years go come. That being said, I have established a timeline that I have committed to following, in regard to Bradley’s retirement. Just thinking about Bradley retiring is enough to stir up painful emotions. It’s a reality I have to face, though, and it’s better that I do that now than when my hand is forced.
I have chosen to begin the process of retiring Bradley at age eight. In many cases, handlers choose to work their service dogs as late as ten or more years old. In Bradley’s case, however, his job is not only mentally demanding but also physically demanding. It is my belief that he should not be expected to perform his job as he does now, well into his senior years. I want to provide Bradley with a long, happy retirement, as a very special pet.
The Plan
It takes about two years to train a service dog, from puppyhood. My goal is to acquire a puppy service dog candidate by the time Bradley is six years old. He just recently turned five. This would allow me to take two years to train a puppy into young adulthood, with the hopes that he would be ready to take over for Bradley by the time Bradly turns eight. Ideally, I would ease Bradley into retirement, working each dog alternately, until Bradley was ready to fully settle into life as a retired service dog and active pet, who would remain a major part of my life.
This means I need to acquire a young puppy within the year. While that sounds like a liberal amount of time, once one takes into consideration the research that goes into finding a suitable breeder and then waiting until that breeder expects a new litter of puppies, which often only happens once a year, the clock ticks faster and faster.
There are a myriad of breeds that I have researched and have added to my list of breeds to consider for my future service dog candidate. There are so many factors to take into consideration that there are few who fully meet my criteria for a partner. Here is a list of some of my top choices of breeds:
Golden Retriever
A Golden Retriever is certainly a safe choice for a service dog candidate. I have fallen head over heels for the breed. Right now, however, is the time to explore my options and that is what I’m doing. If the option presented itself so that I could acquire a suitable Golden Retriever from a compatible breeder, I would jump at the opportunity.
German Shepherd Dog (European Working Lines)
The GSD, while a common breed used for service work, is not quite as “safe” a choice as a Golden Retriever. I’m perfectly comfortable with that. I’m ready for a dog with more drive, who is handler oriented, yet capable of thinking independently.
Belgian Malinois
These dogs are SMART. Like the GSD, they are pumped full of drive and require a handler who can keep up with them. I’ve reached the point in my dog handling experience that gives me the confidence that I am capable of a successful partnership with a dog who needs a job and the right handler to meet his needs.
Doberman Pinscher
I’ve been dreaming of the day I could call a Doberman my own for over half my life. This is another highly intelligent breed who thrives with a job. They can be independent thinkers but are closely bonded to their handlers and sometimes learn faster than their handlers can teach them!
Siberian Husky
Yes, I did say Siberian Husky. This breed is quite unlike any of those listed above. Aside from the Golden Retriever, they are also the only breed of those listed that I have actually owned. My experience with my Siberian Husky, Sydney, was one of the best experiences I’ve had with a dog in my entire life. They are notoriously hard-headed, independent thinkers and almost at the opposite end of the spectrum from Golden Retrievers, when it comes to ‘trainability.’ This is actually a ‘selling point’ for me. I enjoy working with dogs that command creativity in training and I understand what makes these dogs tick.
Other breeds I’d gladly consider:
Rough Collie
Pit Bull- provided the dog were large enough. Many are small.
Samoyed
Border Collie
Cane Corso
Malamute
Norwegian Elkhound
Rottweiler
Coming To Terms
This is a position I veery much wish I did not find myself in, but it is par for the course, as an owner trainer. Not only does the search for compatible breeders present a unique challenge, but it also serves as a very real wake-up call that Bradley is not going to be my service dog forever.
I know that, unlike many working dogs, deep down, Bradley does not have the soul of a die-hard working dog. He has been a phenomenal partner to me, an eager worker and a fast learner. I can’t ask for much more than that. Yet there remains the possibility, as there does with any service dog who is transitioning into retirement, that he will prefer his working life to that of life at home- especially when his position has been filled by another dog. I plan to do my best to set him up for all the happiness in the world, in his life as a retired service dog.
Undoubtedly, I’ll experience my own type of grieving process, along the way.
Asking For Help
For both our sake, I’ll spare you the details of the circumstances which have contributed to me ending up in a position in which I’ve decided to ask for help from others to fulfill my goal of acquiring a service dog candidate during a very specific window of time.
If you’ve ever visited this blog before, you may have noticed that there is a link to the right that will bring you to a fund raising page. That fund raising page is an effort to raise money to support the purchase of my next service dog candidate. I ask that you consider supporting me in this endeavor by making a donation, no matter how small.
However, what I could most benefit from is finding a breeder who would be willing to consider donating a dog to me to train as my service dog. I realize that this is asking a lot and I hope that you’ll continue to bear with me for just another minute.
I appreciate that giving dogs away may be a hardship on breeders. However, there are a myriad of reasons why, in the long run, donating a dog for service work can work in a breeder’s favor. Aside from putting titles on dogs, the pride that would undoubtedly result from producing a dog who successfully made it through training to become a service dog would speak volumes for one’s breeding program. What better way to assure future puppy buyers that your dogs are of sound temperament than to have an active, working service dog who is enriching the life of a person with a disability?
So here is my plea to breeders, whether you produce a breed that I mentioned above or not: Please consider this tremendous act of kindness while fulfilling your dedication to better your breed to the best of your ability.
Dog Day 