Advice on a suitable family dog for therapy training and allergies

[Lcw29]

Looking to eventually get a dog for our family. We're considering rescues too. But would prefer a dog breed that doesn't bark at everything although I know training has a lot to do with that too. not bigger than a lab and doesn't shed too much due to allergies although that's not a deal breaker.

It's for training as a therapy dog for our autistic son.

bichon frise are a low shedding breed and small.

I know someone who had a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier as a therapy dog for an autistic child. Apparently, they're good at it.

My kids’ current school have two therapy dogs and they are both poodle cross (cockerpoo probably) types. Their last school also had a therapy dog which was a spaniel (can’t remember if cocker or springer - possibly a cross). I think the current school previously had a Westie as a therapy dog too.

A well-bred springer spaniel might tick your boxes. I’ve known a couple who are therapy pets. You will need to pick breeder carefully so they can pick the puppy with the right temperament. There are a couple I know who specialise in trained dogs as well as puppies and who have experience of training for therapy pets etc but it’s expensive so it depends on your budget.

Tibetan Terrier ticks your boxes.

Small to medium sized, with hair rather than fur. Happy go lucky temperament and not phased by things like loud noises , busy environments and friendly. Very human oriented and want to be someone's buddy. They are also full of character, a little bit cheeky and a class clown. But they are also sensitive to their owners needs which will work well for a therapy dog.

Poodles, poodle X and bishon frise are all low shed, but that doesn't mean people can't be allergic to them. You see it said many times where people say they are hypo allergenic, which just isn't true. I have one of the above breeds and I shed far more hair than she does 😩

Have you actually checked which dogs do/don't give your child a reaction?

Springers are not even slightly allergy friendly!

As PP said upthread, all dogs can cause a reaction and while some breeds shed more than others, even the so-called non-shedding breeds can cause problems. My mum has allergies and while she can tolerate a friends poodle more than my beagle, she could still never actually live with the poodle.

Depends. We’ve always had working line springers and cockers and none have been shedders at all. Show ones tend to shed more though.

Personally I think if someone is allergic to dogs it’s a massive risk getting even a ‘hypoallergenic’ dog unfortunately. Especially things like cockapoos. Although OP says the allergy thing isn’t a big deal so it may just be general allergy to dust and hair.

Who will be doing the training? Most of the time people getting dogs as a 'therapy' dog for a child ends in tears unless done through a proper program.

Miniature poodle. They don’t shed, mine hardly ever barks and they are very intelligent. Mine picks things up very quickly and she’s very willing to please. She’s also very loyal and loving.

Please avoid the poodle crosses. No reputable breeder breeds poodle crosses so they aren’t properly bred or health checked. Many come from puppy farms or are imported.

I think you want to be looking at the personality of the dog more than the breed. We always have rescue sighthounds and a (now adult) daughter with additional needs. The dogs haven’t been therapy dogs but all have brought something that have enriched her life, from the trusty ones where she can hold the lead to our smaller female now who curls up on her knee. Gentle placid good natured dogs.

Also have a miniature poodle who is only 1, still very manic and a real barker!

I follow this page https://www.facebook.com/share/1JL2wNwdBF/?mibextid=wwXIfr. Pretty sure Hamish is a labradoodle.

He is an assistance dog for the lady who has very similar health conditions to my daughter hence why I follow but is very well trained and she has trained him herself so definitely worth a follow.

We are getting help through dogs for good with training. They assist in a family dog program.

It's me who has allergies. I'm terrible with labs but seem ok with spaniels, poodles, westies...

Great advice from everyone thank you. I'm definitely looking at temperament and if a rescue has the right match will go down that route. Just keeping our options open.

I have an Australian labradoodle with the sweetest temperament who has done wonders for my DD with ASD. He’s lovely. Lots of doodle hate on here, but I have no regrets

My limited experience with Poodles & Spaniels is that they can be very needy. Something to be aware of.

I also think that if you go with an intelligent, high energy breed then you need to consider if you have the lifestyle to give the dog what it needs in terms of exercise and stimulation. That's on top of the assistance dog training.

I’ve just met someone on my walk who loved my poodle. She then went on to tell me that her daughter has a dog, which looks like a retriever but has some poodle in it. She went on to tell me that the dog is ideal for her allergy prone family, as the dog doesn’t cause allergies because of the poodle in it. 🙄

Oh definitely a Bouvier des Flandres but if you want something a bit spicer, try a Malinois.

When you say you're okay with those breeds, have you ever spent a lot of time with one? As in, for several days in a home they live in?

Because there is a huge difference between being able to tolerate a dog on a walk for a few hours at home, and living with one full-time. As I said earlier, my mum can tolerate all dogs on a walk or in a car, but she struggles even with "non shedders" if she has to spend a long time with them in close quarters (like a house).

A quick Google agrees. But definitely go by temperament rather than breed alone.