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What type of personality traits do i look for in an Aussie puppy if i know i want to do therapy, and once I get one what is the best way to socialize the puppy specificly for therapy work?

>>What type of personality traits do i look for in an Aussie puppy if i know i want to do therapy, and once I get one what is the best way to socialize the puppy specificly for therapy work?

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Best bet when choosing a dog for therapy dog work is not to get a puppy, but to get a young adult dog whose temperament can be evaluated. The temperament a puppy will grow into is quite unpredictable when it comes to therapy dog work where temperament is so extremely important.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

Thank you for responding. That's a good idea. so then how do i choose an older dog? What do i look for? I'm assuming no fear, eager to see people. Are there any other important aspects to look for?

>>Thank you for responding. That's a good idea. so then how do i choose an older dog? What do i look for? I'm assuming no fear, eager to see people. Are there any other important aspects to look for?

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Friendly dog, yes--and friendly in unfamiliar places, not just at the breeder's house or other place the dog is used to being. You need a physically sound and healthy dog. Some breeders have been careless, making hip dysplasia fairly common in some lines, so having the hips x-rayed by your own vet would be wise unless you're getting the dog from a breeder you trust.

All active breeds of dogs have a pretty high rate of being adopted by the wrong homes, so good breeders do get them back. In this situation you get the benefits of careful breeding for genetics and proper handling of the mom and baby pups, plus the breeder will have at least some information about the dog's history of experiences so far in life. I just adopted a 2-year-old dog in this situation myself. He is the 5th dog I've gotten from this breeder in the last 22 years. A good breeder becomes a member of your extended family!

I don't usually select my own dogs. This one I did, because she did not have the opportunity to evaluate him, and I did. Usually I prefer to have her choose the dog for me. She had a lot of information about him for me, but in the middle of the holiday season with a weeklong trip a couple of days away, she was going to have to just board him until she got back.

I "boarded" him--and we all knew full well that I would never be able to give him up! There were some medical surprises and he is the most untrained dog of his breed I've ever met! But we are having a ball, and developing deep trust in each other. I would not recommend a dog this complicated for someone else, and definitely not if you're looking for a therapy dog and the dog's genetics are unknown.

I'm using lots of stuff I've learned from training the last six dogs--five therapy dogs and one who taught me even more by FAILING as a theray dog!--plus he and I are learning exciting new things together. And I have a fantastic dog to help me train him. Just a few minutes ago, she gave him a good, noisy walloping that he richly deserved for being so fresh and annoying with her, and then I put him back on his tether to me. She thanked me! And he was happy to be--literally--back in harness.

Both of these dogs were bred for creative work. I've seen breeding that went badly, and I've seen breeding that worked brilliantly. Bad results can happen to any breeder, but a good breeder stops that bloodline when the problem becomes apparent and makes it right with the owners involved.

I believe your very best bet is to find a breeder you trust, and have that breeder select your dog. That includes an adult dog. If you want a purebred dog for a working life, you certainly don't want to let the people down who will be counting on you to show up with the dog, by choosing a dog who has problems that will predictably eliminate the dog from therapy dog work or shorten her career. The genetics are important.

Sometimes a shelter dog can work well, though it is a bigger gamble. Some working dog agencies who have used shelter dogs in the past are now turning to their own breeding programs because that has led to so many dogs failing. So much time and money goes into training each dog, and they are so needed, that it's only responsible for the programs to find the dogs most likely to succeed. Most therapy dog handlers are limited in how many dogs they can have, so choosing a dog who turns out unsuited can prevent that volunteer from being able to do therapy dog visits. It's a real shame.

It is also likely that local therapy dog evaluators, handlers and trainers would be happy to help you evaluate a young adult dog for the work. For a meaningful evaluation, the dog needs to be coming from a safe, low-stress situation where the dog has been for AT LEAST two weeks with nothing concerning showing up: no biting, no killing of small animals, no episodes of freaking out without being able to be calmed promptly, etc.

We've been snowed in since I got Redeemer, plus he is not released for training by his vet yet, so I've had to focus on what I can do at home. Today I had him step out onto the porch when leashed to my waist, and he barked at someone he spotted across the street. I didn't have food, and didn't want to jerk on him. He didn't immediately turn to me when I attracted his attention with voice. I stepped in front of him--blocking his view of the person across the street--and told him to sit. He promptly did, with eyes on my face and nice body language. I find that very encouraging.

Be careful when you get a new dog not to "test" the dog in ways that could mess up the result you need. It's very important to have faith, take things at a pace that builds the dog's trust in you, and keep the dog out of trouble rather than going into risky situations to see what happens.

A dog is a PROCESS, not a PRODUCT. A lot of what your dog will become is going to be created between you and the dog. Don't try to predict how long it will take. It tends to go faster with an adult dog, but it goes fastest of all when you just do the job the very best you can without stressing the dog, and worry about testing only when the dog is ready. A lot of people fail in therapy dog work because they rush things. These working-type dogs with the most power and brains also require the most training. And they will teach you the most!
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

Thank you so much for all the information, i'm sure to read over what you wrote a couple of time.

It's admirable that you want to do therapy work with your aussie, but quite honestly, there's no real good way to predict if a puppy will be a good therapy dog or not. It's even harder to predict what population would best suit your prospective puppy. So many want to visit children and their dogs just don't like children- even when exposed at a young age or the dog is just too hyper to be safe around children for visiting.

The best thing you can do is find a dog that comes from dogs with solid confident parents that are structurally sound and happy. You want a dog that isn't so high in drive that you can't temper it and you probably don't want one that wants to tug or chase balls 24/7/365. Don't pick the smartest most extroverted puppy in the bunch, but the shy one hanging back won't suit things either. Once you have your puppy, train it. Solid obedience skills taught with lots of positive reinforcement will bring out the best in your dog. Learn to "read' the cues you are getting from your dog and act appropriately- therapy work is team work so your skills are as important as your dogs.

Once old enough, go find a class in the area and the rest is hopefully history. Good luck
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles

Thanks good advice!