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The choice of breed depends on several factors. Some organizations use rescue dogs, in part because they are available for free. (Other organizations rely on donations from breeders or have their own breeding program.) Aside from cost, the type of service provided by the dog helps determine the breed.

Until recently, black labs and golden retrievers were the most common choice for guide dogs for the blind because these dogs are large enough for the work and tend to have placid personalities. Recently, several guide dog schools started training standard poodles because they are hypoallergenic and do not shed.

Mobility assistance dogs open doors, pull wheel chairs or act like a living crutch for people with balance problems. They frequently wear a sturdy harness with a handle that the human partner can grasp while walking. A lab is the smallest dog I have seen for this type of work.

Other service dogs may not require large size. Medic alert dogs use their keen sense of smell to warn their human partners when blood sugar levels are too high or too low, or when the partner is about to suffer a seizure. These dogs are even trained to hit a special button on the phone that sends a pre-recorded message to the 911 dispatcher. Hearing dogs alert their partners to sounds like doorbells, smoke detectors, people coming up behind them and talking, and traffic approaching from behind while they are walking. Any breed with the right temperament can do this type of work. Many training schools train smaller breeds for people who live in apartments or in areas where there is not room for a large dog, although labs, retrievers and other large breeds are also used. My hearing dog is a standard poodle. He is 28 inches at the shoulder, anything but small.

Any dog can be a service/assistance dog. It's about what they are trained to do and most importantly - their temperment. Answers doesn't have a CLUE about dog breeds. There are APBT service dogs, GSD's used to be very common assistance dogs for the blind - more common than labs/retrievers.

Many mixes are now "rescued" from shelters and used as therapy/assistance/service dogs.

It's only about trainability (what is needed/expected of the dog) and most importantly, temperment

I see a blind man on the train occasionally (a few times per month) with his golden retriever. Every time I see that dog, I want to reach out and hug him and scratch his ears. :) However, I have common sense enough to not pet him or talk with him, because I know he's working and would become distracted. (This dog is so intelligent, he knows at which station he needs to exit. I STILL have no idea how he knows. This is true even on days when the intercom is broken and the train driver doesn't verbally announce stops.) I've seen people approach guide dogs before, and I really don't think they're doing it to be unkind--I think they realize that the dog is incredibly intelligent and is doing a good thing for someone, and they just want to pet it. It's similar to complete strangers walking up to a pregnant woman and automatically reaching out to rub her belly. Obviously this wouldn't distract the baby at all, lol, but it would make the woman very uncomfortable and it's definitely an invasion of her personal space. However (like the guide dog) people are doing it out of kindness, I think. How are you disabled, if you don't mind my asking? If you're sighted, and you can see the people approaching, just tell them kindly, "I don't mean to sound unkind, but please don't pet my dog--he's working and will become confused if he's handled by strangers."

any breed can make an assitance/service dog. It comes down to the individual dog's temperment, and what the dog is needed to do.

I know of a few people who have Chinese Cresteds as assistance dogs. One can detect anxiety, heart problems, and changes in blood sugar levels in his owner, and he alerts her to it.

Just about any breed can be a seizure alert dog.. just depends on if the individual dog can detect it or not.

Medium sized breeds are generally used to seeing eye dogs. A larger breed is a must for someone who needs a dog to steady themselves.

One group I know that raises and trains seeing eye dogs uses golden retreivers, German Shepherds, Yellow and Black Labs, Boxers, Vizslas, Dobermans and Standard Poodles in their program. Many of the dogs still do not make the cut and are spayed/neutered and adopted out as pets.

Not all dogs are cut out for service work. Temperment is a must. A dog must not be frightened of new situations. He must be willing to work and perform without allowing himself to be distracted. He must have the energy and health to perform his job (a dog with hip displasia would be a poor choice of service dog for someone who needs a dog to steady himself).

For dogs who detect seizers and other health issues, they pretty much have to show a natural aptitude for that.

Im not entirely sure how many breeds are used, but I mainly see retrievers in my area. Theres a program in my state where they train not just labs to be assistant and service dogs to the blind, deaf and even socially impaired. (:

Here is the site I was referring to

http://www.neads.org/index.shtml

Labs, retrievers, shepherds, are the most common, I think. Used to work in a hospital and loved when a well-known patient and her irish setter/service dog came in. Depends more on dog's temparment than breed.

it seems some people are confusing "assistance" dogs & "therapy" dogs, there is a huge difference

Any dog can be an assistance dog. There are some dogs that are naturally Aggressive, Dangerous or Vicious, such as the Rottweiler, Pit Bull, and German Sheppard breed of dogs.

They will kill a human without provocation. They are unpredictable. All dogs can bite and do vicious damage by ripping and tearing of flesh and bone.

My suggestion is to get a Golden Retriever breed of dog.

They are not as crazy as some dogs.

I also suggest that you go to "Dog Bite Law". This gives much information.