5 Worst Therapy Dogs
Therapy dogs are remarkable support animals that provide therapeutic benefits to individuals in need. These dogs are employed in a wide range of places, from schools and hospitals to nursing homes and emergency shelters.
In many ways, therapy dogs are similar to emotional support animals, but rather than providing comfort to one individual, they do it for anyone in need. As you can expect, therapy dogs must have the desired traits suitable for their work, and not all dogs have them.
In this article, we'll cover the worst therapy dogs. We'll also go over what makes these dog breeds unsuitable for therapy dog work and a brief list of the best therapy dog breeds.
What Makes a Dog Unsuitable for Therapy Dog Work?
Therapy dogs must have certain characteristics. Since the purpose of these dogs is to comfort strangers with different backgrounds, from kids in special education facilities to the elderly in nursing homes, they must be friendly and outgoing at all times.
Any aggressive behavior or shyness from strangers are undesirable traits in therapy dogs. They shouldn't be startled easily and remain calm and attentive to the handler. Additionally, obedience is just as crucial as friendliness in therapy dogs.
While these are some of the few things that separate a good therapy dog from the worst ones, therapy dogs, first and foremost, must enjoy interacting with strangers. After all, therapy dogs are there to provide therapeutic benefits to individuals in need – and if they don't like interacting with strangers, they can't perform their duties.
Overall, therapy dogs must be friendly, calm, obedient, and enjoy interacting with new people. If a dog doesn't have these traits, you can expect them not to be a good therapy dog.
5 Dog Breeds That Don't Make Good Therapy Dogs
Considering all of the above, here are five dog breeds considered to be the worst therapy dogs. However, every dog breed is unique, and there are other roles these dogs are more suitable for, which we'll also cover.
1) Belgian Malinois
Belgian Malinois is a highly intelligent and energetic dog breed that can work tirelessly with a human partner. However, their suspicion towards strangers and endless drive doesn't make them ideal for therapy dog work. These traits are better utilized for other purposes that require an intelligent and energetic dog.
Best Jobs for Belgian Malinois
- Police Dog (K-9)
- Search and Rescue Dog
- Personal Protection Dog
2) Beagle
Beagles have many of the desired traits in a therapy dog, such as a friendly and outgoing personality. Unfortunately, their independent nature and keen sense of smell make them distracted easily. Beagles are more suitable for jobs where they can put their noses to work.
Best Jobs for Beagle
- Search and Rescue Dog
- Cadaver Dog
- Detection Dog
3) Chow Chow
The fluffy and cuddly appearance of the chow chow can make anyone initially think that they would be excellent therapy dogs. However, the extensive guarding lineage makes the chow chow aloof with strangers. They are also difficult to train and have aggressive tendencies, which are significant issues for therapy dog training.
Best Jobs for Chow Chow
- Guard Dog
- Sled Dog
- Companion Dog
4) Siberian Husky
Siberian huskies are among the worst therapy dogs due to their independent personalities. While they are generally friendly with strangers and enjoy cuddling with people, Siberian huskies tend to have moody streaks that make them unreliable therapy dogs.
Best Jobs for Breed
- Sled Dog
- Companion Dog
- Search and Rescue Dog
5) Jack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell terrier's high drive and tendency to follow their curiosity aren't ideal traits for therapy dog work. They can get stubborn, and you can't guarantee that these dogs will behave well around strangers. There's also the terrier lineage that makes them aloof around other dogs.
Best Jobs for Jack Russell Terrier
- Hunting Dog
- Search and Rescue Dog
- Watchdog
Best Therapy Dog Breeds
Now that we've covered the worst therapy dogs, here's a list of the breeds known to excel in this area.
- Golden retriever
- Labrador retriever
- Poodle
- Bernese mountain dog
- Bichon frise
- Newfoundland
- Cavalier King Charles spaniel
- Corgi
Whichever you choose, make sure to prepare yourself for how to care for the specific breed; for instance, if you pick a golden retriever, a guide like this can help you know how to feed them to keep them as healthy as possible.
Skip the Worst Therapy Dogs for an ESA
The dog breeds we've covered may make one of the worst therapy dogs, but there are other jobs these dogs can uphold, such as being an emotional support animal.
If you're considering a therapy dog for yourself due to a psychiatric condition, such as depression or anxiety, there are better alternatives. Therapy dogs are there to provide therapeutic benefits to everyone in various settings, from hospitals and schools to nursing homes and disaster recovery centers. Instead, you can have an emotional support animal (ESA) for yourself.
While therapy dogs can get certifications to prove their status, all you need for an emotional support animal is an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional. With this document, you can have any pet as an ESA, not only limited to dogs.
Like therapy dogs, you can certify an ESA through organizations like US Service Animals. They can also help you obtain an ESA letter online from a mental health professional licensed in your state.
