Has this ever been done?
Sure – why not?
The first dog in what was to become the Vachss’s Dog Program was Sheba, a German shepard/wolf mix who was a retired Seeing Eye Dog.
Sure they can. The prison in which my husband works has a pound rescue program. The inmates train the dogs and the ones who show potential are sent on to the service dog training academy. Most of these dogs are 100% mutt.
The reason you see a lot of pure-breds is because some training academies breed and raise their own puppies.
And The Seeing Eye says:
- Where do you get the dogs?
The Seeing Eye breeds its own German shepherds, Labrador retrievers and Golden retrievers. Occasionally, boxers and mixed breeds are used.
Guide Dogs for the Blind uses a few Lab/Golden Retriever crosses in their program, but their dogs are specially bred, so just any old mutt isn’t used if that’s what you mean.