12 Best Therapy Dog Breeds — our top picks
Labrador Retriever
Most popular family dog worldwide. Excellent retriever with gentle mouth, high intelligence, and outstanding temperament.
Golden Retriever
Beautiful, gentle retriever with flowing coat. Outstanding family companion with high intelligence and eagerness to please.
Goldendoodle
Golden Retriever and Poodle cross combining best traits of both breeds. Popular family companion.
Labradoodle
Labrador Retriever and Poodle cross bred for service work. Intelligent and friendly with variable coat.
Shiloh Shepherd
Large, gentle shepherd breed developed for calm temperament. Intelligent, trainable, and excellent family guardian.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Gentle toy spaniel with silky coat and sweet expression. Perfect family companion with sporting dog heritage.
Vizsla
Elegant Hungarian pointer known as the "Velcro dog" for their close bond with owners. Athletic and affectionate.
Smooth Collie
Short-coated version of Rough Collie. Same gentle temperament with easier grooming requirements.
Cavapoo
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle cross. Gentle and friendly with reduced shedding.
Bernedoodle
Bernese Mountain Dog and Poodle cross combining gentle nature with intelligence. Popular family pet.
Newfypoo
Newfoundland and Poodle cross creating gentle giant with reduced shedding. Calm and patient family dog.
Rough Collie
Lassie breed with flowing coat and gentle nature. Intelligent and devoted family companion.
How this ranking works: each of DoggyQ's 343 breeds is scored on the traits that matter most for this lifestyle — energy, size, temperament, grooming and trainability — using our vet-reviewed breed database. Read more about our methodology, or take the free quiz for a ranking personalised to you.
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Find your perfect matchFrequently asked questions
- What is the best therapy dog breed?
- Based on temperament and care needs, the Labrador Retriever ranks as the top choice for therapy and visiting-dog work, followed by the Golden Retriever and Goldendoodle.
- How was this list of dogs for therapy and visiting-dog work chosen?
- Each breed is scored on the traits that matter most for therapy and visiting-dog work — such as energy, size, grooming and temperament — using DoggyQ's breed database. For a recommendation tailored to your exact situation, take the free quiz.