Some only require intermittent Pin-brushing. A breed with a hypo-allergenic coat like a Standard Poodle will need weekly comb outs and expensive visits to a professional grooming shop on a regular basis. A short haired breed like a Labrador Retriever will only need to be brushed about five minutes per week and receive a bath once or twice a year to remain healthy. Some like a Smooth Collie may be odor free if bathed several times a year. Some like a Golden Retriever or Labrador Retriever exude an unpleasant aroma when they get wet from rain, snow or a swim.
Some breeds have a faint persistent odor all the time.
Having the dog sleep on a cushion stuffed with cedar shavings also is helpful. If considering a breed developed for hunting, herding or guard dog work, realize that the traits that made a dog of that particular breed an excellent hunting dog, an effective sheepdog or a successful guard dog do not disappear just because the traits are no longer highly desired by most dog owners. The ancestral urges to hunt, swim, chase livestock, sound an alarm, kill predators or drive away strangers that dare approach are lurking under the surface. Some of these traits will interfere with an assistance dog's reliability. Breeds classified as Guard Dogs, Flock Guardians or Fighting Dogs have aggression related breed traits that are particularly worrisome.