You've seen a person in a store with a dog wearing a vest, right? The dog walks stalwartly beside the owner. We all know those are trained service dogs and we shouldn't attempt to touch them.
But did you know you should not speak to the dog - or the owner? We should not even look at them.
That I didn't know.
It took my experience with a client who has a service dog and observing what happens when I take her out in public to realize how important it is to leave the dog and the owner alone.
Every time we go somewhere, it's a guarantee that people will walk up, interrupt our conversation and tell her how beautiful her dog is. I tell the person that the dog is working, and they tell us they know and then continue to ask about the dog. If a small child is involved, the parent will ask if they can pet the dog or walk the child up to the dog and tell the child the dog is working and can't be touched. And then the parent will stand right there asking about the dog. My client freezes up and stares uncomfortably, murmering short answers. I step in and inform the party that a sevice dog is working and needs to be left alone.
Even though I politely address the situation and get the people to walk away it's too late. My client's anxiety has already gone off the chart. My client doesn't have a service dog because she is blind. She has a service dog because she has PTSD and extreme anxiety. What you or I may think of as a friendly aside comment - "Your dog is beautiful" - triggers her fears because she does not want and cannot handle attention from strangers that is unexpected.
Before I met this client, I knew not to touch a service dog but I was ignorant about speaking to the owner because I enjoy talking to people. Now I understand why the people I spoke to were not friendly in their replies. I had made them uncomfortable because of how they process public interaction. Even when I have smiled at someone with a service dog, they have awkwardly looked away. There I was, thinking I was being kind by smiling at them and they were freaking out on the inside. Thanks to this client, I get it now.
The other day my client told me she went to WalMart for what should have been a twenty minute trip. Ninety minutes later, she left after having been stopped thirtten times. One mother even loadly told her kid "That's a mean lady" when my client told them the dog was working and could not be touched.
Her dog's service vest has the logo of the agency's certification but that hasn't been eough. I ordered her a patch that says "Service Dog" and the "Please Don't Touch" logo.
Everyone needs to know that a service dog isn't just a pet. It is part of a therapy plan and has been trained to provide comfort and assurance to the owner. Service dogs only focus on their owners and don't go around looking for other people to lick. Without her service dog, my client would literally be unable to leave the house. She has two other dogs who are pets. But her service dog knows her role and "goes to work".
If you have children, please teach them what the role of a service dog is and that when they spot one, to mind their own business. The owners have a reason why they have been prescribed a service dog and need to put one foot in front of the other. This includes pointing. Service dog owners need to focus on their dog and don't want any attention in spite of the fact that a dog in a store ironically calls attention to the duo.
Please join me in spreading the word that it is not unfriendly to look the other way.
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