I hear it all of the time, “I wish I could take my dog everywhere”.
Translation, “I wish I could take my dog everywhere … When it is convenient”.
A service dog can be an amazing tool to help someone with their disability, but who wants to BE disabled? Beyond the fact that I would gladly leave Mouse at home if it meant that I could be a normal, healthy, working adult again … Sometimes it just isn’t very convenient to have a dog connected to you all of the time. There are the friends that you can never visit anymore, because their kid is allergic. There are the 30 second, run-in-run-out, errands that become 10 to 15 minute ordeals. And, there are even the family members that just don’t understand and always ask why you can’t “just leave her home”.
So here we go, a look into some of the negative aspects of having a service dog.
The ‘Drive-By’ Petting
Most adults know logically that they should not pet or distract a service dog. Many adults seem to think that reaching out and touching your dog ‘in passing’ is not the same thing.
In reality, it is far worse. I have known service dogs in training that have failed because they could not deal with being suddenly touched out of nowhere. At least if you had asked me first, I could prepare her and introduce you. Imagine if you were standing in the checkout line at the grocery store and a stranger started running their fingers through your hair.
Distracting a service dog is not just an inconvenience, it can be life threatening for their handler. If the handler has poor vision, they could miss a curb and have a serious fall. If the handler is an epileptic, the dog could miss an alert allowing a seizure to happen in an unsafe environment.
There are some types of service dog tasks where a short distraction, under the right circumstances, are acceptable. If you are already interacting with the handler it is okay to ASK to pet their dog, but do not be offended if the handler says no. They know what is best for the situation and their dog.
PLEASE do not interrupt a stranger just to ask if you can pet their service dog.
The Constant Questions
It is virtually impossible to walk 100 feet in a crowd without being stopped. “What breed is she, how much does she weigh, is she full grown, what does she do …?” Of course, I try to be cordial. I generally find it a great opportunity to educate people about service dogs, but there are occasions when I just want to buy my milk and go home.
If it is not direct questions, there is a lot of ‘side talk’ that can be distracting for the dog. “I know I’m not supposed to pet you, but you are just so cute. Kissy, Kissy.” Some handlers have been followed around stores and needed management intervention.
The Pictures
There are probably hundreds of pictures of my butt on social media somewhere. People are always trying to be sneaky when, in reality, it just draws more attention. It’s a dog, not a hippopotamus, they are pretty common. On occasion someone will ask if they can take a picture, but usually not.
If I go to a renaissance festival and decide to put dragon wings on Mouse for fun, I can kind of understand the fascination. I can even understand when I have boots on her to protect her feet from hot pavement. Many people have never seen a dog wearing shoes. But what is so fascinating about some random dog walking through an art fair?
The Incidental Costs
Your service dog’s job is to focus on your health and well-being. YOUR job is to focus on THEIR health and well-being.
Having a service dog can translate to unplanned expenses out of the blue. The Vegas convention where you expected to be primarily indoors, but you find yourself walking The Strip more during the day than expected. You end up purchasing random things to help keep her cool. (Avoid hot pavement without boots as it can seriously burn their pads!) Or, your Disney vacation turned out colder than expected. I know someone that had to buy a jacket (at Disney prices) and then cut off the sleeves to fit their short-haired dog.
Remember that a service dog is a living, emotional being. A service dog that is uncomfortable is more likely to miss an alert or another aspect of their job, and they are also more likely misbehave.
I love Mouse, she is so much more to me than just my medical aid, but sometimes I just want to be able to be ‘normal’. Honestly, considering how difficult it must be to look after me and my multiple medical conditions, I am betting Mouse would also love a chance to ‘just be a dog’.
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