How to interact with a service dog
Don’t.
That’s it.
This has been a PSA
i dont get what this post means
service dogs are doing a job and usually people want to pet them but then theyll interrupt the job the service dog is trained to do. so the rule of thumb is dont interact with a service dog unless the owner says you can
YEET idc I’m petting the dog anyways
Okay, well.
You shouldn’t pet strangers’ dogs without asking either.
In Boston while waiting for the T, there was a woman with her service dog in full gear also waiting. Two young women went right up to the dog and the moment one of the women reached out to pet the dog, the older woman slapped her hand away and said “My dog is working, do NOT pet.” And I smiled because those young women were in the wrong.
If you came up to my dogs and didn’t ask to pet them, I would slap your hand away, and they’re not even service dogs.
If you pet my service dog without permission, you are stopping him from doing his job.
One of my dog’s jobs is detecting seizures. He gives me a few minutes warning. If he can’t warn me because he’s distracted, I could fall and hit my head.
I could die of a head injury because I wouldn’t have time to find a place to sit and sit down.
But, hey, a stranger gets to pet my dog.
I guess that’s worth it. /sarcasm
Seriously, this is why you DO NOT FUCKING TOUCH A SERVICE DOG
Here’s an article on what happened when someone pet a service dog and it DID distract the dog resulting in the owner suffering a seizure and injuries.
For anyone who doesn’t feel like reading, here is the key points:
Hailey has multiple illnesses including Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and epilepsy. Her service pup in-training, Flynn, has the important task of alerting her roughly 10 minutes before she has a seizure. This gives her time to find a safe place so that she does not injure herself while seizing.
Although the other human meant no harm, her action nearly resulted in tragedy. Because Flynn was distracted, he failed to give Hailey proper notice of her seizure. By the time he was able to alert her, it was already too late. “My service dog is my lifeline. I don’t say that to be cute. He helps keep me alive just like life support. If he gets distracted this happens. If he gets distracted I can die. Do not pet service dogs. Do not call to service dogs. Do not taunt service dogs. Do not talk to service dogs. Do not do anything to service dogs.”
1) Would you grab a person’s wheelchair and start rolling it forward and back for your own amusement? Would you randomly touch someone’s hearing aid while it’s in their ear? No? Then don’t pet someone’s service dog!
2) Don’t pet anyone’s dog unless you have the owner’s permission. If the dog gets nervous around strangers and you invade its personal space it might bite you out of fear, which could lead to the dog being put down. Not to mention it’s just disrespectful. Asking takes about five seconds. Just do it.
Signal boosting! A service dog is a working dog, and they need your respect more than your affection. If you want to deliver a compliment, let their human know what a great job they’re doing. It will be appreciated.
