What Should You Do If You See A Service Dog?

 

1. Don't pet it! Especially without asking. The dog has an extremely important job to do. Even if you don't see it, chances are the dog is actively working. By petting the dog you can distract it, risking the handlers safely. Also, please don't get angry and yell when we say no. It's not your dog. You are not entitled to pet it just because “it's in public”. It doesn't mean it's aggressive. We are not only looking out for our own safety, but we want to get in and out just like everyone else. What's the longest it has taken you to go get a loaf of bread? Most likely 5 minutes on a really busy day, right? Some of us take 30 minutes because we are stopped so people can ask to pet our dog so often. It gets annoying after a while. We just want to be normal. 

2. Don’t talk to or call it. Ignore it and pretend it isn't there. Imagine being disabled to the point you need a service dog, and when you get one people ignore you and only refer to your dog. It not only is not nice, it also can be dangerous. If you do happen to get the dog to pay attention to you instead of the handler, the dog can miss an important alert or miss a cue that they need to perform a task to help the handler. Pretend the dog isn't there just like you would with any other piece of medical equipment. You are not being rude if you ignore the dog entirely, and you actually will make the handlers day by doing so!

3. Don't let your kids run up to the dog. Not only is this unsafe for your child because you can't tell from looking if it is infact a service dog or not, but it's also very distracting to the team. 

4. Don't assume just because you don't see something wrong with the handler, they are faking. You can't tell from looking at someone if they are blind, deaf, have seizures, have cardiac issues, and a ton more! Most disabilities are invisible. 

5. Don't do anything to distract the dog. In some states you can actually be fined for distracting a service dog on purpose. If you cause the dog to miss an alert and the handler gets hurt because of it, you can be held liable.

6. If you have a dog or other pet, keep it away. Due to the large increase in fake service dogs, most teams have been attacked. We don't say no our dogs cant meet or ask you to stay away to be mean, its only to protect our lifeline! It puts the handler under an immense amount of stress when they see another dog approaching in fear it will attack their dog. Your dog also may innocently lunge at ours trying to play, but we can't always tell the difference until AFTER our dog has been bit if it isn't innocent. We are forced to act like it's not. It also can be very distracting to our dog when your dog is  jumping on it. If you must  pass a service dog with your dog, place your dog in a heel position on the opposite side of you than the service dog. 

7. Don’t approach a service dog if you see it laying on the handlers lap. They aren't cuddling. The dog is actually doing a task called deep pressure therapy or DPT. This means the dog is using its weight to target specific pressure points to help the handler. This can help someone with PTSD ground themself, reduce the time someone is in a seizure, lower and help regulate someone's heart beat, relieve pain, and more! 

It's ok to ask if they are ok but stay at a distance and try not to disturb the dog. If the handler had PTSD they may be trying to get away from people and you approaching may make it worse. If they are unconscious and the dog is in a vest, stay as far away as you can while being close enough to see if the dog has a patch to tell you what to do. Some handlers like myself are used to this and have a patch to say it is normal for us, just give us space and don't call 911 unless visibly injured. Don't try and remove the dog from the handler. You may think you are helping, but you actually will just make it worse. If the handler is injured, call 911 and check the dogs pockets. Most service dogs have a paper or card in the pocket telling you who to call in that case to get the dog and help the handler. It also may have helpful information for EMS like their diagnosis, age, weight, height etc. 

 

8. Don't corner the handler to ask “what's wrong with you?” “why do you need a service dog?” while at first this may seem innocent...would you like it if someone cornered you and started asking about your medical history? Chances are you wouldnt. We don't like it either. We just want to blend in and be as normal as possible. 

9. Don’t ask them if their dog is for sale. If you see someone walking with a dog in a service dog vest, it's their dog. They don't want to sell it. They need it to live day to day life. Don't push your money onto them. You can offer 10,000,000. They still aren't going to sell. Stop asking please.

Service Dog VS Therapy Dog VS Emotional Support Animal

  I have been getting an influx of messages asking what is a service dog, and how do they differ from other types of assistance animals? In this article, I will be going over the differences between the 3 along with the laws pertaining to them. 

Service Dogs:

A Service dog is any dog that has been trained to perform a task to aid their disabled handler. some of these tasks (but not all) are described below:

Deep Pressure Therapy:

this is when a dog is trained to use its body weight to target specific pressure points. This can help lower heart rate, bring someone with PTSD out of a flashback or panic attack, lessen the time someone has a seizure, reduce pain, and so much more! This can be compared to someone who has sleep insomnia using a weighted blanket to help them sleep. It may look like the handler is cuddling with their dog, but the dog is actually working when you see it laying on its handler's lap or chest. 

Medical Alert:

This task is one of the most common. Dogs have an amazing sense of smell! Trainers all over the world have learned how to harness this and use it to help disabled individuals, search and rescue teams. and the police/military! For this, we are going to focus on how it helps disabled individuals though. A dog can be trained to detect and alert to a specific smell that indicates an oncoming medical condition. Examples of these conditions include, but are not limited to,  seizures, low blood sugar, high heart rate, and high blood pressure. A dog can alert to this a number of ways. The most common are, pawing at the handler, jumping at the handler, nudging the handler with their nose, and licking the handler in a specific area.  

Item Retrieval:

Some individuals can struggle with mobility or may need help getting meds during a medical episode. A dog can be trained to do a number of things like getting a med case, get water, get their phone so they can call for help, and more! 


Service dogs also have to be trained to a higher standard than normal dogs. The reason for this is they not only need to maintain focus on their handler at all times, but they also must always be under control in order to gain access with their handler. This means a service dog is not allowed to excessively bark, jump on other people, relieve themselves indoors, or act aggressively in any way. 

Service dogs usually -but not always- wear a vest or other identifying markers to alert the general public of their status. The Americans With Disabilities Act (or ADA) states a service dog is not required to wear anything to label it as a service dog though. It is always best to ask before petting or trying to distract any dog in case it is an unlabeled service dog. For more information on what to do if you see a service dog, please visit this link!  https://skyescanislanista.blogspot.com/2021/04/what-should-you-do-if-you-see-service.html

This is not my dog. This dog belongs to Ms.K.Keller. 

What Laws Apply to Service Dogs, & Where Are They Allowed?

There are three sets of federal laws that apply to service dogs. Service dogs in training are not covered under any, so it is important to check your state laws for that! The federal laws that apply to service dogs are The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), and The Fair Housing Act (FHA) which also falls under the HUD or United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. 
The ADA applies to service dogs in public places like stores, restaurants, and hotels. A store or business in not allowed to ask for, or require, proof of shots, certification, or registration as a condition of entry. A business may only ask 2 questions to determine if a dog is a service dog. 1.) Is the dog a service dog required for a disability? 2.) What work or task has the dog been trained to do to directly mitigate your disability? They cannot require the handler to demonstrate the tasks as proof or inquire about the nature of the person's disability. Emotional support is not a task under the ADA. As described by the ADA, "The dog must be trained to take a specific action when needed to assist the person with a disability." Simply being present to provide emotional support is not a task. Please follow the below links for more information on service dogs and the ADA. The first is an article I wrote, and the rest are right from ADA.Gov!

Misconceptions About Service Dogs and The ADA

ADA FAQ on Service Animals

ADA 2010 Revised Requirements

ADA Business Brief: Service Animals

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SERVICE ANIMALS IN PLACES OF BUSINESS

https://www.ada.gov/archive/animal.htm

 The FHA Applies to service dogs and emotional support animals in housing. Below are links to the HUD pertaining to them!
https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/assistance_animals

https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/PA/documents/AsstAnimalsGuidFS1-24-20.pdf

https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/fair_housing_act_overview

The ACAA applies to service dogs on aircrafts. Below are links to the laws in regards to them!
https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/service-animals

https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/us-department-transportation-service-animal-air

Emotional Support Animals:

An emotional support animal is any animal that provides therapeutic comfort to help relieve the effects or symptoms of a person's disability. These can be any domestic animal you can legally own, and require no training. Emotional support animals, or ESA, are only protected but the Fair Housing Act under the HUD. This means that if your landlord falls under the HUD/FHA, they legally must permit an ESA as a form of reasonable accommodation. The only time a landlord is not required to permit an ESA to live with their handler is if they can prove it causes an undue hardship. Examples of an undue hardship are, they will lose their insurance, and cannot find another to cover them if they allow your ESA. The ESA is not able to live where you are located (a farm animal in an apartment with no yard for example). The landlord must provide you with written proof that the accommodation will be an undue hardship before they can legally deny you. ESAs are not allowed into public places that pets are not usually permitted to go. They are not covered under the ADA like service dogs. 

Therapy Dogs:

Therapy dogs are dogs trained to go to facilities and provide therapeutic comfort to a group of people. Examples of those facilities are nursing homes, hospitals, and courthouses. These dogs must be certified and are not allowed into non-pet-friendly places unless invited.