As a handler of a service dog I get all the comments you can imagine when I walk around and go places with Zara.
Zara is on duty 24/7. Whether she has her vest on or not, she is working for me at all times. A vest is simply for the general public. It is an indicator that she is a working service dog and that she needs to have access to everywhere that I go.
When humans see something cute or fluffy, their first inclination is to coo at the fluffy thing, say AWWWWW or reach out and touch it. Well, I’m here to tell you that no matter how fluffy and cute my dog is NO YOU CANNOT PET HER.
The reason we do not allow service dogs, especially those younger ones or those in training, to be petted is because when someone gets on their level and cuddles or pets them, they think that it is playtime.
When we were young children, we learned to bahave ourselves in public and to not play around. Young service dogs are the same way, they have to learn that out in public they cannot play, they have to be dialed and be alert to their owner/ handler… they have to work.
If my dog is working for me, how is she supposed to stay focused when you bend down to her level to pet and play with her while she is trying to do her job? Most likely she will become confused and think that it is play time and will not cooperate the way a proper dog should out in public.
I have gotten many responses about my service dog.
“Awww even though she is in training and not a real service dog yet, can I pet her?”
No you cannot. She IS a REAL service dog and she is working.
“It’s a shame you won’t give her affection and she has to work.”
Actually, she is the most loved dog in the whole world, she just has to cooperate and pay attention to me at all times, especially in public. You have a job too and have to work, but I am not calling that a shame that you have to do your job.
“She’s adorable can I pet her anyways?”
NO. She is working.
“AWWW HERE PUPPY PUPPY. OOO. AHHHH. YOU ARE SO CUTE.”
Please don’t distract her, she is trying to stay focused.
Now imagine you are an attractive, cute employee at a firm. You have beautiful hair and a nice smile. One day you are at the copier and one of your co-workers thinks you are cute and comes up to you while you are not looking at them, scratches your butt and coos at you about how cute you are. First of all, that would catch you off guard and distract you from doing your job. And secondly, it would be really weird for someone to do that to you in general.
The same goes for my service dog. She is focused on doing her work and out of no where a stranger comes up and scratches her butt. It would completely throw her off her guard.
Now imagine this. A random person walks into a store with an oxygen tank. They are not drawing any attention to themselves, they are minding their own business and going about their day. How rude would it be if you were to go up to their oxygen tank and start to pet it and talk to it? You are interrupting what they are doing simply because you think that their oxygen tank is pretty and you want to touch it. Its weird and selfish of you.
The same goes for my service dog. It is rude for you to interrupt my activities and my day because you want to come up to my MEDICAL TOOL and pet it. My service dog is my medical tool. She is not your play thing and she is not a pet, she is like my oxygen tank.
When you see a patch on a working dog vest, it is there for a reason. Whether that is for your protection or the dogs, it depends on the type of service dog. But what we put in writing, we mean it. Please respect our medical tools. We do not let you pet them simply to be selfish or to be mean, we do it for the sake of the dogs and their focus, and even for you.
We will tell you when you can pet our service animals. It is okay to ask to pet, but when we say no, please don’t be offended, it is for a reason.
