Sideways
Moderator
FWIW - people don’t register that my dog’s jacket is a service dog jacket, despite the bright letters.
When someone wants to pat him? They don’t read the jacket! So I simply reach down and put my hand in front of his nose and say “Sorry, he’s working”.
People do that with him all the time because he’s tiny, cute, and shih-tzu’s aren’t common as service dogs! I find that putting my hand down, and just saying “Sorry, he’s working”, deals with the situation quite well. I could cover his lil jacket in patches and I don’t reckon anyone would notice them.
I have a friend who’s toy poodle is a service dog and she has a fluro yellow lead wrap that’s pretty hard to miss, and people still go in for the pat. Because the dog is cute, and people are like that. It is something you have to be prepared to manage with a service animal.
ETA: re crude messaging on dog vests
A service dog’s entitlement to accompany their owner in public places? Isn’t without limits. If the dog is creating problems for others? That’s enough for someone to ask you and your dog to leave.
If I walk into a store, or work, or college, wearing a shirt that says “Don’t you dare f*cking talk to me”? The owner of that property would be within their rights to ask me to leave.
If my dog is wearing something that says that? I don’t see why it would be any different.
Just something to consider when choosing tags to put on your dog’s jacket.
When someone wants to pat him? They don’t read the jacket! So I simply reach down and put my hand in front of his nose and say “Sorry, he’s working”.
People do that with him all the time because he’s tiny, cute, and shih-tzu’s aren’t common as service dogs! I find that putting my hand down, and just saying “Sorry, he’s working”, deals with the situation quite well. I could cover his lil jacket in patches and I don’t reckon anyone would notice them.
I have a friend who’s toy poodle is a service dog and she has a fluro yellow lead wrap that’s pretty hard to miss, and people still go in for the pat. Because the dog is cute, and people are like that. It is something you have to be prepared to manage with a service animal.
ETA: re crude messaging on dog vests
A service dog’s entitlement to accompany their owner in public places? Isn’t without limits. If the dog is creating problems for others? That’s enough for someone to ask you and your dog to leave.
If I walk into a store, or work, or college, wearing a shirt that says “Don’t you dare f*cking talk to me”? The owner of that property would be within their rights to ask me to leave.
If my dog is wearing something that says that? I don’t see why it would be any different.
Just something to consider when choosing tags to put on your dog’s jacket.
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