@hodge - thank you for your kind encouragement. I so wish more people would use sand! Business use a lot of salt around here because they don't want to get sued. Sigh.
You are good,
@Justmehere, always. Just remember that when you run into assholes.
Thank you. :hug:s back to you!
It did wiggle into my brain a little that maybe I really don't need my dog, and I'm just fine without her. There are times I am ok with out her, and this friend has seen me at those times. He also gives me a ride now and then because I can't drive myself so he knows the disability is real. But only a very few people know the dog is for PTSD as much as the physical condition.
@Renestel - I do remember you! I love love love that service dog agency you mentioned. One of the best in the nation.
I also do have to say because I am such a huge advocate and supporter I do get extremely pissed when I go on a flight, ( I HATE flying now, it is a HUGE trigger) and I walk into the security line to see all these people with makeshift jackets on these dogs that are not well behaved, clearly not trained for actual service, I understand while I have learned certain breeds are better for
Anxiety that anything is possible, but your dog shouldn't be a five pound shaking, anxious mess that's peeing on the carpet while trying to get through security.
When I was first training my dog for public access, she had a big "in training" label on her jacket. There were a few mistakes made along the way. They were generally not noticeable to anyone else.
But I have compassion for a service dog making a mistake... A good service dog owner will give good signals to the dog on what it should be doing, even if the trainer is a little rattled. The fake service dog owners with the pup that's peeing on the rug usually get very flustered and start yanking the dog around, and treat everyone around them rudely. It's so painful to watch... Many service dogs are so housebroken they are usually trained to pee on command, and disabled owners take the time to figure out how to fly without it peeing in security...
Have you ever seen "Castaway", with Tom Hanks?
I really wonder why he ever left the island. :arghh;
Ha!
I personally use a salve that is used for sled dog's feet
I use something very similar! Great minds think alike ;) :D
I wasn't going to read this because I knew it would make me angry but I did and I am angry. People are so horrible and f*cking stupid it hurts.
Humans can be awful sometimes.
I'm not very angry, I sort of just hope her um, angry passion, was because she cares about people with disabilities and simply made wrong assumptions and decided to be an overly passionate person about it....? Sigh. I am sort of assuming it was that because it would just piss me off if she was one of the few folks that just hates people with service dogs.
Every time though, whether it's a guy yelling and causing a scene calling me a dumb bitch in a grocery store because I wouldn't let him pet my service dog
OMG. That's awful! And I can relate... Snarky rude comments don't happen often where I live, but every now and then someone will throw. a. fit. when I tell them they can't pet my dog.
or just someone asking too many questions when I'm stuck in an elevator with them
I find this to be so much harder. People ask me lots of questions. I don't get it. Long before I trained dog, I never went up to a disabled person and tried to pry into all the details about their dog and disability. I just talked to them like everyone else about other things.
I did have a friend confess to me that he liked talking about my dog because he find social situations stressful and the dog is an easy thing to talk about. It's also the case that at least 2-4 times a week someone will show me pictures of their dog, and occasionally break down in tears about a recent loved dog of theirs that passed away. My friends find it astonishing that complete strangers will come up to me and just open up about dogs and their heart out of the blue because of the service dog at my feet. I used to struggle with it, but now I use it as an opportunity to have positive interactions with strangers.
But when they start prying about the disability, I get vague. So super vague, or I just tell them I don't talk about it. Most of the time it works. But dang, people get snarky about it.
And the people who argue to pet the dog? Ugh. In my city, there are lots of dog owners, and I run into the huge problem of people walking their dog wanting to let their dog play with mine, like just letting their dog jump on mine... I have learned to say "please pull away your dog" at a distance now, and recently gave a letter to neighbors to educate them, that I'm sorry, but my dog can't play with yours uninvited... It's stopped happening so much. Some people say "but my dog is friendly." I used to explain that my dog is working, not available for play, but no one got it.
So I seriously now just say "mine could attack." It's the only damn thing that works in a hurry to get them to keep their dog from lunging at mine as I walk down the street. It's true, she could attack (although I'm not actually worried she would), but the point is that they don't know... stop just assuming your dog can and should play with mine! geez.
I ALWAYS look at my wonderful dog and wish I could be half as stable as he is.
yes...
Thanks
@Mim28 for the encouragement.
That's one of the questions I was going to ask all- How many times A, you get asked to let them pet the dog, or B, they just ignorantly and rudely pet it anyway despite all the DO NOT PET writing.
If they could pet the dog? probably at least twice a day. I have learned that saying "now is not a good time" is the best answer for my area. If I say just "No" - that is something people get very nasty about... but "now is not a good time" usually works better. It's odd. They never ask when a good time would be, which is good, because I would then have to say "not in the foreseeable future."
Those that pet anyhow? They usually don't even bother asking. My dog is a super cute dog, and I'm not just biased. A dog food company wanted to use her image (but for free! so I said no). She looks very pet-able. Just today at the gym, a little 3 year old came up and pet her with squeals. I don't mind that at all, and the mother apologized. I wanted to hug her for being so polite about it. I told her it was no problem. I mean, the kid is 3.... So I don't mind kids petting her without asking. I just get down and explain it's best to ask first if the parent doesn't explain it themselves.
But the 30 year olds? holy cow. They are SO much harder. The number of adults who pet my dog without asking is at least 10 every week. My dog ignores most of it, but it's a struggle.
Sometimes I say yes to people who ask to pet, but it's to a select few. I had a woman recently who pet my dog without asking, even reaching under the service dog vest to scratch her back... I didn't say anything at first, because my dog alerted to anxiety, and I was ok, so I figured the woman was anxious... and then woman then said,"oh, this is a service dog, I shouldn't have pet." I told her it was better to ask first, and then gave my dog the signal that she could greet the woman.
READ THE WRITING PEOPLE! These dogs have jobs. If anyone has found a smart way to talk to people about that to get through to them, PLEASE let me know.
No one reads the writing. Especially not the people that need to read it. lol. ugh.
But I do get stopped A LOT by people and I started carrying with me those printed cards and just handing them out when someone wants to know everything about service dogs.
That's a good idea!
I feel you on this one. I tend to shut down completely when accosted in such a fashion. My retired Service Dog is a 120# black furry beast,
Your dog sounds wonderful, and you sound like a great trainer. They are lucky to have you. :)
People like fakers and even the woman you had to deal with make my life SO much more difficult, and make me wonder if I should have a Service Dog at all, since I shut down so hard during confrontations. I guess my next dog will have to be trained to unfreeze me during such events...
Yeah, having a service dog is a lifetstyle adjustment in many many ways... For me, it's worth it. The payoffs are higher than the costs and headaches.
For now Im lucky enough to have dogs Ive just badic trained that just are so smart and loving-- like you guys all understand they know when i have bad days, support me and lay with me in support or in bed, and to push me when they know i can do it.
Dogs are good supporters. :)
