Things The Public Should Know

Written by Morgan Edgecombe

Many people have a vague sense of awareness that Assistance Dogs “help” their person and that they’re allowed to be in public, but there’s more than meets the eye to think about. To help fill in the blanks, here are just a few things I personally think Assistance Dog handlers would want every member of the public to know and understand.

1) My Assistance Dog Is Protected Under Law

Dog Control Act and the Humans Rights Act protect my assistance Assistance Dog’s access rights. The law allows any Assistance Dog certified with an organization listed in the Dog Control Act to go ANYWHERE in public people are allowed to frequent. There are no exceptions. It does not matter if food is being made, if it’s a hospital, or you don’t want dogs in your business. By law Assistance Dogs have COMPLETE access, and your opinion doesn’t matter.

2) My Assistance Dogs Is Working

When you see my partner and I out and about in public, please understand that he is doing vital work for me, even if he doesn’t “look like” he’s working to you, it does not mean he is not working. Just like when you’re working, you want (and need), to be left alone so you can concentrate. Please don’t distract my Assistance Dog from his job by talking to, touching him, crowding around us, whistling at him, barking at him or otherwise doing anything except politely ignoring him.

3) My Assistance Dog Is My Lifeline

Depending on my disability, my Assistance Dog may be the only thing standing between me and death. He’s my lifeline and he means the world to me. Please don’t distract him from doing his job or tasks because my life, health, and peace of mind, rest in his paws. If you distract him and he isn’t able to respond appropriately, my ensuing illness or injury is YOUR fault. Please just ignore him entirely and let him focus on his job, which is keeping me safe.

4) My Assistance Dog Is Medical Equipment

My Assistance Dog is medical equipment, just like a wheelchair, crutches, or an oxygen tank. He is medically necessary and anywhere in public medical equipment is allowed, so is my Assistance Dog . Additionally, please treat him like medical equipment. You wouldn’t walk up to someone you didn’t know and just randomly start pushing their wheelchair or talk to a little old lady’s cane, so please don’t touch, talk to, pet or otherwise engage with my partner.

5) Assistance Dogs Are Still Dogs.

Assistance Dogs go through extensive training to meet public access requiremeats and task trained standards. That does not mean they are robots. Sometimes our dogs will have off days – maybe they’ve been working too long, maybe the heat is getting to them, maybe they are sick. Assistance Dogs are generally incredibly polite and obedient, but they are still living beings and can feel tired or hungry, and can have accidents when sick or severely startled. Please don’t think we are faking if you witness a single instance of an Assistance Dog not behaving as you believe it should.

6) Not All Assistance Dogs Are Guide Dogs.

This is a common misconception. Just like how not all Assistance Dogs look the same, they also do not all do the same job. In addition to Guide Dogs for the Blind, there are Mobility Assistance Dogs, Medical Alert Dogs for seizures, diabetes, and many more. All are Disability Assistance Dogs and all are given the same amount of public access as the Foundation for the Blind Guide Dogs, they just have different jobs.

7) Not All Assistance Dogs Are The Same

Assistance Dogs come in all shapes, sizes, breeds, colors and coat types. It doesn’t matter if you think my partner doesn’t “look like” an Assistance Dog, the fact remains that he is, and I ask that you not compare me to any other Assistance Dog handlers or teams you may know or may have met, because not all Assistance Dogs are the same

8) My Assistance Dog Is Loved

Please don’t tell me you “feel sorry” for my Assistance Dog because he has to work all the time. He’s incredibly loved and he does in fact enjoy “time off” so he can just be a dog. He does get treats, and he does get to play with other dogs when off duty. He is very well taken care of and he’s better off than most pet dogs because he’s well-adjusted, highly trained, and well socialized.

9) Wow I Didn’t Know There Was A Dog There

When we hear “I didn’t know there was a dog there” it’s one of the greatest compliments. When I hear this it makes my day as this means my Assistance Dog is quiet and out of the way. This is how it should be, an Assistance Dog should be seen and not heard, and not in the way of the normal workings of a business.

10) I Don’t Always Want to Answer Questions

My Assistance Dog has made a huge difference in my life, but I don’t always want to stop and talk to every person who wants to ask me about him. Sometimes, I just want to run a quick errand and go home, just like you. Please keep in mind that almost every person who sees us out in public wants to ask me about his job, his purpose, his name, his breed, where he was trained, what he does, how old he is, and a plethora of other questions. Please don’t be offended if I’m slightly short or dodge your questions. Most of the time, they’re personal questions anyways and shouldn’t be asked.

11) My Medical History Is Private

Please don’t ask me about my diagnosis, try to guess the reason I have an Assistance Dog, or ask me to disclose my private medical history. Even if you can’t readily tell what my disability may be, it’s really none of your business. Making inquiries about personal information is not only unnecessary, it’s also rude.

12) Don’t Tell Us We Are “Lucky.”

When people tell us how “lucky we are” to be able to bring our Assistance Dog everywhere, they fail to take into account why we have our assistance dog. When people tell us we are lucky they are basically saying we are lucky we are disabled. While disability is nothing to be ashamed of and can be a proud part of an individual’s identity, to have a random person saying something like this can be very off-putting. We are lucky to have a disability that can be helped by an Assistance Dog, we are lucky we can afford our Assistance Dog, but we are not lucky to need an Assistance Dog.

13) I’d Rather Not Have An Assistance Dog

Similar to saying we are “lucky” to have an Assistance Dog is telling me you “would like your dog to be an Assistance Dog”, because in order to have an Assistance Dog you have to be disabled. Every time you say, “I wish I had an Assistance Dog,” you’re saying, “I wish whatever is wrong with you was wrong with me, too!” Also, please don’t tell me you “wish your dog could go everywhere with you.” Again, that requires SO MUCH MORE than you think it does, not the least of which is thousands of hours of training and socialization. It’s not easy and while my partner is completely worth it, I’d rather not need him.

I hope you enjoyed reading and it's given you a better understanding of Assistance Dog teams. Also I hope that it got you thinking about things in a different way and maybe you even learned something new.