29/03/2021
Well said!
This is a long article that I felt needed to be written. I am in contact with many professional trainers around the world. I speak with and hear from trainers all the time that have to deal with serious issues from people. People who are ignorant of laws, who don’t care, and who misuse situations.
The photo below is Bosch with us at lunch today. At just 9 months old, and only 14 days into training to become a Mobility Assistance Service Dog, Bosch is a very smart, perfectly suited dog for a Service animal. He has given me good placement, on his own accord, and I have given my approval for each step he gives me more correctly. I am taking him through step by step training.
There were many people moving past and circling around us. He did very well even with people who tried to get his attention on them. Some of those people didn’t initially see the training vest on him, and shyly backed off or stopped once they realized it. Others didn’t care for whatever reason, but all reasons of not caring boil down to selfishness of some sort. At one point there was a group of 8 people moving past, just behind Bosch. Most were trying to goad Bosch to notice them. He made it past the first 6 but felt uncomfortable enough for the last two that he did get up and moved into me. He still ignored them, but knew he needed me to assure him. Those people should not have caused this action, even though I use it as a training opportunity for him.
If I had not spent the past 8 months developing the proper relationship with Bosch, it would be a much more difficult process requiring much more input and some compulsion to get the results required for a professional result. As it is, my development with Bosch has been a textbook case of RBBM methodology. He looks to work with and for me because he wishes to. I am honored to have been able to have Bosch. He is always studying and solving problems the way we have developed things together. He is always experimenting with improving and searching for approvals. As he makes better details in decisions he gets my approval each time. That is the guidance I provide.
A couple of days ago I went in to a Grocery Store I frequent. Bosch was with me. And, as usual, perfectly placed next to me and perfect demeanor. A little way behind me, a mother and two small daughters entered the store with a small dog in the arms of one of the young girls. It was obvious, by the way the kids, mother and dog were behaving, that the dog did not service a function for any purpose that allowed legal access to a business or public building, much less where food is sold or prepared. I approached one of the people that worked there and spoke with her about the situation. She said she would tell the manager but she stated that they have had to tell people all the time to not bring their dogs in, sometimes multiple times (visits), to no avail! It is a constant and huge problem.
In the convenience store I go to, almost daily, I have seen people bring out of control pet dogs on long lines in. I have spoken with the staff and managers many times, and they are aware of me, Bosch and all of the ADA and other aspects I have helped them with. They have been told by their company that they are not even allowed to ask anymore!! Bad press or being sued, liability and the culture for asking is worse than someone getting bit by an out of control dog. I am seeing many more locations not even question whether a dog is a service dog or not. They are being inundated by “fakes” and overly emotional and entitled people.
I have seen people carry their tiny dogs into stores, tiny pet dogs on leashes, that are not under control of the people or their own accord, out of control dogs, all in places they are not allow access. I have heard from trainers that have seen dogs pulled off of airplanes that were supposedly “service” dogs, but were obviously not trained or well behaved. So called service dogs that are simply pets that people want with them. I heard from a trainer friend, earlier today, that was working with a beautiful young dog in training for service that was attacked and killed by an out of control “ESA” dog while both were on leash!! Heartbreaking.
Why do people do this? because they feel entitled? Because they have no honor? Because they want to? Because they do not respect the reasons for allowing service dogs access to places? Because they feel like it? Because they are selfish and self centered? I don’t care why. It is wrong on every level.
This causes a problem for people who require ADA allowed and highly trained service dogs. Lots of problems. Including service dogs being attacked by pet or “ESA” dogs that are not trained and actually have zero right to have access to most places. There is a reason for the Federal Laws.
There are many sources for information about who and where you are allowed access and with what type of dog. Pet dogs have zero access rights. ESA dogs have no requirement to be trained for anything, they also have very limited rights, and can be asked to leave those places as well. Services dogs must perform a trained function for a defined disability. Please look it up. It is easy to do so, and there are quick graphics that you can print out and have on you that give the information.
I have a background working with and developing both Service and Working dogs. We are talking life and death assistance in many cases (SAR, Diabetic Alert, etc.). It takes innumerable hours and hard work to develop these special dogs. They are athletes, brilliant, special animals.
A Working Dog or Service Dog are professionally trained animals that take 1 to 2.5 years to train for a specific or multiple purposes. This is daily work, many hours per day. These animals are $20,000.00 to $50,000.00 animals due to the demeanor, temperament, physical and mental characteristics that are bred and selected in to the dog. You are looking at some top professional trainers with the top line dogs in the world. Not everyone is capable of training to this level, and there are few dogs that qualify for this work. So you are looking at the art and science of a tiny percentage of dogs being legitimate service or working dogs.
If you take your pet dog where it isn’t allowed, you are making it more difficult for others to accept and understand what a Service or Working animal is all about. Just because you feel like it, doesn’t make it right. You are being dishonorable. Please don’t do that. I can spot a real service dog, or one in training, and so can many many trainers. There is no need for anyone to bring their pets dogs with them to places they are not allowed. There are, depending upon where you live, many places you can and are allowed to bring them with you, but please check and be aware of where you can and cannot.
