How To Interact (or not) With an Assistance Dog

They Are NOT Just Pets

Assistance dogs are not simply pets to their owners – they are a lifeline. It’s true that there is an extremely strong bond between an assistance dog and their owner. That makes it easier for them to be a team when they are out in public, when the dog is considered “working” for their owner (or handler) and the dog is performing some type of specific job or task. That is why they have rights under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

While some people use the term assistance dog and service dog interchangeably, Assistance Dogs International has 3 classifications of assistance dogs.

Classifications of Assistance Dogs

1. Guide Dogs – used for helping those who are blind or have vision impairments
2. Hearing Dogs – used for those who are deaf or have hearing impairments
3. Service Dogs – used for individuals who have a disability other than hearing or vision.

All of these Assistance Dogs have full public access rights under the ADA. That means, you will encounter these dogs when you are out and about: running errands, at sporting events, at work, on the bus, or anywhere else the general public is allowed.

Some Do’s and Don’ts of Interacting with Assistance Dogs

Most people who have an assistance dog will designate them as such in one way or another. It could be a vest, harness, special ID, collar, or patch that identifies them as a service dog. When you see this specific designation, there are several things to remember before you interact with the team:

• DO give them some space and respect. Whether it looks like it or not, they are working.
• DO ask permission if you can approach/interact with the dog (ONLY if the owner looks comfortable).
• DO keep your dog under control around their dog. It’s not fair if their dog is doing their job and yours is misbehaving.
• DO REMEMBER: Businesses can only ask two questions according to the ADA, so be respectful and know what they are:
  1. Is this a service animal?
  2. What service/task does this animal perform for you?
• DON’T ask personal questions outside of these two questions. Common courtesy, really – lets keep things cordial.
• DON’T immediately walk up to the dog and start petting it. Remember, that dog is working and has a job to do for it’s owner. You could be distracting it.
• DON’T assume anything. There are MANY different types of service and assistance dogs, and some of them are trained for tasks you may not be able to detect visibly (glucose dogs, for example).

Related: Assistance Dogs vs. Therapy Dogs: What Is the Difference?

Assistance/Service dogs go through an immense amount of training for helping their handlers/owners. The tasks they are trained for can be used to make life easier, or even be life-saving. It amazes me how we’ve come to appreciate everything dogs can do for us!

If you already have a dog and are looking to get them trained to be a service animal, please let us know if we can help.

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