Service dogs not for petting

WOULD you come up and grab someone's purse or wallet, and just assume that person knew you didn't mean any harm? No.

Would you talk to or try to pet a person's cane, walker or wheelchair? Of course not.

It is no different with working dogs. While they are living breathing beings, they are every bit as much an assistive tool as a crutch or wheelchair, and every bit as valuable to their human partners as your wallet or purse.

I am fortunate in that, unlike a visually-impaired person with a Guide Dog, I can often see a potential disruption coming. This does not mean, however, that such distractions to my Service Dog are appreciated or welcome.

One day in a grocery store I was reaching inside one of the freezer compartments for some frozen vegetables and felt little tugs on the leash. I found a woman cooing at, and motioning to, my dog.

"Leave the dog alone," I told her. "He's working."

"I was only saying hello!" she huffed, reaching out to the dog again. "Wasn't I, baby?" she continued in cutesy tones.

Woody didn't resist the attention and, wagging all the way, gave a mighty tug at his end of the leash as he took a giant step towards the woman. The sudden jerk caught me unaware and loosed the grip on my groceries, which went clattering to the floor all around me.

I glared at the woman, and with a voice steeped in sarcasm, I said, "Thanks a lot!"

"Well, I didn't know he'd do that!" she exclaimed in astonishment. And she stalked off, while I picked up my groceries, thankful there had not been any items in glass containers. I was livid. What part of "Leave the dog alone, He's working," didn't she understand?

Of course, understanding is supposed be a two-way street. I've been told, "Oh, you have to understand, I'm just a dog lover."

Well, dog lover or not, that doesn't give anyone the right to call out to my canine partner and have him suddenly knock my groceries galley-west, or yank me and my wheelchair out in front of a moving car just so he can be petted by someone who said hello. Would it make you feel good to cause an accident or injury?

In a small town, people think they are just being friendly when they see a person with a working dog and include the animal in their greeting: "Hi, (person)! Hi, (dog)." It creates more obstacles than any well-meaning animal lover can imagine, and is roughly the equivalent of sticking your foot out to trip someone with a cane. I don't call that friendly.

The general public needs to do a bit of re-thinking and re-focusing in terms of the way they deal with working dogs. First, they must ditch the "pet mentality." Assistance dogs are trained and disciplined differently than a pet. Often times, a pet owner is lax about his animal's behaviour: "Oh, it's ok for him to sniff." Or if the pet makes a mistake, or disobeys a command, the owner will just let it slide.

A disabled person with a canine partner can't do that, as it will undermine the obedience and working bond of the team. A mistake let pass can set a person up for untold hours of trying to undo a bad behavioural habit. And if the dog gets haphazard with his obedience, it sets the stage for some potentially dangerous situations for the team. Commands for an assistance dog are not "suggestions." They are commands, pure and simple. And a disabled person depends on that canine partner to obey like he has been trained to do.

I've worked with my Service Dog for over seven years. We've had several articles in various newspapers. We've done radio interviews. We've given many presentations to groups ranging from pre-school children to women's clubs to service organizations like Lions and Sertoma.

Yet it seems a lot of people still don't understand the essence of Service Dog Protocol. Even if you've heard it before, please permit me to repeat the basic dos and don'ts.

• Don't call out to, make noises at, or maintain eye contact with a working dog when you encounter it. He could seriously injure his partner if he's suddenly distracted in mid-task. When in harness, the dog is "on duty" and needs to stay focused on what his human partner needs him to do.
• Do not reach out to pet or grab a working dog. When that harness is on, the dog is "on duty," even if he is lying quietly at his person's side. If you absolutely cannot resist, ask the person first if you may pet the dog. And do not be disappointed if he/she says no. There may be a very good reason why petting is not appropriate at that time.
• If a person gives you permission to pet his dog once, don't automatically assume you can pet the dog every time you see it. It is not a pet, and when on duty, the dog must have permission every time to interact with someone.
• Please keep an eye on your children. Just because a working dog has a friendly disposition does not mean it is ok for a child to just come up and grab him. Teach your child that the dog is working, and if they want to pet him, they have to ask the handler first.
• Don't give a working dog commands. He could become confused if too many people try to tell him what to do. He needs to focus on - and obey - only his partner.
• Don't offer a working dog "people food". His own dog food is nutritionally balanced. And, when the dog is working in public places like grocery stores or restaurants, it's most important that he not be distracted by food.
• Don't be alarmed if you hear the dog being told to 'Hurry Up'. Working dogs have commands for toileting. Remember, too, that the handler cleans up after the dog, and he/she must make sure the dog leaves the droppings in easy pick-up reach.
• Don't interfere with the dog's handler. He/she has been properly trained to deal with the dog if a mistake has been made.
• Don't assume that a person with a dog in harness is blind. Guide Dogs have been around for over 70 years assisting visually impaired people. But there are Signal Dogs trained to assist people who are hearing-impaired and Service Dogs who help mobility-impaired individuals.
• If you have any questions or concerns about the dog, please ask the handler. These dogs are beautiful animals, not only in terms of how they look, but in the way they work with their human partners. People who use canine assistance are happy to talk about their helpers!
• When you encounter a canine team in public, please direct your attention to the person, not the dog. By observing the rules of working dog protocol, it fosters better relations with the disabled community, and you won't be getting an assistance dog in trouble for your mistake of distracting him when he's on duty.