u/Sarcastically-Akward

This past weekend I and family packed up and headed out of town for a weekend with my cousins, my prospect is in training for guide work and medical alert, I am a handler with pots and while it doesn’t hurt to have a medical alert at my side in recent years it’s not been my primary ailment that’s limited my independence but rather cluster like migraines that steam from a non cancerous inoperable tumor in the brain that, these episodes can lead to tension pain behind my eyes as well as auras, tunnel vision, and loss of depth pressure and peripheral view. Fluorescent lights like what you see in most stores can significantly worsen these issues and it’s become my primary limiter for me since it makes it a struggle to be able to go out into public and shop for my groceries and other things.

I’ve noticed when asked the 2 questions “is that service animal?” And “what task does it perform.” That whenever I’ve answered “guide” I get weird looks, while on our visit when I was asked this and i answered guide because that is her primary tasking, I was looked at so strangely like they assumed I’d look different, I was given a face of unsureness but allowed to pass into the store (this was Costco) but I soon noticed they had staff trailing behind us, they were watching us while they stocked shelves and just generally making a stink… because they assumed because I didn’t “look blind” or have what one might expect as the proper medical equipment that I must not be disabled and thus my dog not a real SD.

I’ve noticed in the past when I’ve mentioned her being a guide people having the reaction of “oh are you training her for someone else?” And then looking confused when I state “she’s my own SD and that I’m the handler.” I’ve even gotten quotes like “honey, you know glasses exist right?” As if to say glasses are corrective for my condition. It’s never the more awkward when I state “I’m visually impaired by a brain tumor actually..” people tend to get quiet after that. I’ve previously had SDs for medical alert only for my POTs and never really encountered the strange comments and looks I have when I say “guide” I suppose medical alert can mean anything and most people don’t have a generalized idea of how someone with POTs or Epilepsy should look but for some reason they do about blind people or they assume for me to need a guide I must have to be required to be fully blind…

I’ve also gotten comments that my SD doesn’t seem to keep all her focus on me like most people expect from a SD and I have to then explain a large majority of her tasking relies on her to see and avoid what i cannot, she’s tasked to follow at the heels of my spouse or other family and friends to keep me close, find bathrooms and exits, and or find specific people if I get separated as well as being a barrier for me and making space between me and crowds so I don’t run into people and they don’t run into me.

I’m curious if any other handlers that are impaired and not fully blind experience similar

My prospect is just around a year old and has been in the throws of her training for just a little over 6 months, we’ve worked in pet friendly spaces generally up till now but this past weekend I was required to travel for an event to a much larger city than my own, at first I could tell it was rather overwhelming for her, she’s not used to such large crowds, or so many small children dashing around.

Our first trip was to the mall where she did great through a lot of reassurance, at one point she became a bit tense as a small toddler chased her through a store, the mother seemed to find it funny almost cute 🙃🫪 till dad THANKFULLY stepped in and picked up his child and removed the baby from the situation. after that she was a bit anxious about small children for awhile after, being a lot more aware of them and loosing focus but thankfully that didn’t last long the next day we went to a casino/hotel. There were kids screaming, yelling, racing past, throwing a large beach ball sized bouncy ball in the lobby and she stayed completely unfazed, didn’t look, kept focus, and did fantastic, it was her first times on an elevator and Escalade she did great with both. Staff remarked how well behaved she was and that she was fantastic as they watched as she sat in a placed position with chaos happening all around her.

I will say definitely gonna need some booties for her after this trip tho there were times my husband carried her from parking lot to store because the asphalt was so extremely hot 😅 if anyone has tips on how to get her adjusted to wearing them so i can protect her paws.