u/Sicktoker

Hello friends. A lot of the information regarding service dogs is romanticized or idealized on social media, but there isn't a lot of objective information about what daily life looks like. The point of this post is to talk about some of the less considered things, the stuff that is not distinctly negetive, just not distinctly good either. Do not consider this post to be an exhaustive list of things to consider in daily life, just an inside look into things you may not have thought about. I invite other handlers to share their thoughts feelings and expriences on the topics listed (or others)

BATHROOM:

Your dog needs to piss and shit just like you. Most dogs can hold it for 6 to 8 hours, to work comfortably and avoid accidents, they should be give the option to go every 2 to 4 hours. This does mean you will have to plan outings around appropriately scheduled bathroom breaks according to your dog's habits/schedule. You will need access to a trash can for poop bags or hold onto it until you have a can to put it in (I have put many a bag in the gas tank cover of my car to bring home with me).

FOOD, WATER AND TREAT REWARDS:

Like the bathroom, your dog's food and water intake needs to be carefully calculated to ensure appropriate breaks. If you choose to use food based rewards, that also needs to be considered. Most, if not all businesses will not look kindly on you if you choose to give more than a cookie or two to your dog as a reward. You will need to plan where you will feed, and, more importantly, water your dog so you are not in the way or disruptive. Offering water, regardless of it being in the dogs own bowl, under a table at a food establishment is not allowed, do not ever consider this as a potential option. If you carry treats, be mindful of any treats you may drop. Service dogs should have a very strong refusal of food on the floor, but some handlers do choose to let their dogs eat dropped treats. Avoid letting your dog pick up several treats or lick crumbs off the floor, it is bad for public perception (personally if I only drop one, I give my dog a specific release command to get that one item), if you have spilled several treats, ask an employee for supplies to clean it up. Clean it up yourself, don't be an asshole.

RESPECTNG YOUR COMMUNITY AND SHARED SPACES:

You are, effectively, two people now. You take up more space in path ways and in communal seating areas. While a strong tuck is not manditory, you need to be aware and mindful of the amount of space you are individually taking up. You should be positioning your dog in such a matter that allows the general public to share the space with you. Depending on your dog's training/ task, you may have the legal right of way in some cases (guide dog users have right when crossing as pedestrians for example). Sometimes your dog's task will intentional cause them to take up excessive space, you should be using the smallest amount possible (example: a dog that blocks by heeling on the left or right should be tight to the handler. If the dog is on the left, the handler should walk with the wall tight to their right where safe to do so. This helps keep the path clear so others/ those with mobility aids can still pass safely). You have a responsibility to your community to act in good faith while working your dog. Not doing so will get you removed from that business.

ACCESS ISSUES:

This is not a negative, it is an objective fact. Every handler will face some issue at some point. You can either fight the problem or choose not to patronize the business. These are both legitimate options that come with consequences. It is your responsibility to understand the potential outcomes. Regardless of legality, you can very easily be banned from a business for doing the right thing. You must be able to effectively communicate under stress.

WEATHER AND WORKING GEAR:

Your dog will be judged by their gear, professionalism in your dog's behaviour matters just as much as what they wear. Clear labling is very important in reducing access issues. Your gear should also be safe for the weather you are working in. A sopping wet dog will not be allowed in a grocery store, using a rain coat should be part of your gear while it is raining. Boots, cooling vests, jackets, etc. should be considered prior to an outing, as well as the storage of these items while out (example: I do not leave rain coats on my dog and instead shake them off, fold them up, and place them in a water proof bag inside my personal bag). Your dog should never be expected to work in extreme weather.

MEDICAL TREATMENT:

Depending on your dog's job, they may need regular xrays. Appropriate excersize and fitness is crucial for a healthy working life. Joint suppliments are often considered as a preventative. This will be expensive. Your wallet will weep. My dog's general health and wellness budget, the things every pet dog should have done medically on a yearly basis, is around $800 dollars a year. It includes shots, a wellness visit, flea and tick prevention, heart worm testing and petsafe bug spray. This does not include food, treats, xrays, his emergency budget, dental care products, gear or grooming.

GROOMING:

Your dog needs to be groomed more often than the average pet. Every one to two weeks should be the bare minimum. Nails need to be kept very short, toe fluff needs to be trimmed tight and neat to the feet. Your dog needs to be regularly brushed (at least once a week) and you should own a deoderizing spray. Grooming costs can skyrocket if done exclusively out of the home. You are disabled, you may not have the ability to meet grooming requirements alone. You should have a contingency plan in the event you are unable to do the groom yourself.

If you want service dog and did not consider the information presented here, I encourage you to. Speak to handlers, speak to trainers, think about your life and family dynamics. Think about finances and take your time, this is a long term commitment and the relationship you build with your dog is important. Service dogs are a very niche treatment option, deciding they do not fit your life doesn't make you more or less disabled.

I hope you learned something new🫡

Get your snacks and get cozy, ya girl is here to yap.

As is commonly quoted in my house, "we live in a *so-ciety~*. Many of the rules and opinions we form are directly influenced by the thoughts of others, regardless of what our real world experience has been. Staring for too long, cursing out customer service workers, not using a turn signal and leaving your table dirty at a resturant are not only, generally, frowned upon, but leave people with a poor impression of you *morally*. It is not an appropriate way to behave, despite all of those examples causing wildly different levels of harm and differing in levels legality. We govern ourselves and expect the members of our communities to conform and respect those rules.

Family friendly events/places will often enforce policies that ban obscene language and imagery. This can include tattoos/body art, clothing and actions. While most would not veiw the grocery store as a "family friendly" space, it is. As are *most* of the public spaces we frequent. Children make up a large portion of our communities and deserve to be considered as such. Now, I'll be frank (not lisa), I could not give less of a fuck if children see swear words or whatever. The only time I have ever given a damn was when I was responsible for children that were not my little cousins. So why mention it? Because mom and dad care, and, like I said, when you disobey your community's rules, regardless of legality, you don't just upset that person. You, specificly your morality, is questioned. And, worse, opinions of others within your demograhic are formed.

IRL, I am 26, gay, have EDS, crochet, listen to Noah Kahan, enjoy fora- ok, stop rolling your eyes at me, damn. Jokes aside, I bet you all came to the same mental image of what I look like... *and you're wrong.* That's important. We do that with everyone, and everything, everyday.

"Sicktoker, wtf are you yapping about" Shut up, I'm getting there.

When you see a service dog in public that has a clear, professional vest, whats your reaction? What about the popular amazon vests. Or a guide harness? And why do the people in this subreddit have such an adverse reaction to mobility harnesses that *aren't* guide harnesses. All of us here know why we react the way that we do and why the reaction is "justified" (even when it isn't).

The general public, who do not regularly interact with service dogs and know next to nothing about them, will do the exact same thing and form a broad opinion after meeting just one. I asked my dog to sit while in a long that wasn't moving and he was praised for such amazing behaviour. This is the same dog that can take left and right commands, can figure out the correct item to grab with the phrases "not that one" and "get it", step into and out from me by steping sideways and can piss/shit on command... they praised him because he sat down. That one moment, formed a very important opinion that I had no control over, and god I wish I did, because I just set the minimum behavior standard to "sit when told".

So what happens when we as handlers have profanity on your dog's gear? What happens when your dog is off leash and you refuse to tether them. What happens when have your dog in a down half way across the store? You, regardless of objective legality, have broken a social rule and you are being judged. You are *morally* wrong. You and your dog are something negative, something that should be met with scrutiny. Your dog's behaviour has nothing to do with it a lot of the time.

We as handlers have "permission" on a community level to bring our dogs places. Remember, rules and laws are not the same thing, so when we do not respect our communities by setting and maintaining appropriate standards, we make it harder for others that require the same accomidations. And no, standards are not just behaviour. They are dress, breed, size, etc. I am not saying off breeds can't be service dogs, I just mean to say that we have to be very mindful of the way we represent those breeds.

The way our dogs navigate public spaces has to be predictable and agreeable. That means leashed, labled appropriately and professionally and well mannered. When we as handlers stray from that, we cause our own access issues as well as issues for others. There is a time and place for themed gear. There is a time and place for obscenity. There is a time to play tug. The Walmart at 2pm on a Tuesday is not it.

Tl;Dr: I have big opinions on service dogs and want to scream them into my favorite echo chamber