The service dogs issue just won’t go away, although there is some pushback starting due to so many people abusing the law (or lack of laws) regarding service dogs.<\/p>\n
You can read previous articles and how I feel about the issue here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here,<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0\u00a0here<\/a> but just for reference, iheartdogs.com<\/a> made a list of 10 ways to spot a fake service dog.\u00a0 If you work in retail you probably already can spot them and can’t do much about it, but if you’re just out shopping feel free to give a person with a “fake”service dog a hard time.\u00a0 \u00a0They deserve it.<\/p>\n You\u2019re out shopping when you turn the corner to find a cute dog browsing the merchandise. Your first instinct tells you it\u2019s someone\u2019s service dog, but then something doesn\u2019t seem right. People posing their pets as fake service dogs has become a widespread problem. Real service dogs can be any breed, their owners don\u2019t always have visible disabilities, and they\u2019re not required to carry any kind of identifying paperwork or distinguishing badge. This makes spotting the fakes exceptionally difficult, but if the dog is showing any of these behaviors, it\u2019s most likely an impostor.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Service dogs are trained in countless different kinds of jobs, but no matter what their specialty is, they always need to be alert and ready to work. If the dog is being toted around in a purse or getting a free ride in a shopping cart, they\u2019re unable to perform their duty. There are exceptions, however, if a small dog is being held close to person\u2019s chest. Some small dogs are trained to monitor certain bodily functions and need to be kept close to their owners.<\/em><\/p>\n It seems ironic, but you\u2019ll never see a highly trained service dog out in public and not on a leash. They\u2019re more than capable of staying by their owner, but leashes are used to protect the dog. Always using a leash is a basic part of being a responsible dog owner.<\/em><\/p>\n Because they\u2019re always leashed while they\u2019re working, service dogs have impeccable leash manners. They never pull and always stick close to their owner\u2019s side. Dogs used for mobility and support assistance may lean into their harnesses as part of their job, but they don\u2019t yank their person in different directions as they feel like it.<\/em><\/p>\n Some dogs are trained to bark or whine as an alert to warn their owner of an impending medical emergency, like a stroke or panic attack. But besides these infrequent sounds, a service dog would never bark at another dog or whine out of impatience.<\/em><\/p>\n All dogs rely on smell more than any other sense, and taking your pet on a walk usually involves a whole lot of sniffing. When a dog has a job to do, those scents are a distraction. Service dogs are trained to stay focused, and they won\u2019t be careening down aisles sniffing everything on the lower shelves.<\/em><\/p>\n A dog that isn\u2019t fully house trained should never be taken into an indoor public area. For male dogs especially, indoor accidents are not always accidental, and instead, it\u2019s the dog\u2019s way of marking a new territory. Whether they did it on purpose or not, urinating or defecating indoors is an unacceptable behavior for service dogs.<\/em><\/p>\n Stealing food\u2014whether it\u2019s off a table, out of someone\u2019s hand, or something they found on the ground\u2014is a hard habit for pets to break, but resisting temptations is one of the first lessons a service dog learns.<\/em><\/p>\n Socialization is a major part of service dog training, and if the dog in question is the real deal, they\u2019ll seem calm and confident no matter what\u2019s going on around them. They won\u2019t be spooked by loud noises or big crowds, and they won\u2019t cower or tuck their tails between their legs.<\/em><\/p>\n Service dogs know they have a job to do, and they only have eyes for the person on the other end of their leash. They don\u2019t put their noses into other people\u2019s space seeking head pats or belly rubs.<\/em><\/p>\n Some service dogs are trained in protection, but that doesn\u2019t mean they lash out at other people or animals without being explicitly told to. A dog that is growling, lunging, or showing other signs of unprovoked aggression is not a real service dog.<\/em><\/p>\n Fake service dogs put unfair scrutiny on the people who actually need their animals for medical or emotional purposes, and they\u2019re an insult to the dogs that go through months of intense training to be good at their jobs. The service dog reputation is at stake, and it\u2019s because some pet owners think \u201cno pet\u201d policies shouldn\u2019t apply to them. If you decide to approach someone about their dog, remember to do so politely and realize they have no legal obligation to answer a long list of questions.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The service dogs issue just won’t go away, although there is some pushback starting due to so many people abusing the law (or lack of laws) regarding service dogs. You can read previous articles and how I feel about the issue here, here, here, here, here, here,\u00a0and\u00a0\u00a0here but just for reference, iheartdogs.com made a list Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2340"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2340\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2408,"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2340\/revisions\/2408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}#1 \u2013 They\u2019re Being Carried or Pushed in a Cart<\/em><\/h3>\n
#2 \u2013 They\u2019re Not on a Leash<\/em><\/h3>\n
#3 \u2013 They\u2019re Pulling on the Leash<\/em><\/h3>\n
#4 \u2013 They\u2019re Barking or Whining<\/em><\/h3>\n
# 5 \u2013 They\u2019re Sniffing Everything<\/em><\/h3>\n
#6 \u2013 They Have Indoor \u201cAccidents\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n
#7 \u2013 They Steal Food<\/em><\/h3>\n
#8 \u2013 They Look Nervous<\/em><\/h3>\n
#9 \u2013 They Seek Attention<\/em><\/h3>\n
# 10 \u2013 They\u2019re Aggressive<\/em><\/h3>\n