Service dogs don't need distractions

A service dog is not a pet dog that you put a vest on and call a service dog; it is a specialized working dog with specialized training, specific chores it needs to accomplish moment by moment. It is not a dog who eliminates in stores or buildings or is unruly or is aggressive towards anyone. Another question I got asked: can a person have more than one service dog at a time and the answer is NO. In many instances, having a service dog allows its owner to complete activities of daily living and many more specified owners' needs. Service dogs can be trained to help the owner with mobility issues, answer the phone, pick up things off the floor, open doors, and bring light- to medium-weight grocery bags into the house from the car and so much more. For many owners, the service dog opens the door to independence and living a more normal life.

As a handler, I am currently training a service dog, a 7-month-old puppy with specific chores to accomplish in public. Until he is completely trained in about two years, this time can be either a great learning experience for the dog or create a stressed-out dog. This depends on the people around him. Although I appreciate the public's curiosity, many questions I get asked while working with the service dog in training distract my attention from the dog to you. This can instill in the dog a bad habit of not paying attention to the handler and can lead to negative lifelong behavioral problems in the dog, making it unusable as the service dog.

While in the public arena with a service dog in training I find myself protecting the dog from being accosted or distracted by well-meaning people who pet him or lunge at him, wanting his attention. Anything that takes the service dog's attention away from its handler is also a distraction and will instill in the dog that it is OK to not pay attention to its handler. If I can see ahead of time that someone is going to approach, I try and head down a different aisle, but it isn't always possible. Can you imagine how stressful this is for the dog and the handler? The dog is being told to watch me and the public is telling him something different. Please, please do not distract a handler when they are working with a service dog. It takes a few years of intense training beyond obedience training to get the dog to become a service dog. The handler's responsibility is to the dog and only to the dog! The dog need to constantly pay strict attention to its handler.

So, the next time you see a service dog with a vest on in public just give us a smile and please ignore the service dog! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Your kindness will surely be appreciated!

Kay Edwards resides in Crescent City.