When Travall exhibited at Crufts at the end of March we were lucky enough to witness demonstrations given by assistance dogs at The Kennel Club’s show stand. Over the last couple of decades, different types of animals are increasingly used to help people in their daily lives who live with a broad range of physical and behavioural conditions. There are many benefits of using these animals, with the result that they are being employed more widely and with greater frequency. Today, chances are that you are more likely to meet service animals in your daily routine than in previous years. Many people are unsure whether or not it is OK to pet these assistance dogs who are actually at work, so here are some tips on the best approach.
Types of assistance dogs
Assistance animals fall into 4 different categories depending on the type of assistance required.
Service animals
Service animals are specifically trained to perform tasks relating to the handler’s needs. Not just for the visually impaired, hearing dogs for the deaf, and mobility dogs allow people with differing needs to go about daily tasks with a greater level of autonomy and liberty than in previous generations. People dealing with seizures, post-traumatic stress disorder, autism, anxiety, and diabetes also benefit from using service dogs.
Working dogs
Police or military dogs are in the working dog category. Sadly, with terror threats being a more common occurrence over the last 15 years, we tend to see more of these dogs on duty. This is particularly true at airports where they are now an intrinsic part of the security process, rather than just used to detect contraband at customs.
Therapy animals
In recent years there has been a rise in the number of therapy dogs used in various settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and even in courtrooms. These dogs differ from service dogs in that their role is to provide affection and comfort to people, helping to reduce anxiety, stress and sometimes acting as an intermediary between the care recipient and professional staff.
Emotional support animals
Typically used by people with specific behavioural health conditions requiring extra support and comfort, these animals may accompany an owner or may be employed by a business to help improve customer experience.
Things you should do with assistance dogs
Do interact with the owner or handler
Interact with the owner but not with the animal. The owner and animal are a team and the owner’s life could depend on his team member staying focused on the job. It is better (and not considered rude) to ignore the service dog altogether. Therapy and emotional support dogs are slightly different. For example, if the dog is an airport employee whose role is to help calm passengers, then it is OK to interact with the animal.
Do act respectfully
Service dog owners will not want to discuss their personal details with a stranger. If you cannot figure out why the owner needs a service animal, don’t ask them. Equally, if you offer help and the owner doesn’t accept it, don’t worry. Help from others can interfere with the work of the service dog and can confuse commands previously given by the owner.
Do keep your own dog on a tight lead
Keep your own dog away from the service dog completely as other pets can be distracting for the working animal.
Do allow service animals into your business
If you are a business owner in an establishment that normally does not allow pets, you are legally required to allow entrance to certified assistance dogs.
Do educate children about service animals
Explain to children that service animals and working animals are not like regular household pets and that they have a special job to do to help the owner.
Things you shouldn’t do with assistance dogs
Don’t pet the animal
You may be the biggest dog lover in the nation, but don’t be tempted to pet a service dog. Petting the dog distracts him and may prevent him from following out a complete command. An example is dogs that detect seizures. They need to give a 10-minute warning so that the owner can get to a safe place or get help. If you distract the dog by petting him, he may not be able to warn the owner in time, which could be catastrophic.
Don’t give treats
Many service dogs are on specific diets and need to stick to that diet.
Don’t make assumptions
Don’t assume that if a service dog is asleep he is off duty. If he is out with his owner, he is working.
Don’t assume that only dogs and only certain breeds of dog can be service animals. Many breeds of dog and different types of animal are suitable to assist people.
Don’t assume that service dogs are only for adults. Children also benefit from having assistance dogs.
Don’t fake it
Don’t pretend to have your own service dog. You may want to put a special coat on your pet and visit places where pets can’t normally go, but please don’t. Allow people with genuine needs to receive help from genuine service dogs.
The best approach to meeting assistance dogs
Put yourself in the shoes of an individual living with physical or mental conditions, which can be life-threatening. If an animal gave you the opportunity to live the fullest, most independent life possible, how would you react to someone interfering with and compromising the hard work of that service animal?
To pet or not to pet assistance dogs: that is the question. The answer? If you are not the individual receiving therapy or service, do not pet. Encountering a working assistance dog is perhaps one of the most appropriate situations in life to adopt a don’t-touch approach. Following this guideline and the others mentioned above, we can allow these incredible animals to carry out their invaluable work. You can’t help but be in awe of them – I know I am.
