Repost.
This article is more to do with my current frustration than anything else. I am currently training my own service dog, with the help of trained professionals. Dougal, my dog, is 10 months old, so still a puppy with puppy behaviors. We live in an older community and mainly stay to ourselves except when taking Dougal out to walk or to the park to play, he has a huge frisbee fetish.
His basic obedience was done in puppy school, and I have been working with him to help solidify that training and learning some of his service dog tasks. I am mostly focused on his socialization and maturing. Our first goal will be the CGC and follow that line.
Here in Florida, with the number of mature people, it has been OK with acceptance. Most stores leave us be and have not really had any accommodation conflicts. Though I have been asked for papers a few times to prove he is a service dog (in training). Those have all been a quick explanation that there are no such things and an explanation of the 2 questions one can ask a team. By the way, in Florida a service dog in training is granted the same rights and responsibilities of a full service dog as long as handled by the trainer.
I know most people do not know or understand the ADA Service dog guidelines, let alone state laws and local ordinances, and fully understood what I could be getting myself into with a service dog as far as the public goes. This was one of the main reasons I have put off having a service dog for so long. Confrontation is something I want to stay as far away from as I can, however, I know they will come and I have to be able to handle them, if not for the simple reason I am able to save another team from having to do the same.
Currently I stand on the cusp of a large confrontation. The park that I live in, a 55 and older community if your familiar with Florida, is having a pet problem with a few of the residents. There is a public area at the lake within the property that is open to all of us. Well, the park has decided to close that area for any, and all pets. Yes, notice I said pets. So, I walked to the office for some clarification about Dougal, with an educational mindset.
I approached the personnel in the office and reminded them that they could not restrict Dougal and I from going to the lake. I understood that I could not take him down there to play fetch or anything like that. But wanted to let them know that it was against the law to restrict his movements while he was in his service capacity. I was informed that this was private property and that the park could do what they wanted, and that the ADA did not hold sway on private property. She went on to say how many years she had been in property management and knew the laws. The word Karen popped into my head rather quickly. Well, on the fly I decided with the many years in law enforcement, working with dogs, and advocating for service dog team that I should just swallow it and try a new tact.
Printing off my trusty ADA guidelines, Florida State law, the graphic differences of Support dogs handout, and several easy to read articles about service dog rules here in Florida, I put them all together to deliver them to the office the next morning.
Waking up bright and early the next day I ran them up to the office and handed them to the manager. I explained that I would be happy to help her with any of the material if she asked. She said she would look over them. We shall see how well this works with my first walk down to the lake.
The above story is for this: Us, the handlers, really have a duty to educate others around us on what is kosher and what is not. It is not easy, most people are set in their beliefs and it can be hard to change their minds or make the want to understand. You will run up against "Karen's" and "Richard's" more than you care to and you are not going to change their minds. So, what do you do? For the most part I ignore them, or ask them to call the police, or even offer to call them yourself. This normally works because one of two things is going to happen. They will flip their nose up at you, or law enforcement is called. If they flip their nose up then situation is over, if the law is called either the officer knows a bit of service dog law or he/she will tell them it's a civil matter. Again, if the officer knows something of service dog law then another education time should happen.
Something else I have noticed. Nine out of ten times when I find myself in a service dog conflict with someone it is not the store owner or worker, it is almost always a patron that's walking around. So, educating people on service dogs is working, as this was not the case when I was in law enforcement.
With all this being said, I feel that it is just as important when I see a badly behaving "service dog". I see a dog in a store growling, barking, jumping up on everything I will be the first one to suggest that the handler get the dog under control or he/she should talk the animal out as they are in violation of the ADA guidelines.
This article is more to do with my current frustration than anything else. I am currently training my own service dog, with the help of trained professionals. Dougal, my dog, is 10 months old, so still a puppy with puppy behaviors. We live in an older community and mainly stay to ourselves except when taking Dougal out to walk or to the park to play, he has a huge frisbee fetish.
His basic obedience was done in puppy school, and I have been working with him to help solidify that training and learning some of his service dog tasks. I am mostly focused on his socialization and maturing. Our first goal will be the CGC and follow that line.
Here in Florida, with the number of mature people, it has been OK with acceptance. Most stores leave us be and have not really had any accommodation conflicts. Though I have been asked for papers a few times to prove he is a service dog (in training). Those have all been a quick explanation that there are no such things and an explanation of the 2 questions one can ask a team. By the way, in Florida a service dog in training is granted the same rights and responsibilities of a full service dog as long as handled by the trainer.
I know most people do not know or understand the ADA Service dog guidelines, let alone state laws and local ordinances, and fully understood what I could be getting myself into with a service dog as far as the public goes. This was one of the main reasons I have put off having a service dog for so long. Confrontation is something I want to stay as far away from as I can, however, I know they will come and I have to be able to handle them, if not for the simple reason I am able to save another team from having to do the same.
Currently I stand on the cusp of a large confrontation. The park that I live in, a 55 and older community if your familiar with Florida, is having a pet problem with a few of the residents. There is a public area at the lake within the property that is open to all of us. Well, the park has decided to close that area for any, and all pets. Yes, notice I said pets. So, I walked to the office for some clarification about Dougal, with an educational mindset.
I approached the personnel in the office and reminded them that they could not restrict Dougal and I from going to the lake. I understood that I could not take him down there to play fetch or anything like that. But wanted to let them know that it was against the law to restrict his movements while he was in his service capacity. I was informed that this was private property and that the park could do what they wanted, and that the ADA did not hold sway on private property. She went on to say how many years she had been in property management and knew the laws. The word Karen popped into my head rather quickly. Well, on the fly I decided with the many years in law enforcement, working with dogs, and advocating for service dog team that I should just swallow it and try a new tact.
Printing off my trusty ADA guidelines, Florida State law, the graphic differences of Support dogs handout, and several easy to read articles about service dog rules here in Florida, I put them all together to deliver them to the office the next morning.
Waking up bright and early the next day I ran them up to the office and handed them to the manager. I explained that I would be happy to help her with any of the material if she asked. She said she would look over them. We shall see how well this works with my first walk down to the lake.
The above story is for this: Us, the handlers, really have a duty to educate others around us on what is kosher and what is not. It is not easy, most people are set in their beliefs and it can be hard to change their minds or make the want to understand. You will run up against "Karen's" and "Richard's" more than you care to and you are not going to change their minds. So, what do you do? For the most part I ignore them, or ask them to call the police, or even offer to call them yourself. This normally works because one of two things is going to happen. They will flip their nose up at you, or law enforcement is called. If they flip their nose up then situation is over, if the law is called either the officer knows a bit of service dog law or he/she will tell them it's a civil matter. Again, if the officer knows something of service dog law then another education time should happen.
Something else I have noticed. Nine out of ten times when I find myself in a service dog conflict with someone it is not the store owner or worker, it is almost always a patron that's walking around. So, educating people on service dogs is working, as this was not the case when I was in law enforcement.
With all this being said, I feel that it is just as important when I see a badly behaving "service dog". I see a dog in a store growling, barking, jumping up on everything I will be the first one to suggest that the handler get the dog under control or he/she should talk the animal out as they are in violation of the ADA guidelines.
