Is this really a service dog?

[21stamps]

You whinging about abuse and cheating systems makes me laugh 100 out of 100 times.

So your problem is not the abuse, it’s just dogs in general?
Sorry, we can’t euthanize all dogs in the US.. or less dramatically- restrict them to stay in the their house or yard at all times. I guess you could write your government officials and ask them to propose such a law. Good luck with that.

 

[xdan0920]

So your problem is not the abuse, it’s just dogs in general?
Sorry, we can’t euthanize all dogs in the US.. or less dramatically- restrict them to stay in the their house or yard at all times. I guess you could write your government officials and ask them to propose such a law. Good luck with that.

Dogs in places there shouldn't be dogs. Hotels, planes, theme parks, baseball stadiums. I don't have a dog, I don't want to deal with yours. Same principle as kids in bars.

edit to add....

I didn't say I don't have a problem with abuse. I said, YOU complaining about abuse and cheating makes me laugh.

 

[21stamps]

Dogs in places there shouldn't be dogs. Hotels, planes, theme parks, baseball stadiums. I don't have a dog, I don't want to deal with yours. Same principle as kids in bars.

I don’t think dogs should be in a theme park or baseball stadium either.. with the exception of specified days.. you can easily avoid those days though. Problem solved.

The plane and hotel .. plane you’re out of luck.. hotel- choose one that doesn’t accept dogs. Problem solved there as well.

See how easy this is? Live and let live.


Just read your edit.. Dog,Kid, Pig, Peacock, Parking Spot.. whatever.. people should just follow the rules and stop inconveniencing those who are following the rules.

 

[cdeev8690]

Unpopular opinion coming through : I have an emotional support pet. This is something that was recommended for me after many sessions with my doctor. It keeps me from having to take medication and I can live my life normally. My pet is very well behaved and I've taken the time to train him to make sure we are not burdens on any flights or train rides. I don't believe I would need to take him to a theme park as I would be more concerned for his well-being than for mine in those situations. As it applies to WDW, I saw plenty of these pets on my last trip to WDW and the pets were all well behaved and the owners were respectful of their surroundings. I realize that there are exceptions and some handlers may be seeking a way to cheat a system, but many are not.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Unpopular opinion coming through : I have an emotional support pet. This is something that was recommended for me after many sessions with my doctor. It keeps me from having to take medication and I can live my life normally. My pet is very well behaved and I've taken the time to train him to make sure we are not burdens on any flights or train rides. I don't believe I would need to take him to a theme park as I would be more concerned for his well-being than for mine in those situations. As it applies to WDW, I saw plenty of these pets on my last trip to WDW and the pets were all well behaved and the owners were respectful of their surroundings. I realize that there are exceptions and some handlers may be seeking a way to cheat a system, but many are not.

I've known two different people who have had cats function as emotional support animal. Each of them had to classify their animals that way to be allowed to keep their cats in their dorm room. They also travelled with their cats to and from college. But I know, at least in the case of the one girl, that she leaves the animal at home when she goes on vacation.

 

[21stamps]

Unpopular opinion coming through : I have an emotional support pet. This is something that was recommended for me after many sessions with my doctor. It keeps me from having to take medication and I can live my life normally. My pet is very well behaved and I've taken the time to train him to make sure we are not burdens on any flights or train rides. I don't believe I would need to take him to a theme park as I would be more concerned for his well-being than for mine in those situations. As it applies to WDW, I saw plenty of these pets on my last trip to WDW and the pets were all well behaved and the owners were respectful of their surroundings. I realize that there are exceptions and some handlers may be seeking a way to cheat a system, but many are not.

I think there’s less people cheating the system than people who are using it correctly, for sure.

 

[Vtlsgns]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2651849/#!po=8.33333

No... I was quite serious. And example the last trip we took the first leg of the flight they handed out the little bags of peanuts, the second leg we get an announcement that due to a passenger's peanut allergies they will not be handing out the complimentary peanuts. It's happened on several flights. But I quite certain it is an over reaction because I have my own peanuts, and have some on every flight and have not once seen any passenger get sick or in any way be bothered by my peanuts. To me that's evidence that the people continually yammering that little Billy is going to explode if someone near him has a peanut is hogwash. But if airline are willing to eliminate peanuts then you would expect they would also eliminate dogs if a passenger claimed they were allergic to dogs. I think everyone that books a flight should tell the airline they are allergic to dogs and just see if it helps cut back on the abuse of service animals. I'm going to do it the time I fly just to see what happens. If they don't make parent show proof little Billy is allergic to peanuts then they can't very well as me if I have proof I'm allergic to dogs now can they?

Sensitivity varies. A person CAN have a life-threatening allergic reaction to peanuts by inhalation of the particles, which has occurred on commercial flights. It’s legitimate. Here is an article if you are interested.

 

[wdisney9000]

The issue I have with ESA's and the people who bring their dogs into places that do not allow dogs without proper training are making it difficult and also giving a bad name for those who truly needed a service K9. When I bring a Service K9 into a place such as a retail store, shopping mall, grocery store, etc for training, I have had many, many managers and employees compliment the dog for being properly behaved and then they tell me the most ridiculous stories of people who have brought a dog into the store with a "Service dog" vest on that was completely behaving badly and barking or pulling the owner on the lash or was on a retractable leash (smh) and 10 feet away from the handler or even worse, pooped or pee in the store. People see these fake service animals and their badbhavior and then judge or act rudely to a person who actually has a trained animal.

The silver lining is that stores and especially airlines are starting to stiffen up on the rules.

 

[righttrack]

WDW is a very distracting place for a trained service animal rather than untrained. You can only hope that people are dealing with properly trained animals in this regard. I'm sure most are not. Most of these animals may receive normal socialization (a must!) and normal obedience training but I'm guessing a lot do not receive that extra layer of training that one would deem for a trained service animal in busy urban areas. I think that there should be some standards, and it's not WDW's or any accommodator to have to make them, but they should choose a certification level that they accept that is stringent enough for the situation. Standards are good because it helps the person bringing the animal know what's required instead of leaving it fuzzy, it helps the accomodator avoid liability and it helps the general public as well.

 

[21stamps]

The issue I have with ESA's and the people who bring their dogs into places that do not allow dogs without proper training are making it difficult and also giving a bad name for those who truly needed a service K9. When I bring a Service K9 into a place such as a retail store, shopping mall, grocery store, etc for training, I have had many, many managers and employees compliment the dog for being properly behaved and then they tell me the most ridiculous stories of people who have brought a dog into the store with a "Service dog" vest on that was completely behaving badly and barking or pulling the owner on the lash or was on a retractable leash (smh) and 10 feet away from the handler or even worse, pooped or pee in the store. People see these fake service animals and their badbhavior and then judge or act rudely to a person who actually has a trained animal.

The silver lining is that stores and especially airlines are starting to stiffen up on the rules.

I’ll probably get criticized for this, but whatever-

My dog used to come almost everywhere with me.. with the exception of food/grocery stores. We would always run errands and go to the mall together...but that’s extremely common where I used to live. I’ve never brought him to the mall here because I don’t see other people doing it.

He has 3 types of carriers..
the first one is what I used for air travel from about 2007-2009, after that I replaced it with a rolling plain black rectangular carry on.. the only difference between it and any other small luggage piece was that it was specifically for dogs- leash, vent, compartments. I have to say again, most people in the airport never realized that the bag even had a dog in it, until we went thru security.
The photos here are us leaving for his first ever flight. He did great,quickly became a pro.
And for those who worry about poo or pee on a plane, Chances of a dog having a waste accident inside of a tiny carrier are pretty slim.. if someone knows anything about a dog, they don’t want to sleep/lay in their own waste.



The carrier that I used for the mall/outings, and now for kiddo’s sports games, is also a cross body, but does not zip.. he’s snug inside, but can leave his head out. This type of carrier is not allowed on a plane.



Most dog owners who do take their dogs out with them, they keep the dogs in something similar. The dog strollers do creep me out though.. I’ve made the mistake of looking to see a baby and realizing that it’s a dog instead. I could never jump on that wagon

 

[jloucks]

I think there’s less people cheating the system than people who are using it correctly, for sure.

My guess is that the abuse to legit ratio is 70/30. Now I am just talking Service Dog abuse, as in, dogs that are not Service Dogs being passed off as Service Dogs. This also includes Therapy Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs, "self trainers" that have never trained professionally, and dogs that are far from top picks for service dogs.

That 70% is really making it difficult for the 30% to function without issue. That is why I think the laws will change soon. The very people the laws are for are feeling the brunt of abuse.

Happened to us just yesterday. We were in a store and a "service dog" kept lunging at our current student in training. Granted the offender seemed to just want to play, but it was proof of a fake dog or a dog that had completely lost it training. We saw several service dogs that day, most of them toy breeds. ...also likely fake. Actually, I was suspicious of 100% of the other dogs we saw. So maybe 90-10?

We did have one vendor ask an illegal, but valid question. He asked what breed our dog was. While I was well aware I didn't have to answer that question, we gladly answered. (Golden Retriever).

 

[wdisney9000]

I’ll probably get criticized for this, but whatever-

My dog used to come almost everywhere with me.. with the exception of food/grocery stores. We would always run errands and go to the mall together...but that’s extremely common where I used to live. I’ve never brought him to the mall here because I don’t see other people doing it.

He has 3 types of carriers..
the first one is what I used for air travel from about 2007-2009, after that I replaced it with a rolling plain black rectangular carry on.. the only difference between it and any other small luggage piece was that it was specifically for dogs- leash, vent, compartments. I have to say again, most people in the airport never realized that the bag even had a dog in it, until we went thru security.
The photos here are us leaving for his first ever flight. He did great,quickly became a pro.
And for those who worry about poo or pee on a plane, Chances of a dog having a waste accident inside of a tiny carrier are pretty slim.. if someone knows anything about a dog, they don’t want to sleep/lay in their own waste.



The carrier that I used for the mall/outings, and now for kiddo’s sports games, is also a cross body, but does not zip.. he’s snug inside, but can leave his head out. This type of carrier is not allowed on a plane.

You are taking the appropriate measures to prevent any problems, which IMO is perfectly acceptable to fly in a plane or bring into a dog friendly store.

Most dog owners who do take their dogs out with them, they keep the dogs in something similar.

Most small dog owners do that. There are many people who have medium or larger dogs that do not fit in a bag or stroller and the dog is all over the place and harassing people. The other day I had a lady tell me she was on a flight home and there was a Golden Retriever literally roaming up and down the aisle of the plane with a "service dog" harness on.

 

[jloucks]

WDW is a very distracting place for a trained service animal rather than untrained. You can only hope that people are dealing with properly trained animals in this regard. I'm sure most are not. Most of these animals may receive normal socialization (a must!) and normal obedience training but I'm guessing a lot do not receive that extra layer of training that one would deem for a trained service animal in busy urban areas. I think that there should be some standards, and it's not WDW's or any accommodator to have to make them, but they should choose a certification level that they accept that is stringent enough for the situation. Standards are good because it helps the person bringing the animal know what's required instead of leaving it fuzzy, it helps the accomodator avoid liability and it helps the general public as well.

Our dog school does not allow any amusement park visitation for this reason. WDW is advanced territory for a Service Dog. Probably for any dog.

 

[jloucks]

I've known two different people who have had cats function as emotional support animal. Each of them had to classify their animals that way to be allowed to keep their cats in their dorm room. They also travelled with their cats to and from college. But I know, at least in the case of the one girl, that she leaves the animal at home when she goes on vacation.

The problem with cats in this role is allergies. LOTS of people are allergic to cats. Not so many dogs.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

The problem with cats in this role is allergies. LOTS of people are allergic to cats. Not so many dogs.

I know in the case of college dorm rooms, the one girl had roommates who weren't allergic and the other had a room to herself so it wasn't an issue. As far as flying, again, that's why I think there should be some sort of notification process or pet-free flights so that people who need to travel with an animal can do so and those who are allergic can avoid their trigger.

 

[wdisney9000]

"self trainers" that have never trained professionally, and dogs that are far from top picks for service dogs.

This! I get calls from people who tell me they have a "service dog" and need additional training. The last one was a lady telling me she had a 5 month old Labradoodle that she had self trained and had taught the dog to shake, roll over and it was super friendly with everybody it met. I asked her what purpose is there in teaching a working dog to roll over? Needless to say she did not want to hear the constructive criticism i offered.

 

[21stamps]

My guess is that the abuse to legit ratio is 70/30. Now I am just talking Service Dog abuse, as in, dogs that are not Service Dogs being passed off as Service Dogs. This also includes Therapy Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs, "self trainers" that have never trained professionally, and dogs that are far from top picks for service dogs.

That 70% is really making it difficult for the 30% to function without issue. That is why I think the laws will change soon. The very people the laws are for are feeling the brunt of abuse.

Happened to us just yesterday. We were in a store and a "service dog" kept lunging at our current student in training. Granted the offender seemed to just want to play, but it was proof of a fake dog or a dog that had completely lost it training. We saw several service dogs that day, most of them toy breeds. ...also likely fake. Actually, I was suspicious of 100% of the other dogs we saw. So maybe 90-10?

We did have one vendor ask an illegal, but valid question. He asked what breed our dog was. While I was well aware I didn't have to answer that question, we gladly answered. (Golden Retriever).

I wouldn’t immediately discount toy breeds though. I’ve known elderly disabled people who had toy service animals. They can be very beneficial to elderly people who live in condos.

 

[21stamps]

You are taking the appropriate measures to prevent any problems, which IMO is perfectly acceptable to fly in a plane or bring into a dog friendly store.

Most small dog owners do that. There are many people who have medium or larger dogs that do not fit in a bag or stroller and the dog is all over the place and harassing people. The other day I had a lady tell me she was on a flight home and there was a Golden Retriever literally roaming up and down the aisle of the plane with a "service dog" harness on.

That’s where the problem lies, and that’s what people should focus on imo.
It’s not the small dogs in a carrier who are causing the problem...they’ve always been there. It’s the people with the large dogs who would never been allowed in the cabin unless they were under a ‘service’ or ‘esa’ classification...and even worse, they’re allowed in the cabin without a carrier. As well as the small dogs who are being faked as ‘service’ or ‘esa’ dogs and gaining entry to where they shouldn’t have entry..or not in a carrier on a plane.

 

[21stamps]

I know in the case of college dorm rooms, the one girl had roommates who weren't allergic and the other had a room to herself so it wasn't an issue. As far as flying, again, that's why I think there should be some sort of notification process or pet-free flights so that people who need to travel with an animal can do so and those who are allergic can avoid their trigger.

Airlines know how many pets are on a flight, they have to know because there is only a certain amount allowed...someone with allergies can always ask for that info before boarding.

 

[correcaminos]

The problem with cats in this role is allergies. LOTS of people are allergic to cats. Not so many dogs.

I wouldn't call it that many - definitely not a massive number of population. Googling multiple locations gave me 1 in 7 for cats which is about 14%. Dogs are less but I cannot seem to find a number. Over all they say 15% of the population is allergic to pets. This of course does not account for those who claim to be allergic, aren't but just hate the animals

Dogs bother me more than cats. I love my pets and it isn't bad though so I don't mind. No where near allergy shot level or anything. My friend who has the poodle also has more issues with dogs than cats. So for some it is that way too.