Service Dogs

[Sonconato]

There was a woman getting food at AK pushing a stroller that had a service baby monkey?... wearing a diaper and all being pushed around in a baby stroller. It was sitting on the bottom of the stroller just looking around, while it looks like her child road in it.

There was also an incident at an airport that a woman couldn't bring with her her peacock.

I'd really like to see the service vest for that peacock...or them putting it on the peacock.

 

[mlee10]

As the actual owner of a true service dog, nothing annoys me more.
My daughter has a form of epilepsy and given that it is not the kind of epilepsy that most people think of (no gran mal seizures, she zones out and becomes confused). Not only is our Nala able to notify us when she is having a seizure but she also has started to show signs of knowing when Layla is working up to a seizure. One of her biggest jobs is to help control Layla's anxiety as this is a HUGE trigger for her seizures. It has become increasingly frustrating to even go places with Nala, we get a lot of evil stares from people, even though she is a fully trained and insured service dog.
We do not send Nala to school with Layla and we will not be bringing her to Disney with us when we go in 2 weeks. Nala is still young for a service dog and we do not want to set her up for failure. We did Disney 2 years ago with Layla and she did great during and after the trip. We are hoping that will be the case again this time and will take things at her pace. I would hate to take Nala into that large of a crowd!
People are giving true service dogs a bad image by using their "pets" as service animals. These dogs work VERY HARD to get the title of service dog and in most cases can be a true lifesaver to their handler.

 

[NormC]

In my opinion, if you need an emotional support dog in Disney maybe Disney is not the place for you.

Emotional Support dogs are not allowed in Disney Parks only service dogs.

 

[mlee10]

Layla & Nala

 

[mlee10]

Our Nala Girl

 

[NormC]

Correct.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Disney's tolerance of fake service/emotional support animals will last until someone or a true service animal is injured by the fake animal.

Florida law also classifies misrepresenting a dog as a service animal as a second degree misdemeanor. Those who are caught breaking the law face a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail. This addition to current law was effective July 1, 2015

My guess is that it is also a currently unenforced law. It's to bad that we have to wait until someone is injured before anyone does anything about it. I guess that goes for a lot of things in this country even some where harm is actually done and nothing is done to prevent any further injuries.

 

[DisAl]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there aren't many service dogs that will just start walking up to people wanting to be petted and looking for food. I mean I've seen a few service dogs and the way they acted you would have thought they went through a military bootcamp. I'm going to be watching for this a little closer now on my trip.

REAL service dogs are better behaved than 90% of the PEOPLE at WDW.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Except at the 4 resorts that allow dogs. Any type of dog. I mean they're not allowed in the parks but they're at the resorts.

Yes, and good luck with that. My apartment complex recently started actively promoting the dog friendly nature of this complex. Now we have non-stop yapping all day long, piles of festering dog pooh and constant abuse of the privilege due to either laziness or entitlement (probably both). I live one floor down from a lady that is in a two bedroom apartment, 850 square feet and she has 4 dogs. Yes, I said four. It's like a stampede overhead all day long as the run around the apartment. She works all day. They react if a fly goes by the window. I like dogs, but, I don't like some dog owners very much. No one should keep 4 full grown dogs confined all day long in a small area. Some of these dogs are the size of a miniature pony. No place to run, no place to get out and exercise and they call themselves dog lovers.

 

[LAKid53]

View attachment 264515
Our Nala Girl

Beautiful - both her and your daughter.

 

[jloucks]

As the actual owner of a true service dog, nothing annoys me more.
My daughter has a form of epilepsy and given that it is not the kind of epilepsy that most people think of (no gran mal seizures, she zones out and becomes confused). Not only is our Nala able to notify us when she is having a seizure but she also has started to show signs of knowing when Layla is working up to a seizure. One of her biggest jobs is to help control Layla's anxiety as this is a HUGE trigger for her seizures. It has become increasingly frustrating to even go places with Nala, we get a lot of evil stares from people, even though she is a fully trained and insured service dog.
We do not send Nala to school with Layla and we will not be bringing her to Disney with us when we go in 2 weeks. Nala is still young for a service dog and we do not want to set her up for failure. We did Disney 2 years ago with Layla and she did great during and after the trip. We are hoping that will be the case again this time and will take things at her pace. I would hate to take Nala into that large of a crowd!
People are giving true service dogs a bad image by using their "pets" as service animals. These dogs work VERY HARD to get the title of service dog and in most cases can be a true lifesaver to their handler.

As one of the people that train the dogs before you get them, it might be Interesting for you to know (if you don't already) that one of the places we are not allowed to take the dogs are amusement parks. They are one of the most challenging for Service Dogs in training for various reasons.

Zoos are another no-go place.

Only Finished, and preferably veteran serviced dogs go to Amusement Parks and Zoos. It is challenging for the animals. ...and thus their owners.

 

[Hakunamatata]

There was a woman getting food at AK pushing a stroller that had a service baby monkey?... wearing a diaper and all being pushed around in a baby stroller. It was sitting on the bottom of the stroller just looking around, while it looks like her child road in it.

There was also an incident at an airport that a woman couldn't bring with her her peacock.

Its cute until it grows up and rips someones face off.

 

[jloucks]

View attachment 264515
Our Nala Girl

Interesting. We train them to stay off the furniture. A specific adaptation for purpose?

 

[LAKid53]

Except at the 4 resorts that allow dogs. Any type of dog. I mean they're not allowed in the parks but they're at the resorts.

Is Disney security allowed to question someone? You can purchase vests from Amazon. The problem with the addition to the law is it's unclear, short of the animal lunging at someone at the security checks, on how to question without violating the ADA. I watched a woman bring her purse dog into MK. And how did I know? Because the dog barked. But she told security it was a service dog and she was let in with it. I was astonished.

 

[LAKid53]

Oh trust me I agree with you. The last few days I had been on the phone with Disney working out the details of me changing reservations from Yacht Club to Beach Club because of their allowing dogs. I love animals, but I think this is a terrible idea. If Disney wants to make more money, start After Hours for Animal Kingdom and charge $120 for a 3 hour ticket. If it helps beat the mob scene for Flight of Passage, it's worth it to me.

As far as the dogs, they say and people say that dog rooms have their own wing but there's not by themselves in a wing. Guests are there as well. I don't see how Disney is going to enforce this "well-behaved dog policy". Come on. Do you really think people are going to go to MK for a day, and then leave because they got a phone call saying their dog was barking? People wouldn't answer their phones.

I'm just totally against the dog idea, and I love dogs myself. It doesn't matter how well trained they are, they are in a strange hotel with people around they don't know as well as other dogs around, dogs are going to miss their owners being locked in a hotel room for 7 hours.

Plus housekeeping can't go in those rooms and clean every day. Like I shudder at the idea of what a room looks like after a 7 day trip with a dog in it. Just saying.

Imagine what that room would look like after one day if the dog suffers from separation anxiety.

 

[mlee10]

Interesting. We train them to stay off the furniture. A specific adaptation for purpose?

When she was being trained, they asked our preference on this. Given Layla's age (and the fact that we are animal lovers) we told them we wanted her to be where Layla was. You can't see in the picture but Layla is also sitting on the couch. She has done a pretty good job on her own of figuring out that when Layla isn't around she shouldn't be on the couch (truth be told, she really prefers the ground because she gets hot so easily).

 

[Texas84]

Is Disney security allowed to question someone? You can purchase vests from Amazon. The problem with the addition to the law is it's unclear, short of the animal lunging at someone at the security checks, on how to question without violating the ADA. I watched a woman bring her purse dog into MK. And how did I know? Because the dog barked. But she told security it was a service dog and she was let in with it. I was astonished.

I saw one of those at Epcot. It had a cute little vest on and it looked terrified. Shaking.

 

[jloucks]

I love this topic!

Some more fun facts about true Service Dogs.

Service Dogs are raised by handlers. A true Service Dog is not obtained as a puppy by the final owner. How could it be? The training is too rigorous.

Service Dogs puppies are carried almost everywhere. Several reasons, but being super used to handling, and being too valuable to be contaminated are among the reasons.

the picture below is from the actual group for which my daughter works. The puppies all being in their laps is no accident, nor just for the photo.

Service dogs can urinate and defecate on command! I know it sounds crazy, but it is true. Unless they are sick, they never just let rip without permission. Doing so is absolutely a sign of a fake service dog.

Unfortunately, service dogs can be untrained. A service dog behaving badly can happen, if the owner is lax with the rules. So again, you have to be careful making false accusations because of bad dogie behavior. The trick is, you only address the behavior when asking a dog to leave. Bad behavior is grounds for eviction. Don't even touch on legitimacy, just focus on behavior.

 

[correcaminos]

There are not *any* service dogs that will do that.

As one of the people that train the dogs before you get them, it might be Interesting for you to know (if you don't already) that one of the places we are not allowed to take the dogs are amusement parks. They are one of the most challenging for Service Dogs in training for various reasons.

Zoos are another no-go place.

Only Finished, and preferably veteran serviced dogs go to Amusement Parks and Zoos. It is challenging for the animals. ...and thus their owners.

Having been to Disney with a legitimate and well trained service dog, I can tell you it was even challenging. It is a lot of work for them. Fortunately the type of service dog we had with us was not one we required to be with us all the time (for the blind) and so we boarded her during most of the park time instead. It was much better for her and us really. She now is left with a trusted handler at home during trips like that.

 

[mlee10]

@jloucks I was not aware of the no amusement park/no zoo rule with training but to be honest, it makes a lot of sense!
We truly love her as a family member and I would not want to put her under that kind of pressure. I have no doubt that she would be fine but would never want to chance something happening, especially to her.