Service animal etiquette shared

It started with a Facebook post that alerted readers as to what to do if approached by a lone dog in a service vest. The post advised following the dog because the canine's person might be in trouble. While the advice seemed reasonable, suspicion of such posts alerted this feature writer to seek an opinion from the staff of United Disabilities Services (UDS) service dog program.

Puppy coordinator Kristy Conrad confirmed that the advice is good. "If a service dog is separated from their person, that should be a reason for concern," she stated.

"If (the dog) turns around to take you, you should follow because the person could be in trouble," added service dog program manager Lori Breece.

These answers led to discussion of general service dog etiquette that respects the dog's owner or handler - things we should all be aware of when we see a dog working in public. UDS service dogs wear colored vests to alert others to the dog's working status. According to Conrad, UDS' service dogs and service dogs in training wear red vests, while ambassador dogs wear blue and facility dogs wear purple. Often service dog vests are printed with words admonishing members of the public not to pet the dog or to ask before interacting. "It should be standard to ask the handler, 'May I pet your dog?'" stated UDS service dog trainer Susan Vollmar.

"It should always be the person (you engage) first, and not the dog," added Breece.

Vollmar went further, noting, "The public should not be soliciting the dog's attention (in any way)," she said. "Don't make noises. Don't talk. Don't look. Don't touch."

The reasons behind such warnings go straight to the dog's purpose in serving its person. "What if the dog is doing something for their person?" pointed out Breece, who noted that the dog may be focused on retrieving anything from a cane to a credit card from a wallet. "The task the dog is doing is important to the person's independence," she said. "Just don't distract the dog."

Conrad suggested thinking of the dog in the same way one would any other assistive device. "You wouldn't hinder someone using their wheelchair or cane," she stated.

Breece stated that the same advice holds for service dogs in training. "Out of respect for the handler, please ask," she said. "Maybe they are doing some work or training, and if you try to play with the dog, you distract the dog."

Breece made it clear that not all disabilities are readily apparent. "Don't assume because you can't see the disability that the person doesn't have one," she said, noting that UDS has clients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who really need their service dogs. "PTSD is a medical diagnosis a service dog can assist with," she said, noting that one client almost gave up using a dog because of comments made to him about not needing one. Instead, he persevered and has become an advocate for the program.

Individuals wishing to learn more may email lorig@udservices.org, call 717-715-8753, or visit https://udservices.org.