Service Dog Public Access Survival Guide

I’ve decided to put together a list of tips on how to handle public access with a service dog based upon my several years of working Faith. I hope this can help others when they encounter these situations!

💛 People will stare. A lot. It’s something you’ll have to get used to. Oftentimes people won’t necessarily mean to stare, but there is a (probably very cute) dog in the grocery store and it’s different. The best thing you can do in these situations is just ignore them.

💛 People will often ask questions… biggest question you’ll get will probably be “what’s the dog for?” (or “why do you need a service dog?”). If you struggle to answer questions like this, practice at home if you need to; choose to be as open or as closed as you’d like. These people are not entitled to your private information. If you would simply like to respond “medical reasons,” then that is completely fine. I try to be more open to educating people about what Faith does for me. However, I’ve grown accustomed to speaking to the public about service dogs, myself, Faith, etc. You do whatever is most comfortable for you!

💛 If you find yourself in a situation where someone is denying you access, please try to kindly educate before arguing. I know what it’s like to have a bad day, walk into a store, and have a gatekeeper screaming in my face because I brought a dog in. However, I always to my best to handle the situation as calmly as possible. Oftentimes people don’t mean to deny your service dog access… they just aren’t educated on service dog law. Take a breath, and treat this as a good education opportunity.

💛 With that said, always have access to something with ADA law information on it. This could be personal service dog business cards, ADA cards, a printout, etc. Also, BOOKMARK THIS DOCUMENT ON YOUR PHONE! It has been an absolute lifesaver on so many occasions.

💛 You have a dog… which means people will naturally gravitate towards you in masses asking to pet him or her. This is a big thing to get used to as a service dog handler. You need to decide whether or not you will allow the public to interact with your dog. Personally, I don’t allow it as I can’t have Faith getting distracted. I also don’t want people to think they can pet other service dogs just because I told them they could pet mine. Whatever you decide, be firm but polite about it. If someone asks to pet your dog, kindly respond with “No. I’m sorry, she’s working right now.” and leave it at that.

💛 Please be kind to kids. They are young and often don’t know any better. You want their experiences with service dog handlers to be positive… not thinking we are rude. I’ve taken the extra time to explain to kids “This is a helper dog. When she’s wearing her uniform *points to Faith’s vest* it means she’s on duty and doing a very important job for me. If you distract her, she could lose her job.” I’ve found this to be the kindest way to deter kids from giving service dogs unwanted attention, without them asking further questions.

💛 You may come across another dog/handler team in public. I do my best to give them space and just leave them alone unless they approach me. I really try not to judge other teams or try to determine if they are “real” or “fake.” I know some handlers who can be super judgy when they see another dog in public, and trust me, it’s not worth the effort lol. Real or fake, just give them space and move on.

💛 If you do happen to come across a dog in public who is clearly misbehaving, showing signs of aggression, making a mess, or otherwise causing disruption; take it up with the store MANAGER (and do so as politely as possible with an ADA card in hand). I try not to approach the team or say anything to them unless absolutely necessary. Faith has been aggressively lunged at and attacked by dogs in public before, and it’s not worth the risk imo.

💛 If your own dog is having an off-day and just not behaving up to standards, please remove him from public access for the day. I know it’s hard. I’ve been there myself. However, it’s not fair to him, you, or those around you to work a dog who doesn’t want to behave. Postpone your shopping trip or leave him at home if need be. Just please don’t force him into public if he’s having an off-day.
​
💛 Lastly, know that you are representing not only yourselves as a team, but the entire service dog community when you are out in public. Most people have never seen a service dog before, and seeing you will leave a lasting impression. Make sure it’s a positive one :) Be professional, be polite, & be courteous of others around you.