Spaying and neutering your puppy is probably one of the most controversial topics in the dog world.  While there are many health benefits linked to surgically altering your pet (not to mention, completely wiping away the risk of unwanted puppies), there are also many health risks which are typically never addressed with pet owners beforehand.

When you remove a dog’s reproductive organs, you are also removing that dog’s growth hormones. These hormones are absolutely necessary for proper bone growth, muscle development, and maturity.  Spaying or neutering a dog before they have finished growing is called “pediatric sterilization,” and it’s something I highly advise against.
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Pediatric sterilization has been linked to the following issues:

• Affected dogs do not develop normal bone mass and density. This results in smaller bone size, as well as greater incidence of bone cancer, fracture, and hip dysplasia (Torres de la Riva, 2013)
• Increased incidence of reduced bladder control in both males and females resulting from reduced sex hormone levels (Stöcklin-Gautsch, 2007)
• Increased aggression, fearful behavior, and phobias (Farhoody & Zink, 2010)
• Increased risk of acute fatal pancreatitis, diabetes, and obesity (Zink, 2017)
• Increased incidence of infectious disease & autoimmune disorders (Sundburg, 2016)
• Increased risk of developing cancer of the heart and spleen (Torres de la Riva, 2013)
• Increased risk of urinary tract infections (McKenzie, 2010)
• Tripled risk of hypothyroidism (Panciera, 1994)
• Quadrupled risk of prostate cancer (Dressler)
• Decreased cognitive ability (Hart, 2001)

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The Takeaway
I am not here to tell you what you can and cannot do with your dog. I am not a vet and I am not his owner. However, I can say that based off of my years of researching both sides of the spay & neuter argument, my professional recommendation is to wait until your dog is at least two years old. This will allow for his bones to develop, his joints to seal, his brain to develop, and his body to function like a normal adult dog. This is my recommendation under one condition: BE A RESPONSIBLE PET OWNER.

Being a responsible pet owner means not allowing your unaltered male to roam the streets in search of females, and not allowing your intact female to have unsupervised play time in the backyard when she's in season. You can still prevent accidental litters with intact animals with proper care, training, and management. Let's start with that before we jump to ripping out your dog's organs.

Pulling dogs from shelters and training them for service work is a very noble thing to do. I wish it were something I could recommend to every prospective handler. Truly, I think there is nothing better than being able to save both the life of a dog and the life of a handler at the same time. However, it isn’t for everyone… and here’s why.

Yesterday, an apprentice trainer and I drove almost 100 miles to visit 3 shelters. We saw over 40 dogs. We took into account things like age, history, if they were dog/cat/kid friendly, and how they reacted to us coming to visit. That’s when we narrowed it down to just 15 dogs. All 15 were given a very thorough and honest evaluation. They were scored on baseline temperament, touch sensitivity, noise sensitivity, willingness to retrieve, trainability, prey drive, distractibility, excitability, attachment/attention seeking, scent drive, and overall work drive.

Want to know how many passed?  One dog. 
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And even then, it’s a dog who will take a LOT of work. I’m only about 75% confident he’ll make it through training. If he does, he will never be able to be placed with an inexperienced handler. It left me wondering… is it worth the risk? Is it worth all the time, funds, and resources to try and train him for the next two years knowing he has a lower chance of finishing?

I will continue to drive around the state evaluating dogs because that is what I do. If I can help a shelter dog, believe me, I will. However, only about 1-2% of shelter dogs actually have what it takes to make it through service training. 
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So… if you are owner training a service dog… think very hard. Do you have the patience to evaluate 50-100 dogs before finding the one? Furthermore, is it honestly worth that giant risk of “the one” washing out? If it is, all power to you. You’re doing an amazing thing. However, if you don’t have the patience and/or it’s not worth the risk, know that IT’S OKAY. Nobody is going to judge you for going through a responsible breeder where approximately 40-50% of puppies make it through training.

​I am a professional dog trainer. I have trained numerous service dogs and pet dogs for people over the course of several years, yet I still take my dogs to see other trainers. Sounds silly, but it’s important. 
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It’s the same reason why when people message me asking for behavior and training advice, I give them advice but also ask that they find a professional to train with. I’m typically met by a disgruntled and insulted handler telling me, “but I know what I’m doing!”  

Do you though?

As a trainer, I can walk into a home and analyze a situation free from bias and emotion. I have no involvement with the dog or the other people/animals in the household. I see what’s in front of me and that’s it. 

Dog owners almost always operate out of emotion rather than logic when with their dogs, leading to all sorts of misjudgments and situational bias. It’s very hard for them to take a step back and THINK rather than FEEL and make judgments off of that. I’m very guilty of it too. It’s why I take my dogs to see other trainers! They’ll tell me the same things that I tell other people, which I was somehow incapable of telling myself. 

Taking classes and private lessons from other trainers will also help you grow as a trainer! Everyone has a different set of beliefs, a different set of experiences, and different solutions to the same problem. Just last week I met with another trainer for my little problem child. He had me approach a situation in a totally opposite manner than I had been previously taught– and you know what? IT WORKED. Now I can add that method to my mental toolbox so I can later help dogs with similar issues.
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As trainers, we should never stop learning. Sure books and videos help, but there’s no better way to learn than hands-on learning fro another individual. Taking your dogs to see other dog trainers is the best way to do that.

Living in a multi-dog household is a balancing act. People often wonder if they are doing their dogs justice, and at what point have they reached too many dogs?

I’m going to be completely honest and say I have a lot of dogs. I’m not going to disclose how many, but it’s common for people to walk in my house and start trying to count how many fuzzy four-legged creatures are running around. It’s almost immediately followed by, “Oh my gosh. You have so many dogs!” or for those who aren’t fond of all the puppy kisses, it’s the infamous “You have way too many dogs” comment. However, my many aren’t too many. After reading this article, you’ll understand why.

On the other hand, I’ve walked into a house with just 2-3 dogs and it’s very clear even that is just too much for their owner to handle. However, these owners typically don’t seem to realize it.

So… why is it that 10 dogs can live together happily without any doubt there are too many dogs in the home, and 3 can push an owner overboard? How do you know when many has become too many?

I always like to start with basic care. Do you have the time, money, and energy to provide food, water, shelter, and veterinary care to all the dogs in the home? Every single dog in the household should have a proper body condition score, they should be fed a quality diet, they should appear active and healthy for their breed, and they should be up to date on shots and vaccines. If an owner needs to start skimping on food costs by feeding their dogs a poor quality kibble just so everyone gets fed, then many has started to become too many. If an owner starts skipping yearly wellness exams and vaccines because it’s too costly to provide it to every dog, then many is clearly too many. While I’m all for dog owners saving money by administering vaccines themselves if they have the knowledge and skill set to do so, all dogs should still have a wellness exam each year.

All dogs should also have a space to call their own. Every dog should have an adequately sized crate or ex-pen that belongs to them and only them. This helps minimize conflict in a multi-dog household, and it gives dogs a safe place to retreat to when needed. It’s also recommended all meals are fed in dogs’ individual crates. If there are so many dogs in a house that dogs have to live outside, be moved into the garage, or share crates/safe spaces due to lack of physical space in the house, then many has become too many.

I understand dogs get messy. However, all dogs deserve to live life with a clean, well-maintained coat free from any tangles, mats, dirt, and impacted undercoat. Nails should also be well-kept so they don’t touch the floor. Even with my busy schedule and a house full of pets, every single dog gets brushed out regularly, their paws, ears, and sanitary are kept neatly trimmed, and their nails are ground down to tiny little nubs at least once a week (some dogs get their nails done every few days). They also get their teeth brushed regularly. It breaks my heart walking into homes where dogs are dirty, matted, their toes splay outward in funny directions due to severely overgrown nails, and their teeth are full of tartar from lack of care. If an owner can’t provide basic upkeep for their dogs, then many has become too many.

All dogs should be given the proper amount of exercise and mental stimulation. Dogs who aren’t exercised regularly and given something for their brains to do often suffer from anxiety, hyperactivity, and depression. This can cause numerous issues for the individual dog, issues for other dogs in the household, and issues for the dog’s owner. Dogs who are given the proper amount of exercise and mental stimulation are happier, more relaxed, and in turn, better behaved. If an owner finds themselves unable to adequately exercise their dogs’ minds and bodies on a daily basis, then many has become too many.

On that note, all dogs should have received (and continue to receive) basic obedience and house training. Every dog should know commands like sit, down, stay, come, leave it, and how to walk on a leash. Training is a great way to bond with your dog, and it helps them live a happy life with their human families. Dogs should also be potty trained so they know how to keep their living area clean and smell-free. If an owner gets to the point where there are so many dogs in the house they can’t provide basic training for all of them, many has become too many.
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Finally, each and every dog deserves individual love and attention daily. For my crew of pups, this is at least 30 minutes of alone time with me (usually spent walking, training, playing fetch in the backyard, going for an adventure, etc). If a household has so many dogs that they never get a decent amount of one-on-one time with their people and are instead expected to constantly share you with a house full of dogs all eager for love and attention, then many has most certainly become too many.

​Foot injuries are painful, often difficult to treat, hard to keep clean, and are just an all-around pain for both the dog and owner to deal with.  Having dealt with multiple foot injuries with my working and sport dogs, I want to share a little bit of helpful info on how to prevent these types of injuries. It all starts with basic nail and foot maintenance.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep your puppy’s nails trimmed.  I handle all my puppies’ paws and toes from an early age to prepare them for regular trims. With the dogs I breed, nail trimming starts as early as 2 weeks.  From there, I trim every few days to every week depending on how fast my dogs’ nails grow.  Every dog is different.  The general rule of thumb is to keep nails short enough that you can’t hear them walking on hard surfaces. If you hear a “click click” whenever your dog walks across your hardwood floors… his nails are too long!

When nails are too long, dogs have a harder time gripping on slippery surfaces, their toes splay outward (which greatly damages joints), their nails are prone to splitting open, and it can cause painful arthritis and even skeletal damage!So what happens if you have a dog whose nails are already too long and he doesn’t want them trimmed?  There are two ways you can handle this… strap him to a grooming table, have a friend wrestle him down, hold his paws tightly, and cut; OR slowly desensitize him to the clippers, trimming maybe one or two toes at a time for a few weeks.  I’ve done it both ways, and both the dog and I much prefer the later.

The trick to getting your dog to let you trim his nails is making it a pleasant experience.  Seems simple, but if your pup hates having his feet touched then we will have to go a few steps back…

Remember... SLOW IS FAST!
1)  Try teaching your dog a “paw” command and rewarding for how long he will keep his paw in your hand. You want him to understand that him having his paw in your hand is the best thing ever!

2)  Start fiddling gently with the paw and rewarding. Pinch his toes (gently) and in between his paw pads. This is also a good opportunity for you to inspect your dog’s paw pads and nails to check for any injuries and damages. Do this weekly if you have pets, and every few days if you have active dogs, working dogs, or sport dogs.

3)  Once your dog is comfortable with you messing with his feet and toes, bring out the nail clipper.  At first, simply reward him for letting you touch the clipper to his toes.  Don’t actually trim yet. Do this as many times as possible, and remember to keep things POSITIVE!

4)  If you and your dog are ready to move forward, make a very small cut just on the edge of his nail.  Immediately reward and try again on a different paw.  If your dog is feeling stressed, end things on a high note and try again the next day, this time doing more than one nail, and gradually going deeper towards the quick. Make a goal for trimming one paw per day.  If this is too much, break it down by toes. At breakfast, call him over and trim one of his toes. Reward! If you are sitting watching TV on the couch, call him over and trim another. Reward! At dinner, do another. Reward! At bedtime… you get the idea :)

5)  After he is comfortable with this schedule, move to trimming only the front/back, and eventually to all four paws in one session. If ever your dog starts getting stressed, start the process over and take things slower. Even dogs who are terrified of having their nails done can learn that nail time is a great experience.

NOTE: If your dog has a preexisting fear of the nail clippers (as many dogs do), start bringing them out and treating whenever they come out. Pull the nail clippers out, drop a treat. Eventually, encourage your dog to interact with you while you have them in your hand. Plenty of treats and praise. Once he learns that nail clippers are not a scary thing, start over with the steps above.

It’s so important to frequently mess around with your dog’s paws, and reward for doing so!  You can also bring out the trimmers while you mess with his paws so he doesn’t associate the trimmers with solely nail time.  Frequently touch the trimmer to his nail without cutting to remind him that it’s okay.
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ALL quicks can recede. It will take time. It will take patience. However, they WILL recede eventually. As your dog gets more comfortable with you trimming his nails regularly, start carefully shaving the nail away from the quick like the image below shows. Do not actually cut the quick! The goal here is to cut part of the nail away, exposing the tissue of the quick. This will cause it to dry up and die.

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.
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💛 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.

I’d like to talk a little bit about service dog behavior.  Many of you have probably read my Fake Service Dogs post that I wrote last year.  It currently has over 100,000 notes; many of which agreeing with my standpoint, some trying to argue otherwise, and a few who say something to the effect of “Not all service dogs will behave as well as yours.  But it doesn’t mean they are fakes.”  While that may be true, I found these comments in particular highly alarming.

It is our duty as service dog handlers to maintain the high reputation that legitimate service dog teams carry.  This means our dogs are trained to the highest of standards.  While the ADA only requires that a service dog be task trained and non-disruptive in public, that is the minimum.  At an absolute MINIMUM, your dog must be able to stay within a relatively close distance to you, not potty indoors, not knock over merchandise, not jump on or sniff other people, and not show any signs of aggression towards people or other animals.  I know a few of you are probably thinking, “My dog does all this. Now get off my case.”  But again, that is the minimum training a dog must receive.  And honestly, I’d be embarrassed to work a dog like that.

In reality, ALL service dogs (no matter the breed of dog or the tasks they perform) should be able to do the following before going into non-pet friendly places…

A service dog should remain within one foot of it’s handler at all times unless performing a task directly related to the handler’s disability.  This helps prevent the dog from getting in the way of others or causing more of a traffic jam than a dog in public already causes.  Nothing looks worse than a dog who is lagging behind its handler, forging ahead, or sloppily heeling two feet out from his handler’s left side.  It’s unprofessional.

A service dog should be able to walk loosely on a leash, unless performing a trained momentum pull or guide task.  NEVER should a service dog look like it’s pulling its handler.  Even if you are using a traffic lead to keep him close, your dog should know how to heel… period!  Some of you might be laughing or calling a team like this an obvious fake, but I’ve seen legitimate service dogs pulling at their leashes all too often. 

A service dog should be able to completely ignore distractions. It’s not enough that a service dog doesn’t lunge towards or bark at people/dogs who pass by.  Expressing anything more than a casual interest in something, or slightly flinching when surprised, is really not okay.  If another dog walks by, a service dog might cock his head in the dog’s direction, but he should immediately (without correction) be able to refocus back to his handler within a second.  Same thing with noisy kids, drive by petters, dropped food, etc.  If your dog cannot learn to ignore distractions, he is not cut out for being a service dog.  I’ve seen many responsible handlers wash out dogs who were too high strung, rowdy, fearful, or otherwise too distracting to be in a public setting.  It sucks, but it’s part of being a service dog handler… nobody said it was going to be easy.

A service dog should be able to hold a long down stay in public settings.  (I’d like to add that service dogs should be able to tuck underneath a table or chair while doing so, but I know some giant breeds are incapable of this. In which case, they should be able to hold their down stay besides a table or in between two chairs until asked to get up.) Call me nosy or judgmental, but it can be so annoying looking over at a service dog team where the handler keeps having to remind his/her dog to lay down every 5 minutes.  It is distracting, sloppy, and unprofessional.  Holding a down stay is such an important piece of public access training!  Side note: a service dog should NOT be begging for food or receiving food either.  Ideally, a service dog should be able to curl up under a table and go to sleep (or remain still/quiet) for however long the handler remains seated unless the dog needs to get up and perform a task.

A service dog should be able to respond quickly and eagerly to their handler’s commands no matter the situation.  I’ve trained some very stubborn dogs before, but if a handler has to throw out rapid-fire commands (“Sit. Sit! Fido SIT! NO! Come on… SIT! SITTT!!!”) in order for the dog to respond to their commands, then the dog is not ready for public access.  Walking around constantly throwing out words to remind your dog what he should be doing looks sloppy.

Finally, a service dog team should give an overall look of dignity and professionalism.  Dogs should be clean and well kept.  Nails should be trimmed, coat should be clean and shiny, they shouldn’t smell, and shouldn’t be shedding all over the place because they haven’t been brushed recently.  By owning a service dog, you are representing not only yourselves as a team, but the entire service dog community.  
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Think about it, seeing a service dog team is not a common thing for the general public. Thus, it is important we and our canine partners give excellent first impressions.

In order to have a service dog, you must be legally disabled. Disabilities can be visible (blind, wheelchair-bound, you need a cane to walk, etc) or invisible (anxiety, depression, hearing impaired, chronic pain, seizure disorders, allergies, etc, etc). A disability is defined as a condition which substantially limits or prevents one or more major life activities. Major life activities as defined by the ADA include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. If your doctor can attest to this, then you qualify for a service dog. If not, I’m sorry, you do NOT qualify and should not get a service dog.

The next step to obtaining a service dog is to talk to your doctor and get his approval. If you are going through a program, your doctor will most likely have to write a recommendation for you stating why you need a service dog. This is not needed if you are owner training, but it is needed if you plan to attend private schools/universities with your service dog or live in non pet friendly housing. Once you and your doctor are on the same page about you getting a service dog, you need to think about what the service dog would be trained to do. Think about what you cannot do for yourself, or all the ways that your disability limits your life. Once you have that list, next to each item write a task that a service dog could be trained to help. For example, if you have a seizure disorder, a service dog can be trained to alert you to oncoming seizures so you have time to make it to a safe place or take medication. If you have an anxiety disorder a service dog can be trained to alert to oncoming panic attacks, provide tactile stimuli for grounding, guide you out of a certain location, etc. The possibilities are endless! Be creative, but also be realistic.

Once you have your list of tasks down, it’s time to start searching for a dog! If you have never owned a service dog before, or do not have EXTENSIVE dog training knowledge/experience, then I highly recommend going through a program. Programs typically have a 1-3 year wait list, and prices range from $7,000-30,000 depending on the program and the tasks you need to be trained. If however, you feel confident that you can train your own service dog, then you can explore the option of owner training. Even owner training requires help though. It is always best to enroll in obedience classes and work with a professional service dog trainer. Keep in mind though that the cost to buy, train, and care for your service dog prospect will usually equate to the same (or sometimes more!) as purchasing a program trained dog. Seeing as it takes 2-3 years minimum to fully train a service dog, the wait time will also be the same or more as a program dog. The only difference is the heartache involved. VERY few dogs have what it takes to be a service dog. It’s always best to prepare for one or more washout candidates before you end up with “the one.” What are you going to do with the dog(s) that couldn’t make it through training and have had to be washed out from service work? Can you keep them? Will you have to rehome them? If so, where would they go?

Please note that I am NOT trying to discourage anyone from owner training, I’m just trying to state the facts and help you in whatever path you decide to take. Faith was owner trained on my first attempt, but I was very lucky. Several service dog handlers can attest to this. I know more handlers than not that were not so lucky and have ended up with multiple washout candidates that have had to be re-homed, surrendered to the shelter, or kept. 
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I wish you the best of luck on your service dog journey! I’m always here if anyone has any questions or need help along the way.

You’re sitting at a cafe with your friend when suddenly a woman walks in with a toy poodle in her purse. The manager at the counter informs her “I’m sorry, but we do not allow dogs”. She replies with a heavy sigh and a “She’s a service dog. She can come with me”. Not knowing much about service dog law, and worrying about getting sued for asking further questions, he sits this woman down at a booth. There, she promptly unzips her purse and places the dog on the booth seat next to her. When the woman’s food comes out, the little dog begs and she feeds her bits off her plate. This dog is not public access trained, and proceeds to bark at those who walk by. This dog is a nuisance and causes many in the restaurant to complain. The manager cannot do anything but inform the unhappy customers that this is a service dog, so he can’t ask her to leave. In the end, it’s the customers who end up leaving.

Now I walk in with my highly trained service dog pressed against my leg in a perfect heel position, and I’m quickly bombarded by the manager telling me “No dogs! No dogs! We ALL know what happened last time”. Confused, I tell him “This is my medical alert and medical response service dog. Her right to accompany me is protected under federal law.” With a sigh, he seats me at a table far away from others where my dog promptly tucks under my feet, out of sight. When my food arrives my dog is still tucked tightly under the table because she knows she’s not supposed to eat when she’s on duty. She stays there ignoring those who walk past for the remainder of my meal. When we leave, a woman by the door exclaims “Woah, I didn’t know there was a dog here!”

See the difference?

Scenario number two occurs at a local grocery store when a man decides to bring his certified emotional support animal into the store with him. Upon entering he flashes a fancy ID card and certification papers. This dog is not as unruly as the first, but he still forges ahead of his handler, sniffs the food on display, and may seek attention from those who walk past. You find this dog adorable, and when he and his owner walk past you ask to pet him. The owner says yes and explains how all he had to do was go online, register his dog, and a few weeks later they sent him a vest, ID card, and certification papers.

Now I pull into the same grocery store. I’m in a rush to get an ingredient for a dish I’m making so I hurry into the store with my service dog next to me. I’m quickly stopped by a manager who demands to see my service dog’s certification card. Remember, this is NOT required by law, and most real service dog teams don’t have them. After 15 minutes of trying to educate, pulling up the ADA website on my phone, back and forth bickering, and drawing more of a crowd than I want to describe… I’m finally allowed in. I grab my ingredient, stand in line (where my service dog obediently moves between my legs to make space for those around me), and I get bombarded by people asking to pet my dog. I explain that she’s working, she has a very important job to do, and she’s not allowed to be pet while on duty. People walk away grumbling and complaining about how rude I was when other handlers like the man they met earlier allow their dog to be pet.
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Moral of the story? Fake service dogs create real problems. The ones who are impacted the most are the true service dog handlers who rely on their dogs every day to help mitigate their disability. How would you feel if everywhere you went, you couldn’t make it 10 feet in the door because people were asking you questions? Imagine how much time that would take out of your already hectic day. Businesses lose customers because word gets out that there are unruly dogs in their store, customers become misinformed and start thinking some of these behaviors are okay, some people even start to believe the lies that anyone can just register their dog online and make him a service dog. The result? MORE fake service dogs. MORE real problems.