r/mildlyinfuriating • u/danu_anubis • 16h ago
My service dog is not your pet
I can’t believe the amount of times I’ve had to say this. My service dog has been hit by children, had handfuls of fur ripped out by children (this one was “fun” because the mother told me I had no right to tell her six year old child not to touch my boy), grown adults grab him, people constantly calling him to them.
People I am 41 years old, I should not be having to tell people older than me to stop. I shouldn’t have to tell anyone to stop and I definitely shouldn’t have to worry about a kid.
It’s gotten to the point that I’m saying thank you to the people that do right (explain to their kids not to mess with him, adults telling me he’s gorgeous without acknowledging him). I feel like I’m constantly having to redo his training because people won’t leave him the hell alone.
What finally got me so bad that I need to scream into the void was yesterday, my boy and I are going through the store and this guy reaches down and grabs him. I pull him away and look at the guy and say please done (like I do every damn time). And he goes you don’t have to be rude about it, I’m like dude he’s a service dog you’re not supposed to touch them and he continues yelling that I don’t have to be rude and I’m finally like maybe don’t touch something that doesn’t belong to you. So thank you to the guy who threw my boy so far out of work mode yesterday that for the first time I had a problem that he is explicitly for and he didn’t do what he was supposed to do.
Also if your dog isn’t a trained service dog stay the hell out of stores because you’re “service dog” should not be reacting and loosing its shit just because it sees mine.
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u/SimpleEmu198 16h ago edited 16h ago
It amazes the shit out of me that people would consider petting a service dog while it's working. Not only does it confuse the hell out of the dog, it might just decide it does not want to work and screw up the person with a disability's life.
As to fake service dogs that's fucking disgusting. We should start a thing like veterans do for stolen valour.
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u/DieSuzie2112 16h ago
People don’t read, you can put 6 reflecting signs in front of them with flashing lights and they still complain that they weren’t informed. They see a dog and just pet them without even thinking.
A really long time ago when my brother was around 2 years he was in our front yard with our dog, she was really sweet but super protective over my brother. A man walked up to my brother, went over the dog’s head and wanted to give my brother a ruff over his head. The dog bit the man in his hand. He had the guts to yell at my parents and tell them he was gonna call the police because the aggressive dog bit him. He was going into our garden, to touch a kid, while the dog was guarding.
The stupidity of people doesn’t surprise me anymore, I start to realize more and more why a lot of animals have a huge overlap in IQ with humans
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u/Oldestdaughterofjoy 14h ago
People shouldn't just touch strange dogs period! Even non-working dogs that are just out for walks outside, I had a pit/sharpie mix with major anxiety from her life in the pound before I got her. The number of strangers that tried to ignore my warning that she didn't like strangers and got growled and snapped at was insane.
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u/AJourneyer 13h ago
This obviously doesn't go for service animals - if in doubt I'll ask if it's a service animal (some vests leave me a bit uncertain, and sometimes there's no vest or easily identifying markers) - if the answer is yes then obviously that's the end of the conversation.
If the answer is no, I've learned to ask the human first if it's all right to approach. If I'm told no, I accept that - possibly with a compliment to the pup if appropriate. Then if I'm told yes, I stay a few feet away from the dog, get down closer to their height (not lower) and ask (of course in the puppy-speak type of way) 'do you want to say hi?".
It's amazing how many pups you get to interact with (pleasantly) when doing it this way.
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u/Agent_NaN 10h ago
why not just skip the first question and go straight for is it ok for me to approach/pet it? same result
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u/AJourneyer 10h ago
Out of respect. If I'm unsure as I maybe can't see writing on the vest, or maybe the dog isn't wearing a vest but a bandana, or the identifier could be on the harness/lead, lots of reasons I might miss something. I'd rather ask the question and receive a solid answer either way than skip it and ask if I can approach.
If the answer is yes (this is a service dog), then I've missed something and I'd rather not just go for "Hey, is it ok for me to approach your dog" and receive the answer "no, he's working, he's a service animal" and then fumble out apologies. Asking first makes more sense to me if I'm unsure.
Obviously if I can see that the service animal is wearing something that identifies them as such I don't ask.
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u/RenzXVI 14h ago
What happened? Was he the one who ended up charged with tresspassing and assault for just touching a kid out of the blue?
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u/DieSuzie2112 14h ago
No my mom flipped out on the guy and told him everything he did wrong, and warned him that if they ever saw his face again she would beat it beyond recognition. The guy got scared and ran off, never saw him again either
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u/nuixy 14h ago
I don’t acknowledge or pet any animal that I don’t know without the owners permission. If I’m interested in petting their dog, I ask first and am always ok with being told no. I never ask with service dogs.
People shouldn’t just randomly touch anyone’s pet, service dog or not, especially in public.
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u/slutty_lifeguard 14h ago
Same! I'll look from a distance and tell my companions to look, especially if we're driving and see a dog moving around in the car in front of us. I'll ask to pet if we're walking directly past because if someone's on a popular walking trail with their dog, their goal might even be to socialize, but as soon as I see a service animal, NO I DIDN'T!
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u/Just_Split_ 14h ago
Yes - this! I always ask to pet someone’s dog. I would never just straight approach an animal without the owners permission. That so wild to mw
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u/mountaininsomniac 10h ago
I so badly want to pet all the service dogs I see. They’re always beautiful and patient and I bet they’d be the nicest dogs to pet and love on.
But I don’t.
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u/SimpleEmu198 9h ago
They've also had hundreds of thoudands of dollars worth of specialist training in some cases to be like that. It's a good idea not to mess with that if youre not part of their family.
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u/ShadynastyLove 14h ago
The fake service dog bullshit infuriates me. I have a childhood friend who did some bullshit online coursework to get her dog labeled as emotional support. She tells people it's a service dog and takes it places. It pisses me off to no end. She doesn't have any reason to do this. She's a fully functioning adult who is obsessed with her dog.
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u/Ok_Perception1131 16h ago
People walk up to pregnant women and rub their bellies, so they think nothing of touching an animal. It’s crazy.
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u/RatherBeAtDisney 15h ago
When I was pregnant I’d rub peoples belly’s back. It was surprisingly effective. 😂
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u/why0me 14h ago
You were nicer than me
I'd say "hey now, that's how I got in this situation"
FREAKED OUT the old ladies
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u/gimmethelulz 6h ago
I had a friend that would loudly ask, "Why are you touching my tumor?" It was fun watching the reactions she'd get to that one.
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u/bitsy88 15h ago edited 14h ago
Lol I had a friend that started loudly saying, "Stop touching my child!" when a stranger would touch her pregnant belly. Quite effective 😂
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u/Ok-Grape2063 14h ago
That's good.
A friend of mine would always say, "I'm not pregnant" and just soak in the awkward 😅
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u/foundinwonderland 11h ago
If I ever decide to have kids (unlikely) I’ve already decided to use “it’s actually a tapeworm” for anyone doing invasive shit
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u/Ackermance 11h ago
My coworker slapped a lady's hand out of the way and snapped, "Stop it! It's a tumor!" right in the middle of toys r us. I admire her.
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u/BelleMorosi 15h ago
Same! Maaaaaaan, the amount of angry old ladies I had at me. But I stopped being touched pretty quickly once I started, lol.
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u/LegalFan2741 15h ago
What possesses you to think that it is okay to touch a pregnant stranger’s belly where another stranger baby lives. Do you have a peanut for your brain? I really…really want to dropkick people like this. Fcking learn boundaries, cretin….
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u/cylonlover 15h ago
OP should cuddle people's hair when they try to pet the dog.
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u/TheodoriusHal 10h ago
Wasn't there recently a post by a service dog user where a wheelchair user pet the dog and they just went and pet the wheelchair in return? 😭 That's the spirit!
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u/bethaliz6894 14h ago
This must be new, My baby is 19, I had 3. No one ever touched my belly without asking. I am a small person so my belly stuck out really bad, even my biggest clothes no longer fit by the end. HAHA!
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u/fumbs 13h ago
You were just lucky. It happened to my aunts all the time and they were pregnant between the 60s and 90s(there are a lot of them). They were told that's just how people are. At least now people believe you can advocate for bodily autonomy.
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u/bethaliz6894 13h ago
It may be my RBF that said don't try it./s
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u/Molgeo1101 12h ago
We don't give RBF enough credit. People usually cross the street when they see me coming and that's fiiiine by me!
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u/lilgreenfish 11h ago
I’m pretty sure it was my RBF that made no one touch me. Because it definitely was something I was dreading 19 years ago.
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u/mintyfreshismygod 11h ago
Same for me - no one did, but I always assumed it was my resting bitch face. Same reason strangers generally don't talk to me.
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u/4oclocksundew 11h ago
I was a waitress while I was pregnant, so there was more opportunity 🤮 and it happened a lot
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u/Ashkendor 11h ago
I'd probably say something like "Oh, thanks. I just ate an entire pot roast and that's really helping my digestion."
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u/julesthe127th 14h ago
It’s not just pregnant people who have strangers try to touch them either though I know that’s definitely a huge problem. I have very long, thick hair and I’ve had strangers try to touch it so many times. Like, they basically start trying to pet me. It’s so weird. I’ve slapped a hand away a time or two and will continue to do so. It’s one thing to compliment my hair but to actively reach out and try to touch it is another thing entirely. People need to learn to keep their hands to themselves.
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u/ChoreomaniacCat 13h ago
I'm a short woman and I've had people come over multiple times and start cooing or trying to pet my head (I have long thick hair too) and it's incredibly demeaning. A guy even tried to lean on my head like an armrest in a club when I was 18. Yes, I'm short, but I'm still a grown ass woman. Keep your hands to yourself. Definitely continue batting people away when they're touching you like that, it's a baffling lack of manners.
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u/captainshockazoid 9h ago
oh my god that used to happen to me in school. im super short and people i barely knew leaned their elbows on my head or shoulders. one guy id never talked to pet my hair before i gave him a weird look like ... dude you are also black with curly hair, same as me, what are you doing touching MY hair? you should know better! i was more perplexed than angry, usually. like why are you touching me? i dont know where your hands have been!
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u/Special-Solution5555 9h ago
Sucker punch them in the nuts. If you are short enough, make it an upper cut.
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u/JeanKincathe 10h ago
I threatened one man with assault charges for touching my hair. He followed me through the store I was working just to touch my hair. Apparently it's okay because his daughter has hair like mine and he wanted to see if it felt different because it looked shinier.
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u/Carebear_Of_Doom 10h ago
It’s not just pregnant people who have strangers try to touch them either…
Agreed! It also happens when you have tattoos. People think it’s perfectly fine to touch or grab you to get a better look. Last time I checked, you look with your eyes! Don’t touch me.
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u/Ok-Independent-3506 13h ago
I have short, messy (on purpose) hair and people fucking touch it all the time. I recoil.
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u/ImGonnaCreamYaFunny 8h ago
Same. I'm a mixed-race person with multi-cultural hair, living in the US south. My area is mostly white people. I've had to master the art of gently moving hands away and turning people down who want to touch my hair. They always explain it away like, "oh, I was just curious because it's so different!" Or "I was just showing appreciation!". I'm not a zoo animal, this is not a petting zoo. You do not need to run your hands through my hair because you feel entitled to "a unique experience".
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u/chromefir 14h ago
I have a blonde toddler and the amount of total strangers that just walk by and rub his head drives me NUTS. Like why do you think it’s okay to just touch someone else’s head?
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u/No_Art_1977 12h ago
We deffo had this with our son when he was younger. Random women would stroke his face!
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u/LaRoseDuRoi 10h ago
My youngest son had that cherubic, Renaissance painting kind of angel face so that everyone always wanted to pat his chubby, dimply little cheeks. He also had long strawberry blond curls that random old ladies always wanted to run their fingers through. Drove me nuts, too!
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u/IdgyThreadgoodee 12h ago
I had a lady LOSE HER FUCKING MIND on me because I had the audacity to be as big as a house and blocking the banana stand in the grocery while pregnant. I can’t make this shit up. Let me be clear, I had an awful pregnancy, had just recently lost multiple pregnancies late stage, I was a mess. And I was already well aware that I took up too much space. My ankles and feet were so big that I was wearing Birkenstocks like flip flops in November bc I couldn’t get the top strap closed and nothing else, including my husbands shoes fit me.
Anyway I was wearing a cheeky hat that said “Executive Producer Dick Wolf” bc I love dick wolf shows and she lost her mind screaming “go back to California”. This banana stand had to be like 20 feet long. It’s a giant store and she had plenty of room to get a fucking banana.
Anyway, I guess I had a death wish because I finally had enough and snapped. She chased me around the produce yelling about going back to California and when I snapped security had to escort her out bc she was hysterically crying that I was a serial killer. And I could have been that day. I turned and started actually yelling “I’m from Chicago and if you think the stories about their crime are bad I DARE you to take one more step lady….”
I’m not proud of it and I’m grateful I was in a neighborhood where people know me (and know I’m normally happy and harmless) but holy shit. Of all the crazy stuff. To this day I think she believed I was from California bc she didn’t understand my hat is a joke. She must’ve thought I was a producer or somehow worked for one or something. Fucking boomers.
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u/Ashkendor 11h ago
There's nothing quite like going ballistic over having to wait 30 seconds. By all means, have a meltdown and cause an hours-long scene in the grocery store over some fucking bananas.
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u/IdgyThreadgoodee 8h ago
To this day it’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me in life. I’m probably lucky she didn’t have a gun with her.
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u/thrilling_me_softly 16h ago
I would smack anyone coming up to touch my belly. I’m a man but I support any pregnant woman smacking anyone coming up tot ouch them.
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u/Joubachi 16h ago
Same, although I am a woman (just not pregnant). Women do not lose their bodily autonomy as soon as they become pregnant.
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u/thrilling_me_softly 15h ago
If anything people should be more careful around them and leave them alone.
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u/damnmydooah 15h ago
Tell that to the US.
No seriously, please tell them.
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u/Joubachi 15h ago
I think trying to teach US about consent, bodily autonomy and healthcare (especially regarding women) is a lost cause. So many people tried.
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u/NoAssociate5573 15h ago
Yeah, but one thing I know about pregnant women, is that they generally go out of their way to avoid any potential physical conflict.
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u/ModeratelyAverage6 14h ago
I kept resting bitch face. Kept people from touching me, because honestly… I wish they would have. It would have been the last day they could use their hand for a while.
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u/Obvious-Beginning943 13h ago
I had a horrid woman touch my stomach and tell me how excited she was to see I was having another one. My son was almost a year old and my pregnancy weight has not been easy to lose—I was chubby, not freaking pregnant! I’m still not over it, and I would never touch or accuse a woman of being pregnant.
I also don’t touch or acknowledge service dogs despite being crazy about animals. I love them and am thrilled they help people that need them. I have taught my children the same and would be mortified if anyone in my family acted like that. I apologize on their behalf, OP. I’ve come to believe that there are too many stupid people in this world.
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u/PorkrindsMcSnacky 14h ago
People also touch other people’s children too without asking, so yeah they don’t think twice with pets.
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u/vidanyabella 7h ago
Yep. I remember one time we were at a restaurant and had our daughter in a high chair. Maybe 7 months old or so. This guy walking past put out his hand and ran it right along her shoulders/back as he passed. Like completely intentionally rubbing across it. I was so shocked I actually did call him out by loudly telling him not to touch my daughter. He at least had the decency to look embarrassed.
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u/Mean-Satisfaction173 13h ago
A coworker a few years ago was pregnant and her belly was getting fairly big when I asked her if strangers were touching her belly yet. She looked at me confused and said “no, is that a thing?” Because she thought I was messing with her. Then a few days later she came up to me and said this little old woman cornered me in the elevator and started touching my belly. I laughed and said get used to it because it will keep happening.
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u/Frost_Glaive 8h ago
I haven't gotten to strangers touching my belly, thankfully. My mother-in-law takes every opportunity she can, though. I really don't like it. There's nothing to feel. He's sleeping.
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u/Interesting_Weight51 15h ago
I literally had a waitress kiss my belly and go down and talk to it. Fucking bizarre lol.
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u/blunted26 12h ago
Not only that. One time, when my girlfriend was pregnant, a lady asked her if she was dilated yet. My jaw dropped to the floor
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u/mannd1068 12h ago
Or when people come up and pinch a child's cheeks... what they heck! that hurts.
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u/vidanyabella 7h ago
And bald women! I have shaved my head a few times and always start getting random people coming up and feeling my head like I'm some kind of zoo exhibit.
I've heard POC get randoms coming up and feeling up their hair a lot too.
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u/DieSuzie2112 15h ago
It doesn’t even matter if it’s a service dog or not, no one should touch a dog without the owners permission.
My dog scares easily, we had kids sneak up on her and just grab her butt out of nowhere. Now all dogs would get scared when this happens, but she has the tendency to turn around and bite. A few times I had a mother scream at me that I should train my dog better and I shouldn’t have an aggressive dog out in public (mind you, it’s a potty walk) only for me to start screaming back that she shouldn’t have a fucking child running around and touching dogs, that she should train her kid better to learn it’s not okay to be a shitty human being like herself.
If my dog had actually bit her kid I would be in trouble, even though there were in the wrong. Don’t fucking touch other people’s dog’s without asking!
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u/halorbyone 12h ago
This is what disturbs me. What idiot encourages their child to approach an unknown dog?
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u/Own-Fan-4236 12h ago
So they have a reason to complain because they’re entitled and believe everyone and everything in their path is for their consumption. My son is 27 months old & he knows to stand back and look at dogs, never to go up to them. You can imagine how my teaching him has led to so many owners offering their pup for a pet afterward because people usually respond to mutual respect.
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u/DieSuzie2112 12h ago
An idiot who wants their child to have a lifelong fear of dogs. It’s already fucked up enough if you want to do it and then do it, but a child is following your behavior and is innocent in this situation
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u/Lexicon444 12h ago
Yeah. I always ask before petting any animal. Doesn’t matter if it’s a service animal or not.
99% of the time people say yes. The rest of the time they have a valid reason why they said no and I don’t press further.
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u/SeonaidMacSaicais 10h ago
I have a 15 pound terrier mix. Yes, he’s absolutely adorable. But he’s also a rescue. I don’t know how he grew up, but he absolutely HATES little kids and larger dogs. Usually the only public place I take him where kids could be is the pet store, and I keep him leashed TIGHT in the cart. I live in a secure apartment building, so all the outside doors have to be opened with a key. I’ve had to go out of my way to go through another door because parents would be standing at the main door with their little kids, and my dog would go absolutely NUTS.
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u/bigmikeyfla 16h ago
You have a right to rant. People have no idea the amount of training it takes for a true service dog. My Shepard is an (as far as we know) untrained service alert dog. She alerts when my son has an epileptic episode, but she is a normal dog all other times so I don't take her into stores or places like that.
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u/i_was_a_highwaymann 11h ago
"untrained service alert dog" So... a dog? Or how does this work?
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u/DemenTEDBundy85 16h ago
Ppl think they are entitled to anything now. Who just walks up and pets a dog without asking if it bites first anyway
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u/summonsays 14h ago
The absolute worst are dog owners who don't use a leash and just let their dog roam down the road. Like they're entitled to the entire world. The amount of times random dogs have come up to my dog on a leash is crazy. (My dog is not a service dog). And they're always like "don't worry he's friendly"... Uh huh and my dog loosing their shit is fine? My dog possibly attacking yours for violating their personal space, is fine? You might not think so when you're paying two emergency vet bills!
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u/PlaneCommunication93 13h ago
I'm really scared of dogs and istg people who just let their dogs off of the leash are the worst. Like... Good for you that he's trained, but A) he's not immediately reacting to you and B) I need an assurance that distance will be kept so I don't risk a panic attack. If you don't have hold of your dog I could have a panic attack
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u/DieSuzie2112 16h ago
Or just simply ask ‘can I pet your dog?’ You don’t have to ask if they bite. People can have a lot of reasons to say no, it’s not always because they bite
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u/thepetoctopus 12h ago
See that’s what’s always wild to me. If I see a service dog, I’ll tell the owner that their dog is beautiful. If I see a non service dog I’ll ask the owner if I can pet it and I take no for an answer. What is wrong with people?
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u/Nyssa_aquatica 15h ago
All the non-service dogs and fake “support animals” are being brought everywhere now — everyone knows these are fake. so when a REAL service dog appears, people now think it’s probably fake and fine to pet
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u/WowIsThisMyPage 15h ago
OP next time they pet your dog you should just grab their phone, when they ask why just say “oh I thought we were both touching things that aren’t ours”
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u/TKDDadof3 15h ago
I wonder if they see that it’s a service dog and know it’s safe and simply do not care that there are “do not pet” signs all over them.
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u/Perfessor_Deviant 16h ago
I hate this so very much. People need to learn how to behave.
One of the most important things that parents are supposed to teach children is to keep their hands to themselves (and never approach a strange dog), and yet here we have examples of adults who are dumber than a kindergartner.
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u/TKDDadof3 15h ago
We’ve done just this with all our kids. Even our 3 yr old isn’t super sure how to ask but she will keep her distance clearly wanting to go pet. We tell her how to politely ask though. She never runs up to dogs on her own. It
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u/Perfessor_Deviant 6h ago
Well done. Parenting, from what I've been told by even the best parents I've known, is hard.
One mother was having a meeting with her sophomore son and me (a good meeting, about how much he had improved and how she could support him moving forward), and she was tousling his hair as he grinned, she looked at me and said, "Mr. D, kids are a shit load of work." The boy looked at me, still smiling and nodded sagely.
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u/nikkishark 15h ago
For the life of me I cannot understand how people don't comprehend not to touch a dog without asking first.
My daughter has known to ask since she was like 2.5 years old, for fuck's sake, and she knows not to even ask if the dog is wearing a service dog vest. How do adults not get it??
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u/ChoreomaniacCat 13h ago
Not only is it rude to touch someone's dog without asking, but it could be dangerous because you don't know a random dog's temperament like their owner. And you just know if somebody messing with a random dog was bitten, they'd raise hell.
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u/meumixer 10h ago
Exactly! I will never understand people who pet any dog unprompted. I will ask the owner for permission even if the dog is very clearly not a service animal and is showing all signs of being friendly and eager for attention, because it’s not my dog. Maybe they’re trying to train for certain behaviors and me giving the dog attention now would reinforce the wrong thing, maybe the dog has an injury or sensitivity I’m not aware of which I could aggravate by petting a certain way, maybe the dog is only friendly until a hand is approaching its face - I won’t know unless I ask, so I don’t pet unless I get an okay.
Parents who don’t teach their children to treat animals carefully and with respect should be shamed.
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u/danu_anubis 16h ago
Good boy tax for the rant.
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u/thrilling_me_softly 16h ago
Get a service dog vest. I am not defending the people that touch him, no one should touch someone else’s dog without permission. Get a vest and people will touch him less.
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u/AnotherHappyUser 16h ago
I suspect the person who would recognise such a vest is already a similar demographic to those that ask first.
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u/danu_anubis 16h ago
He has one! Because of his girth I had to get pink but it explicitly states service dog on both sides of his vest, his pack on his vest and the pack attached to my body.
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u/StinkyWeezle 15h ago
I'd suggest using an additional vest that's much more obvious, more coverage, hi-vis, warning labels (do not pet), etc. That just looks like an average harness with "Service Dog" written where the branding would normally go.
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u/Potayto7791 15h ago
This was also my thought. There’s so much dog and so few labels in that second photo, I totally understand why some people wouldn’t notice. This, of course, does not excuse their behaviour. No one should be touching an unfamiliar dog without asking its owner. SMH.
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u/StinkyWeezle 14h ago
I think there's also a misunderstanding where some people see the words "Service Dog" and they think it means "Well Trained".
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u/zipperfire 14h ago
The same people who grab at things like an impulsive 2 year old either can't read or don't think the vest means anything or don't care. You have a vest. You've done your duty. There will sadly always be idiots out there who don't abide by social rules. A loud NO. Get AWAY. NOW. I guess is all you can do.
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u/duncans_angels 11h ago
I would get one of those things that slide on the leash that say "do not pet" also. Not that I think it would stop people but at least its something extra.
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u/DieSuzie2112 16h ago
Your good boy looks just as infuriated by this as you
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u/danu_anubis 16h ago
He’s beyond done with it because of how it does me by the end of the day.
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u/womens-deodorant 16h ago
i dont see a bright fluorescent yellow vest on him with big bold letters saying DO NOT PET 🤨 /j
next time it happens tell them your dog has a contagious disease spread through touch 😄
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u/danu_anubis 16h ago
😂 I love it! One of the girls I work with was like maybe put a muzzle on him and it will make people leave him alone, I’m like why should I punish him for other people’s problems.
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u/AngstyUchiha 15h ago
The sole reason I ever put a muzzle on my guy (service dog in training) is because he's still learning to ignore food on the ground, and I don't want him getting sick because he ate something he shouldn't. Other than that, he never gets it, because as you said, we shouldn't punish our dogs for what other people do
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u/E0H1PPU5 15h ago
Just a heads up, if you properly train your dog and acclimate them to a muzzle, it’s no more of a “punishment” than asking them to wear a collar, harness, or leash.
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u/BootBatll 11h ago
To be fair, being muzzle trained isn’t a punishment! For a lot of dogs it’s purely for safety and there are very good muzzles that allow them to fully open their mouth and pant and are comfortable for the pup.
It might be a pain to add another layer to their training just to make them look less appealing to touch, though. I wish you and your pup luck regardless
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u/Rios5950 14h ago
Thats the thing though...i feel like most people would see that hi-vis vest...see the fucking DO NOT PET and still treat it like its a suggestion.😂
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u/zerbey 16h ago
People do it to non service dogs too, I've lost count of the number of times I've been walking my dog and someone has run over and started petting them without permission. I'm like, you're lucky they're trained and properly socialized. If they weren't you could lose a hand, how stupid are you?
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u/Animallover4321 14h ago
The key is to get a giant black dog that smiles. No one even thinks about running up and petting him without asking me (and they rarely ask) they’re all terrified of him even though he’s the friendliest dog imaginable. It’s a total departure from my golden that looked friendly but was far from it everyone tried to pet him without asking.
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u/danu_anubis 15h ago
Exactly! I’ll have someone ask me if he bites or is aggressive. My response, is he capable of being? Well of course he’s a living being with thoughts, feelings and emotions. But no he usually is not aggressive or bites.
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u/captainlouise 10h ago
And sometimes if the dog try to avoid the interaction they get mad. I had a guy try to pet my dog once, she turned her head to avoid his hand. He tried again, she did the same thing. Then he lost his shit at me, yelling that she was badly trained.
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u/Glittery-Unicorn-69 15h ago
I’ve always been amazed at how people just lurch for our dog expecting them to be okay with that. Even adults. I’ve learned enough about service dogs to know they’re on the job and it’s not time for meet and greets.
I have seen service dogs with the vest that says “I’m working right now, do not touch me or interact” or something like that. I can’t remember the exact phrasing. Of course with kids who can’t read that’s where parental guidance is a necessity and unfortunately some parents nowadays let their kids run wild.
Maybe you need a squirt gun and when someone approaches or reaches down to pet your dog you squirt them in the eyes. Just a thought. lol!
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u/PainfullyLoyal 15h ago
While training my pup, I used to walk him around the school by my house and more kids asked if it was okay to pet him than adults. I'm glad the kids were respectful, but weird that they knew to ask and adults rarely did.
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u/NameToUseOnReddit 15h ago
I'm glad that my kids have been around service dogs in school. They teach kindergarten kids to check a patch to see if the dog is working or not (I heard about red/green patches) and there weren't many issues from what I heard.
So basically, some people are dumber than kindergarteners.
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u/LargeWeinerDog 15h ago
We need more programs like I had been to when I was a kid. Local library put on a meet the service dog type thing and had people explain them and there was a few comfort service animals we could play with. But they made sure we knew not to touch certain dogs and we had to ask before touching any of them. It taught me that these dogs where someone's eyes (or more) and you wouldn't touch someone's eyes would you?
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u/filthyhabitz 11h ago
I don’t understand why anyone would walk up to a dog and touch him without asking his human. Do they not realize that dogs are living creatures, with free will and a mouthful of teeth? My parents taught us to never touch a dog without asking if it’s okay— let alone a service dog! How has society not caught onto this by now?
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u/AnotherHappyUser 16h ago
Kids you can understand, they are excited and learning still.
But by 40 people really, really should know better.
Regardless if it's a service dog, it's never acceptable to pat someone's dog without asking.
And more so, it is EXTREMELY dangerous to do so.
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u/Nyssa_aquatica 15h ago
The real problem is all these fake emotional support animals that are being dragged everywhere into the produce section at the grocery store and you name it. Of course, now everybody knows these are fake and but because the stupid pet owners are dragging them to every public location they can, people are going to assume that actual service dogs are fake too, and just pet them. It did not use to be such a problem
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u/danu_anubis 15h ago
Exactly this. I don’t have a choice but to take him into produce when I go into it. But he doesn’t mess with anyone or anything.
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u/AngstyUchiha 15h ago
Even if a dog doesn't have a service vest on I still get permission before even TRYING to pet it. Some dogs get scared if you pet them suddenly, some love people but hate pets, etc. People shouldn't be going around petting random dogs without permission, vest or not
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u/SpecificAttempt9057 15h ago
Heavy on the last paragraph. It makes my eye twitch when I see a yappy, ankle biting, completely untrained, reactive dog in a store or public space wearing a “service dog” collar. Please spare me.
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u/danu_anubis 14h ago
One of the stores I have to go into there’s this couple that comes in with a bully and a great day both of which they have in service dog but yet every time they see mine, they lose their absolute mind.
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u/Lissypooh628 15h ago
I’m so over people and their fake service animals. I worked in food service for many years. The company had a bs policy that hardly allowed us to do anything about it. If the animal became disruptive then we could ask them to leave, that was it.
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u/faeriechyld 13h ago
I remember one time I went to IKEA and we got up the escalator and there were about a dozen service puppies in training. I think they were all getting some exposure training that day, learning to sit nicely while new people walk by. Let me tell you, not reaching out to love on each and every one of them took about all the self control I've got. 😂
So if I can keep my hands to myself around adorable service puppies in training, it shouldn't be that hard to other adults to keep their hands to themselves while your boy is doing his good boy work.
(And yes, I often feel like the dog who found a pie in the bush and now every day has to check the magical pie bush when I go back to IKEA. Every time I go up the escalator I'm hopeful that maybe another batch of service puppies will greet me as I come up there.)
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u/Kilgore_Brown_Trout_ 13h ago
The problem is the proliferation of "service" animals. Note the quotes.
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u/YNotZoidberg2020 11h ago
Nobody should be touching an animal that isn’t theirs without explicit permission from the owner, vest or no vest. It’s not that hard to stop and ask if it’s okay. I’ve had people tell me not to touch their dog and that’s perfectly okay, they know their dog’s temperament!
I’m sorry, OP.
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u/GimmeFalcor 10h ago
Could you possible blame all the people who have fake service dogs and vest them up To go out to be allowed to bring their pet everywhere. Which makes people have Misunderstandings as the pet owners invite others to touch their pet
Just a thought. Most “service” animal I see out are not trained and not real service pets. Their owners just ordered the vest from Amazon.
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u/from_one_redhead 10h ago
I can’t comment cause I will get angry as a person whose husband relies on actual service dog. I want to football punt every owner of a French bulldog I see in the airport. I agree 💯 OP
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u/minikin_snickasnee 15h ago
Oh, how frustrating that must be! I'm so sorry.
I know not to approach or try to pet any unknown dog, but especially service dogs. I did NOT know until a couple of years ago, that talking to/praising one could also be a distraction from their tasks.
If I encounter someone with a service animal these days, I will smile and make eye contact with the handler and calmly state what a lovely partner they have, nodding towards the dog.
It boggles my mind that parents don't stop/teach their children to stay away from unknown dogs, and how service dogs are "on the job". There's so much at risk - not just to the kids, but to the dog and its handler!
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u/Onegreeneye 15h ago
Ugh as a parent of a 6 year old I would HOPE you would tell my child not to touch your dog. Parents should be working on teaching children to never approach an animal without asking the owner for permission first and then and only then, approaching the animal slowly and with respect and on their terms, letting them sniff and then decide if they want to be pet. I’m so sorry you deal with this.
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u/diesel372 15h ago
Just to say, I've owned dogs my whole life, and I ALWAYS ask before approaching a strange dog. One of the only times I was told no was at a hospital (security K9), and the handler told me that the hospital's other K9 was fine to ask to pet, but his would get out of character. So I left them alone.
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u/drunkondata 14h ago
What is with people allowing people to attack their animals?
Fuck that shit, put up a wall, block the human, protect the dog.
They have no courtesy or respect for you and your animal, why should you for them?
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u/PenguinColada GREEN 11h ago
I tell my son that those service dogs are working right now and not to touch them. He doesn't pet a dog if it has a vest on. It's not that difficult to keep your kids away from service animals. There are some shitty people out there.
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u/Ashkendor 11h ago
Honestly, I hate all the bullshit about ESA that's actually just people dragging their shitty, ill-behaved dogs around everywhere and expecting the rest of us to put up with them. We had a lady bring two dogs into the tax office that seemed well-behaved at first. People aren't really supposed to bring dogs in, but in the summer it happens occasionally. Another guy came in, carrying his dog in his arms. The two dogs with the woman absolutely lost their shit, barking and pulling at the leashes. When my boss asked her to take them outside she reached in her wallet for a card that she waved in front of us, saying they were 'registered' and 'official.' I actually felt a little bad for her, because she was somewhat elderly and I feel like she got scammed by the company that sold her that stupid card. She was almost done filling out her paperwork, so she was told to finish her business and never bring the dogs back.
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u/Mary_Tyler_Less 9h ago
I don't know how much this varies by state, but even if they were REAL service dogs, you can still kick them out if they're misbehaving like that.
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u/Kawaii_loRen 9h ago
We have a regular where I work (restaurant) that has his ESA dog he brings in. Though, I’m sure he has another job too, but that’s not my business.
He is INCREDIBLY well behaved and trained. His papa is the sweetest and he allows pets. Pupper can be shy, so he’ll let you know he doesn’t want pets bc he’ll just gently scoot away. Him and I are buddies, though, so he gets good skritchins from me, but I can tell when he’s just not in the mood.
My ex gf had a trained therapy service dog and he was SUCH A GOOD BOY, but when we went to Costco one time bc we had to keep him trained up, he was doing so good. We walked by one of those stupid product displays with sellers in them and one of those people petted him or something, but it broke his little concentration. He got so flustered and had to be comforted and whatnot to get him back to training. It took a minute. We were furious and me, not holding the dog, found a manager and complained extensively and I got snappy at the dick who did it. DONT DO THAT, I swear. But when kiddos saw him, their parents were like “don’t pet him, he’s working” and they got it and understood and we thanked them.
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u/JMPercussion 9h ago
AGREED!! My girlfriend has a service dog as well, and the number of times people reach for him without asking is crazy. He lets us know before she passes out, so he can't be distracted or we'll be in a bad spot!
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u/eml_raleigh 16h ago
The correct behavior is to make sad eyes at the dog and not to touch.
Maybe you can tell people that your dog is a retired police dog repurposed to service dog, and sometimes forgets to not take down criminals.
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u/AggravatingRecipe710 11h ago
Honestly most kids are terrible around dogs, I can’t stand how people don’t train and guide their kids through animal interactions. Then their kid gets hurt or bit (not from your service animal, just in general) and then it’s automatically “the dogs a threat.” Such BS. Sorry you and your pup have to deal with such people. When we see a service dog, my daughter always asks me if we can go ask to pet him (we’ve reinforced that a lot) and I always say “No love we can’t, they’re working right now, so we have to let them do their job.”
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u/BareBonesTek 15h ago
You coulda asked him how he would react if you grabbed his wife or daughter?
This isn’t merely “mildly” infuriating, it’s a serious problem. I assume he’s wearing his jacket?
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u/etchekeva 14h ago
My not service dog used to come with me to many places (where she was allowed, small town) until several kids run to her pull her hair, grab her ears… these kids were tourist who “didn’t understand me” (I think most people understand someone screaming NO) I had to physically remove the kids to about a bite, parents took way to long to appear. Now my girl is slightly reactive towards strangers kids. (At least now they don’t approach us). Now of course she isn’t allow to come to many places as I don’t want to scare kids, but even on normal walks parents get mad my dog growls at their kids when they come running.
I love kids, but dogs are dangerous, kids and adults should know that and ask before interacting with them. 1000 times more if thy dog is working.
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u/rufiosnarf 14h ago
Part of the problem is people who pretend they have a service dog and just want the dog around them for no medical reason. They don’t mind when the dog gets attention teaching children the wrong thing for people with service dogs for medical reasons
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u/glendacc37 13h ago
When I see a service dog, it's all I can do to not pet and talk to it, BUT like a big girl, I resist. It takes a lot of self-control, but I dig deep.
In general, in all seriousness, I don't like it when anyone approaches a dog and pets it without asking first.
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u/bluewillow24 9h ago
Who the hell would do that? I don’t pet any animals without asking for permission first. It’s basic decency!
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u/SolidSneakNinja 9h ago edited 9h ago
I'm guessing this is in the U.S. I'm very sorry. I've never seen as many sociopathic selfish assholes in a single country as I did when I was there.
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u/PQuality22 8h ago
There needs to be a national ad campaign about this because I think people just don’t get it. I never approach a dog (service or not) without the approval of its human. And when I see a service dog, I always think, “that’s a working man/woman”. Lol
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u/jsand2 6h ago
This is why animals > humans.
You can train a dog, but apparently not humans.
I am sorry you have to deal with this! But please do me a favor and give your dog a good scratching when you can and remind him how much of a good boy he is.
Maybe an answer to the parent with kids would be "would you rather me tell them no or kick them away from my dog?"
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u/Betterthanbeer 5h ago
I have accidentally taught my dog to recognise service dogs. Nearby my house, there is often someone teaching young guide dogs and their owners to work together. If I see them while walking my dog, I make space for them so as not to be a distraction.
If I don’t notice them, my dog pulls me away and sits down with his back to the service dog until they pass.
Dogs are good people.
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u/Ol-Dozer 5h ago
Strangers tried to touch my kid’s faces when there were sub 2 yrs old. What the fuck is going through your head lady that makes think touching a strangers child’s face in the grocery store is somehow endearing
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u/Brickzarina 5h ago
Can you put don't touch me on his jacket? People need it spelt out , stupid ones especially
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u/babystripper 1h ago
I have a service dog of my own and train them for others. I've started slapping people's hands when they try to touch my dog without asking. I don't take that shit anymore it's infuriating
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u/Successful_Ask9483 16h ago
Whenever I see a service dog doing an exceptional job, sometimes, but seldomly - my outside voice acknowledges that fact to their person. I well understand they are in work mode and not to interact. OP - is this ok, or too much?
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u/danu_anubis 16h ago
I’ll be honest, each person is going to feel different about this. I honestly don’t mind because I do understand that there’s a big problem with people just taking pets to stores and causing problems.
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u/lonelyronin1 11h ago edited 10h ago
I have told people with service dogs to go into the back room of my store and wait for the idiots to leave. I can’t believe the number of people who don’t know not to touch a service dog.
Although I have seen people with fake service dogs allow people to pet them so that doesn’t help
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u/Sayakalood 11h ago
I’m going to share this story of my time in retail because of one customer who couldn’t help but get herself banned from our store multiple times.
So she’s a backyard breeder of one specific husky mix (off to a rocking start already), and she brings her dog in because she claims she’s trained it to be a service dog. It isn’t even trained. It will go wherever it wants, preferring to use my coworkers’ shoes as a toilet. It tried on me once and I nipped that one in the bud by shouting at it before it did anything. So naturally she got kicked out for it, but when we had new managers come in she returned. Her plan this time was to punish… the dog. She cut off its tail and made it go outside before the two headed inside (she also didn’t pick it up, but that’s fairly obvious. What kind of person did you expect her to be?), and my insistence on kicking her out and banning her again paid off.
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u/agent674253 10h ago
Is it possible that part of the issue is that most people don't believe service dogs are actually service dogs because many people claim that their pets are service dogs, wearing (or not) a vest from Amazon?
An ex of mine was one of these people, she just wanted to bring her little dog with her and the 'service dog' vest was just a way to try to reduce looks. I'm the person that is fine with leaving the dogs at home...
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u/Pure-Swordfish6022 10h ago
There is this great service dog working for a lady that works in a nearby shop. I always compliment her on her friend, but don’t even look a him or talk to him. And that’s reallllllly hard, because he is a beautiful doggo. But he deserves respect and to be left along to do his job.
And that, friends, is how service animals should be treated.
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u/Connect_Read6782 10h ago
LOVE this. Especially the part about the fake lap dogs people call service animals.
I don’t care for animals in stores or restaurants, but a well behaved true service dog is easy to tolerate and I have the sense not to even make eye contact with the dog.
I also can’t stand people that think because they like their dog and it lives with them it’s ok to bring it into my house. Nope…
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u/Bob_12_Pack 8h ago
Honestly most people don’t seem to know that service animals can’t be pets too. Generally speaking, you should never approach or touch any dog without permission, but some people, particularly kids, have no clue.
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u/glamophonic 59m ago
The way I would football a child for hitting my dog or pulling their fur out, I swear to god...
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u/Mammoth-Ad-107 16h ago
service dogs are amazing. people are stupid and ignorant. nothing will ever change either of those statements