why do people assume stuff?

[Schmeck]

The "problem" with pit bulls is that between the ages of 2-3 they start to get more aggressive, and can snap even if they have never shown aggression before. My friend's daughter just had her nose ripped half off by her boyfriend's pitbull. There was zero aggressive behavior before the attack.

What one has to realize is that the person using the service dog is 100% responsible for that dog's reactions. It's a huge responsibility and even a liability. Does homeowner's insurance cover for a service dog off of your own property? Or do you have to purchase a separate policy?

I stopped a labrador retriever service dog from snatching a bag of m&ms off the shelf at out local CVS. The blind man had no idea what the dog was up to - and chocolate is poisonous, especially for labs! The guy didn't even thank me for saving his dog.

To the OP - you are of interest because you have a service dog, and it's an unusual one too, right? If your sight is affected, then I bet your hearing is very, very sharp. That makes it very difficult to ignore the comments. When someone "gets it wrong", you can give them a smile and a "not really" response, and then I'd just let it slide. Or are you looking for something else, like validation about your service dog and yourself? You are not going to get that from the general public, but your fellow employees should be up to speed with your situation and accommodations.

 

[Nalla]

Schmeck - I don't want validation from anyone, I just want to be treated like a person, not a show and tell exhibit. When people don't know what they're talking about, is it that hard for them to just keep their mouths shut? That's what bothers me. People who make these dumb comments have no clue what they're talking about, so why say anything at all?

 

[Schmeck]

Nalla, maybe they really believe what they are telling their children. Everyone does not know everything - many, many people have never seen a guide dog, or at least one that is an unusual breed for a guide. If your fellow employees are not treating you and your guide dog with respect, then contact a manager, supervisor or HR. But the general public is pretty much out of your control, and you have to let that stuff go, or it will only make you more frustrated. The fact that you care so much about what strangers (that you won't come across ever again) say by mistake shows me that you are looking for some sort of validation for your situation. You are the only person who can fill that need, BTW.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

I'm kind of surprised that given the current climate they would train a pitbull to be a service dog. I wonder what that person does when they are in an area that has outlawed pitbulls? Or would this be considered exempt?

Legally, they should be exempt. In reality, ppl have had some big issues regarding their Pitbull service dogs.

One man (years ago) travelled to a place where it was illegal to have Pitbulls and even though he tried explaining to the cops that it was his service dog et al, before he could take any other steps/legal action, they took the dog and killed it! Other ppl have had issues with housing and public access because of their dog's breed. Others have to not travel to places that have breed bans because they are scared the authorities there won't understand about service dogs. And there is a woman who lives in an area of Canada where Pitbulls must be muzzled when off the owner's property and they won't grant an exemption for her service dog, so her service dog is muzzled and can't do certain tasks for her because of it.

It is not a good idea to choose a banned breed for a service dog due to these issues, plus there are many countries your dog will not be able to enter due to bans on bully breeds entering those countries, so if you want to travel by land or sea, you'd not be able to take your service dog with you or you'd not be able to travel to those places (which excludes many cruises).

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

It's tough when you're at work, but a funny quip can work wonders- for instance, some people ask why I am using a h/c space or using my ECV... I just tell them I haven't been the same since the Dinosaur attack. Or they ask why my 9y/o still uses a stroller: I say, "adventures in autism." or why my 6 y/o needs a "leash" (he's dev. delayed w/ severe ADHD and a serious runner.) I just tell them, yeah, we had to after he bit the mailman

Those are great responses!!

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

I stopped a labrador retriever service dog from snatching a bag of m&ms off the shelf at out local CVS. The blind man had no idea what the dog was up to - and chocolate is poisonous, especially for labs! The guy didn't even thank me for saving his dog.

A shoplifting service dog!!!!

Maybe the dog was reminding the guy that M&Ms were on the shopping list (or should've been). That'd be something I'd like my dog to do - just lead me to where the chocolate is and everything will be okay!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for saving that dog from being very ill or worse - not to mention a common criminal!

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

I wonder if the dog had done that before? My vet was saying tht not all chocolate can be fatal to dogs, just make them need to make a pit stop!!