Owning A Service Dog: What They Don't Tell You YouTube video

Friday is known as "Service Dog Friday" on my YouTube channel. Our topic for this is what they don't tell you about service dog ownership. We hear about the success stories and about times when teams, especially veterans who have service dogs are kicked out or denied services. We seldom hear about the problems with access that fall in between or other issues about owning a service dog.

It's not a bed of roses. My experience at the Safra Family Lodge at the NIH is well documented with footage. I haven't talked about times on vacation when a hotel tried charging me a pet fee or about when another hotel refused me citing a "no pets" policy. The instances are too numerous. Those are the routine things that service dog handlers don't focus on but need to be talked about. 

Topics come from comments guests leave. They also come from tweets or posts on my Facebook page. So please, leave your comment below or on my page. I'm also open for possible collabs with other service dog owners on YouTube or off. Be sure to mention that in the comments or email me at gayle@gaylecrabtre.com.

This is the What they Don't Tell You video. It's part of my larger Servce Dog Video Playlist. The link will come up at the end of this one. To make it easier to find, I'll link it here as well.

Are service dogs pets

Is a service dog a pet? That's a question I'm frequently asked when out and about with Tomlin. He's a super friendly dog who loves to be petted. His expressive face draws children and adults over to him all the time whether he's all dressed up or not.

However, service dogs aren't pets for many reasons. In this video, I talk about why he's not.

My dog was attacked by an off leash dog

Owners, leash your dog so no one gets hurt. Our precious dog, Tomlin, was attacked by a larger one  on our last road trip. We stopped at a dam outside of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada to give him a break from the car. Everything was peaceful until the dog with the stupid owner arrived.

Our dog was properly harnessed, leashed and under our control. We had been walking around a few minutes before Stupid Dog Owner pulled in with his husky a way behind us and the two started walking. Hubby, Tomlin and I headed for the van when we saw the duo. The other dog reached us before we got there, sniffed Tomlin and dived in for his neck.

In the minute it took us to get Tomlin inside, Stupid Dog Owner was loaded up and flying out of the parking lot - gravel flying.The entire incident would have been prevented if Stupid Dog Owner had used a leash.

Leashes and harnesses aren't expensive. You can pick them up in a pet shop, Tractor Supply or even from Amazon. What's a few bucks compared with the life of an animal? Both dogs could have ended up seeing a vet (or worse) because one owner made a bad decision.

Here's the thing. You can't blame a dog for being a dog. Our pets are animals. They will think and react as animals no matter how much we love them. Leashing dogs is a way of giving back some of the love that they give us. It protects both animals and humans.

Failing to use a leash robbed him of the joy of pet ownership. Stupid Dog Owner and his beautiful dog lost a lot that day. Failing to leash his animal cost him the enjoyment that comes from responsible pet ownership. Now, every time they go out Stupid Pet Owner will probably be looking over his shoulder. I pray that this owner has learned to do better.

We tried getting the plate number as he roared off but only got a partial look. The RCMP officer in Whitehorse was sympathetic as he explained that little could be done without a full plate number. I knew that, but felt better for filing the report. Do yourself and your dog a favor. If you don't have a leash, get one soon.

Service dog etiquette breach

My daughter and I were at a meeting when there was a service dog etiquette breach. As per his pattern, our service dog was quietly laying on the floor in front of us. Before the meeting began, a few friends stopped by to pet him and say hello. This was okay because he knew them and because the meeting hadn't started yet. When my daughter gave the command, he quietly laid down in front of her.

 About 30 minutes into the meeting a woman got up, went to the water cooler and placed a cup water in front of our dog. He lapped at it and laid down. Then, he got up, looked around and began to act restless. His concentration was completely broken. The woman continued to give me the evil eye even after my daughter and dog left the meeting. (A gaze which I returned in kind.)

What she didn't realize (or care about) is he was taken out and offered water during every break. As a trained service dog, this pattern is part of his training. It is what he has come to expect and understand. He doesn't expect a stranger to suddenly stick a hand in front of his face for any reason.

The lady was rude in her assumption that we are bad "doggie parents". We can assume that she was motivated by compassion. However; the service dog etiquette breach has had predictable ramifications. What took months of training was broken in a minute. He is now looking for attention from strangers. Had the woman asked, we would have explained. Now, all we can do is get back to work.

By the way, in case he was thirsty, my daughter gave him more water when she took him outside. He didn't drink a single drop. Go figure.