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Have you ever felt help like you couldn't control your body? Perhaps you
couldn't walk. Maybe you couldn't see. Maybe you
couldn't hear what people were saying. According to the United States Census
Bureau, about 5.4% of Americans are living with a disability. One valuable
furry creature that has been making the lives of people with a disability better
is the service dog. For this post, I'll be using the term service dog to
include any dog (or monkey or pony) that assists a person with disability.
This includes, but is not limited to guide dogs, hearing dogs, seizure alert
dogs, and mobility dogs.
A service dog can be trained to:
- Retrieve dropped objects or a phone
- Balance a person when walking
- Open Doors
- Turn on/off lights
- Retrieve a telephone
- Guide a person during walks
- Alert a person to every day sounds like a baby crying or a knock at the
door
- Alert a person when they sense an oncoming seizure
Dogs are intelligent and highly useful creatures. When I was on crutches, my Mouse would pull me around the house in a rolling
chair and fetch items for me. Mouse had already been taught to pull in draft
training and to fetch items in water rescue and obedience training.
Additionally, service dogs can be trained to complete very complex tasks. My
late trainer's dog completed a very difficult task one day at Pace Bend Park.
My trainer, Dick, took both his dog out on a boat. Dick threw his cane
overboard while in the middle of the lake. Buddy, his service dog, jumped out
of the boat, fetched the cane, and brought it back to the boat. Buddy then
pulled the boat to shore. Needless to say, Dick was a great trainer, and Buddy
was a wonderful dog.
Dick, Chase, and Buddy on the boat back in 2004.
The value of a service dog is that they give people freedom to live their lives
more independently, and that value is priceless. As Austin is a very dog
friendly city, it may be difficult to determine whether or not a dog is only a
companion dog or a service dog. Here's a friendly guide
for restaurants on some challenges and etiquette when serving a guest with a
service dog. Please see
Keep Austin Dog Friendly for etiquette that
companion dog owners should follow when dining out with their dogs.
A big thank you for
Sheri Soltes from Texas Hearing and Service Dogs for providing much of this
information.
- By law, a
service dog is allowed to accompany his/her handler anywhere he or she may
go. That means that the dog is allowed in restaurants (not just
the patio), retail stores, banks, and hotels. Even if the hotel does
not allow pets, a
service dog is allowed by law. The hotel must accommodate and
allow the service dog, regardless of the dog's size. Hotels may not
charge a pet fee for the service, however, the handler is responsible for
any damage that the dog might cause.
- Service dogs aren't always easy to identify. Disabilities are not
always visible or obvious. While many of service dogs may wear
vests with logos, some will not. Service dogs come in many breeds and
sizes depending on their function. If a person identifies their dog as
a service dog, I wouldn't interrogate the handler anymore. Comments
and questions such as, "Well, you don't look disabled." or "What kind of
disability do you have?" are highly offensive. Avoid those types of
remarks.
- Please do not pet a service dog without first asking permission from the
handler. The handler might instruct you on how or when to pet the dog.
Please do not be surprised if the handler requests that you not disturb the
dog. Remember, these dogs are working all the time. They do need
a break once in a while. Additionally, the handler may be using the
quiet time under the table as a training tool.
- Please do interact with the dog's handler. A common mistake that
one might make it to completely ignore the dog's handler and to speak only
to other people at the table. Also, please don't direct your questions
to the dog. The dog's handler is your customer. It is a
restaurant's job to provide service to the customer, not to make a big deal
about a dog.
- Many handlers will ask their dogs to remain in a down position during
their visit. Please don't bark at the dog, call the dog, or throw
food at the dog. Don't ask me why people bark at dogs. I don't
understand it.
- Most of the time, the handler will let you know where it is most
convenient to be seated. The handler may have a difficult time
navigating through a sea of tables, un-level ground, or stairs.
Occasionally, diners with a service dog might be seated in an isolated
corner by the staff. This may make the diner feel as if he or she is a
nuisance or bothersome. Dining out is not something we do to just to
fill our stomachs. Dining out is a social experience that should
involve good food, good drink, and good company. To make someone feel
as if his or her party is isolated from the rest of the world does not make
for a positive dining experience. All diners should be seated in such
a fashion that they feel that their patronage of your restaurant is
appreciated.
- If other diners do not wish to be seated near a service dog, the
proper course of action would be to offer the other diners another seating
arrangement. It is considered improper to move the party with the
service dog.
- A service dog's handler should carry water for the dog along with
supplies to clean up/pick up. While a restaurant not required to
provide water for the dog, it doesn't hurt to ask if the dog can be offered
water.
Any other questions about dining out with service dogs can be sent to
Jennie@chenergyconsulting.com
or you can browse the
Texas Hearing and Service Dog website for more information.
Adri and Cookie, photo courtesy of
THSD
Dining out with a service dog, photo courtesy of
THSD
Stephanie Racier and Excalibur, photo courtesy of
THSD
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dining with service dogs