It occurred to me yesterday, while Archie and I were doing our weekly grocery shopping, that people always view me as a "dog trainer" with a "dog who is in training". I wouldn't call myself a trainer, because I'm not certified and don't have any other experience than with Paws, but just the fact that they call Archie a "dog in training" means they're making assumptions that they shouldn't necessarily be making. They assume that since I am an "able-bodied" person that Archie is being trained. (And they make an assumption long before they bother reading the words on his vest that identify him as a "puppy parent", and the same goes for when Archie and my other two were in "future assistance dog" vests) Well, what about assistance dogs for those who are hard of hearing/deaf? What about seizure-response dogs? Brace Dogs? Autism Assistance Dogs? It shows me that the public definition of disability in our country is very restricted. I would feel comfortable from my experience saying that most people assume that a working dog is being used by a person who is blind or a person who uses a wheelchair; and that's it.
By the way Archie acts now, since he's much older and calmer in public, he gives off no indication that he is in training. He heels, stares at me, and will do whatever I ask him to the first time. Yet I hear countless times people telling their children, or conversing among themselves, that "you can't pet that dog, he's in training to help someone who can't see". The reality is, I can't imagine how it feels to be someone who uses a service dog for an
'invisible" disability. When people say "that dog's in training" to a person with an actual service dog, how should they respond? They shouldn't have to disclose their certain medical/physical/social needs to everyone, but when outsiders start asking questions about training a future assistance dog, it must be hard to say "actually, he works for me" without having invasive questions thrown at you. They may get accusations from people saying that they don't need a dog because it doesn't look like there's any disability. I would think they would have a harder time with public access rights too, just proving that their dog is in fact allowed by the ADA into public places.
Hopefully by having Paws Puppies out and about, raisers will be able to spread the word that Assistance Dogs are used for many different things. Passing out pamphlets, stopping constantly when people have questions, and taking the extra time to bring the Paws dogs places will hopefully pay off in the long run.
