This issue has come up in a few recent threads, so I thought I'd start a seperate one.
There has been a trend lately of people training their own pets as "service dogs". As of yet there is no formal certification process for service dogs, so basically any dog wearing a vest is a service dog.
I'm very bothered by this trend. There are probably people in this world who label their dogs as "service dogs" just so they can take their pup with them everywhere. And by law, store proprietiers cannot even ask what the person's disability is. So there's no way to find out if a dog is a true service dog.
I think that it hurts the legitimacy of the entire service dog concept. Service dogs should be exceptional examples of canine companions: extensively trained, rock-steady temperament, etc. That's one of the reasons why they're allowed everywhere. And with the advent of any Fifi or Fido being able to "serve", I think it's only a matter of time before there are some negative incidents that tarnish the service dog reputation.
Any thoughts?
There has been a trend lately of people training their own pets as "service dogs". As of yet there is no formal certification process for service dogs, so basically any dog wearing a vest is a service dog.
I'm very bothered by this trend. There are probably people in this world who label their dogs as "service dogs" just so they can take their pup with them everywhere. And by law, store proprietiers cannot even ask what the person's disability is. So there's no way to find out if a dog is a true service dog.
I think that it hurts the legitimacy of the entire service dog concept. Service dogs should be exceptional examples of canine companions: extensively trained, rock-steady temperament, etc. That's one of the reasons why they're allowed everywhere. And with the advent of any Fifi or Fido being able to "serve", I think it's only a matter of time before there are some negative incidents that tarnish the service dog reputation.
Any thoughts?