This was written by a friend of mine named Tina... it's wonderful and so true! I wanted to share it with you so maybe you could get a little bit of insight as to what goes on on a daily basis for someone that needs a Service Dog and the frustrations that go along with it. Tina and Bayne are also another team that started at a shelter just like Anam and I! They're pretty cool too! :)
Tina McCrory wrote a new note:
Taking a Service Dog in Public. Oh, I'm so LUCKY!
February 1, 2015 at 12:58am
I decided not to go to the event I had planned on going to today, but
even when I was considering going, I had decided that I was too sick to
take Bayne with me. Too sick? How can you be too sick to take a SERVICE
DOG with you? Isn't that what they are for? Let me explain what it's
like to take a service dog with you everywhere you go, especially for
those people who think "You're so LUCKY that you get to take your dog
everywhere with you". It's not easy, it takes a lot of work and a lot of
energy, it's not a relaxing walk in the park.
Before you leave the house you have to make sure you have everything you need for him. Treats, poop bags, water supply, water bowl, mat, boots, etc. You brush him out to get rid of all the loose hair so he doesn't drop it everywhere. Spray him with deodorizing spray to ensure he doesn't "smell like a dog", wait 5 minutes, then brush that out. Get him in his gear and make sure it fits right and is clean and professional looking, no dirty spots or hair all over it. Spot clean if needed. Get him and all his gear loaded into the car.
Once you get to where you are going...having twins myself, I can honestly say that it's like taking 2 year old twins out with you by yourself. Not that the dog acts like a 2 year old, but you are hyper vigilant of everything going on around you like you would be with 2 small children. A car driving by may see you but they may not see your dog, so you are constantly aware of where he is in relation to vehicles passing by, the same goes for shopping carts in a store. You are aware of where your dog is and what he is doing every single second. Not only do you have eyes on the back of your head, but also on both sides and the top of your head, too.
You get stared at, pointed at, you hear the comments everyone makes about you being blind, or comments so exasperating that you can't help but roll your eyes or grimace in disgust. You're constantly scanning for "threats" to your dog....people trying to walk up and pet him without asking, kids trying to run up and pull his tail, people talking to him or calling out to him, barking at him, offering him food, etc. One eye on your dog, one eye on everything and everyone around you, all while trying to do what you need to do, get your shopping done, drive the electric scooter without running over anyone or into anything. Constantly making sure your dog is comfortable and safe. Making sure he's hydrated and doesn't need a potty break. That he's not walking on hot concrete, laying on a floor that's too cold, walking through something dirty or dangerous, making sure you are giving him enough room to make turns or that he has enough room to walk next to you without running him into items or blocking the whole aisle or walkway. Watching for people who are afraid of dogs, so that you can turn around and go the other way to give them space. Warning people before you walk up behind them with your large dog so that they aren't startled when they glance over their shoulder and see this "beast" walking behind them. Apologizing when you DO startle someone. Fielding questions from curious people, smiling and saying thank you to the people who compliment your dog, correcting those who say he's wearing a muzzle, blocking those who are heading towards your dog with their arm stretched out ready to pet him, explaining that he can't be pet because he's working, praising your dog for doing such a good job of ignoring people, food, etc.
You are constantly 100% aware of EVERYTHING going on around you, you have to be. There's no zoning out. You can't spend 2 minutes reading a label. You read 2 words, you check your dog, you scan your surroundings, you read 2 more words, you check again, you read 2 more words, you have to stop to answer more questions or smile and thank someone. You're on guard, on alert, always scanning, always making sure your dog is doing what he's supposed to be doing. You are in the spotlight and you have to be "ON" every single second you are out. It's never ending. Just like shopping with 2 year old twins.
I'm not complaining at all.
Having him with me so that he can help me when I need it is definitely
worth all the extra time and energy he takes, but there is a point when a
disabled person just may not HAVE that extra energy to put into it.
That's where I'm at right now after my hospital stay. Until now, I never
realized exactly how much work goes into taking him out with me, but
just the THOUGHT of having to expend that much energy today makes me
exhausted. It does make me thankful that I have had enough energy to do
it all the other days and I can't wait until I have it again. In one
sense, I guess you can say we are "lucky" to get to take our dog with us
everywhere, but it's honestly not as easy and "fun" as it seems.
Nothing about having a disability is easy or fun, not even taking our
best friend/medical equipment everywhere with us.
Before you leave the house you have to make sure you have everything you need for him. Treats, poop bags, water supply, water bowl, mat, boots, etc. You brush him out to get rid of all the loose hair so he doesn't drop it everywhere. Spray him with deodorizing spray to ensure he doesn't "smell like a dog", wait 5 minutes, then brush that out. Get him in his gear and make sure it fits right and is clean and professional looking, no dirty spots or hair all over it. Spot clean if needed. Get him and all his gear loaded into the car.
Once you get to where you are going...having twins myself, I can honestly say that it's like taking 2 year old twins out with you by yourself. Not that the dog acts like a 2 year old, but you are hyper vigilant of everything going on around you like you would be with 2 small children. A car driving by may see you but they may not see your dog, so you are constantly aware of where he is in relation to vehicles passing by, the same goes for shopping carts in a store. You are aware of where your dog is and what he is doing every single second. Not only do you have eyes on the back of your head, but also on both sides and the top of your head, too.
You get stared at, pointed at, you hear the comments everyone makes about you being blind, or comments so exasperating that you can't help but roll your eyes or grimace in disgust. You're constantly scanning for "threats" to your dog....people trying to walk up and pet him without asking, kids trying to run up and pull his tail, people talking to him or calling out to him, barking at him, offering him food, etc. One eye on your dog, one eye on everything and everyone around you, all while trying to do what you need to do, get your shopping done, drive the electric scooter without running over anyone or into anything. Constantly making sure your dog is comfortable and safe. Making sure he's hydrated and doesn't need a potty break. That he's not walking on hot concrete, laying on a floor that's too cold, walking through something dirty or dangerous, making sure you are giving him enough room to make turns or that he has enough room to walk next to you without running him into items or blocking the whole aisle or walkway. Watching for people who are afraid of dogs, so that you can turn around and go the other way to give them space. Warning people before you walk up behind them with your large dog so that they aren't startled when they glance over their shoulder and see this "beast" walking behind them. Apologizing when you DO startle someone. Fielding questions from curious people, smiling and saying thank you to the people who compliment your dog, correcting those who say he's wearing a muzzle, blocking those who are heading towards your dog with their arm stretched out ready to pet him, explaining that he can't be pet because he's working, praising your dog for doing such a good job of ignoring people, food, etc.
You are constantly 100% aware of EVERYTHING going on around you, you have to be. There's no zoning out. You can't spend 2 minutes reading a label. You read 2 words, you check your dog, you scan your surroundings, you read 2 more words, you check again, you read 2 more words, you have to stop to answer more questions or smile and thank someone. You're on guard, on alert, always scanning, always making sure your dog is doing what he's supposed to be doing. You are in the spotlight and you have to be "ON" every single second you are out. It's never ending. Just like shopping with 2 year old twins.
I'm not complaining at all.
Having him with me so that he can help me when I need it is definitely
worth all the extra time and energy he takes, but there is a point when a
disabled person just may not HAVE that extra energy to put into it.
That's where I'm at right now after my hospital stay. Until now, I never
realized exactly how much work goes into taking him out with me, but
just the THOUGHT of having to expend that much energy today makes me
exhausted. It does make me thankful that I have had enough energy to do
it all the other days and I can't wait until I have it again. In one
sense, I guess you can say we are "lucky" to get to take our dog with us
everywhere, but it's honestly not as easy and "fun" as it seems.
Nothing about having a disability is easy or fun, not even taking our
best friend/medical equipment everywhere with us.
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