Deep Breath...Deep Breath

Service dog handlers are often questioned about their dogs’ legitimacy and legal permission when trying to enter a business or other public location. This can seem insulting, frustrating, or even antagonistic depending on how the questions are delivered, how often we’re questioned, and whether or not we’re in a hurry or otherwise predisposed to be stressed. As always, I will write in terms of dog guides because that is the demographic with which I am most familiar, however, I have observed and heart accounts of this happening to my friends with service dogs for physical assistance, PTSD, allergy and diabetes alert, and other necessary tasks. I, and others I know, have been harassed and even denied entry on multiple occasions. However, today I would like to focus on the initial reaction a dog guide handler might have, regardless of how polite, courteous, and legally savvy the questioner may be. My friends, there is a time for defending your rights, standing your ground, and planting your flag, even if you’re not sure it’s the right flag because you can’t see the emblem. There is also a time to take a deep breath, put the conversation into proper context, and remember that you represent the dignified and respectable reputation of every working team in the world – and the time for the deep breath reaction almost always precedes the flag-planting one.

These reflections come to mind because of a recent  experience I had when entering a theme park. Most of the time, if someone questions whether or not I can bring the dog in, the conversation goes something like this:

Employee:  We don’t allow dogs in here.

Me: She’s a service dog.

Employee: oh, ok.

Sometimes it goes like this:

Employee: is that a service dog?

Me: yes.

Employee: I have to ask a couple of questions. What is she trained for?

Me: She’s a seeing eye dog. I’m pretty blind, and getting blinder by the minute (with a friendly smile). I have ID, if you’d like to see it.

Employee: Nope, that’s ok. Thanks. Need help finding anything?

I prefer the second version. It usually includes an apologetic explanation that they have to ask because of fake service dogs, which is a growing problem for both businesses and legitimate service dog handlers. I am grateful for the accountability ensuring the integrity of legitimate service dog teams, and most people who ask those questions do so politely and without intent to bar access. However, every so often I run into someone who insists on calling a manager to verify that I can enter, thus taking up my time, and that of anyone else traveling with me, and oftentimes delaying any line behind me. Sometimes this happens because the person simply doesn’t know the laws. Sometimes it happens because the employee mistrusts all dogs in businesses, or because doing anything above and beyond the normal duties offends their minimalist work ethic. I try not to ascribe motives to others without clear indicators, but I’m certainly not perfect about that. That weekend, at the theme park I mentioned above, I was certainly more than a little irritated when the gal at the admission booth told me to step aside because she had to call a manager, even after I explained that Greta was a service dog. Apparently it’s park policy.

My thoughts ran something along the lines of “what, is it too much trouble to train and trust your employees to make reasonable decisions? It’s not a huge park, surely you can put out a little effort into your hiring practices for good judgment and intelligence!” The manager came down and asked the two legal questions: 1) is it a service dog? 2) what is she trained for? And followed up with ‘sorry, we have to ask because of fake service dogs.” I answered with my usual light-hearted response, offered to show ID, we moved on. (NOTE: I am not required to show ID, but I offer it anyway for the sake of upholding integrity and making businesses feel like I’m not unreasonably prioritizing myself over the problems caused by said fake service dogs).  I know my irritation showed, though, but I didn’t feel bad about that until my friend pointed out that the gal at the ticket booth was probably no older than 17, and only working a summer job.

Of course a company like this wouldn’t bother putting a lot of training or trust into such young temporary employees. I mean, they’re trustworthy enough to do the job, but why burden someone with so little life experience with handling complaints from a population known to contain people looking for reasons to be legally offended? And as for training, for the length of time the kids work there, I expect the training for service dogs amounts to “they exist, call a manager because sometimes people fake it.” And this is perfectly reasonable given the time/cost benefit analysis companies with young, seasonable workers have to make when considering all the other facets of cashiering and customer service they have to learn.

The point of this discussion, however, is not to address service dog handlers’ reactions to being questioned upon entering public locations and places of business. Rather, it is to assess the way we interpret the questions, which leads to our reactions. Do we automatically assume someone is actively trying to bar our way? Do we assume that people don’t trust us, or that our dogs will misbehave, or that they don’t belong? Or that the admissions/greeting employee is just lazy and doesn’t want to put out any extra effort that a disabled customer might need? Or that the employee doesn’t know the laws, despite living in the 21^st century? Or do we reserve judgment until we have all the facts, or assume there’s a good reason until proven otherwise? We’ve been fighting for rights and reputation for so long that sometimes it’s hard to remember that we don’t need to go around armed for a civil rights rally anymore. These days, people find service dogs to be intriguing and fantastic facets of American society, and they’re often as offended by fake service dogs as we are, offended on our behalf as well as on behalf of businesses who suffer for their poor behavior. Ought we to assume everyone is an obstacle until proven otherwise, when public sympathy is so heavily on our side? Or can we not take a deep breath, lay down arms, and accept that a ten or twenty second delay at the storefront is simply one of the tiny little costs we pay for the enormous benefits of access laws that try to protect us against fraud, and the innumerable benefits of our furry fellowships?

Take a deep breath, spit out the dog hair you just inhaled, and assume the best, because it makes life so much more enjoyable for you and everyone else around you. Nobody is out to get you, but if you feel that way pervasively throughout the day, you might need a dog for anxiety more than blindness. Or possibly a therapist.

Yes, you’ll run into the occasional crank who prioritises his own preferences over federal law. Yes, you’ll run into business owners recently moved from countries where dogs are considered unclean, or aren’t used as service animals. But those are, by far, the exception rather than the rule. More often than not there’s a simple formality to go through, then you can get on with your day. So, get over yourself. No need for a rally or rudeness. I made a mistake; I let my irritation and embarrassment at holding up a line override my intention to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and that mistake was compounded by my inability to judge age by faces I can’t see. I was irritable when I had no cause to be. Don’t be me on that day. Enjoy the chance to educate and demonstrate!

Ok, that sounds like one of those cheesy museum field trip mantras…I don’t think I’ll do that again.