3 Ways to Recognize a Service Dog

Posted by Radmin on February 29th, 2020

The law requires that establishments allow service dogs to join their owners. To keep your customers comfortable, you might not want just anyone to bring their pets. You’re also restricted by law from asking certain questions to ensure that a customer has a disability and a service dog. So how can you tell that a dog is a service animal? Here are some ways that you can tell that a person has a dog from the best service dog registry.

They’re Close to Their Owner

A service dog will always be on a leash, but this is to protect the dog rather than to keep them by their owner. Service dogs are well trained and very well behaved. They are always working while they’re with their owner so they’ll usually be right next to them. In some cases, a small dog will be held by the person. These dogs are trained to recognize certain bodily functions and alert others in case of an emergency. If a dog is straying away from the owner, it’s likely that they’re not a service dog.

They’re Well-Behaved

Most dogs will bark, whine, or sniff everything around them when they enter an establishment. This isn’t the case with a service dog. They’re extensively trained so that they’ll help the person they’re assigned to without causing any disruption to anyone else. There are rare occasions where a service dog will bark but this is usually to alert someone of an emergency, such as a stroke or panic attack. If the dog enters the establishment walking right next to the owner and is extremely well-behaved, there’s a good chance that the dog is a well-trained service animal.

They Ignore Food

When most dogs are around food, they’ll sniff around it or attempt to grab some. This is an easy-to-spot sign that the dog isn’t a service animal. A service dog is trained to ignore distractions around them, including the existence of food. A well-trained service dog will completely ignore food, instead helping the disabled person that they’re assigned to.

It can be difficult to determine if a dog that enters an establishment is a service dog. Making matters worse, there are laws regarding what you can and can’t ask someone that has one of these helpers. These tips will allow you to determine if the dog entering your establishment is a pet or has been registered by the best service dog registry.