Friday, December 16, 2016

Definintions

Two: 1)more than one 2)second in a series

Dog: a flesh eating domestic mammal related to wolves

Yarn: 1)a continuous often plied strand composed of fibers or filaments and used in knitting and weaving. 2)a story, especially a tall tale

Service Dog: an animal which has thousands of hours of training to perform specific tasks to assist a disabled person, improving their quality of life Per the ADA, Service Dogs are allowed everywhere their handler goes.

Therapy Dog: an animal with obedience training and a calm disposition who is invited to visit facilities to brighten up clients days

Emotional Support Animal: An animal with no special training, they give their owner comfort in times of stress. ESAs are covered by both the fair housing and travel acts.

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I have two dogs, and I like to knit. I'm also a spinner and a weaver. I like sharing stories about my life with the pups. I also enjoy teaching a few folks the textile arts. I'm also the owner of a retired therapy dog who doubles as my ESA. My younger dog is in training for public access. It's my hope she will be mentally and emotionally stable enough to become my service dog.

One of my bete noirs is folks who want to pass off their pets as something they aren't. It takes a solid temperament along with hours of training to make a service dog. Travel is very stressful for pets. If your dog isn't a service dog, don't try to pass it off as one. Bite liability is a major thing. When you have your pet in public, you are liable for any injuries your dog gives to others.

A Service Dog is a medical necessity. It's not a fashion statement or a way to draw attention. It's a way for a person to be able to leave their home and possibly have a job. Being disabled isn't being lucky. It's having a helper with you 24/7. It's carrying your rescue meds, a water bowl for the dog, clean up bags, and making sure to find quiet places for your dog to be able to relieve itself. Having a Service Dog means people stopping you and asking rude, invasive questions about your medical condition. It's random folks demanding they be allowed to pet your dog, or distracting your dog which can imperil you. It's having people try to not allow you to enter their business, judging you on the poor behavior of someone's pet that was passed off as a working dog. It's also running the risk of having a poorly trained dog attack your helper because someone never socialized their pet and bought a vest on the internet because they wanted to have their precious snowflake with them.

For Pete's sake, if your dog isn't a working dog, don't try to pass it off as one.