Ill-mannered service animals.

Forums: Dogs, Service Animals, Certified Service Animals, Untrained Service Animals, Licensed Service Animals
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Has the idea of service animal gone too far?

I'm not talking about those amazing animals that are trained to help the disabled, I'm talking about the untrained animals that can be designated at service dogs for people with mental or emotional problems.

I have a friend who had a tramatic brain injury many years ago. She recently got her dog "certified" as a service animal so she can take it anywhere and everywhere she goes. Certification is essentially a note from her doctor. I know the dog helps her but, frankly, the dog isn't very well mannered.

Recently on a bus one service animal killed another service animal. Seriously! Both dogs were certified as service animals so they had the right to be on the bus. Service animals that kill other animals!?

I think there should be manditory training, and periodic testing of any animal designated a service animal.

What do you think?

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@boomerang,

2 Replies

@DrewDad,

I could use one of those.

0 Replies

@boomerang,

Wow! I never knew this. I figured to be a service animal that the animal needed to be trained and socialized appropriately. It doesn't make sense that a doctor determines which animal is appropriate as a service animal.

I could understand that a doctor should be able to determine that a person would benefit for a service animal. And like you said that the animal is trained, tested and liscence as such.

1 Reply

@boomerang,

Boomer, I have read that story. I guess it happened in Portland, Oregon and
the one dog (a small Pomeranian) was indeed a service dog, but the other
(a Rottweiler mix) was not, although its owner told the bus driver otherwise.

So the Rottweiler was the aggressor here and attacked the Pomeranian.
On the other hand, I can't see how a Pomeranian can be a service dog either...

0 Replies

@DrewDad,

This actually happened to me as I cut into a long line going down an exit ramp from the freeway, and the driver behind me - whom I forced to let me in - got
out of the car and pounded on my window, screaming his head off.

I could have used a monkey then, but luck was with me and the line in front
of me started moving faster and I could get away from that maniac.

0 Replies

@Linkat,

I didn't know it either until my friend had her dog certified. At the time it was still a puppy, with puppy manners. It is still not a well trained dog in what you think would be required for it to be allowed anywhere she wants to go.

I think all you have to do is tell your doctor that your pet, whatever kind of pet it is, keeps you calm or emotionally balanced or whatever and you're in.

2 Replies

@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

Has the idea of service animal gone too far?

I'm not talking about those amazing animals that are trained to help the disabled, I'm talking about the untrained animals that can be designated at service dogs for people with mental or emotional problems.

I have a friend who had a tramatic brain injury many years ago. She recently got her dog "certified" as a service animal so she can take it anywhere and everywhere she goes. Certification is essentially a note from her doctor. I know the dog helps her but, frankly, the dog isn't very well mannered.

Recently on a bus one service animal killed another service animal. Seriously! Both dogs were certified as service animals so they had the right to be on the bus. Service animals that kill other animals!?

I think there should be manditory training, and periodic testing of any animal designated a service animal.

What do you think?

I think it should be extended to humans, too.

I mean, humans kill each other on buses and all sorts of places.

But yes, if some damn yappy, leg-humping, leg-lifting, smelly, aggressive pooch is potentially gonna be allowed absolutely everywhere, I think there should be some kind of testing of their manners.

1 Reply

@boomerang,

But who's going to keep the pet calm or emotionally stable?

1 Reply

@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

But who's going to keep the pet calm or emotionally stable?

Well, I guess the necessary bit of being a service animal is that they just ARE.

1 Reply

@dlowan,

Yes - one would hope!

1 Reply

@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

Yes - one would hope!

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul....

1 Reply

@dlowan,

Actually, Hope is my giant, flying cockroach companion animal that travels with me to help keep me calm.

She perches wherever she damn well pleases because otherwise I am emotionally vulnerable.

1 Reply

@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

Actually, Hope is my giant, flying cockroach companion animal that travels with me to help keep me calm.

She perches wherever she damn well pleases because otherwise I am emotionally vulnerable.

So am I.

But Miranda wouldn't like to go everywhere with me.

Perhaps a nice pet capybara?

0 Replies

@boomerang,

It's pretty much a jurisdictional issue.

It's not at all easy to have an animal licensed as a service animal here. For dogs, they have to have completed the AKC CGC as a first step. It's quite a lengthy process - and the dog and handler have to undergo pretty significant testing.

And you certainly can't just tell someone that your dog is a service dog. Special collars and tags etc.

2 Replies

@ehBeth,

Oh, boy, can I agree with standards like that. I will admit I've never had or seen a problem with service animals, though. Somehow, they're quite rare around here.

0 Replies

@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

It's pretty much a jurisdictional issue.

It's not at all easy to have an animal licensed as a service animal here. For dogs, they have to have completed the AKC CGC as a first step. It's quite a lengthy process - and the dog and handler have to undergo pretty significant testing.

And you certainly can't just tell someone that your dog is a service dog. Special collars and tags etc.

Bingo. Many places require some sort of serious certification process. Here I believe you need for the animal to have a coat or something on, or the dogs for the blind wear the big heavy harness.

A pomeranian could be a service dog for the deaf, or could be a seizure alert dog.

1 Reply

@boomerang,

Quote:

I didn't know it either until my friend had her dog certified.
At the time it was still a puppy, with puppy manners.
It is still not a well trained dog in what you think would be
required for it to be allowed anywhere she wants to go.

By what reasoning
can u apply the pronoun " it " to a dog,
knowing that all dogs are mammals and hence must be he or she ???
The gender of a dog is male or female, never neuter (like a rock).
Even if he or she has been fixed, his or her gender remains the same.

U DO know that, right ?

David

0 Replies

@jespah,

jespah wrote:

ehBeth wrote:
It's pretty much a jurisdictional issue.

It's not at all easy to have an animal licensed as a service animal here. For dogs, they have to have completed the AKC CGC as a first step. It's quite a lengthy process - and the dog and handler have to undergo pretty significant testing.

And you certainly can't just tell someone that your dog is a service dog. Special collars and tags etc.

Bingo. Many places require some sort of serious certification process. Here I believe you need for the animal to have a coat or something on, or the dogs for the blind wear the big heavy harness.

A pomeranian could be a service dog for the deaf, or could be a seizure alert dog.

I find Pomeranians hard to take seriously.

0 Replies

@dlowan,

dlowan wrote:

But yes, if some damn yappy, leg-humping, leg-lifting, smelly, aggressive pooch is potentially gonna be allowed absolutely everywhere, I think there should be some kind of testing of their manners.

I'll go anywhere I damn please, you rascally wabbit! My manners are just fine! Grrrr.

(I had no idea a doctor could just do that without knowing the animal or without the animal going through training, either. Is this national or state level decision?)

1 Reply

Ill-mannered service animals.

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