Service dogs are the true heroes of some people's lives. They selflessly spend almost every waking moment with the person they're supposed to help out, and they do it as flawlessly as possible.
But while they might look like any other pup, these four-pawed creatures are not just buddies but also working dogs that cannot be disturbed while on duty. Learning this information can be vital, and thus, just like the mother in this one viral wholesome video, it falls to parents to teach their children how to behave when they want to pet a dog like this. Scroll down to read the full story!
More info: TikTok
Service dogs may look just like any other cute dog, but the role they play is crucial, and understanding this is important
Image credits: hayleeand.herdogs
A woman and her cardiac alert service dog were walking in a supermarket when a little girl came running toward them
This story took place a little over a year ago. The woman in the video, hayleeand.herdogs, or simply Haylee, was walking in the supermarket with her cardiac alert service dog, Jake.
All of a sudden, a happy little girl came running toward them, asking about the dog's name. She was obviously coming in with a single mission: pet the cute dog. However, before she could do it, her mother stepped in.
Image credits: hayleeand.herdogs
Image credits: hayleeand.herdogs
Before the girl could do anything, her mother stepped in and wholesomely explained to her this was a working dog who shouldn't be disturbed while working
She calmly and wholesomely explained to her girl that on Jake's vest, there were patches asking not to disturb him as he was working and focusing on a highly important task. The girl stopped and listened.
The woman continued by saying that just like her husband and the girl's father (a K9 officer) has a working dog who cannot be pet while doing his job, the cute animal in front of her was on duty just the same, as he is a medical assistant dog and not just on a walkabout with his owner.
Image credits: hayleeand.herdogs
Image credits: hayleeand.herdogs
The mother explained to the woman that her husband and the girl's dad is a K9 officer, so she was familiar with the situation and made sure to educate her daughter about it
Haylee was very touched by this encounter. She and the mother kept on talking about the encounter and exchanged a few warm laughs before saying goodbyes and parting ways.
This video had commenters' hearts melt away. However, aside from adoring the wholesomeness of this whole situation, many people also pointed out the mother's excellent job educating her girl on such a significant matter, which is much more important than many realize.
Check out the full video:
Talking about the importance of educating both young and old about service dogs and their jobs, Bored Panda reached out to animal behaviorist Julie Bond, who has worked with several clients requiring service animals' help, and she was more than happy to share her expertise.
The expert began by explaining that, like police dogs, service dogs aren't just any random pups and are actually bred for their job. "These dogs are confident without being pushy, they are focused on humans, not other animals, [and] they aren't distracted by squirrels, balls, bikes, noises, etc."
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
Animal behaviorist Julie Bond explained that service dogs are specifically bred and trained from the time they're born
Julie continued by saying that service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks, and there are organizations like Guide Dogs for the Blind, Canine Companions for Independence, and the Wounded Warriors for veterans with PTSD that focus on exactly that.
"There are certainly dogs out there being bred as companion animals who also, by the luck of genetics, have the temperament for service work, but that's not as common," added the animal behaviorist. "I do, however, know breeders who routinely breed for puppies with this disposition, as they feel those dogs make better companions overall."
Image credits: My Photo Journeys (not the actual photo)
Training and taking care of a service dog takes a lot of work, costing around $30,000 before they even begin their job, which is why it's such a big deal when people ignore that
Returning to our story, Julie revealed why it's such a big deal when someone interrupts a service dog doing their job. "Service dog puppies are usually raised by experienced puppy raisers and then return[ed] to places like Guide Dogs for the Blind once they are a year old, where they begin 2 years of training to become someone's service animal."
"It's roughly $30,000 that goes into the training and care of a service dog BEFORE THEY EVEN BEGIN THEIR JOB," emphasized the expert, adding that many dogs 'wash out' of the program by being unfit for the job for various reasons, even when bred for it. "Those dogs go to people who want to adopt from the program but don't need a service animal per se."
Image credits: Donald Teel (not the actual photo)
It is also an issue when people try to pass their companion dog as a service dog, making it more difficult for those who actually need to have their dog by their side
The animal behaviorist also shared one of her blog posts with us, in which she discussed some of her experiences working with service dogs and the rather unwelcome encounters that she had to deal with due to people who were ignorant of the importance of the service dog job.
In her blog post, Julie expressed her frustration with people's continued disregard for the easy-to-see vest and harness with tags that service dogs wear or misrepresenting their own companion dog as a working animal just so they can take them on flights, despite there being people who actually can't fly without their dog's help.
Summarizing, the expert emphasized that comfort dogs, therapy dogs, and emotional support animals are all amazing, but they're also vastly different from service dogs. They should never be confused or have the name used to get your companion dog where they shouldn't be. Doing so can possibly cause issues for actual service dogs in the future and do a huge disservice to those who actually need to have them close by wherever they go.
Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)
So, to sum up, it's truly wonderful that there are people out there, like the mother in the video, who understand how this works and are dutiful in educating their children or other people who are unaware of it. The help that service dogs provide to those in need is vital to their well-being and ability to function in our society fully, and thus, their importance cannot be overstated. Therefore, we should treat them accordingly.
What did you think about this story? Were you aware of just how much goes into training a service dog? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The commenters had their hearts melted by the encounter and praised the mother for doing such a great job at parenting
