??? for SD users...

[scojos]

hi, i would like to apologise in advance for my lack of knowledge, please excuse my ignorance but im not sure who else to ask.
my kids (ds has HFASD) and dd (going through diagnosis) have asked me a few questions i couldnt ask, and thought you kind people might be able to answer them...
we were discussing our trip to wdw (actually i was booking the kennels for our 2 bassett hounds) and the kids got into one of those wierd discussions kids get into...
so - how do blind service dog users know if there dog is sat/standing (i said angle of lead but i was making it up)
how do service dogs know if there is a problem?
ds spends alot of time with our dog (he is not as attached to the female) and he "talk" to him everyday, what school has been like etc. this is the first trip since we have had the dogs, and im worried if he sees a service dog he may run over at want to play as he is missing his own dog
how would a SD react to a kid running at them? i know its incorrect and inappropriate, he has done it before to a friends sd who we know and who knows us, she wasnt "working" so it wasnt a massive issue(Iykwim)
i hope that anyone with a sd would understand about a disabled child wanting to pet there dog, if that happened to any of you dissers, how would you react?
what would you suggest to avoid any issues?
we have his "toy" that he can talk to, but the dog is his sounding board, and im worried about seperation issues for him, as he has never left the dog before...
...probabaly worrying about nothing, but id rather ask...
thanks
tracy

 

[mommatomase]

A service dog is clearly marked with a harness or backpack. Find photos on the internet and aquaint your children to these and let then know that when a dog is wearing her "uniform" she cannot "talk" to anyone but her owner.
Maybe you could make a "uniform" for your son's dog so that when he is talking to her, everyone, including him, knows that the dog is listening only to your son...

Maybe you could get your friend to explain the difference between when a SD is working and when they are off duty... I am sure they would be more than happy to help...

Also, it is really important for your son not to run up to any dog... for his safety... I would really work on that anyway... safety has always been a priority with our son... no logical reasoning to consequences sometimes...

Hope this helps....

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Hey there! Firstly, kudos for asking about this in advance, a lot of parents are not as considerate. Any dogs you see in the parks at Disney will be service dogs, and will be working. If he did run up to them, a SD would hopefully cope, but obviously it would make it a lot harder for them to work. If the dog were distracted, it could be dangerous for the person they're working with. Of course, I know he wouldn't do it deliberately and would never mean to place another person at risk, but these are the potential problems.

Perhaps if you explain these things to him, in a way that would make sense, he will understand why he's not allowed to run at them. Does he work well with comparisons or not (I know some HFA kids like these, others don't)? If so, you might want to explain that when the dog is working it's like when he's at school; he can't just wander off, talk to other people or go and play while he's in class, he has to wait until play time. He might also benefit from some situation role-playing, so that he knows how to cope when the situation arises.

It's hard to say how a person would react to your son trying to touch their dog, as everybody is different. Please bear in mind that some people use service dogs for Autistic spectrum disorders, so might panic if a stranger approached them. If you were talking to a person with a SD (e.g. in line, or waiting for a bus), and they weren't heading anywhere, it might be OK to politely ask if he would be allowed to say hi to the dog. He'll need to understand that the handler might say no, especially if the dog is still in training, and that he has to accept this.

Just on a side note, it's great that he has found an outlet for his thoughts and feelings, in your dog. It's important for any kid to have this, but perhaps more so for people with disabilities. Might he be able to take a cuddly toy dog with him to talk to instead? I know it won't be the same, but it might help a bit. Or he could record messages on a tape player / dictaphone, to play to your dog when he got home. That way he is still talking to the dog, it's just that there is a bit of a time delay.

Good luck, and I hope you guys have a wonderful trip!

 

[jmartinez1895]

My son uses a service dog and he plays base ball for our local miracle league wich means that while he is in the dug out there are many children with different needs. The only child that I allow to pet our dog is a little girl that had a major brain injury and she does not understand. The other children tried at first, but after I told them he was working they understood and now they don't even really notice him any more. As for your child, try and expalin the different ways dogs can help, and as suggested already show him photos and get your friend to help you out if they are willing. The few times we have had a child run up to our dog, I will admit that I get a little frusterated at first, butif the parents correct the child and then apologize,then I tend to get over it. Espically if it is a special needs child that did not know. I think that it is great that you are trying to teach your child to understand and respect dogs that are working. Not all service dogs wear a harness, bag or cape, but you should assume that any dog in a public building ( taht is acting well trained) is a service dog. Also we try and teach our children to NEVER go up to any dog unless we are with them and the owner says its ok.

 

[Stag]

Let's see if I can help you out here! I know everyone else already answered a lot of what you asked, and OneLittleSpark brought up a GREAT point about some people with ASDs using service dogs-- so do people with other psychatric conditions. I have PTSD, myself, so having someone run up behind me is really unnerving and will likely provoke a reaction if my dog doesn't alert to that in time; however, a child approaching from the front or side will likely be body-blocked by me before reaching my dog. This isn't to be mean; my dog alerts to sudden drops in blood pressure, and without those alerts, I can and will hit the ground.

It's pretty important to explain to your son that if the handler says he can't pet their dog (and it's okay to ask, but please keep in mind that most of us just want to enjoy the parks with our families) they're not doing it to be mean! I've had children throw absolute FITS before because I said no, as in full-blown throwing themselves on the floor in the middle of the supermarket screaming "I WANNA PET THE DOOOOG!" tantrums.

For your questions, however:

As far as blind handlers and their dog's position, I'm not visually impaired but my dog works in a guide harness because in times of disorientation, she does basic obstacle avoidance. If she's standing up, I've got my hand on her harness, if she's sitting, I can't reach it. The angle of the lead is a good one too, or some handlers will rest a hand on the dog's head while the animal is sitting (I do this, it's comforting.)

SDs knowing there is an issue really depends on the dog. My dog alerts to impending panic attacks because she picks up on very subtle physical cues, but I couldn't tell you how she knows my blood pressure is plummeting. Diabetic alert dogs can usually smell changes in body chemistry when blood sugar changes. Siezure alert and migraine alerts haven't been figured out yet!

My dog personally, and any good SD imo, will not be horribly alarmed by a child running at them. My dog will step behind me if someone bolts at her and she sees them. If she doesn't see them, she just ignores it; we had a child at WalMart FLING himself over her butt once and she didn't even look back. That said, there ARE many fake/badly trained service dogs out there; people on these boards can tell you stories about being charged or lunged at by dogs in harnesses or vests, so having a child run up to one of these dogs could be VERY dangerous.

I would understand a disabled child-- and any child, for that matter-- wanting to pet my dog. Depending on what I was doing at the time I would probably allow it; my dog has a "go say hi" command that I choose to utilize when people want to pet her. However, she's not always comfortable around children, so if she chose not to go say hello, I would ask that the parent of the child respect my dog's choice. It's also, as I mentioned earlier, important to realize that we're at the parks to have fun just like you are, and we have probably been asked that question a BUNCH that day!

 

[dclfun]

Just personally, there are many children who come up to my SD and pet her without asking. Skye seems to know if it's a special needs child and of course, so do I so we don't mind. If asked, I will allow a child to pet her unless they are old enough to understand why they can't do so or unable to understand regardless of age. Just as an FYI, not every dog at WDW will actually be a SD. As I mentioned in another thread, twice my dog has been lunged at and snapped at by a "service dog" wearing a vest from a company that sells them to anyone online. So, unfortunately there are untrained dogs brought in by people who either are disabled but haven't trained the dog, or people who feel the rules don't apply to them and have brought their pet in under the guise of a SD. So, I'd teach your child about approaching any dog and asking first if it's okay to pet it just for their own safety. Truly though any dog that *is* a service dog would never bite or hurt anyone. ---Kathy