Cruising With A Service Dog....everything You Ever Wanted To Know!

[Miki_moto]

Our cruise is 27 nights and with adding days at both ends we’re looking at 45/50 days.  That’s an awful lot of canned pumpkin and dog food to be carrying around.

 

Our thought was to pick up the packages ourselves rather than have it delivered to the ship.  Worst case scenario is the packages aren’t there so it would be Uber or a taxi to Petsmart or similar.  Since we’ll be getting off the ship anyway we could make it work...  But at this stage it’s still in the planning.

[DUTRAVEL]

16 hours ago, Miki_moto said:

Our  Panama Canal itinerary:

Any advice will be appreciated!

 

I’m not too concerned about staying onboard; Cunard’s excursions don’t seem to extend to wheelchair accessible transport.

 

I’m already worried about getting my power chair over to England.  I’ve had too much experience with airlines damaging my chairs.  😞

Southampton 

Hamilton Bermuda 

Port Canaveral

 

Fort Lauderdale 

 

Montego Bay - 

 

Limon

 

Panama Canal 

 

Puerto Quetzal

 

Cabo San Lucas - tendered - stay on ship!

 

San Francisco
 

 

I am assuming that you are from Canada and need Canadian forms. Some forms are listed on https://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/terrestrial-animals/exports/live-animals/health-certificates/pets/eng/1321265624789/1321281361100. However, there are a lot less countries listed than on the USDA Aphis site. 

 

There are several offices of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency located in British Columbia, you might try contacting them to get the answers to your questions - https://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/terrestrial-animals/offices/eng/1300462382369/1300462438912. 

 

Dianne

[wizard-of-roz]

Hi Honey's I'm Home,  I'm over the moon exhausted.  The first leg of my 2 week cruise was filled with daily fun with Cindy, John and Oakland.  Horton and Oakland absolutely loved each other.  It was so cute to watch them sniff, play and drool all over each another.  I've been exchanging ideas and fun words with Cindy since 2007 and finally we got to meet, thanks to her and John's hard work.  I loved every minute with Cindy.  She's warm, caring, funny and such a joy to be with.  John is a great guy and Oakland is a beautiful example of a true hero.  We sat in the Allegro Dining Room at a table for four.   The dogs did really well.  I was so proud of both of them, who behaved like true gentlemen in the dining room.

 

I had a mini-suite cabin, hoping they'd place the box on my veranda.  The potty box was set-up at the end of a very long hallway, behind a really heavy door.  I met with the housekeeping manager and my cabin steward in an effort to have them move the box closer or on my veranda.  Their solution was to have my cabin steward come to my cabin and walk Horton for me.....he even practiced, while his manager and I watched.  NO WAY!  There was no way that I was going to turn Horton's leash over to a stranger to walk for me.  It was definitely an effort  to toilet Horty and extremely tiring but it has to be done and my 11 year old boy shined through and never made a mistake in spite of Princess.

 

I tried to set-up a meeting with the Hotel Manager but he was NEVER available to me and, quite frankly, it get pretty tiring to have to always fight a battle with Princess Cruise lines when it comes to the potty box.

 

I was on a Back/Back cruise and what Princess put me and about 30 other passengers, including Horton through to start the second leg of our cruise was ridiculous and totally unnecessary, to say the least.  We were asked to debark the ship, walk through the cruise terminal inside, past the luggage area and then outside, past arriving guests, over uneven ground, through TSA and Immigration.  When I was asked to remove all the objects from Horton's Vest and hand him over to a TSA agent, I simply refused and complained that I was going to write about this on Cruise Critic.  What a terrible way to treat repeat customers, let alone someone who is handicapped with a Service Dog.

 

There is a much more efficient and less stressful way to treat Passengers In Transit, without making them march like prisoners for such a long distance.  I will NEVER be led or told to do such an inane thing again.  I'm ashamed of Princess for putting passengers through this disgraceful act.  And angry at myself for letting them do this to me and Horty!!!!!!  Not to mention the other passengers.

 

Cabo San Lucas had to be cancelled because of the rough seas.......Don't mess with Auntie Roz!!!!

 

The Royal Princess is not one of my favorite Princess ships and I doubt I will be on her again!

 

Thank you Cindy, John and Oakland for making the first leg of my two week journey so much fun!!!!!!  I hope that one day we can do it again!

 

Welcome back DKD and congratulations on turning in another wonderful dog to assist someone in becoming a more independent person.

 

 

[rangeley]

21 minutes ago, wizard-of-roz said:

Hi Honey's I'm Home,  I'm over the moon exhausted.  The first leg of my 2 week cruise was filled with daily fun with Cindy, John and Oakland.  Horton and Oakland absolutely loved each other.  It was so cute to watch them sniff, play and drool all over each another.  I've been exchanging ideas and fun words with Cindy since 2007 and finally we got to meet, thanks to her and John's hard work.  I loved every minute with Cindy.  She's warm, caring, funny and such a joy to be with.  John is a great guy and Oakland is a beautiful example of a true hero.  We sat in the Allegro Dining Room at a table for four.   The dogs did really well.  I was so proud of both of them, who behaved like true gentlemen in the dining room.

 

I had a mini-suite cabin, hoping they'd place the box on my veranda.  The potty box was set-up at the end of a very long hallway, behind a really heavy door.  I met with the housekeeping manager and my cabin steward in an effort to have them move the box closer or on my veranda.  Their solution was to have my cabin steward come to my cabin and walk Horton for me.....he even practiced, while his manager and I watched.  NO WAY!  There was no way that I was going to turn Horton's leash over to a stranger to walk for me.  It was definitely an effort  to toilet Horty and extremely tiring but it has to be done and my 11 year old boy shined through and never made a mistake in spite of Princess.

 

I tried to set-up a meeting with the Hotel Manager but he was NEVER available to me and, quite frankly, it get pretty tiring to have to always fight a battle with Princess Cruise lines when it comes to the potty box.

 

I was on a Back/Back cruise and what Princess put me and about 30 other passengers, including Horton through to start the second leg of our cruise was ridiculous and totally unnecessary, to say the least.  We were asked to debark the ship, walk through the cruise terminal inside, past the luggage area and then outside, past arriving guests, over uneven ground, through TSA and Immigration.  When I was asked to remove all the objects from Horton's Vest and hand him over to a TSA agent, I simply refused and complained that I was going to write about this on Cruise Critic.  What a terrible way to treat repeat customers, let alone someone who is handicapped with a Service Dog.

 

There is a much more efficient and less stressful way to treat Passengers In Transit, without making them march like prisoners for such a long distance.  I will NEVER be led or told to do such an inane thing again.  I'm ashamed of Princess for putting passengers through this disgraceful act.  And angry at myself for letting them do this to me and Horty!!!!!!  Not to mention the other passengers.

 

Cabo San Lucas had to be cancelled because of the rough seas.......Don't mess with Auntie Roz!!!!

 

The Royal Princess is not one of my favorite Princess ships and I doubt I will be on her again!

 

Thank you Cindy, John and Oakland for making the first leg of my two week journey so much fun!!!!!!  I hope that one day we can do it again!

 

Welcome back DKD and congratulations on turning in another wonderful dog to assist someone in becoming a more independent person.

 

 

Welcome back Honey! ❤️

I'm sorry they made you go through that ridiculous disembarking. How stupid was that! And I guess the hotel manager still was out and about.  Lol  He's one busy guy. 

 

We are still recovering. Oakland has been asleep for a week. After I unpacked I realized its only 40 something days to our next cruise. I hope I make it. 😕

 

Glad you're back and hope you and your granddaughter had a good time. 

[wizard-of-roz]

1 hour ago, rangeley said:

Welcome back Honey! ❤️

I'm sorry they made you go through that ridiculous disembarking. How stupid was that! And I guess the hotel manager still was out and about.  Lol  He's one busy guy. 

 

We are still recovering. Oakland has been asleep for a week. After I unpacked I realized its only 40 something days to our next cruise. I hope I make it. 😕

 

Glad you're back and hope you and your granddaughter had a good time. 

Thanks Cindy.  My Granddaughter and I, aside from the more than daily jaunt down the long hall to relieve Horton, had a good cruise.  Not one of my best cruises, I must say.  The Royal lacks quiet, intimate spaces to meet with friends.....every lounge is open to walkways and loud music.

 

I must tell everyone about the Immigration inspection in Mexico......The officials NEVER looked at my paperwork.  I met them in a lounge, very early and they inspected Horton.  They picked up his paws, ran their hands over and under his fur on his back and looked in his ears.  It took 5 minutes and we were cleared.  Dumb, dumb, dumb!!!!

 

I would NEVER give an Immigration officer money, NEVER!  I wasn't asked and never have been in Mexico but I did travel to Costa Rica, Quatemala, Colombia and Honduras.  I was asked for money in Colombia and told them that I have no cash and the only credit card I had was on file with Princess.  They simply walked away and I still entered their country.

 

The only time I've paid, and paid plenty was cruising into Hawaii.  Your dog will also need to have a recent Rabies Blood Titer within a few weeks of travel along with a one year Rabies vaccine.  They have complicated paperwork of which you can either go online to get, or look back through our posts for the exact contacts.

 

There were 4 dogs on my cruise with Cindy.  Two small Chihuaua type dogs in baby strollers with fake  Vests on.  I asked one woman what tasks her dog performs and she said he was a seizure alert dog for her husband, mind you she was ALWAYS carrying the dog and the dog was always on HER lap......tell me, how does he alert from such a distance?????  Please!!!!  It's so embarrassing to legitimate dog handlers when people bring their pets onboard and claim that they provide a service for them......I say;  "LIARS!"

[rangeley]

8 hours ago, wizard-of-roz said:

 

There were 4 dogs on my cruise with Cindy.  Two small Chihuaua type dogs in baby strollers with fake  Vests on.  I asked one woman what tasks her dog performs and she said he was a seizure alert dog for her husband, mind you she was ALWAYS carrying the dog and the dog was always on HER lap......tell me, how does he alert from such a distance?????  Please!!!!  It's so embarrassing to legitimate dog handlers when people bring their pets onboard and claim that they provide a service for them......I say;  "LIARS!"

 

Don't forget it only alerted him at night.  Lol   Oh and the dog had been found abandoned in the desert and had bitten a few people and hated men with work boots. Omg   The other dog I never saw. 

 

On the Princess thread, there was another fake dog around the same time as our cruise. The girl posted about it on a different site. I dont know the details but some 90yr old man confronted her about it and she went ballistic. Someone also said she was drunk and giving it champagne. 🥂

[puppycanducruise]

Welcome back wizard-of-roz and Horton.

[Algebralovr]

Roz, I’m sorry the Back to Back procedure was such a mess.  Customs and Border Patrol requires the ship reach a passenger count of zero so they always make everyone leave.  It is usually done in a group as you experienced. 
 

On the B2B’s we’ve done with Celebrity out of Ft Lauderdale, they have always required us to meet in a lounge at 9, then we left as a group once everyone else was off the ship, clearing the passenger count.

The hostess responsible for organizing it would collect our key cards as we left, then depending on the terminal we may have to go all the way out, or just go to a lounge and sit until the ship was cleared.  One time we had to go out through immigration, then stand in line on the pier.  Once in line, the hostess handed out new key cards and as soon as the ship was cleared, we could reboard the ship.  
 

They make new crew go through a silly exercise as well, which sometimes lengthens the wait time.
 

It is always a silly exercise that CBP requires. 

[wizard-of-roz]

14 hours ago, rangeley said:

 

Don't forget it only alerted him at night.  Lol   Oh and the dog had been found abandoned in the desert and had bitten a few people and hated men with work boots. Omg   The other dog I never saw. 

 

On the Princess thread, there was another fake dog around the same time as our cruise. The girl posted about it on a different site. I dont know the details but some 90yr old man confronted her about it and she went ballistic. Someone also said she was drunk and giving it champagne. 🥂

Someone give me a break, please! 

 

As I travel more and more and run into these pretenders I'm losing my patience and understanding.  There was a miniature poodle on the second leg of my cruise who alerted his handler when his blood sugar ran low.  I allowed Horton to walk right up to the dog "Sophia" and was totally surprised when the little thing didn't even flinch at my big boy coming at her.  She acted very well and did whatever her handler said.  Not a bark or lunging, just calm and well behaved.....very nice to see! 

[wizard-of-roz]

4 hours ago, Algebralovr said:

Roz, I’m sorry the Back to Back procedure was such a mess.  Customs and Border Patrol requires the ship reach a passenger count of zero so they always make everyone leave.  It is usually done in a group as you experienced. 
 

On the B2B’s we’ve done with Celebrity out of Ft Lauderdale, they have always required us to meet in a lounge at 9, then we left as a group once everyone else was off the ship, clearing the passenger count.

The hostess responsible for organizing it would collect our key cards as we left, then depending on the terminal we may have to go all the way out, or just go to a lounge and sit until the ship was cleared.  One time we had to go out through immigration, then stand in line on the pier.  Once in line, the hostess handed out new key cards and as soon as the ship was cleared, we could reboard the ship.  
 

They make new crew go through a silly exercise as well, which sometimes lengthens the wait time.
 

It is always a silly exercise that CBP requires. 

Barb, I totally understand the laws requiring the ships to re-board passengers in transit. 

 

What Princess did was totally unnecessary and over done.  We were treated like cattle and actually being punished for re-booking a back/back cruise.  I have cruised back/back before [not on Princess] received new cruise cards, was asked to go to a specific lounge where we met with Immigration officials and had our Passports re-inspected.  We were asked to remain there until the ship had cleared, we were served coffee, tea and a continental breakfast while waiting and were NEVER asked to traverse the entire pier and treated more like folks who were invading the ship rather than passengers who had spent double the money to cruise back to back.

 

I will NEVER do another back to back onboard Princess Cruise Lines.

[Wendsong]

14 hours ago, rangeley said:

Two small Chihuaua type dogs in baby strollers with fake  Vests on. 

How did you determine that the vests were "fake".  There is no law requiring any vest be worn by a SD. Also, I have read that Chihuahuas make excellent alert dogs. Of course, they do have to be near the person they are trained to alert!

[Wendsong]

On 11/20/2019 at 4:56 PM, DUTRAVEL said:

We have the Ruffwear float coat.

I bought the float coat, but am returning it. It fit around his girth and neck just fine, but only came about a third of the way down the length  of his back. When I filled the sink with water and pushed the jacket down, I was able to dunk it with almost no effort at all. I don't have any faith at all that it would support a 65 pound dog. Has anyone had experience with a life jacket where a dog, weighing over 60 pounds, was not swimming, but was just relying on the jacket to keep it afloat? I was also concerned that this jacket doesn't have a chin rest to keep his head above water. 

[wizard-of-roz]

3 hours ago, Wendsong said:

How did you determine that the vests were "fake".  There is no law requiring any vest be worn by a SD. Also, I have read that Chihuahuas make excellent alert dogs. Of course, they do have to be near the person they are trained to alert!

I asked the question; "where did you get the dogs vest?"  Answer:  "I bought it online!"  

 

We all know that the DOJ does not require that a Service Dog wear a vest.  A CCI vest is a wonderful advertisement for the organization and helps the public in visualizing and signifying a working dog from a pet.  And a CCI trained dog is a joy and pleasure to take out in public.  I walk with great pride with my Service Dog and am proud to be around all ages, in all circumstances with him. 

 

When a dog, no matter what the breed; barks, whimpers, snarls, lunges and nips at another dog, it is a clear indication that it is not a fully trained Service Dog and should NOT be in the public sector!  It doesn't matter how wonderfully any dog alerts their handler when it acts badly when exposed to other dogs, it is a hazard to others and belongs at home. 

[wizard-of-roz]

3 hours ago, Wendsong said:

I bought the float coat, but am returning it. It fit around his girth and neck just fine, but only came about a third of the way down the length  of his back. When I filled the sink with water and pushed the jacket down, I was able to dunk it with almost no effort at all. I don't have any faith at all that it would support a 65 pound dog. Has anyone had experience with a life jacket where a dog, weighing over 60 pounds, was not swimming, but was just relying on the jacket to keep it afloat? I was also concerned that this jacket doesn't have a chin rest to keep his head above water. 

Princess cruise lines provides your dog with vest, and so does many other lines.

[Mavis and Me]

2 hours ago, wizard-of-roz said:

I asked the question; "where did you get the dogs vest?"  Answer:  "I bought it online!"  

 

We all know that the DOJ does not require that a Service Dog wear a vest.  A CCI vest is a wonderful advertisement for the organization and helps the public in visualizing and signifying a working dog from a pet.  And a CCI trained dog is a joy and pleasure to take out in public.  I walk with great pride with my Service Dog and am proud to be around all ages, in all circumstances with him. 

Roz, not all of us have CCI dogs, or a dog from any program for that matter.  Where exactly are we supposed to get our working gear?  Really, the only answer is through a private retailer, oftentimes online.  Just because my dog wears a vest that I purchased online, doesn't make her a fake.  Also, not every vest out there fits every dog.  The vest that I used on my previous SD didn't fit my current dog, even though they were about the same size and weight.  My current dog has a wide, short chest; several vests that I tried to use on her sat too low on her breastbone and interfered with her front legs when jumping up into my van.  I ended up buying a vest from Chewy that had a higher chest strap which didn't obstruct her movement.  I see this same vest on a lot of 'fake' (poorly trained?) service dogs, but I don't care - I'm thrilled that I found a vest that she can work in!  My (non-program) dog is also a pleasure to be around out in public, and I am tremendously proud of the hard work that she and I have shared together to get to this point!

[wizard-of-roz]

42 minutes ago, Mavis and Me said:

Roz, not all of us have CCI dogs, or a dog from any program for that matter.  Where exactly are we supposed to get our working gear?  Really, the only answer is through a private retailer, oftentimes online.  Just because my dog wears a vest that I purchased online, doesn't make her a fake.  Also, not every vest out there fits every dog.  The vest that I used on my previous SD didn't fit my current dog, even though they were about the same size and weight.  My current dog has a wide, short chest; several vests that I tried to use on her sat too low on her breastbone and interfered with her front legs when jumping up into my van.  I ended up buying a vest from Chewy that had a higher chest strap which didn't obstruct her movement.  I see this same vest on a lot of 'fake' (poorly trained?) service dogs, but I don't care - I'm thrilled that I found a vest that she can work in!  My (non-program) dog is also a pleasure to be around out in public, and I am tremendously proud of the hard work that she and I have shared together to get to this point!

As has been said, a vest is not necessary or required by the DOJ.   Training Orgs. will use them for commercial purposes and to identify their dogs. Your dogs behavior is proof enough as to the proper training and ability to be in public.   Buying a vest that says "Service Dog" is not necessary and only confuses the public and encourages folks who try to pass their ill behaving dogs as fully trained and they think it gives them permission to bring them into the public forum. 

 

Putting an online purchased vest on an improperly trained dog hurts those of us who walk or wheel with a Service/Working Dog who is properly trained and who exhibits proper behavior.  If your dog acts appropriately, has been properly trained then all you really need is a good fitting collar and leash, that's what is most important.  

 

 

[Mavis and Me]

1 hour ago, wizard-of-roz said:

As has been said, a vest is not necessary or required by the DOJ.   Training Orgs. will use them for commercial purposes and to identify their dogs. Your dogs behavior is proof enough as to the proper training and ability to be in public.   Buying a vest that says "Service Dog" is not necessary and only confuses the public and encourages folks who try to pass their ill behaving dogs as fully trained and they think it gives them permission to bring them into the public forum. 

 

Putting an online purchased vest on an improperly trained dog hurts those of us who walk or wheel with a Service/Working Dog who is properly trained and who exhibits proper behavior.  If your dog acts appropriately, has been properly trained then all you really need is a good fitting collar and leash, that's what is most important.  

 

 

Interesting take.  However, I disagree!  :)  I believe taking an unvested SD into public access situations encourages folks to do the same with their pets.  Not everyone will go to the trouble of buying a 'fake' vest to take their dogs in public places, but it's no skin off anyone's teeth to grab Muffin from the car and just walk her into a restaurant with her leash and collar.  I see what you are saying here, and truly, my SD needs nothing to behave - she'd be fine with no collar/leash at all, but I feel that having her vested helps the public see the line between pet dogs and SDs.  For true SD handlers, her behavior is what gives her SD status away, but for the public seeing a very well behaved dog with a SD vest on cements the concept that a service dog is not just a pet.  It's not just, "Look at that well behaved dog," it's "Look at that well behaved WORKING dog!"  Also, I look very capable and generally seem healthy on the outside, so taking my dog 'naked' into public means that I am going to get stopped and questioned just about every time I enter a business.  (Which I applaud businesses for doing when the status of the dog/handler isn't obvious.)  However, I just want to get my day over with so I can get home; I don't need the hassle and stress of defending my right to have my unvested SD with me.  I'm not trying to make trouble, I just have a differing opinion!  :)

[HenryKisor]

Here's a vote for always vesting your dog in public, except maybe at a nude beach (that would be a faux pas). Trooper is from an ADI-affiliated organization so wears an official Dogs for Better Lives-issued vest wherever we go. I too have an invisible disability, so the vest helps persuade gatekeepers on first glance that Trooper MAY be a legit service dog. In fact, DBL's policy is that hearing dogs should be vested at all times in public.

 

There are other reasons. I now live in an independent living retirement community with about 110 residents. Trooper's bright orange vest helps alert seniors with poor eyesight to the little black dog on dark carpets. 

 

Of course some people assume Trooper must be a fake because he is a small dog, a 20 pound schnoodle, but the hell with them. (If they ask nicely, I do try to educate them politely.)

 

Should we buy identifying gear online? If we have independently trained, or self trained, service dogs, there is no choice. I myself bought a "SERVICE ANIMAL" patch to put on Trooper's orange winter coat because DBL doesn't provide such patches and carefully limits each of its graduates to one vest (it will supply a new one when the old wears out).

 

I guess that every service dog and their handler has different needs and experiences, and we should respect their ideas about what they have to do to make life easier for them.

[Kaik9s]

I find it interesting that even between SD handlers there is debate about weather to vest or not vest. I get harassed with or without my SD in vest since I “don’t look disabled”. While I agree vests are highly visible means of identifying SDs, they don’t make a dog an SD, training AND behavior does!  Just because a dog has been trained to do tasks for disabled person, it’s not an SD! If the dog lunges or barks at other dogs or people it’s NOT an SD, it wouldn’t pass the basic level tests or training for public access which IS PART of SD training for public safety.  With the many different companies and individuals training SDs,  for a multitude of different disabilities, at least here in USA, there is not one product that they all use or make available to those of us who have SDs. Many of us have to purchase online products, vests, patches, leash, leash wraps, collars etc.  There is a variety of different ways to “uniform” our SDs. Mostly it’s personal choice. Unfortunately ANYONE can buy these same items and put on their pets and take them out in public places which not only makes it more difficult for real SDs but is ILLEGAL, at least at federal levels, but these laws are not enforced at the local level! When’s the last time you heard of someone actually being fined for fake sd? Are you aware that even if we real SD teams are harassed or kicked out of store or restaurant for no reason, we can call police but they CANT do anything because they don’t enforce federal laws! So our only recourse it to file complaints with ADA and/or hire attorneys!? Is it any wonder people feel it’s ok to fake their pets as SDs? I’ve been told by few stores they’re scared to approach people with misbehaving vested pets often barking at customers or peeing on items, for fear of being sued! It’s a no win situation for us or them. I did however meet a retired federal officer, who was working at a museum, who actually asked me if he could use my SD to train another employee on how to recognize a REAL SD from fakes! He explained how many fakes come into museums and how he’d told one irate woman he’d have her arrested if she continued to lie about her dog being sd, she finally admitted it and left.  He KNEW how difficult fakes make it for us since his wife had an SD! 
I’m not sure what the resolution to this problem of fakes will be, until then we in the SD communities need to support each other and stop putting other REAL SD Teams down for having to purchase our gear online! It doesn’t make my SD any less valid than one who’s gear came from a “well known” program. Those Known programs only train for specific disabilities, for example Guide dogs for the blind, I’m not blind so I can’t get SD Or gear from them, it STILL doesn’t make my SD or gear fake just because it’s purchased online. 

[HenryKisor]

"By their behavior ye shall know them."

 

By the way, it should be pointed out that some states, Illinois among them, make discrimination against service dog teams a misdemeanor, a criminal offense, and the local cops can be called to enforce state law. However, some law enforcement agencies may not be aware of the law or think they have better things to do. If you run up against this problem you can ask the county attorney to inform the police of their obligations.

 

[rangeley]

11 hours ago, Wendsong said:

How did you determine that the vests were "fake".  There is no law requiring any vest be worn by a SD. Also, I have read that Chihuahuas make excellent alert dogs. Of course, they do have to be near the person they are trained to alert!

 

I did not make this comment but I don't believe the dog I saw was a service dog. I chatted with the people and their story was bizarre and ridiculous. Besides it was a seizure alert dog for the husband but never left the wife. Then it only alerted at night. Seemed they were making it up as the went along.  It was whining and shaking, it was totally uncomfortable. 

Edited November 25, 2019 by rangeley

[Wendsong]

8 hours ago, wizard-of-roz said:

I asked the question; "where did you get the dogs vest?"  Answer:  "I bought it online!"  

 

The dog and the disability you saw might be fake, however. I will agree to that, but not that the entire reason and service of the dog is, just because the vest was purchased on line. I would bet that even SD training organizations order their custom made vests on line. The vest identifies the dog as a service dog, so people will leave it alone and not distract it.

 

My sister currently has been attempting to get a SD for extreme vertigo (due to brain surgery) as recommended by her doctor, because she is home bound and he wants her to get out more. However, CCI.org does not train mobility dogs and she has yet to find any organization that does. If she gets a SD, it will have to be either self or privately trained  or purchased directly from a trainer. For her, all of these options are problematic. In any case, the vest would be purchased on line.

 

Am I detecting a sort of discrimination against handler-trained SDs, based entirely on where the vest came from?

[Wendsong]

3 hours ago, Kaik9s said:

I’ve been told by few stores they’re scared to approach people with misbehaving vested pets often barking at customers or peeing on items, for fear of being sued!

But then, how many are actually sued? It would be great if store owners would eject bad mannered dogs, even if they are SDs. The law allows that. However, I was refused service in a salon and my dog was quietly sitting under my chair. The manager eventually said it wasn't because of the dog, but because I was "arguing" with her, as I tried to explain the law to her! I was upset, but I didn't sue. They just lost a customer. Once, I was harassed by a Sheriff's deputy who was also eating in a Taco Bell. He obviously was unfamiliar with DOJ regulations and didn't think the dog should be in a restaurant. When I first started going into my local stores, I was asked often, but he is so well known now that they don't ask. 

[Wendsong]

3 hours ago, Kaik9s said:

 Just because a dog has been trained to do tasks for disabled person, it’s not an SD!

Unfortunately, yes it is! That 's all the DOJ law requires. The law gives store owners and others an out, if the dog is misbehaving, allowing them to refuse service to the dog, but not the owner. Real SD handlers, on the other hand, realize that an uncivilized SD is bad for the whole community . We make sure our dogs are well trained and worry when they might go rogue on us (act like a dog!). Poser SD owners don't worry about that. They are law breakers and have no concern about the damage they do.

[Kaik9s]

22 minutes ago, Wendsong said:

Unfortunately, yes it is! That 's all the DOJ law requires. The law gives store owners and others an out, if the dog is misbehaving, allowing them to refuse service to the dog, but not the owner. Real SD handlers, on the other hand, realize that an uncivilized SD is bad for the whole community . We make sure our dogs are well trained and worry when they might go rogue on us (act like a dog!). Poser SD owners don't worry about that. They are law breakers and have no concern about the damage they do.

Thanks for that information. It sounds like even the laws are confusing on what constitutes a SD.

 When I was being trained to work with my Professionally trained SD, I was told by the training team that to be an SD the dogs were required by ADA to pass not only basic Canine good citizen  training and testing and Community access tests which included how they reacted to other people, or dogs in public, if they didn’t pass the testing  these dogs could pose a safety problem and were disqualified from being SDs.  I must be misunderstanding the laws as it sounds like any pet dog can be task trained and it’s an sd? Then why did I pay for a professionally trained dog? My other dog/pet (Who was training with me to be my sd) who is scared of strangers and barks at them or other dogs could have been my sd under those circumstances! Fortunately I decided she wasn’t sd material and we kept her as pet since she’d bonded with my husband and I started training with another dog, chosen for me and  trained specifically for me, who did pass all the required tests at that facility. 
Can you imagine an sd scared of other people out in public! I shudder at the thought! Although the reactions my SD and I have gotten from other sd vested dogs has startled us, barking, growling and lunging at us, now I know why, unclear laws on what constitutes an SD.