Assistance dogs are still dogs

People sometimes remark that it’s mean or cruel to have a working dog. The perception is that they don’t get to play, aren’t allowed to socialize – basically, that they’re not allowed to be dogs. That’s far from the reality of a service dog.

Service dogs are just that, dogs who assist. But when it comes down to it, they are still dogs. They play, socialize, and have bad days where getting them to pay attention is a losing battle.

Where I live, there are only a handful of us who have SD’s. I ran into one of the others who has a service dog, a golden retriever a bit smaller than Crystal, and we stopped to chat. While we sat there talking, we got two groups who stopped at different times to talk to us. The first group was just interested in the dogs and went on their way. In the second group, though, was a woman who thought it was mean to have a dog not be able to socialize while working, the perception being they are always working. This is true to a point, but it’s also not true. Service dogs are always working in the sense that even at home, they do various things when needed. Say I drop my TV remote; Crystal will either get up on her own, get it, then go back to bed, or I’ll call her, she’ll get it, then go back to what
she was doing.

Crystal plays, goes for walks, and rests like any other dog. The biggest difference is that she’s not just a pet; she’s a companion, she assists me, and many times she entertains me. And sometimes, like today, she lays in bed with me, nudging my arm whenever she thinks I’m not paying her enough attention.

Jenna