Peoples reaction to my autism service dog.

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So I was just posting in of of my threads and it got me thinking about my service dog and peoples reaction to her. When ever we go out we encounter manny people, some don't seem to notice her or care at all, some ask to pet her, some want to know about her a have serous questions becuase they feel someone they love who is on the spectrum would greatly benifit from a service dog and I am more then happy to help., I love talking about my dog. How ever then we have the people who see her and run away from her or back away in fear. (I am more understanding with children but not so much with teenagers and adults) I geuss I expect more knoweldge scence from them, at least enough to know not to run! Dogs (especaily German Shepherd like Nim) instictualy hase things that run. I am thankful Nim doesnt appear to instinctualy react that way though sometimes she gives me odd looks or gets a bit nervous or maybe I amj just nervous. We have people who don't see her and hit her with a carrage or step on/ run over her tail. This baffles me because she is a BIG whye dog how do you not see her? ( I am understanding of people who are blind and elberly_ Then you have the people who ask questions to be mean and people who challange my right to have her in the place. I have had poeple actualy ask me "Whats wrong with you are you ret*d or something? and have been told "You can't have pets in here," I explain they reply "you don't look autistic or to have ANY disability you are breaking the law and you need to leave," Ussually I have my boyfriend handle them before I meltdown.
This is what really baffles me hough is the people who

reach out to grab at or pet my dog

try to call her over to them while we walk by

People who , bark meow or make noises at my dog. I am not kidding this does happen I have had a group of (store empolyees) do this to us before. One kids was meowing and the other said "Oh is that a kitty? Wheres the kitty? here kitty kitty kitty," Another barked an then the script played over. I wasn't too shocked they all looked to be high schoolers and or college students any ways but I have had adult do this too

Sorry about the rant.

I will say Ithe benifit of having her greatly outways the challanges and annoyounces people do cause.

ZDoes anyone have any clue WHY people act this way? Does anyone else have a service dog and do you ever have to deal with any of this?

Why not get a "don't disturb me I am working" patch for her vest. I'm considering getting a service dog in the future and that's what I plan to do. Or a patch that states she is a service dog.

I think that the patch is a good idea.

http://www.servicedogtags.com/service_dog_tags_c.htm

Here's a link that sells them.

People can be incredibly stupid about that sort of thing. I think the majority of service dogs that people know about are Seeing Eye Dogs, or dogs for people who are very physically impaired. So the reason why many people may question whether or not you should have a service dog is entirely out of ignorance.

That's really strange that people step on/run into your dog. They stopped using GSDs at the Seeing Eye because they were TOO big....I guess people don't pay attention when they walk. I've talked to blind people who have the same experience- they'll be walking with their cane and people won't move aside for them.

I agree with what others are saying about the patch, because a lot of people don't know that you're not supposed to pet service dogs on duty. Unfortunately the only way to deal with the jerks is to ignore them.

Nim's a really cute name by the way.

I have a question about registering a service dog. I am seriously considering registering my dog, who is bright, well-behaved, and makes everything much easier as a service dog. How does one go about this? Are there training classes he needs to take, tests he needs to pass, etc? I find that I really benefit from having him around and would like to take him places with me. I'm sure there's more to it than getting him a vest and a "service dog" patch (if only it were that easy!), do you know what I'd need to do to get him qualified as a service dog? (I also have AS.)

You probably won't be able to register him as a service dog as they are usually bred for that sort of thing and start very intensive training as puppies. There is something called an emotional support animal which you could probably do though. They don't require any training, and I believe all you need to do is prove that your dog is therapeutic to you. Not sure how much it is like a regular service dog as far as where you can take it in public areas though.

I'm in favor of service animals wearing patches. I know better than to distract a service animal when it's working and I'm teaching my kids to pay attention to whether a dog is a service animal and to always ask their human before approaching any dog. it's not always easy to tell if a dog is on duty here, since lots of businesses in my area are dog friendly.

if I ever saw someone teasing a service dog I'd probably get really nasty.

however, I do walk wide around dogs I don't know. not all dogs have good manners and I don't like dogs jumping on me or slobbering on my clothes. I prefer it when animals in public are under control and have good manners. barking dogs make me flinch. small barking dogs make me insane.

I'm not universally unfriendly toward dogs though. I did stop the other day to become acquainted with the most beautiful australian shepherd I've ever seen. I asked first. and I have a pug friend in the neighborhood who I really like.

my AS son is afraid of most dogs and always has been, but like me there are a few he likes. I don't know what it is about some dogs that make us like them.

What insolence to tease a service dog! Honestly I'd tell people where to go. Purposely knocking or running over the dogs tail is horrible. I'm just glad your dog is well trained enough not to bite back.
People are idiots and see disability as something to mock. Or maybe they are just friendly rusing you. Or maybe they are arrogant a-holes.
I think a dog vest that says 'autism service dog: please do not pat' would suit you well. I once got told off by a blind man for petting his dog. I was a child at the time and didn't know why I wasn't allowed to pat it, I do now.

I'm sorry you have to deal with people like this. I really want a service dog because I have anxiety about shopping centers (my mum doesn't know this yet).

What does a service dog provide for autistic people? I've never heard of such a thing.

Autism service dogs can do a great many things; it all depends on what their owners need. For example, they can lean against you to provide calming pressure if they see you're getting overloaded; or they can pull you back if you're going to walk out in front of a car by mistake; or if the person's small enough, they can stop them from running (kids, especially, since a panicked autistic kid can get into real danger if he bolts--adults, the dog wouldn't be strong enough to pull back). A dog can make a good way to start a conversation; and he's safe social interaction for practicing or just if you're lonely and need to talk to somebody. Some dogs can tell when you're getting "stuck" in a loop thanks to executive dysfunction or perseveration, and nudge you out of it. I've even heard of people who find it a great deal easier to communicate when they are in contact with an animal. And of course, having the dog around can make you calmer, and stops transitions and sensory stuff from causing as much anxiety as they otherwise would.

Most likely the OP will tell us what specifically her dog does for her when she comes back in here.

I have actually got my cats certified as emotional support animals. This isn't the same as a service dog; it is just a statement from a psychologist that the animal gives emotional support to a disabled individual, and it lets me get my cats into apartments with a No Pets policy. I'm responsible to pay for any damages they cause, of course; but I don't have to pay special pet rent. The simple procedure is a tradeoff, though: I'm not allowed to take the cats into public places where animals are not allowed. Unlike psychiatric service animals or trained service dogs, my cats are simply pets with no special training. The services my cats provide are rather simple; they help with anxiety and depression, allow for a safe social outlet, and help me stay on schedule because they have a regular feeding schedule of their own. One of the two, though, seems to have become rather perceptive lately; he has on more than one occasion bumped me out of perseveration/inertia just by climbing into my lap and head-bumping me. I think maybe he knows when I'm stuck like that. Smart cat.

How old and what size is your dog? You CAN train your dog to be your service dog as long as you can train it tasks to help you with your disability. There are a few organisations that WILL help you train your dog to be a service dog for you but you can also train your dog at home if you know how to train a dog. All service dogs are clicker trained stay FAR away from, choke collars, pinch and shock collars! this is all if you live in the US. to have your dog as a service dog your dog must

1 Have a good temperment and be able to handle people and crowds
2. You must have an actual disability (Aspergers and any autism specrtum dissorder qualifies you so there is no worry there )
3. the dog must be train tasks to help you with your disability,

so here is an example.

Nim is my autism service dog I have PDD-NOS autism. Nim's jobs focus on safty and socailization. Nim is one of the few that can be pet if you ask first though I don't have a patch telling people they can pet her. I perfer they ask me and there are days I dont want anyone touching her so I don't coulenteer the you can pet her just ask me information. I had those patches before and people would grab at her with out asking more then ussualy so I had tthem removed. This doesn't count as a task but I am alot more socail when I have her and I have actualy made friends because of her.

Nim is also trained that if I am having a melt down to crawl ont to my lap and lean into me to provide deep pressure which helps calms me. Her prescence also seem to reduce my meltdowns a great deal as well

I also have trouble witth general safty when it comes to streets. All to often I will see an object of my specail intrest and go right to it. The probleam is when this happens I don't seem to proccess the streets in between me and it. Nim is trained to step infront of me and stop me. I also do this when my mind is distracted or there re to manny people. IDoes anyone else have this probleam?

Fire alarms are another issue for me. I have 3 reactions to them

reaction one is to jump and cover my ears as the sound of the alarm tends to really hurt. This also causes me to not so much be disoriented as forget/ take a few minutes to regroup my thoughts and rember the proper responce short of hidding and trying to block out the sound. Nim is trained to nudge me and make sure I get out. She will crawl in my lap only after we have gotten outside.
2 is how most people react only again I am cluching my ears trying to reduce sound and pain.
3. If I am really into something like indulging my specail intrest I tend to block out the rest of the world and everything processes very slowly or I will block it out. Nim's touch and pawing me is enough to get my attention as I will respond to it. She will paw at me to get my attention and we will get out. again once I stop blocking out the sound i will need to block my ears.

Nim is also trained to find me if she is with Pat and I wander off (not very common for me but we have that just incase) This is most likly to happen in crowds

Also Nim just provides general safty. there are not that manny people who are going to try and cause me trouble when I have a 75lbs German Shepherd dog with me.
those are all tasks above. for children they are also trained for safry to keep kids from running into the street alert parents to a child trying to sneak out or getting into something dangerous to track a child who has warndered off or bolted. Some place train them to redirect stimming to petting the dog.

we might try the dont touch me patch though. Thank you.

oh I forgot Nim is also trained in an emergancey to stay next to me and on comand howl and or bark for help.

She also does alert me to alarm clocks and reminds me to take my thyroid pills.

Wow, what a smart dog!! How long did it take her to learn all that?

I agree she is very smart. all that took us about a year to train. She managed to teach herself a thing or two though. We first realized her potential when she was 4 months old. We had this nice roast beaf dinner. Mom and I had gotten our plates and shut the meat in the oven to gaurd it from them hungery little puppt who wanted it. so Nim sat there by the stove while we were eating and about 30 minutes into the meal I heard a lud noise of Nim Jumping up and the oven door opening and not a secound or 2 later came Nim running into the other room with the left overs. Mom wasnt happy We have since redirected her devous mind to be a helpful one. I have to say she seems very happy too. She dances around when she see me pick up her vest for us to go out togeather.

Funny thing is if you could train your cat right now according to the ADA you are covered odly enough. The ADA doesn't specify the type of animal and there are service cats believe it or not. my cats are all to skidish to go outside but thats fine I love them just as much. Though I have to say Lorien seems to like to lay on my books and school work during homework hour.

If anything, the patch would serve more as a legal advantage in a sense that if anyone was intentionally mocking you, brushing off your disability, or such, then you will have full legal grounds to sue them for discrimination.And with the store employees as you mentioned, you can complain to management of the store and say you will sue the store if those kids are not fired and with the patch, they will see that they have no legal defence, and they will fire those kids.