My new dobe may possibly be trained as a service dog, we'll have to see how it goes. I have social anxiety that is generally well-controlled through therapy and meditation, but if the situation gets suddenly "scary" it's an instant panic attack. People touching me when I'm panicking or getting too close makes it worse and my breathing can get pretty bad. There are dogs for anxiety that are basically trained to put themselves between you and other people so you can take a few minutes, take your meds and calm down. Put your back to the wall and have your dog (in my case a "big, bad" (big softy, squishy-faced) Doberman) sit on your feet. Easy to train, and beneficial like you wouldn't imagine.

I'll still never go Christmas shopping on Christmas eve, or go to a concert, but I won't have to be freaked in the mall either. Again, not sure if this is actually going to happen as it may not help enough for me to justify it. It may be worth a try though. :)

Calmom.. I am sympathetic to people w/allergies and asthma. I am *that* person and I know truly how frightning an asthma attack can be. But I also know the severity of my asthma and dog hair on people's clothes definitely majorly triggered an attack when I wasn't on medicine, so I know that it is just as bad.

I would never sneak my dog in where it doesn't belong because I don't like confrontation, but if I see someone else w/a dog in a store it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Just my opinion.

For what it's worth, I only mentioned the allergy aspect as one of MANY possible reasons that they are not allowed. :( It was just a guess...made sense in my mind. I don't think that is the ONLY reason though, so finding loopholes in that possibility doesn't justify anything, IMO.

Yes, allergies and asthma was only one possible reason.

What about people who are truly terrified of dogs? Those of you who have mental health issues and feel your dog helps you, should understand that another person might be set off by having a dog in a public place when they didn't expect it.

I have a friend who has a real dog phobia-she rarely visits me and when she does I have to swear that tiny little Lacey is in a crate and behind a closed door-she is still a wreck the whole time. If she were confronted by a dog popping it head out of a carrier she would have a panic attack.

My point from before is still the same-not to be argumentative-just a serious question-Whose "rights" are more important than anothers? Why should one handicap or illness be deemed more worth and given more rights than another?

Is being in a wheelchair more worthy of rights than serious asthma? Is being blind more worthy than a phobia?

In California, the school that my children attended allowed a young boy to bring his service dog to class. Two other children had to leave the school...was that fair?

AND again, hair on clothes does NOT set me off-for some reason...but the actual animal will...cats, birds, rabbits, most dogs and the list goes on...

I am still just asking for kindness and compassion-think of others and what harm your dog might cause. If you need your dog by all means take him/her with you when neccesary BUT please be thoughtful-don't sneak a dog in where someone might be taken unawares and don't insist your right to have your dog is somehow more important than anothers illness or fear, either.

Being a kind compassionate person means sometimes not insisting on having our way, even it it is within our "rights"!

I did not mean to offend anyone either, and I hope I have not. I guess my major issue is where do you draw the line? It is disheartening that there are so few places where those of us who really wish to bring our pets along for "fun" can. I do understand the justifications for the restrictions. Sorry!:doghouse:

I wasn't offended...hope niether of you got that impression from me...:)

If it is for fun, take the dog to a dog park or a dog friendly mall. If it is for a legitimate disability, the owner should know the rules. I have compassion for the people that are allergic to perfume, dogs, cigarette, etc. People are allergic to peanut products--should the grocery store stop selling peanut butter or restaurants now serve peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.

We need to all be respectful of each others needs. If someone can't be around dogs, leave if you see one. I don't sit in the smoking section of a restaurant, casino, etc. If I don't leave or move, I have no right to ask a smoker to stop smoking in a smoking section.

That was just what I was going to say. I understand the problem of dog allergies and asthma, but it is important for many people with disabilities to have their service animals with them. People with disabilities understand better than anyone else what its like to have a disability. Its better to compromise and work together than try to judge who is more disabled than the other.

Wow!
 

It's really sad that everyone had gotten so defensive about this issue. There are so many horrible things in the world that we could be spending our energy working to fix.

I'm not taking sides, because I think that both sides have valid points. I understand that a little bundle of Yorkie love can be one of the most therapeutic things in the world. I have said many times that Duke saved my life. I went through a really dark period in my life a couple months ago and sometimes the only thing that got me up in the morning was knowing that he needed to go potty. He always seems to know when I need to be comforted and I worry about him every second that I'm away from him. I would LOVE to have a free pass to take him everywhere with me.

I also understand that being around a dog can be life threatening for some people and that it's really hard to avoid a dog you can't see.

With that said, this is my policy: I will try to be discreet about bringing Duke into a store, but he always wants to see what's going on and if there is anyone around to give kisses to, so at the very least, his head is peaking out of the purse. Most of the time I just carry him in. I have been asked to leave two places since we started taking him out in November: a restaurant where we had stopped to pick up a to-go order (it was super dirty anyway, I don't know why they cared if he was in there...there was NO WAY I would have set him down!) and Costco. I don't take him to Costco anymore (seriously, who needs more to worry about at Costco anyway?) and we don't go to that restaurant anymore...but not because they didn't let Duke in the store.

We take him out all the time, but if I'm asked to leave, I don't talk back, I leave. I don't take him to places where I don't think he'd be welcome and I never put him down. Most of the time, the people who work in the stores either: a) want to hold him; b) tell him he's the cutest puppy in the world; c) they or someone they know wants to/used to/currently has a Yorkie; or d) all of the above.

I must admit that I live in a pretty dog-friendly city, but who could resist an adorable Yorkie? Even my husband's 85 year old grandma who is afraid of every dog she's ever met likes Duke!

BTW - does anyone else think it's odd that the spell checker on YorkieTalk.com thinks that Yorkie is spelled wrong? :confused: