When You See an Assistance Dog: The Kindest Thing You Can Do Is Ignore Them

An important message about respect, understanding and the reality of living with an Assistance Dog in Australia.

We need to talk about Assistance Dogs.

Not because people are deliberately doing the wrong thing. In fact, most of the people who approach an Assistance Dog team are friendly, curious and genuinely love dogs.

But sometimes, good intentions can have a very negative impact.

For the person holding the lead, what may seem like a harmless smile, a quick conversation, a high-pitched “hello puppy!”, or reaching down to pat a beautiful dog can be another interruption in a day that is already difficult enough.

And for the dog, it can be much more serious.

An Assistance Dog is not a pet when they are working

When you see an Assistance Dog in a shopping centre, at the beach, at a resort, in a restaurant, at a concert or walking through a national park, it is important to remember that you are not simply looking at someone's dog.

You are looking at an Assistance Dog team.

That team consists of a person who may have a disability and a highly trained dog who is there to provide assistance, support, safety and greater independence.

The dog may look happy.

The dog may look friendly.

The dog may even look like it would love nothing more than to come over and say hello.

That does not mean it should.

A working Assistance Dog needs to be able to concentrate on its handler and its job. It needs to remain focused despite everything happening around it.

Every time someone calls to the dog, stares at it, makes noises, leans over the team, attempts to pat it, whistles at it or uses an excited, high-pitched voice to get its attention, they are asking the dog to choose between its work and the distraction.

That is not fair to the dog.

And it is not fair to the handler.

“But I'm only being friendly.”

We understand.

Really, we do.

Dogs are wonderful. They make people smile. They bring people together. And when you see a gorgeous dog walking through a place where you don't normally expect to see one, curiosity is completely understandable.

You may want to know what breed they are.

You may want to know how they became an Assistance Dog.

You may have a family member who has one.

You may simply adore dogs.

But sometimes the most respectful thing you can do is admire the dog from a distance and carry on with your day.

Think of it this way:

If you saw someone using a wheelchair, would you stop them to ask why they use it?

Would you lean over them and start talking to their wheelchair?

Would you reach out and grab it because you thought it was interesting?

Of course not.

An Assistance Dog is also an important part of a person's independence and daily life. The fact that their medical or disability support happens to have four legs does not make it public property.

Why don't people do this to Guide Dogs?

There is an interesting difference in the way the public often responds to Guide Dogs compared with other Assistance Dogs.

Most people have grown up hearing the message:

“Do not pat a Guide Dog while it is working.”

We recognise the harness. We understand that the dog has an important job. We know that distracting the dog could potentially put its handler at risk.

But Assistance Dogs can perform many different types of tasks, and their work is not always obvious.

A dog may be helping someone manage a disability that you cannot see.

The dog may be trained to interrupt a behaviour, provide physical assistance, retrieve items, alert their handler to something, create space, provide support during a difficult situation, or perform another task directly related to their handler's disability.

You cannot look at an Assistance Dog and know what it is doing for its person.

And you certainly cannot look at the handler and know what they are dealing with.

“Your dog is so well behaved!”

Thank you.

But please don't interrupt the team to tell us.

What looks like a beautifully behaved dog didn't happen by accident.

Assistance Dogs require extensive training, ongoing reinforcement and enormous commitment. Their handlers also have responsibilities. They have to maintain the dog's training, health, wellbeing and working ability.

It isn't simply a matter of buying or getting a dog and taking it everywhere.

For many people, having an Assistance Dog is a huge decision.

It can take considerable time, effort, money, training and emotional energy. Dogs need to have the right temperament, health and ability to perform the work required of them. Not every dog is suited to Assistance Dog work.

And even when the dog is successful, the journey doesn't suddenly become easy.

Having an Assistance Dog is not always the “easy option”

There is sometimes a perception that people who have Assistance Dogs have somehow found an easy solution.

“You get to take your dog everywhere.”

“You're so lucky.”

“I wish I could bring my dog shopping.”

What people don't always see is why the dog is there in the first place.

An Assistance Dog is there because someone needs assistance.

That person may have already tried many other ways of managing their disability. The dog isn't a lifestyle accessory or a privilege. For some people, the dog can make the difference between being able to participate in everyday life and being unable to do so.

And then there is the public attention.

Imagine needing something to help you get through a difficult day, only to discover that taking that support with you means constantly having to deal with strangers.

Someone staring.

Someone approaching.

Someone calling your dog's name.

Someone asking personal questions.

Someone bending down over your dog.

Someone deliberately making noises to get the dog's attention.

Someone allowing their own dog to approach.

Someone telling you that they “just want to say hello.”

One interaction might seem insignificant.

But imagine experiencing it repeatedly throughout the day.

The impact can be much greater than you realise

For some Assistance Dog handlers, the attention from the public is not simply irritating.

It can be anxiety-provoking, exhausting and overwhelming.

Handlers can find themselves constantly scanning their surroundings, anticipating who might approach next, wondering whether someone is going to distract their dog, or worrying about how to respond without creating a confrontation.

Instead of concentrating on what they need to do, they are concentrating on managing other people's behaviour.

And sadly, we have heard from people who find the experience so difficult that they would rather go without their Assistance Dog in public.

Some clients have described becoming so distressed by the attention and interactions surrounding their dog that they have considered, or resorted to, other unhealthy ways of coping with the distress rather than taking their dog out.

That should concern all of us.

Nobody should feel that taking the support they need into the community is more difficult than going without it.

The solution isn't for the person with a disability to hide away.

The solution is for society to become more respectful and educated.

So what should you do when you see an Assistance Dog?

It really is simple.

Ignore the dog.

Not because the dog isn't beautiful.

Not because you aren't allowed to appreciate dogs.

And not because the handler doesn't appreciate your kindness.

Ignore the dog because that is one of the kindest things you can do for the team.

Don't call to the dog.

Don't make noises.

Don't use a high-pitched voice.

Don't stare.

Don't lean over the dog.

Don't attempt to pat it.

Don't offer it food.

Don't allow your dog to approach it.

Don't ask the handler personal questions about their disability.

And please don't assume that because the dog looks relaxed, friendly or approachable that it is available for interaction.

Instead, allow the team to continue with whatever they are doing.

If you genuinely want to learn about Assistance Dogs, there are appropriate ways to do that. Seek out reputable information, attend an education session or speak with an Assistance Dog organisation when the dogs are not working.

You can admire without interacting

We don't need people to stop loving dogs.

We don't need people to stop appreciating the incredible work Assistance Dogs do.

We simply need people to understand the difference between admiring a dog and distracting a working dog.

You can look.

You can smile.

You can think, “What an incredible dog.”

And then you can carry on with your day.

That small act of respect could make an enormous difference to the person on the other end of the lead.

The next time you see an Assistance Dog team...

Remember that you are seeing more than a dog.

You are seeing a person who may be navigating challenges that you cannot see, accompanied by an animal that has an important role in helping them live their life.

They may be going to the shops.

They may be taking their children somewhere.

They may be going to the beach.

They may be trying to enjoy a concert.

They may simply be attempting to do something that everyone else takes for granted.

Let them.

Don't make their outing about you.

Don't make them explain themselves.

Don't make them manage your curiosity.

Don't make them choose between educating a stranger and getting on with their day.

The best thing you can do for an Assistance Dog team is surprisingly simple:

See them. Respect them. And then leave them alone.

Because sometimes, the greatest act of kindness is not saying hello.

It is allowing someone to get through their day with the support they need—without making that support harder to use.