Fake service dogs

[stardogs]

I do think a LARGE part of the issue here is that stores and other places that only SDs have access to don't realize they CAN throw a SD (whether real or fake) out for misbehavior. If businesses were empowered to do that you'd see a huge decrease in fakers, especially those who have dogs who damage the reps of SDs, and thus a much better environment for positive feelings about SDs without the need for further regulation.

[Julee]

Originally Posted by stardogs

I do think a LARGE part of the issue here is that stores and other places that only SDs have access to don't realize they CAN throw a SD (whether real or fake) out for misbehavior. If businesses were empowered to do that you'd see a huge decrease in fakers, especially those who have dogs who damage the reps of SDs, and thus a much better environment for positive feelings about SDs without the need for further regulation.

Exactly.

[Saeleofu]

Originally Posted by stardogs

I do think a LARGE part of the issue here is that stores and other places that only SDs have access to don't realize they CAN throw a SD (whether real or fake) out for misbehavior. If businesses were empowered to do that you'd see a huge decrease in fakers, especially those who have dogs who damage the reps of SDs, and thus a much better environment for positive feelings about SDs without the need for further regulation.

Yes. Yes yes yes!

[AdrianneIsabel]

Originally Posted by Saeleofu

Oh no, not a personal attack at all

For the record I didn't know you had aspergers. I was under the understanding you had autism and aspergers was still in debate of where it stood within, no?

Furthermore, I do know you use your dog as a guide but I do not see you as the only one with this as a task.

I believe if you do not want me to use anything akin to your life as an example I can reword the post, however there in lies the hot button topic but I could use anxiety, in turn many others would think I was personally attacking them. I apologize if it hits too close to home, I grew up with this stuff and maybe I deal with an analytic view but I do understand and was hoping my post would be accepted as anything but a personal attack.

[Julee]

Originally Posted by AdrianneIsabel

Many additionally find services such as guiding to the car or an exit to be confusingly vague as a task, in short many find PSD to be a confusing thing.

Can you rephrase this for me? I'm not quite sure I'm getting what you're saying. Are you trying to say that some of the things that PSDs do are confusing to the average person (such as how someone needing a dog to guide them to the car or exit, yet not being blind, might not make sense to them)?

[Saeleofu]

My official diagnosis is Asperger's because information on my childhood was not available at the time. It will all fall under the "autism spectrum disorder" umbrella as of I think April. I choose to use the more accurate and more up to date term "autism" rather than the less accurate, nearly ouutdated, and discrimitation-attracting term of "Asperger's."

[AdrianneIsabel]

Originally Posted by Julee

Can you rephrase this for me? I'm not quite sure I'm getting what you're saying. Are you trying to say that some of the things that PSDs do are confusing to the average person (such as how someone needing a dog to guide them to the car or exit, yet not being blind, might not make sense to them)?

Very much so and thus patience is needed in education. It will only benefit everyone. People aren't allowed to say this outloud, as seen in the venting thread, because it hurts others feelings but people, commonly, are confused and uncomfortable with some of the tasks that are used by PSD handlers. I think this breeds a lot of what SD handlers feel is a lack of compassion.

I know very few people (majority of people I know are dog people) who do not feel they could benefit from an SD in at least one, however obscure, aspect of their life. In turn they may find themselves uncomfortable with the idea of, well why that one and not me? What makes their need more valid than mine?

No where in this post have I said what is right nor wrong and I will not because emotional responses, however offensive or frustrating they may be to others, are not wrong - it is what we do with them that states right or wrong.

This is where things get muddy and this is where many "fakers" take it upon themselves to benefit from companionship, often in the right way, often in the wrong way.

Originally Posted by Saeleofu

My official diagnosis is Asperger's because information on my childhood was not available at the time. It will all fall under the "autism spectrum disorder" umbrella as of I think April. I choose to use the more accurate and more up to date term "autism" rather than the less accurate, nearly ouutdated, and discrimitation-attracting term of "Asperger's."

Education.

[Julee]

Gotcha! I spend a lot of my time out in public educating about PSDs (and other uses for SDs, but primarily PSDs) and what they can do for their handlers, rather than getting my shopping done, etc, haha. More and more people are going "Oh, yeah, PTSD service dogs, I saw that on the news!", which makes me happy.

[~Jessie~]

Many question if asthma is a "catch all" as attention deficit was shortly after my childhood, basically does everyone diagnosed have it and have a reason for a dog or did a few doctors go a bit wild with their diagnosis? Many additionally find services such as guiding to the car or an exit to be confusingly vague as a task,

Originally Posted by Saeleofu

Oh no, not a personal attack at all

Insert asthma (one of the diseases I have), and the quote you mentioned works as well. However, I don't find it offensive in the least bit.

Many diseases, disorders, disabilities, etc, are WAY over diagnosed.

I've had BAD asthma since I was 2. Bad as in, I'd end up in the hospital at least once a year while growing up. Even now, I still have nebulizers (one at home, one that I travel with that is ALWAYS with me). I take a couple of daily medications to keep it under control.

Anyway, back in elementary/middle school, EVERYONE had "sports induced asthma." If I was on the verge of an attack or had just gotten out of the hospital, my mom would write me a note and/or I'd have a doctor's note.

Well, there were so many kids who had "sports induced" asthma who could still run track, play sports hard, and would use their inhalers about once a year. Little Johnny has a chest cold, goes to the doctor, and voila- sports induced asthma.

It made gym teachers not take me seriously. "Little Johnny has asthma and he's the star of the track team! That means you can run a mile around the track easily!"

So yes, some people have legit asthma, just like some people have wrongly diagnosed asthma. Some people have legit autism, but like asthma, it's something that doctors like to go gung ho on diagnosing. It's just something that we all have to deal with, and not get our panties in a wad over.

[Taqroy]

Originally Posted by ~Jessie~

Anyway, back in elementary/middle school, EVERYONE had "sports induced asthma."

Really? That's crazy. I can't imagine anyone that's ever had a real asthma attack going along with over diagnosing it. And I do have sports induced asthma (never had an attack bad enough to be in the hospital but freaked out like whoa during the first couple attacks).