DD1 has an assistance dog. It seems like every time she goes out, someone, or often several people, decide that her dog is provided for their entertainment.
DD1 attended a hospital appointment today. She had her assistance dog with her as usual.
When she walked up to reception, she was greeted with "Is that a therapy dog?". DD1 answered "No" and that she was an assistance dog. There's an important difference and assistance dogs are trained to carry out specific tasks for which they need to focus on their handler. DD1 then had to call the receptionist's attention to the fact that she would like to book in.
DD1 then sat in the waiting room. A couple close by started a not very hushed discussion about the dog, commenting that she was beautiful. They then started commenting on how spoilt she was because DD rewarded her with a treat.
A woman noticed the dog and made a beeline for her. She gave DD1 a big smile, said "Hi" and sat down next to her (lots of empty seats not next to someone else available) and started taking pictures of the dog. The dog picked up on DD1's stress levels and put her paw on DD1's leg. The woman watched making "Awww" type noises.
As DD1 was leaving, she was approached by someone else who wanted to cuddle the dog as she was getting in the car.
DD1 also regularly has people walking up and stroking the dog without preamble, asking if they can stroke the dog, asking if they can borrow the dog, asking what the dog does, asking her what her disability is that the dog helps with and making noises at the dog to distract her.
Some people clearly express their disgust or even become aggressive, if they ask to touch the dog and are politely told no, because she is working.
Parents seem to think that coming across DD1 and her dog is lesson time and start performance parenting loudly urging their children to look at the special doggy, but not to touch because it is a special doggy who helps the lady with her problems. It doesn't seem to occur to them that the lady concerned wouldn't appreciate having everyone's attention called to her plight!
On one occasion, a woman in a shop stood just round the other side of a display providing a comedic commentary on what she thought the dog might be thinking.
People who wouldn't be in the slightest bit interested in the dogs they come across in a park seem to lose all sense of reason when they see one in a shop or a hospital.
In contrast to this, the lovely nurse she saw today didn't acknowledge the dog's existence at all, which was perfect. DD1 has had lots of positive experiences with NHS staff, including as an inpatient, where they have supported her to keep the dog with her, while also avoiding interacting with or distracting her.
It is positive that people are welcoming of assistance dogs and that parents educate their children in how to act around them but many seem to forget that there's human on the other end of the lead who encounters this every time they leave the house and would rather just blend in and get on with their day.