to wonder what the rules are on guide dogs?

[PDR]

This afternoon some people came into the hotel I work in with a dog and started to walk down to the bar/restaurant area - I was chatting to another guests so once I had finished I went off after them to ask them if they knew someone here (the dog looked quite like my colleague's dog) as we don't really allow dogs in the hotel.

The lady (who was reading the wine list) said they were going out to the terrace (where we do allow dogs) Ok - fine no problem - I just said next time can you please go around through the garden. Then she said "oh the dog's a guide dog anyway" in a smug manner.

Now if in fact this dog was a Guide Dog I do not know, perhaps the woman had some disability I could not see? She was neither blind nor deaf though and the dog did not have a harness thingy which I have seen on Guide Dogs before.

Anyway, my point, surely if you did have a Guide Dog and you were entering a place where dogs were probably not allowed, would you just walk on in, or would you mention it to a member of staff?

And did she mind having to show the card?

They don't have to wear a harness or a coat, but they do have to have their identification fob on their lead which is fairly near their collar.

what type of dog was it op?

it does sound like she was trying it on, like everyone else says the dog will usually have some sort of id on it, near its collar.

if it really was a guide dog the owner would not mind you asking for proof, you are just doing your job. just as long as you are polite

It was a German Shepherd - and a bit scruffy looking to be honest. Guide Dogs I have seen in the past are usually very smart looking but like I said I don't know much about dogs!!!!

As I am very pro dogs I would say even if not a guide/assistance dog it should be allowed in. After all letting dogs into restaurants and hotels never harmed the French!! What is it about french dogs and children that make them so well behaved...

Sadly that is not my decision Rocky I am only a mere minion!!!

I have never known a german shepherd to be a guide dog, although i could be wrong. They could have been used years ago in this way

they are usually golden retrievers

Deaf people can have assistance dogs, who listen for the phone ringing or a knock at the door.

There are loads of different types of assistant dogs, I've got one friend with a retriever from dogs for the disabled and one with a poodle from canine companions - both do retrieval work for wheelchair users.

Steve in Big Brother house has a dog from dogs for the disabled too!

German Shepherds are still used as guide dogs - I sponsor a guide dog and 2 of my recent dogs were GSDs.

but the lady said it was a guide dog, not an assistance dog.

Fair enough jumped up i did say i wasnt sure

i just thought that g.retrievers were more popular as guide dogs.

TBH when out with my friend we often have say an assistant dog you know like a guide dog, so it is sometimes easier to say he's a guide dog because so many people don't know assistant dogs exist.

Hi there. This is an old post but let me assist you. I am a director of the European Guidr Dog Federation and a UK Guide Dog Owner of more than 19 years.

There is no legal requirement to carry ID and it is the person who has a disability who is covered under S20 of the Equalotu Act 2010. If you are interested, you can see how the law defines an assistance dog under S173 of the same act.

I have an assisyance dogs UK book wjicj is great, but it is passport soze not credit card soze so I carry it pnly in winter in my big jackey or when travelling internatipnally when it is theoretically required.

You have no legal power to ask me for it. I onabine in my case, it would be pretty obvipus. Ask me for it nicely, and assuming I have it on me, I’ll snow ot to you - but would you know what it was supposed to look like?

Puppiws have no legal right of access but any decent pers N tends to allow them in.

You ask whether I would ask staff vefore entering with a guide dog. Turn it on its head...why would you? They are great creatuess, they help people and you can’t say no. So no, I would no sooner ask this than whether thwy minded my wife being with mw.

If you are asking for IF, I think something has gone wrong. I have never been asked.

The fact that someone can read a qone menu is an odd fact to call them a fake for though. Google around and you’ll find many consit ons, sich as RP where someone may have fantastic acuity in a pinhole pf vision. They may be able to read a wine menu but not to walk down the street unaided. Vision loss is unique. Check out the Guide Sogs websote. Loads of great info there.

Take care.

4% of the UK’s 5,000 guide dogs are German Shepherds

.... 8 year old thread ...