I feel as though I must first begin this viewpoint by saying that we, the members of 4 Paws for Ability, truly appreciate the love, support and interest shown, not only in our dogs, but also in our program by members of the campus community. We wouldn’t be able to socialize our dogs to the extent that we do without help from all of you.
However, it is somewhat necessary for me to speak about some of the problems and issues we face throughout our time on campus with the dogs. But first here is a little background information for those less familiar with the program and the concept of a service dog. Service dogs are not therapy dogs, nor are they emotional support animals; therefore, the way you interact with them is bound to be different from the way you interact with the therapy dogs that visit campus.
Our role in the program is to socialize the dogs and expose them to a bunch of people, places and situations so that (hopefully) they can go on to be well-rounded service dogs that aren’t scared of things like Halloween costumes or vacuums or people with beards. Did I mention that dogs are kind of weird? Naturally, part of this goal is to get them to meet lots and lots of people. But we, as handlers, must ensure that our dogs follow a certain set of rules when they are interacting with people.
First of all, please, please ask before you pet them. When we are walking somewhere with our dog, don’t do what we like to call “the drive-by pet.” Not only does this distract the dog from their job, it’s slightly frustrating to us as handlers because it is our job to make sure that the dogs don’t get distracted. Neither one of us can do our job properly if you’re doing the drive-by pet. The majority of the time (aside from when we are running super late to class because going anywhere with a dog takes twice as long as going anywhere without one), we will be more than happy to let you love on our pup. We don’t bite, so please just ask to pet the dog beforehand.
While I can laugh about it now, I distinctly remember walking across the academic quad on my way to class with Earl (a.k.a., the sassy, stubborn little Papillion that had what some would call a cult following on campus) and hearing someone literally screaming his name from across the quad. Please, try your best to contain your obsession with the dogs. We know they’re great. There’s no need for you to shout.
Lastly, use your social cues. If we look really stressed out or if the dog is clearly being bad, please avoid asking to interact with the dog. Chances are this isn’t a great time. Rewarding the dog with attention when they are being bad is only serving to reinforce their bad behavior. It’s like having your little sibling steal a cookie from someone else, and then instead of punishing them or telling them that stealing is wrong, you give them another cookie.
And remember, 4 Paws handlers are people too. We like it when other people acknowledge us (even if we are significantly less awesome than a puppy). So feel free to say hello and ask us about the program while you love on our pups.
Megan Zerrer, a Sports Editor for the Voice, can be reached for comment at MZerrer18@wooster.edu.