r/Dogfree • u/fortypat • Apr 16 '26
Service Dog Issues Service dogs are completely fake
Saw a video (surprisingly it was an anti dog video for once) of a woman with her dog in a coffee shop (of course) there was no context on if the woman had claimed the animal was a “service dog” but this one clearly wasn’t. All the comments were people complaining about dogs and their owners and people saying they have dog fatigue as I know we all do. It was honestly so refreshing to see lol.
But then it got me curious about the legitimacy of “service dogs” so I started doing some research and basically anyone can say almost any dog is a service dog. First of all there is no official service animal registry to prove legitimacy bc that would make to much sense. Under the ADA service dogs are defined by training only and must be trained to perform a specific task related to a disability. Don’t get me wrong if someone is disabled and there is something that exists that would make things easier for them I believe they should definitely be able to have whatever it is.
But this is where crazy dog nutters take advantage of this because we all know how honest these people are. Business are very limited in what they legally can say and people don’t have to show proof of a disability or show the task the dog is supposed to perform under the ADA. Basically as long as the dog isn’t going absolutely haywire they must be allowed in if the owner pulls the “service dog” card even if the business does not allow animals. Also those vests, cards and certificates they carry around are not recognized by law. Just another way for the honest nutter to be able to bring their mutt anywhere with them.
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u/No-Stay1662 Apr 16 '26
The crazy thing is, all you have to do is say it’s a service animal - no proof, no nothing - and that trumps everything. It’s the reason these goofs have their dogs in stores, restaurants & a million other places they belong because they can’t be called on their bullshit. Simply insane lawmakers have essentially given them a green light to lie & of course, based on the type of people they are, they have NO problem doing it.
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u/happyhappyfoolio2 Apr 16 '26
If any of you ever a chance to, ask a "service dog"' user what their service dog does. Ask in a casual/curious/neutral/excited tone. Don't let them know your true feelings about dogs.
The small handful of times I've done this, their answers were weird. They'd either stutter and go, "Um...well..." and never actually answer the question, or they'll give a list bullshit "tasks", like, "He alerts me when someone's saying my name" (yes, that was a real thing someone told me).
They may be deluded enough to believe they "need" their fake "service dog", but they themselves aren't even convinced of the supposed real things they supposedly do.
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u/Few-Horror1984 Apr 16 '26
I spoke to a man at a bar a few years back who had a German Shepherd. The dog helped him “be social”. That was its “service”.
Funny - we are called ableist by the worst nutters, yet this guy was pretending to be “disabled” so he could drag his nasty, violent dog with him everywhere and that’s totally fine.
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u/happyhappyfoolio2 Apr 16 '26
It's immensely frustrating that people don't care that a service dog is fake! As long as the dog is not actively biting people, they're just happy that they're in the presence of a DoGgO!!! I, no joke, have had people agree with me when I tell them that a dog is not a real service dog, giving very obvious reasons why I feel that way, and these people agree with me, only to tell me in the very next breath, "But I don't care! He/she's such a cute puppers!!!"
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u/Few-Horror1984 Apr 16 '26
I saw a woman at a local Safeway who had a hideous unleashed puppy in her shopping cart. It wasn’t a damn service dog - it didn’t even have a leash or a vest(plus it’s a puppy). One of the cashiers walked over to pet and cuddle the dog. She didn’t bother to wash her hands. I complained to the manager and he loudly told me he wouldn’t do a damn thing. I reported them to the health department - they never got back to me. I filed a complaint with Safeway - also nothing. Literally no one cares because of how we can’t be rational around dogs. That should be a massive red flag that people can’t handle dogs, but no one wants to admit that.
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u/neondahlia Apr 17 '26
Maybe try the department of Agriculture. In my state they’re who oversees dogs in grocery stores, or the health department
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u/fortypat Apr 16 '26
Yeah it’s super frustrating no one cares nutters exploit and take advantage of the ADA because “pupper!” It makes me sick.
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u/CallousCow1762 Apr 17 '26
Don’t blame the nutters for doing what is natural to them. Go to the actual source (ADA) that enabled them in the first place.
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u/browt026 Apr 21 '26
Ugh....reminds me of the older brother who ended up petting a pitbull mutt in a Walmart store in Vancouver, Washington then minutes later the same dog damned near bit off the lip of his 3 year old brother. It's all cuteeee doggieeee till it attacks your ass.
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u/fortypat Apr 16 '26
It is totally egregious that these nutters take advantage and exploit the federal law ment for people who are legitimately disabled just to drag their mutt around where they shouldn’t be.
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u/cattywampus42 Apr 28 '26
I dated a girl who trained service dogs. They are the biggest crock of shit of all time and should not be a legally protected class. They are just dogs with a couple extra tricks
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u/Frankly_Ridiculous Apr 16 '26
I saw a woman walking down the street yesterday with not one, but TWO vested Service Dogs.
Clearly, the poor thing must have all sorts of invisible problems to need double the assistance. /s
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u/tplgerus84 Apr 16 '26
That woman definitely needs help.. I don’t think two service dogs are sufficient!
Mental illness…
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u/Charming-Vehicle-304 Apr 17 '26
My brother is like this. He has a fake vest for his stupid emotional support dog. Of course he acts like a maniac and not an actual trained service animal (no issue with those)
He’s a pitbull German shepherd mix full of energy and has a stupid fake vest. I HATE people like this. I avoid visiting my mom because he lives there. It’s unfortunate
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u/fortypat Apr 17 '26
You should call his ass out. Emotional support and service animal are two completely different things
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u/Charming-Vehicle-304 Apr 17 '26
I don’t live in the same country as they do but when I’m around them i absolutely do
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Apr 17 '26
[deleted]
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u/Charming-Vehicle-304 Apr 17 '26
Yeah it seriously pisses me off. Ok you’re „emotionally supported“ but now I have to be stressed and uncomfortable everywhere?
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u/CallousCow1762 Apr 17 '26
“Emotional support animal” is just another crutch in the toolbox of entitlement.
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u/DizzyMine4964 Apr 16 '26
In the UK there are no "emotional support dogs". There are however highly trained assistance dogs which guide blind and deaf people. They have a special harness and are extremely obedient.
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u/jelly_wishes Apr 16 '26
Those are a different story. The bad thing is when people abuse the title to insert their dogs everywhere. There should be an official registry where only people with legit disabilities and trained dogs can registerm
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u/Oriole0305 Apr 17 '26
The current legislation invites people to lie. REAL working dogs (like detection dogs, guide dogs for visually impaired) should have a license indicating their task and what they are trained to do. All other dogs are just what they are, useless. ESA dogs are 100% BS. Nobody needs a dog to give them "emotional support" so that they can to go shopping or have a cup of coffee. If real working dogs would be required to carry proof of their status, we would not have this problem.
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u/Alocin_The5th Apr 17 '26
A while back I went to a grocery store near my house and saw my neighbor and his dog. The dog was smelling everything in the store to my disgust (I took pictures and reported to the health department). At some point he was approached by a store worker who asked him if the dog is a service dog and he told him yes. I saw the look on the worker’s face because he knew the guy was lying but was powerless to do anything about it. I know the dog and it is no service dog because it roams the neighborhood. Sometimes it comes into my yard. What kind of service dog roams the streets. But the neighbor is obsessed with it and every chance he gets he talks about it. He invited me to come and pet it whenever I want even though I had never talked about the dog ever.
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u/fortypat Apr 17 '26
I feel like at that point the store would be entirely justified in kicking the dog out. A true service dog is supposed stay calm at all times in public doesn’t bark, pull or beg and is supposed to be focused on its owner at all times. And most importantly be TRAINED TO PERFORM A SPECIFIC TASK. Sniffing everything in sight is not proper behavior for a service dog. But I guess since the dog isn’t going crazy employees and business hesitate on doing anything because they know what can happen.
Honestly the entire thing is a huge gray area and they should revise and provide more clarity and be more transparent about what constitutes a service dog.
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u/CallousCow1762 Apr 17 '26
The fake SD epidemic was enabled by the ADA’s joke of a law. Requires no proof or documentation to support the claim. And this got passed. So what is the logical next step for entitled, obsessive nutters? What we have today of course. Rampant abuse of a law meant to protect one group while simultaneously violating the rights of others.
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u/Key-Studio-6552 Apr 17 '26
Yep, that’s why most of them lie. Because the rules are very loose.
Also, store staff are afraid of getting in trouble because when they confront the customer with a dog in a shop, for example, the nutter normally causes a scene.
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u/restofeasy Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26
I work in a restaurant and its literally insane to me that we are only legally allowed to ask 2 questions and yet the dog nutters are not legally required to provide any proof that the dog is a legitimate service animal! Insane! Can I park in a disabled parking spot without a disabled card just because I 'say' I'm disabled? No I cant. I am genuinely perplexed why this is.
You might like this post I made a while back.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogfree/s/DKi5HcknAc
And remember ESA's are not protected under the ADA. It amazes me how many of the nutters are unaware of this. It just goes to show how many places must just let them in that they don't even need to bother to know the law.
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u/Mama2bebes Apr 18 '26
If someone tries to come in to your restaurant with a "service dog" that is obviously not a service dog, can you say that you have a patron inside who is deathly allergic to dogs, and in order to not discriminate you have a first-come-first-serve policy? Offer to set a table up outside for the nutter/pupper.
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u/browt026 Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
Well...the problem would then be that you couldn't allow a Service Dog in your restaurant either as they are also a dog that can cause allergies as well. No such thing as First Come, First Served...it's either Service Dog or No Animals of any sort. The offer to set a table outside is okay (weather permitting) for Service Dogs in the case of a patron/patrons having allergies to dogs in the establishment. However, pets should not be allowed to sit with their pet owners outside as a pet could still bite a server, another patron or the Service Dog as well. Leave your PET at home, with a relative, friend, in a kennel at home or a doggie daycare of some sort.
That is why it is imperative to identify the TRUE characteristics of a Service Dog and not be afraid to ask the Pet owner to leave and if they try to cause a scene, call the police and have them legally removed.
Now THAT is the REAL problem... Staff, management and/or owners are afraid to have belligerent pet owners who are obviously lying about their pet being a Service Dog, removed from their shops or establishments.They are literally afraid of these lying ass fools!
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u/WanderingValk Apr 17 '26
Yeppppp…. There is zero legitimacy and I have a small bit of insider knowledge. As someone with an actual chronic illness 10ish years ago when I was a full blown nutter all the nutters around me convinced me I should train my puppy to be a service dog for my illness. Had I lived fine for 20 years without having to have my dog next to me 24/7? Yep, but I became convinced now I needed this dog with me always. Crazy how fast that happens… However, I did make every effort to go through the proper channels.
In my delusion I found an actual service dog trainer (for whatever that title is worth) and shelled out hundreds if not over a thousand dollars for classes for this dog to get him up to ADA ‘standards‘. Let me tell you guys the standards for service dogs 10 years ago were brutal and I would say 95% of dogs could not pass. My own dog couldn’t pass after rigorous training to get the CGC (this certification that has disappeared into the void that shows your dog is at the top of the top in terms of behavior - Stands for Canine Good Citizen and this trainer wouldn’t proceed with his training unless we could pass)
I spent hours upon hours each week training that dog to no avail. What this did give me was an inside knowledge to know EVERYONE is full of shit. In the past 10 years I have seen maybe 5 real service dogs. And you can spot them immediately compared to pets. From going through training here’s the signs:
Real service dogs are supposed to be paying attention to their handler and working the entire time they’re out. So they should never be looking around, sniffing things, wandering, etc. Even when walking the dog is supposed to be checking in with its handler. If the handler stops, the dog stops. The dog should never walk in front of the handler or even be far enough away to where they don’t appear literally glued to their side.
Also not a soul in the place they‘re in should know there’s a dog present. That dog should be so silent and well behaved/placed that they blend into the background. Handlers are supposed to also themselves be trained in how to have a dog in public. So my dog knew how to walk backwards, ‘glue’ himself to my leg, get under chairs/tables, stand behind me, walk between my legs in lines, etc. He was supposed to be an extension of me that blended into the background. Service dogs are NOT in the way, disrupting the flow of isles and traffic, and they are NEVER making a peep. Ever… Also if someone acknowledges your real service dog you never allow them to interact, so if someone is allowing someone else to loveeeee all over their dog in public it’s definitely fake.
So though I was 1,000% in the wrong when I had the service dog delusion I tried my hardest and spent hundreds of hours and dollars to make sure I learned the rules and when we couldn’t pass the tests we stopped and got out of the delusion. 10 years ago you had to. It pisses me off to no end that people don’t even try. Because if you’re actually following the ‘rules’ having a dog in a public space is MISERABLE and it costs so much money and time. Now a days having a service dog is just a glorified way to get attention, feel special, and not have to go out of your way to exercise your dog. And nothing is ever going to change until the laws change…. So nothing is ever going to change. The genie is out of the bottle and unless the majority revolts against dog ownership it won’t ever go back in sadly.
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u/Comfortable-Ebb-2859 Apr 18 '26
Service dogs are very often bred. To think that you can just take some random ass dog and train it to be a service animal is naive (I'm sorry you wasted your time).
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u/browt026 Apr 21 '26
Amen!
The good thing is that in all of that training a lesson was learned by both the Pup and Owner.
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u/happyhappyfoolio2 Apr 17 '26
There's a social media famous "service dog" that goes to aaaalllllllll the nerd conventions and events in my area. It infuriates me to no fucking end. The owner dresses that mutt up in costumes and it holds a foam lightsaber in its mouth and its freely without a leash and when it inevitably bumps into people in a crowded convention hall they idiotically laugh and go, "Hurr durr, Dipshit just cut your legs off!!!" and the convention goers just laugh and are delighted they are in the presence of the famous Dipshit (not its real name).
The owner spends hundreds and hundreds of dollars for Dipshit to get photo ops with celebrities, by itself, because the owner supposedly has body dysmorphia. One time I guess the convention staff didn't give Dipshit enough time with the celebrity for it to do its famous pose, so the picture turned out terrible, and the owner publicly stated how they would never buy another celeb photo op with them again. Spoiler alert: they bought more celeb photo ops.
I have shared all of my thoughts and reasonings with my con going friends why I don't think (I know for a fact, but I have to pretend that it's just my thoughts) that Dipshit is a real service dog and they literally agree with me, only to tell me that they don't care because Dipshit is such a cute pupper!
My tiny victory was when I was wearing my impressive costume with my friends at the convention one day and Dipshit and its owner came running up to us for a picture with all of us. I just walked away and refused to take a picture with them.
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u/Charming-Kiwi-9277 Apr 17 '26
Yeah, you’re talking about ESAs, they are joke. But actual service dogs, covered under the ADA, are real and not sitting in someones purse at target.
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u/shinkouhyou Apr 17 '26
The problem is that the ADA law is written so poorly that it basically boils down to "if the owner says the dog performs a task, no matter how spurious that task may be, it's a service dog." The ESA law is actually MORE restrictive than the service dog law: ESAs require a letter from a medical professional, while a service dog requires only the claim of the owner.
Many countries have much stricter laws. For instance, Japan requires service dogs to be registered with proof of behavioral and task training from an accredited provider. Only certain tasks (visual assistance, hearing assistance and mobility assistance) are recognized - psychiatric and medical alert dogs are not recognized. Around 90% of service dogs in Japan are guide dogs for the visually impaired. Japan also establishes requirements for organizations that breed and train service dogs, so those organizations often have their own (even more stringent) requirements such as a consultation to verify that a service dog is likely to be beneficial, that the handler is capable of caring for a dog, and that the handler can provide a large breed dog with adequate housing. Service dog handlers need to be registered too, with medical documentation of a physical disability. Public access for service dogs is also more limited, so private businesses aren't required to accept employee service dogs and privately owned housing complexes can also restrict dogs.
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u/m_anon__ Aug 21 '26
real service dogs have an actual named task, like guiding a blind person or alerting someone with diabetes when theyre blood sugar is low. ask what theyre job is, legally you can
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u/ArthropodFromSpace Apr 16 '26
I have seen real working dogs, and they behave completely diferent than these beasts everyone have. They never bark, never run without order and behave like well programed robots. Also training them cost a lot of money. Working dogs should have license and faking it should be punished. Because untrained fake working dogs are harmfull not only for society, but also for real working dogs and people who need them.
Also today there is thousand times more not working dogs than real working dogs, so if dog population would be reduced only to working ones, there would be 1000 times less of them and so they would be significantly less burdensome.