New trend: Take your dog to plane, train, hotel, restaurant

Parent Cafe
121

I see evidence of the “need” for an ESA animal increasing at my D’s college just because one person has one. In this case, it’s cats. All freshmen dorm, and many upperclassmen live off campus, with a smaller percentage of upperclassmen in campus residences. Two students have ESA cats; both are freshmen. One had her single and cat from the beginning of last semester; one is getting a cat this semester. I think the latter is staying in a multi-person dorm. My D tells me that now, many people are going to try to get ESA animals.

My D adores our 3 cats, and I often text her pictures of them. Perhaps I was doing that too much: a couple weeks before break, she texted me half-joking that she wanted an ESA cat! She doesn’t need one; she just misses the cats. Again, she was joking, but she maybe would’ve found a way if I supported it! I don’t, though. Besides the fact that she doesn’t legally need one, she doesn’t need the extra work of an animal, and the animal doesn’t need to be put into this situation, either. D’s cat enjoys the security of our home as it is and probably would not do too great in this situation, another cat is my son’s, and our 3rd cat would be flexible and laid-back about it, but he’s 17 and deserves to have the security of our home, too. If she got another kitty, that’s another cat to bring into the mix at our house on breaks, which isn’t fair to any of the cats.

I hope that the appearance of animals all over in public doesn’t become more common for all of the reasons people already listed. It even bugs me when a relative of mine (my SIL–not elderly) “must” bring her dog to everyone’s houses and even has my mom stay at my mom’s house with the dog so that SIL can go other places for the whole day! Funny story with this SIL: at the dog’s first Thanksgiving with us, this SIL sat at the dinner table, pulled up an extra chair to the table, patted it, and called the dogs name, saying, “Dinnertime!” She wanted the dog to sit at the table with us! The rest of us were aghast, and, thankfully, my outspoken H and BIL both said something while the rest of us sort of laughed and sat with our mouths open. My SIL tried to cover it and exclaimed, “Well, just for the prayer!” as if she hadn’t meant to have the dog sit there the whole time when that was clearly her intention. (Sitting at the table even for “just the prayer” was a bit much, IMO–and everyone else’s at the table.) My brother, her husband, was embarrassed, but he didn’t say anything.

I love animals, am definitely a pro-pet person (have had many), and even believe that they have feelings and little souls, but pets are pets, not people in my book! There’s a line.

122

I want a mini pony!!!

Seriously, this is going to get out of hand, and soon.

That said, if I had a DD and she was away at college, I’d want her to have a well-trained German Shepard ESA with her 24/7. I’d want my sons as well, but particularly a DD because of all those date-rape issues.

123

I, too, have met some young folks that have an extreme fear of dogs…even the tiny ones, even puppies. I suspect that while they were young, they were frightened or bit (or saw someone bit) by a dog, maybe a ferocious looking/sounding dog.

124

Was at the mall with my daughter today. Someone was there with a small dog (not a service animal) and as we passed by the dog stopped —in the middle of the mall–to relieve itself. The owner had to ask at the nearest store for supplies to clean up the pile.

I also have a friend with a legitimate service dog in training. The dog is large and striking in appearance. She is pestered constantly by passers by who want to know all about the dog, pet the dog, and otherwise keep her from going about her business.

It’s not the dogs that are the problem, it’s the people.

125

Apologies if I was unclear, @Motherofdragons. Yes, there are several levels of training: The service dog training is the longest and most comprehensive. They are trained from a pup to perform certain tasks for their “master”. We have a friend who fosters service dog pups. Service dogs are incredible animals.

We considered going through training to have our pet certified as a therapy dog (to then volunteer to take to hospitals, nursing homes, etc) but didn’t ever do it. The level of obedience training, as you know, required to get your dog certified as a therapy dog, is comprehensive, but nowhere near that of a service dog. So, certified therapy dogs are socialized and well behaved. The problem lies with the ESA’s, ans the emotional support animals/personal pets that have no required training.

126

A young friend started to train a guide dog last year. The dogs in the program are evaluated at various points to determine whether or not they can continue. The pup she was training didn’t make the cut and has to go on pet status. Some of the dogs are able to go into therapy dog training if they can’t be a guide dog
The training is rigorous as well as time consuming. If the dog can’t settle down around people and other dogs, out it goes.
Real therapy dogs are wonderful. A friend spent years getting her dog qualified. She did trips to nursing homes, hospitals, and the like.

You want an ESA, fine. But calling your pet one just so you don’t have to leave it at home is so wrong and it hurts the cases for real guide/therapy/ESA. If you are away from home so much that you feel the need to have the animal with you all the other times, maybe you should consider giving up the pet.

We had pugs for 29 years. There were so many things we couldn’t do because it was inappropriate for the dogs to be there. Much like our kids. Sometimes we just had to stay home.

127

Name a job or career that you wouldn’t want to see the person accompanied by an ESA…

  1. pilot

  2. doctor, surgeon

  3. waiter/waitress

  4. nurse

  5. restaurant cook or chef

What job/career would you add?

128

I have a friend in FL who is a psychologist. She had a darling pet therapy dog, who she brought to the office with her every day I always wondered if her clients thought the dog was her therapy.

129

I pretty much don’t want anyone WORKING with an ESA animal, you shortchange the animal or your job.

I am fond of animals but don’t believe they belong in the workplace and believe people should be able to knowingly choose whether to encounter them.

There are many of us with lots of allergies and don’t need unexpected triggers popping up in unexpected places.

130

Don’t all Airbus manufactured airplanes come delivered w a dog in the cockpit, to bite the pilots if they change any of the automated functions?

131

I think ESAs are unnecessary for anyone. If someone is so incapacitated by life that they have to have these animals with them all the time, then they should qualify for a service animal (for example, war vets who have PTSD).

I think many (if not most) ESA owners are selfish, lazy and/or cheap (they claim their pet is an ESA so they don’t have to pay additional airfare).

132

On a recent flight I sat next to a woman with a shih tzu. The woman was in her mid twenties, quite fit, but she was allowed to board early with the dog - which was not crated and had a service insignia. I asked about the very cute pup and she said that he travels with her for emotional support because she suffers from “extreme anxiety.” She also told me that because he has the service designation, hotels and restaurants must accommodate the dog.

133

I agree-neither humans nor dogs do well with no training.

Getting your dog therapy dog certified is not that huge of a deal, though, at least from my perspective. Puppy obedience training, then some more obedience training classes, then the certification class for pet therapy. My standard poodle (long deceased) flew through it all with flying colors. The chihuahua, bless him, had to redo a lot of classes and took a lot of repetition before he got it, but his heart’s in the right place (which is why he passed the therapy dog one :slight_smile: )

Only service dogs, not therapy dogs or emotional support dogs have protection and access under the ADA.

134

So she has anxiety and dishonesty.

135

I have a friend whose adult D suffers from a crippling anxiety disorder. She had difficulty with employment and housing over the years, supporting herself to some degree as an ebay dealer. Eventually she became homeless. When they finally applied for disability, she was accepted immediately, but qualifying for public housing is a problem because she has a dog on which she genuinely depends for whatever degree of stability she can attain, and dogs aren’t allowed. It ought to be a breeze for someone like her to get some kind of certification. It is infuriating that she has this problem while perfectly able individuals are gaming the system. Meanwhile her mother, a single woman who is still working in her 70s, has been draining her savings to help support her D, because disability will barely cover rent.

This thread reminds me: I need to talk to my friend about the certification issue.

136

<<<
Don’t all Airbus manufactured airplanes come delivered w a dog in the cockpit, to bite the pilots if they change any of the automated functions?
<<<

That wouldn’t be an ESA pet. That’s a working security dog

137

I owned a pet store – and the employees were not allowed to bring their pets to work. Customers were allowed to bring their pets to shop though. And an exception could be made for employee pets for specific temporary reasons – such as sick and needs meds every 3 hours.

138

I enjoy seeing well behaved dogs wherever I go. Just this weekend we were at a mall and a woman had two “fancy” dogs with hair bows sitting quietly next to her while she waited for her friend. I also enjoy them at airport as it distracts me from the drudgery of what flying is these days. Recently, there was an airline that brought in therapy dogs to the terminal for flyers to enjoy them pre flight. We also had therapy dogs come to my job site earlier this year. We had a lot of fun and a much needed break with that.

Earlier in the thread, someone mentioned well behaved European dogs. The first time I went to Switzerland for business, I was shocked at how well behaved and groomed the dogs are. Some of them are really stunning! Anyway, they are allowed everywhere, including restaurants. They quietly sit under the table. I even saw one dog by itself, unleashed, sitting quietly, outside a small store waiting for its owner. He was probably too large to bring inside. I asked my local colleagues and they said all dogs must be trained or they are taken away :o! They have to be able to behave in public and not be a disturbance to neighbors (barking at night). My dog would immediately be deported.

I wish I could get my small dog better trained. She doesn’t bark but she is too friendly and cannot sit still. She wants to go up to everyone and of course, some people do not appreciate that and I respect that. Hence, we usually keep her on a tight leash or I hold her in my arms if we are around people. We like to go on walks or hiking and sometimes we want to stop for a snack or a drink along the way. We usually find a restaurant with patio seating. We recently found one that gave our dog a bowl of water and some sausages! Lol, we were just having a beer and fries. She had a better meal! I have to remember to write a good review for them and we will definitely go back to them again.

We find that the Northeastern states (Maine, Vermont, RI, Mass) are friendlier to dogs. However, I think if dogs were better trained, maybe more people would be open to having them around.

139

Yes, one can never know whether the animal is well-trained or may jump on an unwelcoming person, perhaps with dirty paws or sharp claws. When the animals are well-behaved, they are unobtrusive and nearly invisible to others, but when they are poorly behaved, they make many around miserable and irritated.

140

I have told my children to never approach dogs or pet strange dogs. According to the CDC, more than 4.7 million dog-bite incidents occur in the United States every year. Of those 4.7 million attacks, 800,000 of these Americans will seek medical attention — half of these are children — and 386,000 of these Americans will need emergency medical treatment.