It intrigues me that when people see Lilly and I training in public they invariably ask, “How old is she?” They assume Lilly is a pup. I quickly dispel the myth that training is a limited-time endeavor for us, but I often also see people watching us struggle — when something scares Lilly, and I’m helping her work through it or at least move on without hurting herself in an attempt to flee. (On the off chance the lady near the BBQ behind the Golden Hotel is reading this, it was the BBQ lid slamming. That’s what scared her. I’m not a lunatic. I swear.) Perhaps such incidents are why I find these dog-in-training vests so appealing.
Not to be confused with official service dog vests (and the access rights that come with them), these simply inform passers-by that a dog is working and needs a little room to feel comfortable. They’re available from The Pawsitive Dog for $35, plus shipping.
How nice would it be to be able to work and not have to explain ourselves all the time?
Then, again, I’ve interviewed service dog puppy raisers and trainers, and they teach their volunteers to expect the public to flock to their dogs wearing vests. People cannot help themselves.
I interviewed author Elizabeth Wrenn about her service dog novel Around the Next Corner a couple years ago. She raised a guide dog puppy as part of her research, and her training path often took her past a fire station, where the firefighters flocked to fuss on her and the pup, day after day, week after week. BUT, when she walked that same path later, either alone or with her own dog (no vest), the firefighters looked confused when she said “Hi” on her way by. Excuse me? Do we know you?
So, while I like the idea of the vest, I wonder if it would really keep people (and dogs) away? It’d be an interesting experiment. If I get one, I’ll report back on how it works.
BUT, Tom and I got to talking about the vest idea the other night, and he had me laughing so hard I nearly cried. Perhaps, he said, the better solution would be Yosemite Sam Mud Flaps. She could wear them like a sandwich board or maybe I could strap them on like chaps to her somewhat bowlegged backside.
Yep … Yosemite Sam, patron cartoon of reactive dogs worldwide.
Haha! Now I totally know what I should be hunting for… Look out hot scientists!
Thanks for laughing. Yes, maybe shirts on us would be better than vests on the dogs. Something to think about. Force feels would be sick! Seriously. Aren’t you in college? You need to find yourself a romance with a hot scientist, who can invent one for us.
LOL! I love the Yosemite Sam mud flaps!
But I do agree… I’ve always wondered if a vest would help keep people at bay… but like you I’ve heard otherwise. Such a shame. Maybe I should cafepress a t-shirt that says the same thing. Or “Back Off!” Not nearly as polite, but maybe that’s the trick?
I don’t know. I’m still voting for someone to come up with instant forcefields. :-p That way it’d keep the dogs at bay too and those pesky neighborhood kitties that spring up out of nowhere! -grins-