[nagdu] how much is too much?

[Tami Jarvis]

Julie,

Huh. I think it would have been appropriate for you to ask the woman to 
please remove her dog, or to ask the restaurant to deal with the 
problem. I also think that would be freaking awkward, so I'm don't think 
I will say that's what you *should* have done. Seems to me it would be 
sort of a gamble as to whether it would resolve the problem of your not 
being able to enjoy the nice meal you were paying for instead of just 
having more hassle. The management of the other dog is not your 
responsibility; the management of the restaurant is not your 
responsibility... I suppose it would also depend on just how disruptive 
the vocalizations and all were to your ability to enjoy your meal.

I do think the other handler was out of line, especially if the waitress 
was correct that it was a therapy dog as opposed to a service dog in 
training. Either way, though, if you're going to take a dog-in-training 
into public, then you need to be prepared to take responsibility when it 
turns out said dog just isn't ready for that. It's not easy balancing 
the need to give your dog the exposure and training it needs with the 
public's right to not have an obnoxious heinous beast to cope with. But 
half an hour of vocal disruption is too much, I think, to inflict on 
those around you. Also, it's a pretty big clue that your pup just isn't 
ready for the environment.

I'm curious, though. Could you determine if it was, as the waitress 
said, a therapy dog as opposed to a service dog in training? So many 
people these days use the terms interchangeably that who knows what 
they're ever talking about.

Was this an owner-trainer, or someone training for a program of some sort?

Did the bit about having to wait until 12 months to start training seem 
odd to you? It could just be the wording, and frame of reference, but 
that part kinda struck me as, well, interesting. /smile/

Those points aren't really relevant, since the dog's behavior was 
disruptive and not successfully dealt with.

Tami

On 08/11/2013 10:04 AM, Julie J. wrote:
> I had an interesting thing happen when eating in a restaurant Friday night.
>
> The place was busy so we had to wait a bit for our table.  When a table came available, the hostess came over and let us know that our table was ready, but that there was a therapy dog in training at the next table.  She wanted it to be very clear that the dog was in training.  She asked if that would be a problem for our dogs.  I was in a small group that included another guide dog user.  We both said that our dogs would be fine with another dog at the next table.  They wouldn’t react or be upset or cause a disturbance of any variety.   We let her know that it wasn’t a problem as long as the lady with the dog in training was willing and able to manage her dog appropriately.
>
> We get to the table and get seated.  the lady with the dog in training said hello and made some other polite conversation.  Then her dog started in barking, growling and shuffling around under her table.  At first she talked to the dog, later she did correct.  She did apologize, saying that he’s only 12 months old and you can’t start training until then, so the dog is new to all of this.  She also said that normally he is very good around other dogs.  The barking and growling went on for probably half an hour, until she finished her dinner and left.  It wasn’t continuous all that time, but was consistently occurring every few minutes.
>
> Neither of  our two guides did anything inappropriate.  They were both lying under the table quietly minding their own business.
>
> So what would you have done?
> Should we have asked for a different table? we would have had to wait longer
> should we have asked her to take the dog out?
> should we have asked the restaurant staff to speak to her or ask her to take the dog out?
> Was she taking care of the situation appropriately?
> Should she have left earlier?
> How much is too much?
>
> Very curiously,
> Julie
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