Here at ATN, we accommodate people with disabilities everyday and clients with their Guide or Service Dogs are regular visitors.

Here is some valuable information regarding dog guides or other service animals.

• People using a Dog Guide are independent and want to be treated that way.
• They will certainly ask if they require assistance; if you
  feel they may need assistance, simply say "May I help you?"
• The Dog Guide will usually be on the left side of the blind person, so if the person needs assistance, approach from the right, or opposite side and offer your arm.
• If the blind person is seeking assistance to cross the street, take them all the way across and up onto the opposite curb where the dog will know to resume his duties.
• Do not pet a Dog Guide when it is in harness. Always ask the handlers permission as to whether you can pet the dog or not.
• Never feed a Dog Guide. The handler looks after the dog's diet very carefully, and the dog works most efficiently when the recommended diet is followed.

If a Guide or Service Dog is wearing its harness/vest/backpacks, this means it is working and should never be patted, or distracted by having its name called, be given excessive eye contact, noises made at it, or made the center of attention. These may all cause the dog to take its concentration off the job and put the handler’s safety at risk.

Bonding

The significance of  bonding between the Dog Guide and the handler is discussed below (taken from an article by Judi Bayly, ACES - Assistance Canine Educations & Support Board if Directors - Educations Program Development):

• Service dogs WORK because of their training to do specific tasks for their disabled partners and through the bonding that animal has with the disabled partner.
• Because service dogs need to bond with their disabled partners in order to do their job, the service dog's working mentality may be severely compromised by separation. Service dogs are trained to depend on their disabled partners, and when that dependency is compromised the ability of the dog to maintain highly trained tasks is jeopardized. This can be a minor problem or it can be as serious as the dog losing confidence in its own ability thus the dog refuses to work, or has difficulty maintaining the bond needed to uphold the task training.

 Access Laws for Guide Dog users.

Here at ATN, we accommodate people with disabilities everyday and clients with their Guide or Service Dogs are regular visitors.

Here is some valuable information regarding dog guides or other service animals.

• People using a Dog Guide are independent and want to be treated that way.
• They will certainly ask if they require assistance; if you
  feel they may need assistance, simply say "May I help you?"
• The Dog Guide will usually be on the left side of the blind person, so if the person needs assistance, approach from the right, or opposite side and offer your arm.
• If the blind person is seeking assistance to cross the street, take them all the way across and up onto the opposite curb where the dog will know to resume his duties.
• Do not pet a Dog Guide when it is in harness. Always ask the handlers permission as to whether you can pet the dog or not.
• Never feed a Dog Guide. The handler looks after the dog's diet very carefully, and the dog works most efficiently when the recommended diet is followed.

If a Guide or Service Dog is wearing its harness/vest/backpacks, this means it is working and should never be patted, or distracted by having its name called, be given excessive eye contact, noises made at it, or made the center of attention. These may all cause the dog to take its concentration off the job and put the handler’s safety at risk.

Bonding

The significance of  bonding between the Dog Guide and the handler is discussed below (taken from an article by Judi Bayly, ACES - Assistance Canine Educations & Support Board if Directors - Educations Program Development):

• Service dogs WORK because of their training to do specific tasks for their disabled partners and through the bonding that animal has with the disabled partner.
• Because service dogs need to bond with their disabled partners in order to do their job, the service dog's working mentality may be severely compromised by separation. Service dogs are trained to depend on their disabled partners, and when that dependency is compromised the ability of the dog to maintain highly trained tasks is jeopardized. This can be a minor problem or it can be as serious as the dog losing confidence in its own ability thus the dog refuses to work, or has difficulty maintaining the bond needed to uphold the task training.

 Access Laws for Guide Dog users.