Q: "... pet your dog?" "Why? Are you that desperate for affection?"
"If you wash your hands first"
I love these two replies - especially the second - I will find a time appropriate for its use - Like the time I was sworn at "What the heck^ is that dog doing in here - can I pet him?" given all in one breath:-) Heck was not the word they used.
"After what he just rolled in?!?" I have used this one in the past after Alfa rolled in something the fox bought home - he was not in harness at the time so I couldn't use the next two which are the ones I use if I just haven't got time or I don't like the attitude taken much. "Not while he's working. He's not permitted to be petted while he's on-duty. If you can wait a few minutes, I'll take him off duty. THEN you can pet him." (What WE use).
He helps me manage a medical problem that is not visible.
He is trained to alert me to a change in my medical status.
He alerts to a significant change in my mood status. I have bipolar disorder.
I have had numerous "peon" employees tell me "you cannot bring a dog in here"...to this I look at them directly, pause only a moment and tell them "state and federal law says I can..." and I continue on with my business, refusing to argue. Of course then I had a pissed off security guard claim he followed me around the store and that my dog eliminated in the store, but when I demanded proof, he had none (my dog was at a brisk heel through most of the store, and when he wasn't heeling, he was sitting (right next to me). My dog did NO such thing, He hasn't had an accident in a building since he was a small puppy, except for the one time he got a bad stomach bug and one night he couldn't get out and lost it by the back sliding door on the linoleum. So you get those that TRY to make life hard for you.
