Therapy comes in all types. Some folks require daily medication for their blood pressure, seizure disorders, insulin for diabetes, anti-depressants, and of course, service dogs.

Yeah, service dogs are a form of treatment, although they do not fit in a pill bottle. However, they can be just as important as medicine that comes in a bottle. Yet, they are often taken as a joke or taken lightly (kind of like your blood pressure pills).

Why do I say this? Let’s start with the lady in Costco with her “service dog” in a soft kennel that was moving the kennel through its arousal at a friend’s dog, barking and snapping and out of control. This dog is not a trained service dog, and while it may serve a purpose, it does not perform a service.

You have read all the Facebook posts and memes posted by service dog handlers, and you know what they are, and they aren’t. You know what you should do and that you should leave your pet at home, and yet you still do it.

First off, service dogs are not here for your entertainment or to interact with you. I cringe as you begin speaking to my dog or, worse, reach for the dog in an attempt to pet him. Do you pet every strange dog you meet? I know I wouldn’t.

My dog is cute and probably better behaved than your kids. My dog lays at my feet in the emergency department while I do consults, goes to and survives Costco, and sleeps next to me or at my feet to protect me and mitigate the worst thing: nightmares.

Nightmares suck, and folks think they are a minor inconvenience that has not had a PTSD nightmare. My dog sleeps at my feet or next to my head, depending on my stress level. His training involves detecting movements and sounds during my sleep that indicate that I am having a nightmare. He then nudges on me to wake me. Ranger, my previous dog, used to lick my face. Waking this way is a strange way to come up out of a dream.

Most of the time, Pax simply goes with me and holds space, as well as watching my “six” (that’s veteran/military-speak for behind you). Recently an article stated that watching behind you was not considered a skill for a service dog; however, it sure as hell reduces my stress and my tendency to be triggered when I am hyper-aware. I view it as setting an environment of safety, so why react to something when you can prevent it.

When you or your kid thinks, oh such a cute doggy and approaches him, his focus shifts to you at the moment, I may need him most. He is, Afterall, a dog, and they do so enjoy the attention. Pax is no different. Your taking his focus would be like me jerking the insulin needle out of your hand as you were ready to inject it or take your nasal cannula out of your nose and play with the tubing. A service dog is a medical device, and honestly, you should treat it as such. Yes, they are cute and cuddly and very well trained. IF you see a “service dog” that pulls and yaps and snaps, well, it’s a fake.

Imagine taking insulin if you didn’t need it. Why insist on taking an untrained animal out for your benefit. Talk about fucking entitlement.

Probably the worst problem we have in this country is narcissistic, entitled behavior. Listen, folks, I am not important, you’re not important, even the president is not important (at least not as important as he thinks he is).
I need my dog; yours can stay at home.

Folks need their insulin, blood pressure medications, oxygen, etc. Take the time to leave fido at home, keep your kids and yourself away from me and let me move along with my living medical device in peace. It’s not that I am that much of an ass, but like you, I am there to get what I need and leave, not socialize.

As a final note, why the fuck do people want to pet strange dogs. “Oh, I am a dog lover; they always just love me.” Really Karen? Maybe mine doesn’t, and when you reach out and are rough with it, it growls. Realize that you may have traumatized the dog and your simple entitlement to pet my animal has cost me training time, or more importantly an effective mitigator for symptoms. Give me my “oxygen” or my “wheelchair” back.

Dogs are tough to train and have to meet pretty strict standards. Please leave us alone. If you insist on engaging anyone, engage the handler.

Be the kind of person your dog and your mom hope you are.