Service Dogs Actually Get Petted A Lot

Someone I know that has a service dog told me that the other day, someone in the grocery store said to her, "It must be hard for you not to pet your dog."  The person knew that people aren't supposed to pet service dogs when they are working, and somehow assumed, based on that, that service dogs aren't supposed to be petted at all, not even by their owners.

One of my neighbors, who absolutely loves Isaac and pets him every chance she gets, thinks no one but the dog's owner is supposed to ever pet a service dog.  She has told me several times that I am not really supposed to let other people pet him. 

Now, all of my neighbors seemed to know that you aren't supposed to pet service dogs when they are working, so when  Isaac and I first moved in, they asked if they were allowed to pet him.  I explained that when they see us in the elevator or the lobby or outside taking a walk, that he's not working and it's fine to pet him.  I said that when he is wearing his service dog vest, or if we are in the laundry room and he's unloading the dryer for me, then he is working and those are not good times to pet him.  And I thanked them for asking, and reminded them that they should always ask before petting any dog, even if it's not a service dog, just to make sure it's friendly and won't bite.

But this one neighbor thinks no one but the dog's owner is supposed to ever pet a service dog.  She tells me that all the time, but at the same time, she pets Isaac every time she can because she loves him.  She tells him she loves him and encourages him to kiss her face.

Anyway.  My point is, service dogs are absolutely allowed to be petted.  Most of them probably get petted a lot.  Isaac is with me almost all the time, so I pet him a lot.  I bet he gets petted more than the typical pet dog, whose owner goes to work all day and leaves the dog home alone.  Isaac also gets petted by his dog walker, by my neighbors (on a daily basis), by friends when they come over (which admittedly isn't that often), sometimes by children when we go on walks, and occasionally by people at the store or other public places, if they ask and if I say yes.  Trust me, he does not suffer from lack of physical affection.  He certainly gets petted a lot more than I do!