Leaving It

A while back, Isaac slurped up some shredded cheese on the floor at Chipotle, which earned him a remedial course in Leave It. Since then he's done just fine with leaving things, but today was like the ultimate test. We were at Chipotle and someone had dropped their burrito bowl on the floor and no one had cleaned it up. We had to walk right by the pile of rice, cheese and meat. It was in the aisle between tables and walking right by it meant almost stepping over it, there was so little space. Isaac barely even glanced at it. I feel like he nailed the final exam in the Leave It class.

Three Old Men and a Dog

Isaac and I are at McDonald's and three old men (think country-farmer-type old men) are having a discussion about service dogs.

Old Man #1: She's got that dog really well trained.

Old Man #2: It's got a thing on its side that says Please Don't Pet Me, I'm Working. It's a service dog.

Old Man #3: I bet she gets a lot of unwanted pets.

Old Man #2: Probably. But you ain't supposed to pet them.

Old Man #1: My dog wouldn't lay down like that.

Old Man #2: Your dog ain't a service dog.

Old Man #1: Good thing.

Old Man #3: I bet everybody wants to pet that dog.

Don't Eat the Steak

A couple months ago, Isaac and I went to Chipotle and Isaac kept trying to eat shredded cheese off the floor. I can't remember if I wrote about that or not.

He and I did a LOT of practice on Leave It after that and we've been back to Chipotle and to other restaurants since then without a problem. Well, tonight we went to Chipotle and there was a bite of steak on the floor near our table. I saw it and I saw Isaac see it. He could not reach it from under the table and he stayed under nicely until near the end of the meal, when he tried to slither a bit closer to the steak on his belly, as if hoping I wouldn't notice. I did notice, though, and reminded him to leave it. 

As we were leaving the restaurant, another customer commented that she was impressed that Isaac hadn't tried to eat that steak on the floor. She said he was so good. I told her he had been eyeing that steak, but he knows he's not supposed to eat food on the floor. I was really happy with how well he did.

Accessibility at McDonald's

Today I was at McDonald's, buying iced coffee, and I noticed a sign by the register that said "Braille and Picture Menus Available." I think it's awesome that they have those available, but it occurred to me that many customers that need Braille or picture menus probably wouldn't be able to read the sign saying they are available.

But I'm not sure of what would be a better way to let customers know they are available. What are your thoughts?

Maybe the picture menus could be on the counter, in some sort of holder, so that people could just pick them up if they wanted to look at one.

But what about the Braille menus?

Banana Peppers

Tonight I had dinner with a friend and we had pizza. I had tomato and banana pepper on my half and he had pepperoni and banana pepper on his half. When we were done, he had one piece of the pepperoni pizza left, a small one (they cut the pizza in squares some some of the edge pieces were really tiny). There was one slice of pepperoni and a couple banana pepper rings on that piece.

He asked me, "Can I give that last piece of pepperoni to Isaac?"

I said, "If you wait 'til we get outside," because Isaac is not allowed to get food in restaurants.

So we got outside and my friend gave Isaac the whole slice of pizza! I had thought he meant could he give him that one little circle of pepperoni, not the whole piece of pizza!

Isaac ate the whole thing in about three bites without dropping it or putting it on the ground. I wasn't that surprised that he ate the banana pepper on it, since it had cheese on it.

But one of the banana pepper rings fell to the ground. Isaac sniffed it thoughtfully, then delicately plucked it out of the snow and swallowed it. He usually tells me vegetables are not food, but apparently he is making an exception for banana peppers.

No! It Wasn't Me!

Yesterday when I was getting groceries at the food pantry, a woman said she thought she'd seen me in a local restaurant about a month ago with my SD and asked if I'd been there. I said I go there once in a while but didn't know if I'd been there when she was there or not.

Then she said, as if to jog my memory, I'd been feeding my service dog bites of my steak under the table.

I was horrified. I said, "Oh no! No, no, no! I NEVER feed him in a restaurant! Service dogs are NEVER supposed to be fed in a restaurant! That was not me, I would never do that."

I wonder if that means there is another service dog team in my area now? One with a handler that thinks it is OK to feed her SD in a restaurant?

The woman didn't seem to understand why I was so emphatic about it not being me, but I wanted to be really clear that I would never do that and that it would be very inappropriate for anyone to do it.

He's a Service Dog, Not a Petting Zoo

Today at Panera, as Isaac and I were making our way through the dining room, a man reached out to pet Isaac and started baby talking to him. Isaac turned his head to look at the man touching him and almost made me spill my plate of food, because I had my food in the same hand I had the leash in, because my drink was in my other hand. Normally that works out OK because Isaac heels pretty nicely. But he turned his head when someone started touching him as we walked by.

So I said "Please don't distract him, he's working." Which is my typical line when someone does that.

The first man's dining companion said, rather rudely, "Then you shouldn't bring him in here." Like my service dog is there for their enjoyment. Um, he's a service dog, not a petting zoo.

So I said, "He's a service dog so he's allowed in here."

The first man said "Who does he service?" Which was a weird way of asking the question, but I knew what he meant.

So I said, "He's my service dog."

And then the guy said, "Why? Do you have a problem?"

Um, yes. I have a big problem with rude strangers that distract my service dog. I didn't say that but I think maybe I should have.

Instead I just said "The Americans with Disabilities Act says he is allowed in here" and walked away.

I think this is the rudest interaction I've had with a member of the public regarding my service dog.

Lovely Down Stay at McDonald's

Isaac did a lovely down stay at McDonald's today.  He did about 90 minutes, easily.

There were a bunch of kids running back and forth and they never even noticed there was a dog under the table.

Remember when Isaac had trouble doing a down stay for more than an hour?  Our work on that really paid off.  Ninety  minutes today, easily.

He Looks Like He Needs a Treat

Yesterday Isaac and I took a little day trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  One the way home, we stopped at McDonald's so I could use the restroom and get something to drink.  The manager was asking me some questions about service dogs and then she looked at Isaac and said, "He looks like he needs a treat."

I said, "Oh, I'm sure he thinks he does," because you know, he always thinks he does.

And then she asked, "Can he have ice cream?"

Now, I never let Isaac eat in restaurants.  I never have, not in the two and a half years I've had him.  Occasionally restaurant employees really want to give him food.  Once at Chipotle, employees decided he really needed something to eat and asked me which he would prefer, chicken or steak.  I told them he would love either, but that he wasn't allowed to eat in the restaurant, but that if they would put it in a to go container for me, he could have it as soon as we got out to the car.

But I could tell the manager really wanted to give him ice cream and she really wanted to get to see him eat it.  I could just tell it was really important to her.

So I made an executive decision.  I let Isaac have the ice cream there in McDonald's.

She gave him a child's size ice cream cone.  I held it for him and he licked the ice cream up in about six licks.  He hesitated for about a second, considering the cone.  I think he wasn't sure if it was just an ice cream holder or if it was something to eat, too.  He decided he could eat it, and did, in two bites.

Then he looked at the manager, as if to say, "More?"

I told her he said thank you.  And told him not to think he was going to get ice cream every time we go to McDonald's now.

Doing a Lovely Down Stay at Subway

He really likes the tile floors at this Subway for some reason.  Here he is under the table, as far back as he can get, against the wall.  With his head under the seat.

I Didn't Realize There Was a Dog!

Earlier today Isaac and I were at McDonald's, me working on my laptop and Isaac practicing his down stay.  It was pretty busy there and he was doing really well.  In fact, when we were ready to leave, he was sleeping so soundly under the table that I had to nudge him in the butt with my foot to wake him up!

So then he stood up and kind of shook himself off.  I don't like him doing that in restaurants.  I know it's a normal thing for a dog to do when they first get up but it's not a good thing to do in a restaurant because fur goes flying and not everyone is as comfortable with dog hair in their food as I am.  Sometimes I am able to put my hand on his side and stop him from doing it.  Then when we get outside, I tell him "Shake it off" and let him do it then.  Other times, I at least try to make sure he is not shaking right beside a table where someone else is eating.  Today, he was still under the table when he shook himself off, so it was a kind of half-shake because he didn't have much room.

And then he came out from under the table and this guy seated across from our table said, all surprised, "Wow!  I didn't even realize there was a dog there!"

And I love hearing that.  That means he was doing exactly what he was supposed to do.

Working on the Down Stay at McD's

Isaac and I are continuing to work on his down stay. This is about 40 minutes in at McDonald's. It's pretty busy and noisy here and I'm having trouble concentrating on my work, but Isaac is doing great.

I'm planning to stay for just over an hour, maybe 70 minutes or so.

Although I am looking forward to getting out of here. It is too noisy to get any work done. Apparently every old person in my little town gathers at McDonald's and stays until lunch time and they talk loudly to each other, calling to their friends all across the restaurant. Isaac thinks it is pretty interesting, though. He likes people watching. One old man keeps commenting that Isaac is looking at him and his wife keeps telling him "He's probably never seen anything as strange as you before, dear."

Outdoor Dining at Chipotle

Isaac loves outdoor dining. I don't mean he loves to eat outdoors, although I'm sure he would like that. He likes to eat anywhere.

I mean he loves when I dine outdoors. He much prefers lying outdoors while I eat to lying under a table in a restaurant.

Today we went to Chipotle and it was really hot inside the restaurant. I could see that Isaac was uncomfortable just waiting in line for our food. So we opted to eat outdoors.

He's not under the table, except for his head, because we were sitting at a really tiny table and the base of the table took up most of the space under it. But there was plenty of room for him to lie next to the table without being in anyone's way.

He watched some birds and sniffed the air for a bit before settling in for a snooze.

The Best Part of Waking Up Is... a Tomato on Your Leg?

Tonight I had dinner with a friend.  I was eating a grilled portabello sandwich and dropped a bite of tomato under the table. Yes, I am sometimes sloppy.

I looked under the table to see if Isaac was eating it, but he was snoozing on his side with his legs stretched out.  The tomato had landed on his leg and he did not appear to notice it was there.  I kept glancing under the table during the meal to see if he'd noticed it, but he was just snoozing away. 

When we were done eating and I woke him up to leave, he noticed it, looked surprised, and then gobbled it up.  Maybe it was because there was a little mayo on it.  I wouldn't expect him to like tomatoes.

Chipotle Dog

At Chipotle, under the table.  His head is poking out a little, but it's right by my feet so not in the way at all.

There were a lot of kids in the restaurant and he was enjoying watching them, while keeping his head on his paws and being still and quiet.  Good boy!

Little Girl Under the Table

Today I was having dinner at Chipotle with a friend. Isaac was lying quietly under the table. At one point I glanced down and discovered a little girl about three or four had crawled under the table and was quietly cuddling and petting him.

I don't think she was there long but I didn't even notice her crawl under there! Apparently Isaac was happy to keep it a secret. He was being very calm and quiet, but looked quite pleased with the whole situation.

I did start giving her my lecture about "you should never pet a doggie without asking first" and only then did her mom come over and start telling her the same thing.

Service Dog at Pizza Hut

Isaac under the table at Pizza Hut last night at dinner time.

He is in a down stay but has his head up because there were some kids running around being loud and he was watching them.  Isaac really love people watching.

Service Dogs at Buffets

There was a rather intense discussion in a Facebook group the other day about whether or not you can take your service dog up to the buffet or salad bar in a restaurant or whether the manager can ask you to leave your dog at the table while you go up to the buffet alone.

Someone tried to say that health regulations forbid taking a service dog up to the buffet because hair, saliva and/or fecal matter might get in the food.  This person was concerned that a service dog might fart while at the buffet, sending fecal matter into the air where it could get into the food.  Yes, seriously.  Service dogs should not be near a buffet because they might fart.

Apparently people farting near the buffet is not a concern because they wear pants.  Your pants will prevent fecal matter from getting into the food in the event that you fart near a buffet.

No,  I'm not kidding.  This was the discussion.

This person tried to say there was a lawsuit initiated by a woman who was not allowed to take her service dog up to the buffet because she was not blind and did not use a wheelchair, and that the judge ruled that she did not need her service dog at the buffet and should have left the dog at the table and/or had someone else hold the dog's leash while she got her food.  According to this person, the law says that if you are blind or use a wheelchair, then it is OK to take your service dog up to the buffet. 

Apparently service dogs for the blind and for wheelchair users do not fart, so they won't get fecal matter in the food.  I am not sure how that works.  I'd like a dog that never farts.

I asked several times for information about this court case but it was never provided.

I was about 99.9% certain this person was wrong, that any one with a service dog is allowed to take their dog up to a buffet.  Anyway, restaurant employees are not allowed to ask what your disability is, so how could they really know if you are blind?  And if you leave your dog unattended at your table while you go to the buffet, then you are violating local leash laws and doing something potentially unsafe.  And just who is supposed to hold the dog's leash for you?  The ADA specifically says employees of a business are not required to do that.

But I called the ADA information line so I could prove I was right.

And I am.  The ADA specialist to whom I spoke said you can take your service dog up to the buffet, even if you are not blind and do not use a wheelchair.  She said you should not leave your dog unattended at your table.

Dining at Chipotle

Today I met a friend for lunch at Chipotle.  Afterward, we went for a walk with Isaac.

Chipotle was busy and there were a lot of small kids running around.  Isaac is so good at ignoring noisy kids.  This isn't the best picture, but I was trying to snap the shot without disturbing him so he wouldn't get up and ruin the picture.  He was lying quietly under the table, head down, ignoring the noisy little kids.

He heard me snapping the shot so he lifted up his head.  He was still behaving, though.  Just making eyes at a little girl that was making eyes at him.

When we go to this particular Chipotle, I take a towel for Isaac to lie on.  They have a concrete floor that he doesn't really like to lie on.  He will lie on it but he fidgets and stands up kind of a lot.  He just does better when I take a towel for him.

In most businesses, he's happy without anything to lie on.  He loves the floor at our local Subway, which is hard tile.

When we were done eating and got up to go, Isaac picked up the towel for me.  Good boy!

And Once Again Isaac Demonstrates His Exemplary Service Dog Training

Or not.

Yesterday at Panera, as Isaac and I were making our way to the table I'd chosen, Isaac spied a potato chip on the floor.  Isaac would never think of taking food off a table in a restaurant, but he eyed that chip hopefully.  I told him to leave it and with a last longing glance, he refocused his attention on me.

I was taking off my jacket, juggling jacket and purse and leash, trying to put my stuff on the seat before I sat down myself.  And I dropped my purse on the floor.  Not too far from that potato chip.

So I told my well-trained service dog to "Get it," meaning, of course, to get the purse.  And he knew exactly what I meant.  He'd seen me drop the purse.  Often, when he sees me drop something, Isaac will pick it up without being asked.  Not always, but often.  And if he sees me drop something, he knows that is the thing I am going to want him to get for me.  Sometimes if there are several objects on the floor, he might be uncertain of which object I am asking for.  But not if he sees me drop something.

And Isaac, well-trained service dog that he is, pretended to misunderstand me and acted as if he thought I was telling him to get that potato chip.  So he did.  Very quickly, before I could stop him.  Gobbled it right up.

He did pick up my purse after that, though.