Interacting with the Owner

• Speak with the owner before you interact with the dog at all. Service dogs are allowed in all public places, lodgings and transportation, and the owner may have a card or pamphlet that explains the rules regarding the dog's presence. Do not ask personal questions regarding the owner's disability, and remember that the owner may not wish to talk about the dog either.
  
  

Warnings

• Do not touch the service dog or pet it unless you have been given express permission by the dog's owner. It is important to remember that if you see a service dog and its owner, the dog is working and will not benefit from a distraction while it is performing its duty. For similar reasons, do not offer the service dog food or treats.
  
  

Dogs in Training

• Service dogs who are training are often wearing vests or are otherwise marked as student service dogs. Dogs who are just getting started with service training, especially if they are young, can be easily distracted. Even if the dog is not currently working with an owner with a disability, do not distract it while it is training.
  
  

Dog Phobias

• If you are a business owner or an employee who is afraid of dogs, place yourself away from the situation. You may ask someone else to wait on the dog's owner, or you may ask the dog's owner to have the dog lie down if it will not interfere with the dog's duties.
  
  

Inappropriate Behavior

• If the service dog is barking, growling or in some other way causing a disruption, speak with the dog's owner. In the case of dogs who work with people with epilepsy, the dog may be barking to warn of an oncoming seizure. If the dog is being needlessly disruptive or destructive, you may ask the person to remove the dog from the area.