How Anyone Can Tell a Dog Is a “Service Dog”
Look for the physiological evidence:
- Cold, wet nose,
- and relaxed, open-mouth breathing.
If you don’t see these (and others…) then the indicators are stacking up against the owner’s claim.
Anyone Can Claim “Service Dog” Qualifications
…but not everyone’s dog has the physiological indicators present to back it up. This is where the choice of indicators matters. If the indicator is a piece of paper that the owner fills out claiming their dog is a service dog, then we’re at the mercy of the owner’s intent and honesty. Were the indicator our agreement of its being the dog’s physiology, then it becomes evidential — based on the physical characteristics of the dog — and not based on the owner’s opinions and claims.
Relaxed dogs are low energy dogs. Low energy dogs don’t have problems. Those are the dogs that can be service dogs. If their noses aren’t cold and wet — 95% of their waking hours — it’s not likely that that dog will be a true service dog or emotional support dog.