# I just left my service dog behind as I began to leave a flea market **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 15, 2014, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719 "2014-11-15T19:32:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/21 "2014-11-16T21:28:04Z")
My my, _my_ my my. When outside on duty, my service dog is always leashed, and wears an obvious special harness (in fact, sometimes we look even more like a team because it matches one of my outfits). ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/22 "2014-11-16T21:41:13Z")
So why was your dog off-duty at the flea market, on the bus, and on the subway? And when the heck is he ON duty? ETA: “My my my” belongs to the Homicide Hunter. ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/23 "2014-11-16T21:46:44Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > My my, _my_ my my. > > When outside on duty, my service dog is always leashed, and wears an obvious special harness (in fact, sometimes we look even more like a team because it matches one of my outfits). Whenever outside off duty is there another leash you use? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/24 "2014-11-16T22:02:39Z")
No, just that one. You can read good books, but adding under colors sometimes let’s people lie. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/25 "2014-11-16T22:09:57Z")
Sorry, I’m not following you any more, **Leo**. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/26 "2014-11-16T22:12:42Z")
They can be forgotten the same way many children are, including a hot sealed up car. How can they be that stupid? How can they not be that stupid? We are talking about the humans, right? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/27 "2014-11-16T23:40:50Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > My my, _my_ my my. > > When outside on duty, my service dog is always leashed, and wears an obvious special harness (in fact, sometimes we look even more like a team because it matches one of my outfits). He should always be leashed outside, on or off duty. You can’t squirrel your way out from under this, **Leo**. Just say, “oops.” You can say, “oops,” can’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Lorene89095](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@Lorene89095](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorene89095)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/28 "2014-11-16T23:51:44Z")
I’m sorry this happened, I hope you learned from this mistake. Please,for Dogs sake,keep the pupster on a leash ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/29 "2014-11-16T23:57:11Z")
> [@Lorene89095](#): > > I’m sorry this happened, > I hope you learned from this mistake. > Please,for Dogs sake,keep the pupster on a leash It happened twice before. I’m not holding out much hope for learning. ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/30 "2014-11-16T23:59:33Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Man, that’s cold. Remind me not to let you pet him. > > Also, your obnoxiousness put the first smile on my face since then. Isn’t that also against the rules, having people pet your service dog? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/31 "2014-11-17T00:50:18Z")
It is basic common sense and courtesy (and usually the law) to keep a dog leashed in public. I don’t care how good its off-leash training is. Unless it’s a police dog in hot pursuit, or a search-and-rescue dog looking for bodies, leash your dog! It’s up to the owner of a service dog whether to allow petting. If the dog is working, the answer will be no. And it’s common courtesy to ask first (and expect that the answer will be no, and to respect that if it is). Better yet, just leave the dog and owner alone to go about their business. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/32 "2014-11-17T01:00:22Z")
I love threads like this: A: “I did stupid thing X” B: “How did you do X? Don’t you know you should always do Y or Z instead?” A: “HOW DARE YOU IMPLY THAT I WOULD EVER DO X! OF COURSE I ALWAYS DO Y AND Z!!” Everyone: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/33 "2014-11-17T02:46:31Z")
Wow. Considering how hard it can be to get a service animal, due to the expense and waiting list, to do something like this (more than once!) is really, REALLY shitty. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/34 "2014-11-17T05:39:47Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Wow. Considering how hard it can be to get a service animal, due to the expense and waiting list, to do something like this (more than once!) is really, REALLY shitty. I think in this case it’s more a “service animal.” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/35 "2014-11-17T06:24:55Z")
Why am I feeling, at the end of the thread, more confused than I did before reading it? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/36 "2014-11-17T06:45:09Z")
Because **Leo** overdid the ansiolitics? I’d still be wondering how the heck does anybody forget a service dog, only it has been explained. I still don’t get it. It’s like saying “oh man, I almost left the house without my hands!” ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/37 "2014-11-17T07:06:27Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > This. > > So what _service_ is it that your dog provides anyway **Leo Bloom**? Yeah, that’s what I’m wondering too. I’m sorta confused here… > [@GusNSpot](#): > > … Uh oh, this thread is completely bonkers now .:eek: ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/38 "2014-11-17T07:14:12Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I think in this case it’s more a “service animal.” This. Actual service animals tend to have owners with far better training. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/39 "2014-11-17T12:30:41Z")
So, did the OP honestly think he would get positive feedback here? What would that look like? “Silly Leo, don’t forget next time!” Really? It’s not like this is a new poster, after all! And this, > [@](#): > > You can read good books, but adding under colors sometimes let’s people lie This is more cryptic than anything Bob Dylan ever wrote. No attempt to clarify, makes me think this could be a meds issue, to be honest. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719/40 "2014-11-17T19:33:35Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > The thought should strike fear in the heart of any critter with hair. What thought? Who are you responding to? > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Word. One time, back in 1991, **kaylasmom** and I were sitting in a restaurant having dinner; her guide dog was laying under the table. Some asshole decided to make friends with the dog, so he took a bone from his BBQ beef ribs off his plate and tossed it onto the floor in front of her. > > To this day, I still get angry just remembering that incident. > > ETA: No, service dogs are not off duty when they’re riding in public transportation. It’s been over 20 years. Time to let it go. All these times of forgetting the service dog could have been avoided if the OP just followed the law and used a leash. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-left-my-service-dog-behind-as-i-began-to-leave-a-flea-market/704719.md?page=3)