My public experiences thus far with my Service Dog

It wasnt until i moved to Columbus that i really started taking Bones out in public, honestly before that i dont think he was ready either and i tried to transition him slowly by taking his gaming with me when i was playing Pathfinder, which while in gaming stores its low key, not a lot of noise but there are people, doors opening and closing, and other distractions that he was able to experience which gave me a good idea of areas he needed more work on. Since ive done all of his training myself its been tricky at times but we have a very tight bond that makes him very anxious to please and thats a definite plus in my mind.

  For the most part its been grocery stores that hes been in with the exception of a few dollar type stores and gas stations.   Krogers has been great about him being in there as well as WalMarts.  I had him in a Dollar Tree one time and was told he couldnt be in there and once i informed the worked that he was a Service Dog everything was fine and they have been more than welcoming since then, in which i actually emailed the company and let them know of the store and employees and that i feel they are exceptional at customer care for this reason.

  Today was a different story. We went to a Save a Lot and as soon as walking in the door more than one employee tried to get my attention saying that i couldnt have my dog in there. I did explain he was a Service Dog and they didnt ask anymore about it, he did and always has his vest on and i always carry his ID with me but they didnt ask for it but the rest of the time in the store i just kept getting looks and people saying that they didnt think dogs should be allowed in grocery stores.  i dont say anything to those who talk about it as im passing them. i know im not breaking any laws and that hes properly trained but it does get to me sometimes. Today i pretty much summed it up as being in a section of town where the employees may not have been educated on such situations.

Bones works hard in pubilc and you can tell he tried to please and be on his best behavior all while keeping an eye on me, checking on me and making sure im okay but i worry that one of these times i will end up in an attack in the store itself over a situation much like todays.  I guess if that does happen thats what Bones is there for but still i worry about the embarrassment of it.

Bones does have one weakness in stores and its not products or food in the stores...its the cash registers and the checking out process, he basically dislikes it and if given the opportunity i know he would walk out of the situation if he could. i do use the self checkouts at times as it makes it easier on him but i personally detest the self checkouts.

Something i need to thoroughly check on is that since Bones is for PTSD and hes short, standing about 13 inches at the top of his shoulders i have been putting a blanket down in the front part of the cart and i let him ride in there. For me its easier, i can mess with his ears which i twirl in my fingers when im nervous, and i just have him closer to me for the contact that i need him to provide when im outside the home.  i also have agoraphobia and literally have had many many times when i cant walk out the door if he is not with me, maybe hes became in a way a security blanket but  its what i have to do anymore. i simply cant function without him, and in a way thats scary for me as well. For me having a Service Dog is kind of like any public assistance i get. i hope to only need it for a while, til i can pull myself back together and be able to function in the normal world again.  However that doesnt mean i wont still have dogs trained for my needs as even if i reach a point where i just need the help at home ill still need them and i cant live without an animal around anyway. Its just who i am and gods know when it comes to Bones hes not just a dog or even just a Service Dog to me, hes my companion. He never lets me out of his sight in a way we depend on each other and for us and how we do things has worked well.