Audio transcript

What to tell children about assistance dogs

Almost every time I go into a shop, cafe or other public place, I encounter a parent with a small child, and the dilemma of what to say to them when they want to stroke my assistance dog. One of the most amusing ones I overhear is: you can't touch that dog; it's a blind dog. I never know quite how to respond to that one. Liggy is definitely not blind, but neither am I.

So what should you tell your child? Well, I would tell them that the dog is working. It is an assistance dog. There are different types of assistance dogs but this one helps someone who is a wheelchair user. She will do tasks that help her owner to do things that she might find difficult, like picking things up, opening or shutting doors, and helping them dress or undress.

I would also tell them that you should never distract a working dog. Distracting a dog means making it look at you instead of its owner. Dogs might be distracted by excited voices, toys, even someone just staring at them. The best thing to do is either look away and carry on with what you are doing or watch from a distance.

You might get lucky and find that the owner thanks you and opens up a conversation. If I hear someone telling their child not to distract Liggy, I usually thank them and ask them if they would like to say hello to her. Sometimes, I drop a key or something and Liggy will pick it up and give it to me. That helps children understand why she is so important to me. I can then explain that if she was distracted, she might not notice that I dropped my key and when I get back to my car or home, I won't know where it is.

If the person doesn't want to chat though, you should teach your child to respect that. You don't know what kind of day they are having. They might be in pain or tired or in a rush. They might have already been distracted by many others and just want to be left alone now. Remind your child that they also have things to do, might be on their way to work or have children to collect from somewhere.