Service dog arrived without notice--right to be irked?

Thank you.

As a complete aside, you mentioned that you’ve put QR-codes to appliance manuals on some of your appliances. I have the QR codes and they’re in the House manual. But if I wanted to put them on the appliances do I need to print them out on some kind of durable/washable material. How do you affix them to the appliance? Are they simply stickers?

This thread has gotten so long, but it is still very interesting.
I do NOT require this, but my request before confirming a stay is:

Please inform us before booking if you intend to bring a service animal. There are natural predators and no fence or lawn so your animal could get into danger easily.

I totally believe in disabled peoples’ rights and the use of animals for support or therapy. I just want them to know it might be dangerous here for guest animals. If a guest shows up with a service animal unannounced without having read the details, then their animal gets away or is attacked at least my request is proof that they knew of that possibility.

If I provided a nicely fenced yard, or my own friendly pets to welcome them, it would be a different story.

On a 4th July weekend we had a nice booking from a couple that had 2 itsy bitsy fluffy puppies (8 weeks and 10 weeks, I sleuthed them on IG after dismissal) in their car, which I turned away at the last minute. They got “certificates” right away and were refunded by Air.

Yes. I bought these: Avery 2-by-2 stickers

I’ve also used these for labels on items that are exposed to water: Vinyl for inkjets/laserjets

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Thank you!!

2020202020

And I have read posts from guests who have legitimate service dogs who say they always disclose that fact because they don’t want to find themselves in a situation where the dog could be in danger.

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Here’s the REAL problem. Modern day whiney little jerks need someone to make their day better and to pet when they feel stressed about reality. They go to their doctor and get an Rx for a “service animal” which could be just about anything that breathes. THEN, they want everyone to bow down to their “right” to have this animal in your place without so much as a thought about what that means to the next guest who has pet allergies. I don’t run a microchip “cleanroom” but we clean just about every square inch of what humans can reach within the rental. But, the shedding leaves chemical residue that’s not always completely removed. The complete BS story that their pet “doesn’t shed” is not possible. Everything that has skin sheds, but they peddle the lie anyway, expecting you’ll believe it. It’s disgusting and shows you how far off base this country is that so many young people feel so absolutely entitled that they just want what they want and to hades with everyone else.

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My experience is that they do NOT bark unless they encounter specific situations, which has nothing to do with barking because they’re bored or want to go outside and play frizbee.

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that’s what I meant but didn’t know how to express myself.

I’m sure what you say is true of some.

But we don’t know who is genuinely bringing a service animal.

So we need to treat everyone bringing what they say is a service animal as a real service animal.

If we have an attitude or generalize/stereotype that will undoubtedly ‘leak’ out and someone who really needs a service animal will feel our attitude. Let’s not add to their burdens.

In Massachusetts a service dog-in-training must by law be treated as a service animal. So even if we ‘know’ the animal is not service trained, there might be a good reason for it.

You’re right from what I’ve read about dander being universal. But also read above @RedSpeedRacerXX 's post. Excellent points.

As to the barking, they may be reacting to something we don’t perceive.

So I sense you’re venting a bit and I, too, am disappointed in fakers and liars but I think it’s more productive to focus on accommodating service animals and giving them the benefit of the doubt.

And getting out some doggie treats.

We can’t control their behavior, only ours.

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These are really inane replies, and are all about emotions. The assumption is that everyone has to put up with you, whether they’re physically able, or not. That’s the same premise you’re using to justify this mess. Book a place that’s animal friendly and don’t be that guy.

People who let their dogs sleep on the bed don’t stop doing that because they’re in a rental.

I’ve been around several service animals (actual dogs that have certifications) and have never heard one of them bark when they’re fully trained.

We’ve spent days with fully trained service dogs, photographing them (with their people) for books on seizure alert dogs and on companion dogs for autistic children. Yes, the dogs do bark. These dogs had completed their training weeks earlier. The people were completing their training on the days we were with them. This took place at a service dog training facility and out in public with the same group of people and dogs.

Dogs bark.

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Not sure why you addressed that comment to me- I’ve always said that if a dog owner lets the dog sleep on the furniture at home, they will in a rental as well. It’s one of the reasons I have never allowed pets. I’ve had dogs off and on most of my life, but they have never been allowed on furniture.

This isn’t helpful, civil or accurate.

@Joahaz made an essential point: it’s the law. Then she sought empathy for folks who have a disability. Appeal to emotions? No, I think an appeal to our humanity.

No, if someone has severe allergies and shares the space they are not required to Host a guest with a service animal.

At least one member here says she tries to do just that. Others do too. But that limits the person with the disability’s options. WE, as Hosts and as people, need to grow in accommodating.

Behavioral psychologists have names for these kinds of cognitive biases and errors. It’s a commonplace that people tend to think what they have not experienced does not occur. Or what they’ve experienced rarely is necessarily rare. These are cognitive mistakes we all make.

Yet several members here have told you here that they have a service animal and that they sometimes bark. You really need to incorporate this into your experience even though you only read it and did not see and hear it.

excellent rant, 100% agree. we always joked about the perpetually offended types, but it’s not satire anymore because it’s all too real.

My experience is only with guide dogs for the blind. My father, his brother, and his 4 sisters were all blind. They all had guide dogs and they were all various types of retrievers. In all my time around those dogs, I never heard them bark even once. The trainer told my dad they were selected because they were calm and submissive and they were trained to enforce that behavior.

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Our experience is just our experience. It is not the world.

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Obviously an excitable dog that is prone to bark a lot would not be suitable for training as a service animal. There are some breeds that naturally tend to bark very little and some that bark a lot. I had a Malamute for a couple of years who I don’t recall ever hearing bark. (They make terrible watchdogs, an intruder would only be scared of them due to their size.)

As there are various breeds (as well as mixed breeds) that get trained as service dogs, I imagine some might bark a bit, likely if they perceived a threat, and some not.

I think the real meaning of “bark” is: yapping endlessly for hours. a one off bark is fine.