Rant...

 Well, I guess it would depend on the circumstances and what type of tag they're using.  I saw a CM special where the woman had a "service dog" for her agoraphobia.  To look at her, you'd never know anything was wrong, but having the dog with her helped her leave the house.  To an outside observer it might appear she didn't "need" it.  I've also read a little bit about more dogs being used for mental illness and as seizure alert dogs or narcolepsy assistance dogs.  When the person is fine, it might not look like the dog is needed.

BCMixs

 Well, I guess it would depend on the circumstances and what type of tag they're using.  I saw a CM special where the woman had a "service dog" for her agoraphobia.  To look at her, you'd never know anything was wrong, but having the dog with her helped her leave the house.  To an outside observer it might appear she didn't "need" it.  I've also read a little bit about more dogs being used for mental illness and as seizure alert dogs or narcolepsy assistance dogs.  When the person is fine, it might not look like the dog is needed.

But those dogs ARE service dogs.  I'm talking about people that "put the SDIT tag on my dog so I can get her into more stores for training."  I'm not talking about the types of service dogs or disabilities (a service dog is a service dog, the law does not account for any differences except between a service dog and a service dog in training), but people that intentionally lie and go over people's heads to get their dogs privileges they do not need or deserve.

Yea it gets me too.  My dogs do wear a vest when in training but I never claim they are a SD - it's unethical no matter how tempting it is.  I just wish more stores allowed wellbehaved pets - would certainly up the level of training for many pet dogs I think.

 Oh! Well who's in charge of the SDIT tags?  Can't they just say "Uh, no, you're crazy."  LOL!

BCMixs

 Oh! Well who's in charge of the SDIT tags?  Can't they just say "Uh, no, you're crazy."  LOL!

Anyone can get them because there is no one organization or evaluation that makes a dog a service dog or not.  In order for a dog to be a service dog, I think the doctor has to make the determination that the dog performs one or more functions vital to normal daily life (guiding a blind person, predicting seizures, reminding someone to take medication...).  So no one can manage who gets tags and who doesn't, and dogs are not required to wear them (like the dog in the CM episode).  Sort of like anyone can buy a pair of crutches, you don't have to prove your leg is broken.

I was reading about SD just this week actually, and the person's page I was on said that she turns people in to store security/police for this. It is a federal offense. (The author is wheel-chair bound and uses a SD, so it really got under her skin too.) 

I once saw on another forum someone suggest to use a service dog vest to hinder people from petting a fearful dog in public. I was at odds I guess because it would be a direct solution but on the other hand the lady wasnt doing much to train or help the dog to cope.

To me this is the same as when I see almost all "lost dog, needs meds" flyers. I feel liek they are crying wolf and taking advantage.

More importantly though I think the people who falsely use these vests could be inadvertently hindering the training process for some service dogs by allowing the public to address the dogs in a way untypical for real service dogs. It was always my understanding that you wernt supposed to distract a service dog from their job...for some reason I cant imagine these fakers adhering to that rule.

I dont think I'd mind as much if it said "service dog in training"

AuroraLove

More importantly though I think the people who falsely use these vests could be inadvertently hindering the training process for some service dogs by allowing the public to address the dogs in a way untypical for real service dogs. It was always my understanding that you wernt supposed to distract a service dog from their job...for some reason I cant imagine these fakers adhering to that rule.

I dont think I'd mind as much if it said "service dog in training"

Emphasis added by me.  THAT is EXACTLY why it pisses me off!  People with REAL service dogs are under enough scrutiny already.  For example, on the GSD board someone mentioned she was training her dog to be a "service dog" (I say in quotes because this person wasn't really training the dog to perform specific vital functions, thus the dog likely would never qualify as a service dog, the whole thing sounded very shady) and  her dog bit someone in the grocery store!!

"Service Dog In Training" I still find inappropriate.  It's a lie.  SDITs are allowed special access in some places/states, so it's a lie to pass off a pet as an SDIT. 

I do have a friend who trains all of her dogs to do things service dogs do....like get stuff out fo the fridge, run to get her the cordless phone when it rings and even brings her a tissue if she sneezes but its for fun and for show and she would never think of trying to pass her dog off as a service dog.

I think its a cool thing to strive for but with due respect to true service dogs!

AuroraLove

I do have a friend who trains all of her dogs to do things service dogs do....like get stuff out fo the fridge, run to get her the cordless phone when it rings and even brings her a tissue if she sneezes but its for fun and for show and she would never think of trying to pass her dog off as a service dog.

I think its a cool thing to strive for but with due respect to true service dogs!

That's really neat!

The thing about service dogs is that it's not all tricks, but the dog has to have a rock solid temperament (be "traffic sure";) and have enough drive, focus, and energy to work ALL day, every day.  My friend has a Golden that washed out of a service dog program.  He's a great-tempered dog and does his fair share of tricks, but so few dogs are really cut out for that type of work.  When Kenya did therapy training she was pooped after just an hour and those dogs are at it every waking hour....It's very mentally draining for the dog and while she passed evaluations for two different therapy orgs, we don't plan to do any therapy work. 

This is why it bugs me that people think their dog is "nice enough" or "smart enough" to trick people into thinking it's a service dog so it can practice.  It places such a high expectation on the dog, and other people assume the dog really IS cut out to be a service dog so if it does anything "bad", it gives people a negative impression of service dogs.

There's a woman and her young daugher (maybe 8 or so) who take their German Shepherds into stores with them. I've a hard time believing they are actually service dogs. They have them in guide dog type harnesses, and wearing vests. Neither the woman nor the child are blind, and I've seen them at Petco training classes with the dogs (when I've been shopping) I think they just like taking them into stores.

A few weeks ago I saw them at walmart..shopping for Ol Roy with the dogs

Wow, I never knew it was so easy to get Service Dog tags/vests and the like.  I always assumed that in addition to having a certain necessary skill, the dogs had to pass some sort of test/class that proved they have a rock solid temperament and the proper training to allow them access to such public places.

 I take my dogs everywhere, but I would *never* claim that they were anything besides what they are. That is... horrible.

I've found that I can get away with taking them into *lots* of places that you wouldn't expect, but they're very well behaved, and not "scary" looking. Of course, my best friend has a Pittie and a Boxer, and she takes hers out as much as I do. We take them to Staples, Home Depot, Lowes, the bank, convenience stores, restaurants with patios, clothing stores, gift shops, etc etc.