Off-Leash Service Dogs: Red Flag or a Right?
Added 2025-08-21 01:00:06 +0000 UTCYou are seeing this video ad-free and a day early. Thanks for being a Patreon member! Lately, social media has been flooded with viral video
You are seeing this video ad-free and a day early. Thanks for being a Patreon member!
Lately, social media has been flooded with viral videos of off-leash service dogs strutting through stores. They look flashy, but here’s the reality: off-leash work should be the rare exception, not the rule.
In this week’s video, I’m breaking down the risks of off-leash service dogs, why this trend is making public access harder for everyone, and the simple tools and alternatives that let your dog do their job without ditching the leash.
If you’ve ever wondered whether off-leash service work is legal, necessary, or just a flex—this video is for you.
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Comments
I apologize in advance for this long long long post. Please bare with me... My biggest concern, worry, anxiety, fear, etc is the safety of my dog. He not only a loved and cherished family member. He is my independence. We are each other's responsibility. Without him I am not safe to leave my home (thanks to a # of medical things. I can explain more if yall need.) When I say safety, I mean from all sides and directions - ex: people, places, things, animals, me, and humself (bad decisions happen). Those decisions start at home before he ever "goes to workies." He keeps me safe and I keep him safe. We are partners. Great video! For me, SD influencers are held to a higher standard. The are choosing to become the face for SD users. Thus they should be representing SDs is such a way that doesn't harm or increase scrutiny on our community. For me, they biggest compliment we can receive is that sudden reaction of "Oh, wow! I didn't know their was a dog over there!" as we are leaving a restaurant or doctor's office. Thank you for being a resource! You have inspired me to do many things. I have learned so much from you & Denver's (& Whip) training journey.
Mandi Warren
2025-08-27 01:59:28 +0000 UTCAnother thought is I get horrible anxiety when I see others w/o their dog leashed (usually a small terror of a dog that just does whatever it wants) or on a flexi, and they literally have no intention of calling them away from us (handler &k9) - granted they are not SD/SDit, or they are faking and have "ESA" in grocery buggy or ... at a huge convention there was a small "service dog" sitting in someone's lap that literally levitated lunge barking to try to get at my SD before owner caught it in mid air... Later there was a leashed not vested chow that repeatedly lunge barked at myself and another tall girl with a well trained vested dog like mine. I just have to start loudly instructing them to get their dog please if it's on a flexi... And now I carry Mace or I recently found that Petssafe Citronella stuff y'all mentioned ... It's less for me and more to protect my SDit. Sadly because they are giant breeds I will get blamed. I had a Chihuahua come out of a lady's purse in an elevator (never knew it was there til too late) 7yrs ago and attack my old guy's head. It hung from his lip like an earring and created a bloody puncture wound. Now to be honest, i hate small dogs, because they're usually running amuck. I have to defend my dog! Why on earth would someone even allow their loose cannon to do such a thing!? If you have any feedback on handling this .. or you might have a current video... maybe it's like this one where the topic comes up as part of a diff topic... Maybe it was the video where your dad was trying to get on plane and another dog kept freaking out? I know first rule of thumb is mitigating my own anxiety from running down the leash around off leash dogs when I'm working mine. So hard!!! That being said, it really insures mine will ALWAYS be under my control ON LEASH, Double leashed if that's a thing! One of my trainers is blind, you may know her, Trelle, and she wouldn't take her GD out after he was attacked so it's always made me mindful. It's hard facing reality with grace sometimes...
C Marie
2025-08-23 04:08:46 +0000 UTCYou're last sentence! LOLOL Glad you found a leash system that works for you!!
Laura DeMaio Roy
2025-08-22 14:21:16 +0000 UTCI actually wear an...I think its an 8ft rather 6ft, but will check, and I wear it weird... typically I see everyone looping it around their body, front and back, over opposite shoulder. I dont like being able to not drop it if needed.... a bit of claustrophobic trigger. So instead...I havent seen anyone else wearing it like me... but all my dogs have worn military harnesses that are 500# load rated and double as seat belts as mine are always mastiffs to be able to hold my weight if I have an attck in public. That being said, I put the caribeener thru the rear D ring on the harness and then the front frog clip thru their collar or harness ring, depending. Their collars have handles I can hold onto if I temp lose my vision or balance, but is not a guide handle. (My K9's are tall enough). I guess they're also known as an "agitation collar" but thats never been what I use it for as that serves no purpose in my world! So after I put the rings thru front and back of harness, theyre always on my left side, so I take the midpoint of leash BEHIND my back and over my right shoulder. Then all my leashes have a traffic handle connected on the colar side that I can always quickly grab as needed. This is awesome as it allows me to do everything hands free and use all their handles as appropriate/needed AND it literally keeps them within 2 ft of my body at most distance, so SD can smell my state, be available if I need help getting moving as well as makes easy for them to do 'leaning' task and be basically lose leash and comfortable as well as making others more comfortable. It being on opposite shoulder also keeps it from falling off. I could do loops with this specific leash around,my waist but it triggers my tactile sensitivity of having it wad my clothes up around my waist... I might be a bit on the spectrum 🤫🙃 so this grates on.my nerves - that would be like my agitation collar 🤣 I know in this case a picture would be worth 1000 words lol sorry if my description is confusing. Great video. I think influencers have such a greater responsibility and its good to check the ego... but yes, youre all human. My nephew has a gun dog channel (bird hunting & guided trips) and is constantly, God bless him calling out the companies that are trying to buy his influence and request him to lie, be fake, or advert for inauthentic companies/poor products, and to not be himself for X amount of money. Im very proud that he has such integrity since we helped raise him after his dad died. We need more of yall standing in integrity like youre addressing here (he does still have a big ego lol but I think thats some his age) but at least he's honest!
C Marie
2025-08-21 19:31:30 +0000 UTCI think in a lot of cases a hands-free leash would get you that same training vibe - especially a waist leash - as off-leash work without the potential risk. But yes, always good to practice dropping the leash while in a stay etc. as part of general training. But that's not really what I'm talking about here.
Laura DeMaio Roy
2025-08-21 18:07:54 +0000 UTCI think training a long distance down stay is a good idea - but probably not in a place where it puts the public at risk, because like you said, the use of it is few and far between. And yes to flexi's! I'm not a huge fan either but I use them in certain cases on a well-fitted harness, and there's a use case for some tasks for sure. But yes, so many people use them irresponsibly that it's hard to recommend them. I get it!
Laura DeMaio Roy
2025-08-21 18:06:42 +0000 UTCExactly - there are absolutely cases where the leash can interfere with the dog's function, but they are few and far between.
Laura DeMaio Roy
2025-08-21 18:04:54 +0000 UTCThanks Laura! I have seen this in public and was not a fan. Thank you for bringing more awareness to this. I’m all for it if it follows the ADA guidelines of being necessary, but not just for show.
Jo Onthego
2025-08-21 15:25:30 +0000 UTCThis is really valuable. I haven't seen this in public, but now I feel prepared.
Debra Wilbourne
2025-08-21 14:59:33 +0000 UTCThank you so much for saying this!! With my first SD, we did practice a long distance down/stay because I thought I'd be doing a lot more traveling and it was recommended by some trainers to practice that for TSA checkpoints. Honestly, though, a waist leash and a down/stay at my side was much more practical and used in everyday settings (we never did end up flying!). I did train a "go find help", but only with my roommate in public spaces (and by public spaces I mean a very quiet Lowe's lol). Not going to do that in public with my current girl- you make very good points against it. Also, that was an amazing run-down on different leash options! I have a general dislike of retractable leashes just due to working in veterinary medicine and seeing the improper use of them (and most equipment, honestly), but will admit to using them on hikes with a good harness. 💜 Just don't tell my clients lol.
Mechelle
2025-08-21 12:34:05 +0000 UTCOmg thank you for pointing out the e-collar…
Alma Starks
2025-08-21 01:17:01 +0000 UTCIm guilty of posting videos with us doing off leash work occasionally. I do always ensure its short periods & in places I have asked if they mind & are okay if I do these trainings like in Sam's club, like you said, to grab something I need 2 hands for. I like to practice off leash more to build his confidence in himself, he does much better on the leash in a heel after a little off leash
Ariel corbit
2025-08-21 01:14:56 +0000 UTC
