Working Dog Etiquette

At any given time there is likely to be at least one working dog on campus. Working dogs (in this case) include guide dogs, companion dogs, or hearing assistance dogs.

Law allows these animals, to accompany students anywhere on campus. This includes lecturers, tutorials, labs, the students unions, gymnasiums etc. (Section 9 of the Disability Discrimination Act - 1992)

There are important things to keep in mind when you have contact with a working dog. These include:

The main thing to remember is that these dogs are working and have very clear roles. In the case of guide dogs, the student relies on the dog to maintain full concentration while in harness to ensure the safety of the student. If a dog is distracted, then there may be serious consequences for the student.
Never pat, feed or talk to a dog without permission from the owner. The dogs have been trained to receive specific cues from their owner and while the dogs may look relaxed, it should never be assumed that they are not 'working'.
Working dogs are very intelligent dogs and love pats (even when working) No matter how tempting it may be, NEVER pat or play with a working dog. Some dogs are allowed to be patted by people other than their owners when they are off harness, however, this the decision of the owner and must only be done if the owner gives permission.
People with working dogs have ‘licences’ for the dogs. It is usually reasonably easy to identify a guide dog, however, hearing assistant dogs or companion animals are less identifiable. If at any stage there is doubt about whether an animal is a working animal in terms of section 9 of the Disability Discrimination -1992, then it is perfectly acceptable to ask to see the appropriate papers. It is important however to do this privately and discretely so that the student is not embarrassed or humiliated.