A wet assistance dog in the shop: right of access and consideration for one another

It is raining. Not a light shower, but one of those typical Dutch downpours where you are inside a

are soaked for a few minutes. You have to go outside, your assistance dog comes along, and afterwards you want

Just popping into a shop for a bit.

And then?

Do you have to dry your assistance dog first? Does an assistance dog have to wear a raincoat? Is it allowed

Do you just go inside with a wet dog? Or should you just avoid shops when it

Is it raining?

Opinions turn out to differ quite widely on something as simple as a wet dog.

A frequently heard argument is: “People come in with wet shoes and coats too, don't they?”

That's right.

But for us, this discussion is actually about something bigger than rain.

You have rights. But with rights come responsibilities.

You do not have to earn the right of access.

To begin with, we want to be very clear about that.

An assistance dog user does not have to earn their right of access by doing as little as possible.

to cause a nuisance, to keep his dog completely dry or to constantly bother others

to adjust.

An assistance dog is not there for companionship. The dog supports someone with a

disability and must therefore be able to go to places where other people also go.

That doesn't change as soon as it starts raining outside.

A shopkeeper also cannot reasonably expect that every assistance dog that on a

rainy Dutch day enters completely dry There will sometimes be wet

paw prints are on the floor. Just like other customers bring water in on their shoes,

coat, umbrella, walker, wheelchair or stroller.

But for us, the right of access does not mean either:

I have a right to be here, so I don't have to take anything into account anymore.

Those two things are quite often pitted against each other in discussions, while that is not at all

is not necessary.

You don't have to diminish your rights to take your responsibilities seriously.

to take.

But people come in wet anyway, don't they?

Certainly.

However, many people also try to keep the worst water and dirt out of themselves.

We wipe our shoes on the mat. We stomp mud off our shoes. A

You can shake out a soaking wet coat at the entrance. You close a dripping umbrella and that

You're not going to extensively shake yourself out over a pile of new clothes.

No one expects you to be completely dry afterwards.

Why, then, should we have to go to either of these extremes with an assistance dog?

A dog does not need to be bone dry before being allowed into a shop. But if you are with a

with a few simple actions you can prevent bringing half a rain shower inside,

Why wouldn't you do that then?

The goal is not dry. The goal is reasonable.

Moreover, a wet coat does not make a wet dog.

There is still a practical problem with the comparison to a wet coat.

A wet dog can shake itself dry.

And everyone who has ever stood next to a soaking wet dog decided to give themselves a thorough wash.

shake, know what happens next.

Water is suddenly everywhere.

On the floor. Against the wall. On your pants. On furniture. And with enough enthusiasm

approximately against the ceiling.

You might be able to laugh about that at home.

But now imagine that your assistance dog does the same thing next to a table with new

books. Or right in the middle of the clothes racks. Or next to a fabric sofa in a furniture store.

Then “people have wet coats too, don’t they?” suddenly becomes a lot less convincing.

The entrepreneur also has interests

As Superhero Assistance Dog®, we believe it is important to stand up for the rights of

assistance dog users. When someone is wrongfully refused because of his

assistance dog, should we be able to talk about that.

However, for us, information about accessibility does not automatically mean that the

assistance dog user is always right.

An entrepreneur also has interests.

The clothes in a clothing store still need to be sold. A bookseller has little.

to books with water damage. A furniture store wants a fabric sofa as good as new by the next

be able to sell to the customer.

Those are not unreasonable interests.

A shopkeeper must accept that on a rainy day, people bring water and dirt with them.

to be able to take them in. That is part of running a shop.

But that does not mean that we subsequently have to do nothing to prevent avoidable damage or

to prevent pollution.

You don't let your dripping umbrella drain over a table of books.

Why would you let your soaked dog shake itself off there, then?

Sometimes responsibility is simply thinking ahead.

Not every problem calls for rules or prohibitions.

Sometimes, thinking ahead a little helps enormously.

Suppose you want to go to a shop and to the park today.

You can go to the park first and let your dog run freely through wet grass and mud puddles.

and then go to the store with a pretty dirty dog.

But if you have the choice, you can also reverse the order.

First the shop. Then the park.

Then your dog can be a dog to its heart's content afterwards, and it hardly matters anymore how much mud.

eventually hangs by his legs.

The same applies to rain.

We’ll just take a quick look at the rain radar. Is it severe weather now, and likely to be in an hour?

Dry? And does it make hardly any difference to our schedule?

Then we can easily postpone an appointment with ourselves by an hour or our activities in a

change the order.

Not because an assistance dog is not allowed to get wet.

Not because you would otherwise not have the right of access.

But simply because a small adjustment sometimes prevents a lot of hassle.

And sometimes you just get soaking wet

After all, let's not go overboard.

You can check three weather apps in the morning, plan your day perfectly, and then still end up in the middle

end up in a massive downpour.

Welcome to the Netherlands.

Sometimes you have to be somewhere at a specific time. Sometimes you can't wait for it to stop raining.

Sometimes the weather changes unexpectedly. Sometimes your dog is just soaking wet when you get to the store.

arrives.

That does not make you an irresponsible assistance dog user.

Then you look at what is reasonably possible at that moment.

Maybe you let your dog shake itself off outside first. Maybe you have a microfiber cloth.

come to you and pat the worst of the moisture out of the coat. Perhaps you briefly walk over the upon entering

doormat.

And what if none of that is possible?

Then you've got a wet dog.

That can happen.

Responsibility does not mean that you have to handle every situation perfectly.

prevent. It means doing what is reasonably possible.

A raincoat can be handy.

Some assistance dogs wear a raincoat or rain suit when it rains. That can be quite

be practical, especially for dogs with a coat that retains a lot of water.

A raincoat can prevent a large part of the fur from getting soaked. Moreover,

the effect of shaking can be limited because part of the coat is covered.

But here too, we do not want to make a new unwritten rule.

As far as we are concerned, an assistance dog is not required to wear a raincoat just because it is raining.

One combination finds a raincoat ideal. Another brings along a microfiber cloth. Weather

Another person has taught his dog to shake itself off outside on command.

They are different solutions to the same practical problem.

Also think about the dog itself

Moreover, there is someone else in this discussion whom we must not forget:

the dog.

An assistance dog is a working dog. After a walk in the rain, he might go

not straight home to dry off nicely. He might still have to go along for hours afterwards to a

appointment, shop, restaurant, hospital or by public transport.

Moreover, for some dogs, walking around with a wet coat for extended periods is unpleasant.

For dogs prone to skin problems, prolonged moisture in the coat can contribute to

Skin irritation and hotspots. Especially with a dense, long, or curly coat, close to the skin,

quite a bit of moisture remains.

Drying a dog off or protecting it from the worst rain can therefore not only be pleasant for the

shopkeeper.

It can also simply be pleasant for your dog.

Where, then, is the boundary?

There is no universal yardstick for that.

But common sense gets you quite far.

A few damp paw prints on the tiled floor after a rain shower? That can happen.

An unexpected downpour that leaves your dog wetter than planned? That can happen.

Let a soaking wet dog shake itself off outside before entering a store?

It's a small effort if possible.

Letting a soaked dog shake itself dry in the middle of new clothes while you simply

could have been prevented? We do not find that reasonable.

Taking a muddy dog along because you *have* to be somewhere after a necessary walk?

Sometimes you have little choice.

First extensively through the mud puddles in the park and then straight to a

clothing store while you could have reversed the order without any problem? Then find

We think you are welcome to take some time to think about your own choice.

That is not a restriction of the right of access.

That is decency.

The next assistance dog comes after you

There is another reason why we consider this subject important.

Negative experiences can linger for a long time.

An entrepreneur can accommodate a large number of assistance dog users without any problem.

Only one unpleasant experience can subsequently be the one he remembers.

That emphatically does not mean that an entrepreneur subsequently has to hand over all assistance dog users

Only one comb may shave. The next handler should not be held responsible.

for what someone else has done.

But we also live in the real world.

Our experiences with each other influence expectations and perceptions.

If we ask entrepreneurs to welcome assistance dogs without any hassle, we find

it is not strange to ask assistance dog users to handle those with care

hospitality.

Not because we would otherwise lose our right of access.

But because we want the person who comes through the same door tomorrow to too

is simply welcome.

Rights and responsibilities

At SuperheldenHulphond®, we will continue to stand up for the rights of

assistance dog users.

But for us, something else goes with that as well.

We must dare to talk about behavior and responsibility within our own community.

and decency.

An assistance dog user does not have to constantly apologize for the fact that there

a dog is present. A dog does not need to be sterilized. Four wet paws make a

An assistance dog is not suddenly unsuitable to enter a shop.

But as far as we are concerned, “I have a right of access” should not become an answer with which every

a form of taking others into account is set aside.

We are entitled to expect an entrepreneur to respect our rights.

An entrepreneur has the right to expect us to handle his shop and the with care.

things he still needs to sell.

Other visitors may take us into account.

And we may take them into account.

Accessibility requires something of all of us.

So no, your assistance dog does not need to be blow-dried to the bone at the entrance after every rain shower.

to appear.

Grab a towel if that is handy. Use a raincoat if it suits you. Let your dog

Shake it out outside if possible. Check the rain radar. Swap the shop and park if that

is more practical.

And what if, despite everything, you both get soaking wet?

Then you both get soaking wet.

Because ultimately, the core is surprisingly simple:

It doesn't have to be perfect. It has to be reasonable.

You don't have to diminish your rights to take your responsibilities seriously.

to take.