Where CAN'T service dogs go?

[labs4ever]

I  won't do dog parks  for various reasons,   one being  not knowing whose dogs are vacinated and behaviour issues and general  dogs  becoming  pack like and picking  on one dog.  I  also  am concerned about  parasites and  things like Kennel coupgh.   And while my dog listens off leash just fine,   I have heard too many stories about SD's and dogs in general  with bad experiences with dog parks.   Iam lucky to have  my psychologist who has a bunch of land and a bunch of dog who I all know.  Sophie goes there to play from time to time. and  I have a  dog waalker that comes three days a weeek  which is actually probably enough in itself to burn off any extra energy.  Sophie is also the most laid back two year old lab I have known and that includes program dogs.   She is fairly adaptable and   will  be lazy or crazy!     She is a great match for me.   

[Nianhel]

What about tattoo parlors?

[Kirsten]

I actually know the answer to that!

I arranged with a local tattoo parlor to let me take Cole.  I didn't wind up going (dog changes and all) and no, I wasn't going for a tattoo but to get my ears repierced.  Anyway, they're only real concern was what would the dog do when they stuck me.

If special clothing is not required, then generally a service dog should be permitted.  Now, I would have arranged for a backup handler had I gone through with it, not because I didn't trust Cole to hold a stay and let them stick me, but because I don't want a nervous person sticking me and wondering if my dog is going to come after them.  Same with the dentist.

[Nianhel]

Makes sense lol

I figure if I take the future SD when I get my next tattoo, I doubt there'll be any problems, because I've been using the same artist for years. But I'd prolly leave it inside the island desk area, or clip the end of the leash around a table leg in a corner. Just in case. The last thing I want is the dog spooking the guy with the tat gun!!

I didn't see why it would be a problem, but a lot of parlors pride themselves on being sterile. So thought I'd ask lol

[Kirsten]

If they aren't in hospital gowns/masks and the patients prepped for surgery, then it isn't sterile.  You can try to create a sterile field (a sterile area inside an unsterile one), and you can (and should) use sterilized instruments, but the actual air isn't going to be sterile without more precautions than I think a tattoo parlor can manage.

[Nianhel]

I'm fairly certain that's what they meant was the equipment being sterile. I don't see it being possible to make the entire shop sterile lol

[Kirsten]

Well, then, so long as the dog doesn't lick the needles.......

[labs4ever]

Mind you I got my tatoo in Mexico but  I took my SD in that shop when I did it.  I had a back up handler and that shop was cleaner then any of the ones I had seen  state side.  yes I hadd one research.   For those that are interested, my tatoo is of a butterfly with a tiger face in it.  It is cool.    On the zoo issue, when I was living in Canada they  had us  put our dogs in a room all together, but then gave us service people.  It was fun.  We got to do behind teh scenes stuff.  I know my program at the time  did not recomend taking the dogs to zoos because they were conceerned about cross conamanation.  I think the pendjulum has sswung the other way on that.  I went to the zoo in Caanada in 2004.   I want to go on a cruise someday and take my SD with me. 

[Nianhel]

Just make sure they don't get seasick

[labs4ever]

how could you test that before you go?  Put them on an old fashioned water bed and make it  do waves??? lOL 

[Carey]

My husband tattoo's and laws vary from state to state. But in Florida and Kansas You have to sterilize the equipment, the furniture, counters, trays and tables, and floors. Any place where a persons body part or equipment might touch. In the case of the floor sometimes blood drips or ink gets on the floor. Ink is an issue because once you stick the needle into the person and then back into the ink, the ink has been contaminated and can only be used for that person. That is why they use disposbale ink cups.The needles themsleves are cheap enough that artist also throw those away now days. They use to put them in the autoclave with the rest of the equipment but no one really does that any more. Its easier and safer to just throw then away and use a new needle. I was talking to my husband about SD's coming to tattoo's and he said that it depends on the artist and the shops policy. He said that if he was tattooing someone he would want them to have someone sit with the dog while the tattoo was being done in the room. He said that the dog being in the shop wouldn't be an issue but being right there next to you while you are being tattooed could be an issue for a few reasons. One because you are dealing with open wounds. Two because you never know how the dog will react if the person feels and responds to pain. Also getting a tattoo can be stressful and dogs pick up on that. Then there are also a lot of people out there who say there dog is fully trained and then they end up not having full control of the dog. And if the artist is nervous or uncomfortable and is paying attention to the dog the art could get messed up or not turn out as great as it could have. Also the dog might bump the artist or one of the chairs or something.He said there are a lot of reasons that the dog should have some distance between it and the work area. He said that it would be welcome in the shop though. Just for kicks I asked 2 of his tattoo buddys what they thought and one said about the same thing as my husband did and the other one said that they would not allow a dog even in the shop. So I think it depends on the artist. Just for fun I asked them what if they were tattooing me and I had Chloe with me. The one who said no dogs in the shop at all still said no. The other two said Chloe could be in the room but only if she was in a down stay in the corner of the room and not right up where where the tattoo was being done. So again I think it depends on the artist and the shop policy's and how well they know you. All of them said that if the people who are responsible for regulating the state laws on tattooing found out a SD was allowed in the shop it would be a coin toss to see if they got shut down. Because they are required to keep a sterilized environment and it is suppose to be kept at hospital standards. Though like someone on here said unless you are in a room for surgery it can only be so sterile even in a hospital.

[Gretl2009]

My best friend has gotten several tat's with her SD's present...she is on her successor dog.  She brings a mat for the dog to lay on -- puts the dog in an out of the way place, but still within visual contact -- puts dog in down/stay and gets her tat.  She has gotten 3 or 4 of them with her SD's present.  Her artist is really cool about it - and he did check and was told that an SD would be permitted -- as an accommodation to him, however, he and my friend opted to do her tat's when no one else would be in the shop. 

[Carey]

This topic raised another question for me that I decided to look into. Because my husband does tattoo's we go to tattoo conventions. So I was wondering how tattoo conventions would respond to an SD because they are normally held in convention centers or hotel banquet or convention rooms which are all public places. So I did some checking and you CAN take your SD with you to any of the  tattoo conventions. And you can have them with you in the booth with you while you are getting a tattoo done. Just thought I would share that