People often justify refusing my Guide Dog access on the basis of potential fear of dogs. But how does it work when someone is scared & we’re sharing a space? Well it happened just now on the tube. As I boarded a person with a young child gasped “I’m scared of dogs!”

I had to get into my seat which meant Ava was stood near this person for about 30 seconds but I started talking very calmly. The person kept worriedly saying they were scared. “She is a highly trained dog, she will not jump or bark. I will move her as soon as I sit.”

I sat down & prepared to get Ava under my legs. I kept reassuring & explaining. “She will not do anything, she will not come up to you. If you ignore her she will ignore you. I am going to get her to lie down under my legs now. She is going to move very quickly in a moment”

The person gasped when I mentioned quick movement. So I explained “she is going to move quickly now but she is going under my legs she has to turn & go under to do this.” Ava then did the move under my legs. Immediately & calmly settled. Them: thank you. Me: no problem.

They apologised for being scared & I said it was ok. I then showed them pictures of Little One & Ava. We talked about how Ava helps me & Little One. They then started talking to their toddler about the doggy which was lovely! We also all played peekaboo raspberries 😝

As an assistance dog handler I have found that fear of dogs often comes from concerns about unpredictability. I can address specific fears about barking or biting or jumping. But I can also help by explaining what will happen & showing that Ava’s behaviour is calm & predictable

Is there anything else I can do to support people who are scared of dogs so I can share spaces with them safely?

@BlondeHistorian Ava’s calm demeanor, but your own calmness and willingness to explain the process! ❤️

@BlondeHistorian very thoughtful of you to hold onto her collar! i'm sure that made a huge difference

@BlondeHistorian Wow, what a great experience for that family!