Just like children, sometimes our dogs have to be reminded to “Pay Attention.” The world is full of great smelling distractions and people who want to pet (a.k.a. pet-her-philes). Looking at her and saying, “Pay Attention,” also reminds people that she’s a working dog.

Allowing a Service Dog to become distracted can be dangerous for the person and the dog. If Marley’s attention wanders while we’re walking, she may place a paw directly in the path of my wheels. If we’re crossing a street, I don’t need to be distracted by Marley’s distraction. We both need to watch where we’re going.