The other day, I came across this old post about not calling guide dogs down a flight of stairs, which is still good advice. But I want to add something to that advice. Don’t ask to pet a guide dog at the top of a flight of stairs either. Seriously. Don’t. Would you ask to pet a working guide dog when we’re in the middle of the street? Well, some people would, but it’s not a good idea. The dog needs to focus, and if the dog got just the wrong amount of goofy, the handler could trip and fall on the stairs. Maybe wait until we’re safely at the bottom of the stairs and then ask. I may still say no because I’m on my way somewhere, but I’ll definitely say no at the top.
I wouldn’t bother posting this, but I got asked by a few people in one week if they could pet my dog just as I arrived at the top of a flight of stairs. I thought putting this out there could help someone.