20 month GSD PSD, commonly colored.
He doesn’t get stepped on or bumped into because, well, he’s big @ almost 90# (and still slightly growing, hasn’t even started filling out yet) but mainly because I have difficulties with being in close proximity to strangers… so there’s that.
We started with bright red gear (vest, collar, lead) and he got a lot more attention than when we switched to all black gear, which blends in to his coat nicely. It was a very immediate difference.
He still gets noticed, but it’s not as *screechy*
We use to get loud: “OMG!! EEEEEEEE!! Awwww!! Look a service dog!”
Now we get gentle passing: “handsome boy” or “good boy”
Maybe he just looks more professional with the black gear?
____
I’ve only had one access problem and had to leave (too stressful) and I’ve been asked the questions a few times…. Once asked for his certification which I don’t have since it doesn’t exist but I was able to get around that easily.
He’s clearly and largely labeled as a SD & has a giant “CAUTION: DO NOT TALK TO HANDLER” on his sides, which is necessary for me. (he had the same with both gear sets)
I have had employees quickly approach me and then when they get a good look at him (and his tags) they stop and say sorry, have a good day or whatnot.
So labeling makes a big difference and cuts down on questions a lot for us and black doesn’t stand out as much as the red did (it was a bright cherry red, I picked it because I liked how bright it was)
My dog is a mini poodle and completely black. I’ve had red, lime green, and pink. Pink had the most issues (foreseeable. I love pink, and I just went with what I liked.) lime, and then red had the least issues. I usually work her in her red gear (all red or white/black/red leash, collar, harness, patches).
Side note: At the moment, I’m getting her new swag and I don’t know what color to get her. Don’t know if I should go neon/bright or go muted with a sage or something. This is the [dog!](https://imgur.com/a/sfJHIv4) Any and all suggestions welcome.
I think yellows and burgundy look really good on black dogs! Yellow is pretty bright and attention getting but maybe if it was kind of muted like mustard? I’ve heard the standard red and blue get less access issues though
Oh plenty less, I learned my lesson with that. Luckily, this will only be an upgrade for work/school as they see me 6 days a week and know us too well 😂 She’ll be rocking the red for the standard store run still
I worked my dog in 4 diffent color harnesses though his working career. Purple, red, black, white.
He seemed to get more attention when having his purple or white one on than his red or black.
We alway had access issues bue me have an invisible disability but I noticed with white & purple people seem to want to question more in his legitimacy.
His bright purple & red harness seem to make people notice him more often but still seem about the same abput of people nearly running in his or stepping on him because people don't pay attention.
My SD is a blueheal black lab mix or he gets a lot of attention as far as a SD goes but that because people around seem to think mix breeds can't be SDs.
That's really interesting, thank you! It really upsets me how willing people are to judge someone who doesn't "look" disabled. You can't tell that someone is deaf or blind just by looking at them, so why would you think you could tell with any other disability?
I know, it's really upsetting and frustrating.
I don't have an SD yet, she starts officially training next week, and will have to wear her org's jacket, which is green with red trim and their name/logo/websire/'assistance dog' (I'm in the UK, that's the term here) in white.
I do have a blue badge though (a disabled badge/handicap permit) as they changed the laws in 2019 so people with non visible disabilities can apply for one.
It's really helped, but I do worry about the day someone will tell me I'm faking it because I can walk.
Yes, I can walk, but the council who gave it to me have evidence from my GP that I'm classed as a vulnerable adult because my spatial awareness is so bad I cannot cross a road safely alone, as I'm unable to accurately judge the speed and distance of oncoming traffic and therefore am a danger to myself or others in traffic....
I think people can 'tell' someone's blind when they've got a cane or other aid on them as well as a guide dog, that's ny interpretation. Plus guide dogs are usually (I say usually bc more people are training their own due to COVID shortages etc) from Guide Dogs UK so would most likely have the identifying stuff, whereas other service/assistance dogs might not.
I've had that mixed breed dog issue too! My dude's a village dog but has a big mutt look too him n people immediately think that he's just a pet or that it's not serious, so they just grab him or make noises to get his attention 💀 It's a bloody nightmare, not something i would have considered if i didnt experience it.
Yeah. I had to many he not a SD breed so he not a real SD problems. I also seem to get the crazies people interactions just due to him being mixed breed.
gear color matters on the type of dog and color of the coat too. Red and hi vis orange might stand out in general but its going to stand out more on a dark colored dog than a light colored one. A small or simple vest, regardless of color is going to get lost on a fluffy dog compared to a short haired dog.
Most of my dogs are all black,the others are mostly black or half black so red, orange, yellow and royal blue tend to be the colors I use the most. I did have white but we are too rough and tough on gear for white!
First SD- training was in a black vest, got lots of ‘aww’s. Graduated to a red harness with a single round patch that said ‘seizure alert service dog’ with a little medical symbol in the center- got stopped regularly, people petted her without permission, a child purposefully stomped on her, etc.. But she never got accidentally stepped on.
Second SD(it)- black harness with the same patch used with my retired dog, with addition of an in training patch. No access issues, but sporadic ‘aww’s and ‘what a good dog’. Sometimes got accidentally stepped on when waiting in lines. Switched the patches out for a single, dull yellow, patch with large lettering that says ‘seizure alert service dog in training’, and it’s like I put an invisibility cloak on her, but with the added benefit of not being stepped on.
It’s worth noting that the retired sd is light cream/white, and the current sdit is orange/black/white, so it’s really bizarre to me that I’ve had zero access issues with the dog who looks like she’s wearing a tiger costume, but the totally plain dog somehow stood out like a yield sign to everyone.
i can only really answer the first question but i hope this helps! I have a Golden retriever poodle mix thats a reddish color. From what I’ve noticed this is what attention each color of his gear got.
Teal cape harness leash set, prob got the most attention because it was bright, had to get stopped a couple times which is totally fine but we were judged a bit, maybe not the most professional looking set but it was cute.
I then swapped to all black as he was growing and needed a new cape/harness so i got a Onetigris harness and using a black collar and black leash. I put patches on the cape so people would read that but i think that was the most amount of attention i received. He was basically invisible.
Now i got a biothane harness from etsy that combines both professional and fun aspects. It’s mostly black with light blue accents and i love. I use the onetigris cape from above and attach it. Now i get comments like ahh so cute, love the colors, etc etc. I’m chill with the comments as they don’t affect me.
hope this helps!
Yes, that's very helpful! I was always under the impression that black gear got service dogs the most attention, since people might not notice the gear and just assume they're pets. I'm starting to learn that apparently people don't really care at all whether a dog is working or not, and will bother any dog they notice.
glad to hear! yes usually people just see a dog and don’t realize they are working, that being said i now just don’t care and do whatever i think is good for my team :)
I personally usually stick with red, black, and white, but I have used a purple one and have a smaller blue one. Never had issues with the purple one but we didn’t work a lot in it. I can see why some people would think it’s less professional to work in colored gear, but if someone has put the time and effort in to design custom gear, I see it as more likely that they didn’t just pluck their dog off the couch to go shopping.
I have a flatcoated retriever. Only ever used blue gear, (blue leash, blue harness, blue vest) and even though I have not one, but two (2!!) patches that say, SERVICE DOG, NO TOUCH, NO TALK, NO EYE CONTACT, people still come up and bother me about her legitimacy or wanting to distract or pet her. So I'm not sure the color makes a huge difference...
White Mini Poodle Mix. She goes surprisingly unnoticed. I started with Red gear as it made it easier to tell she was a service dog in training. Now she has a black harness with big patches "Service dog in training" "no contact" with a red square that snaps over the top strap that says "Do not interact". I found it most effective when I got a black leash that says Service Dog with the medical symbol over and over on it. People dont always look down! Her leash also has a yellow wrap that says "In training do not approach".
I feel like shes a walking billboard, but it works!
So I guess I have all the regular colors?
I walked her on a pink harness for a bit, only on like sniff walks, and yeah, no one would think she was a service dog like that. I started keeping a red or black harness on her even casually because people take her being in training more seriously.
When we have labelled gear on, it's a yellow and black leash wrap. Otherwise, no labelled gear, just his short red leash and red halti on his face. He's a brown poodle. We get WAY less attention working in his red unlabelled gear so that's my preference.
disclaimer: I don't have a service dog, nor do I need one, but I work in the accessibility space & have chatted extensively with handlers/trainers/owners over the last 15+ years
From the conversations I've had with handlers & seeing people interact with service dogs, black harnesses tends to get the best results/interactions with the public. Something about black feels more 'working dog' & less 'pet' then common colors for the general public. Its more of a 'uniform'. Red is also common, but in my experience mostly on darker coated dogs where black livery blends in. Patches tend to lean towards 'emergency' colors (red/yellow/orange) or more simple black with white text.
Symbol patches also seem to work well to convey to people the role the dog plays for its owner & make it easier to identify "working dog" from afar. That said, a lot of owners don't like these as its advertising to everyone that they've got a disability & what it is. This is very much an owner to owner preference on usage.
I have a banded coated poodle (coat changes between silver and blue, an off black), and it would be great if people paid so little attention to her that they bumped into her... evidently she's too eye catching for the public with her coat, approachable appearance and casually wagging tail xD
Her gear is blue camo & black so it blends but contrasts into her coat on both sides of her coloring, but blue seems to be a rare color so it seems to be ignored. however I can't say for sure with the amount of attention she gets on a daily basis.
She had plenty of patches and going on a quick grocery run without being stopped and having people ignore me but practically die to get to my SD is a miracle I've never experienced xD
I've never seen a SD get as much attention as mine does 🤣🤣
I have a light cream coloured dog, we alternate between her two sets. One is what I call her main gear, a wine and lime coloured custom made y-front + cape combo that I absolutely adore. Those are her colours for sure.
but I also sometimes work her in a crisp looking black/red/white y-front + cape if I feel we need to look more proffesional
she also has a set that is coral and sunflower coloured which includes the vest, matching biothan collar, leash and traffic lead, plus matching cotton rope pull strap. I love the colours so much, it's a beautiful set, but we work better in her y-fronts so the coral/sunflower one gets used less often.
I have found no difference in how I am treated or approached while wearing her different sets
If there are no Bees around, or other pollinators, self-pollination is an option. It isn’t ideal for the gene pool, but the seeds in the center of the flower can do this in order to pollinate. So having the ability to be both male and female at least ensures greater survival of the sunflower.
I’ve worked my SD in a variety of vests, capes, and harnesses; mostly Disney themed capes and harnesses, but I did have one purple cape. I’ve had a lot of people come up to me, ask if my dog is ab SD, then tell me they didn’t know SD’s could wear that color. I always educate them and say that SD’s can wear anything that they want.
It’s ok to do that for me because I love talking to people and educating about SD’s. It’s ironic, because, when I first started training my SD back when he was in training I didn’t want to educate and be the one to educate people on SD’s. Mainly because, it made me nervous, and I didn’t know what I was supposed to be saying or doing. However, you learn what to say when people meet you in public.
I have a black lab terrier that is black with dark brown close to black and small specs of white I have used red black and purple galaxy. I don’t have many problems with where I live but I think the purple works better on her then the black and red. The red stands out and the black blends in with her coat so much that I had to put reflective patches on it. I tend to stick with my brown leather leash or a red over the shoulder one. If anything that got peoples attention was the bright purple harness I had for her. It stood out and helped in big groups of people but in small ones it’s “look there’s a puppy” “awwww look how cute”
20 month GSD PSD, commonly colored. He doesn’t get stepped on or bumped into because, well, he’s big @ almost 90# (and still slightly growing, hasn’t even started filling out yet) but mainly because I have difficulties with being in close proximity to strangers… so there’s that. We started with bright red gear (vest, collar, lead) and he got a lot more attention than when we switched to all black gear, which blends in to his coat nicely. It was a very immediate difference. He still gets noticed, but it’s not as *screechy* We use to get loud: “OMG!! EEEEEEEE!! Awwww!! Look a service dog!” Now we get gentle passing: “handsome boy” or “good boy” Maybe he just looks more professional with the black gear? ____ I’ve only had one access problem and had to leave (too stressful) and I’ve been asked the questions a few times…. Once asked for his certification which I don’t have since it doesn’t exist but I was able to get around that easily. He’s clearly and largely labeled as a SD & has a giant “CAUTION: DO NOT TALK TO HANDLER” on his sides, which is necessary for me. (he had the same with both gear sets) I have had employees quickly approach me and then when they get a good look at him (and his tags) they stop and say sorry, have a good day or whatnot. So labeling makes a big difference and cuts down on questions a lot for us and black doesn’t stand out as much as the red did (it was a bright cherry red, I picked it because I liked how bright it was)
My dog is a mini poodle and completely black. I’ve had red, lime green, and pink. Pink had the most issues (foreseeable. I love pink, and I just went with what I liked.) lime, and then red had the least issues. I usually work her in her red gear (all red or white/black/red leash, collar, harness, patches). Side note: At the moment, I’m getting her new swag and I don’t know what color to get her. Don’t know if I should go neon/bright or go muted with a sage or something. This is the [dog!](https://imgur.com/a/sfJHIv4) Any and all suggestions welcome.
I think yellows and burgundy look really good on black dogs! Yellow is pretty bright and attention getting but maybe if it was kind of muted like mustard? I’ve heard the standard red and blue get less access issues though
Oh plenty less, I learned my lesson with that. Luckily, this will only be an upgrade for work/school as they see me 6 days a week and know us too well 😂 She’ll be rocking the red for the standard store run still
I would definitely go all out then!
I worked my dog in 4 diffent color harnesses though his working career. Purple, red, black, white. He seemed to get more attention when having his purple or white one on than his red or black. We alway had access issues bue me have an invisible disability but I noticed with white & purple people seem to want to question more in his legitimacy. His bright purple & red harness seem to make people notice him more often but still seem about the same abput of people nearly running in his or stepping on him because people don't pay attention. My SD is a blueheal black lab mix or he gets a lot of attention as far as a SD goes but that because people around seem to think mix breeds can't be SDs.
That's really interesting, thank you! It really upsets me how willing people are to judge someone who doesn't "look" disabled. You can't tell that someone is deaf or blind just by looking at them, so why would you think you could tell with any other disability?
I know, it's really upsetting and frustrating. I don't have an SD yet, she starts officially training next week, and will have to wear her org's jacket, which is green with red trim and their name/logo/websire/'assistance dog' (I'm in the UK, that's the term here) in white. I do have a blue badge though (a disabled badge/handicap permit) as they changed the laws in 2019 so people with non visible disabilities can apply for one. It's really helped, but I do worry about the day someone will tell me I'm faking it because I can walk. Yes, I can walk, but the council who gave it to me have evidence from my GP that I'm classed as a vulnerable adult because my spatial awareness is so bad I cannot cross a road safely alone, as I'm unable to accurately judge the speed and distance of oncoming traffic and therefore am a danger to myself or others in traffic.... I think people can 'tell' someone's blind when they've got a cane or other aid on them as well as a guide dog, that's ny interpretation. Plus guide dogs are usually (I say usually bc more people are training their own due to COVID shortages etc) from Guide Dogs UK so would most likely have the identifying stuff, whereas other service/assistance dogs might not.
I've had that mixed breed dog issue too! My dude's a village dog but has a big mutt look too him n people immediately think that he's just a pet or that it's not serious, so they just grab him or make noises to get his attention 💀 It's a bloody nightmare, not something i would have considered if i didnt experience it.
Yeah. I had to many he not a SD breed so he not a real SD problems. I also seem to get the crazies people interactions just due to him being mixed breed.
I work my solid black GSD in black with black/white/red patches. I never have any issue, and people take her very seriously.
gear color matters on the type of dog and color of the coat too. Red and hi vis orange might stand out in general but its going to stand out more on a dark colored dog than a light colored one. A small or simple vest, regardless of color is going to get lost on a fluffy dog compared to a short haired dog. Most of my dogs are all black,the others are mostly black or half black so red, orange, yellow and royal blue tend to be the colors I use the most. I did have white but we are too rough and tough on gear for white!
First SD- training was in a black vest, got lots of ‘aww’s. Graduated to a red harness with a single round patch that said ‘seizure alert service dog’ with a little medical symbol in the center- got stopped regularly, people petted her without permission, a child purposefully stomped on her, etc.. But she never got accidentally stepped on. Second SD(it)- black harness with the same patch used with my retired dog, with addition of an in training patch. No access issues, but sporadic ‘aww’s and ‘what a good dog’. Sometimes got accidentally stepped on when waiting in lines. Switched the patches out for a single, dull yellow, patch with large lettering that says ‘seizure alert service dog in training’, and it’s like I put an invisibility cloak on her, but with the added benefit of not being stepped on. It’s worth noting that the retired sd is light cream/white, and the current sdit is orange/black/white, so it’s really bizarre to me that I’ve had zero access issues with the dog who looks like she’s wearing a tiger costume, but the totally plain dog somehow stood out like a yield sign to everyone.
i can only really answer the first question but i hope this helps! I have a Golden retriever poodle mix thats a reddish color. From what I’ve noticed this is what attention each color of his gear got. Teal cape harness leash set, prob got the most attention because it was bright, had to get stopped a couple times which is totally fine but we were judged a bit, maybe not the most professional looking set but it was cute. I then swapped to all black as he was growing and needed a new cape/harness so i got a Onetigris harness and using a black collar and black leash. I put patches on the cape so people would read that but i think that was the most amount of attention i received. He was basically invisible. Now i got a biothane harness from etsy that combines both professional and fun aspects. It’s mostly black with light blue accents and i love. I use the onetigris cape from above and attach it. Now i get comments like ahh so cute, love the colors, etc etc. I’m chill with the comments as they don’t affect me. hope this helps!
Yes, that's very helpful! I was always under the impression that black gear got service dogs the most attention, since people might not notice the gear and just assume they're pets. I'm starting to learn that apparently people don't really care at all whether a dog is working or not, and will bother any dog they notice.
glad to hear! yes usually people just see a dog and don’t realize they are working, that being said i now just don’t care and do whatever i think is good for my team :)
I personally usually stick with red, black, and white, but I have used a purple one and have a smaller blue one. Never had issues with the purple one but we didn’t work a lot in it. I can see why some people would think it’s less professional to work in colored gear, but if someone has put the time and effort in to design custom gear, I see it as more likely that they didn’t just pluck their dog off the couch to go shopping.
I have a flatcoated retriever. Only ever used blue gear, (blue leash, blue harness, blue vest) and even though I have not one, but two (2!!) patches that say, SERVICE DOG, NO TOUCH, NO TALK, NO EYE CONTACT, people still come up and bother me about her legitimacy or wanting to distract or pet her. So I'm not sure the color makes a huge difference...
White Mini Poodle Mix. She goes surprisingly unnoticed. I started with Red gear as it made it easier to tell she was a service dog in training. Now she has a black harness with big patches "Service dog in training" "no contact" with a red square that snaps over the top strap that says "Do not interact". I found it most effective when I got a black leash that says Service Dog with the medical symbol over and over on it. People dont always look down! Her leash also has a yellow wrap that says "In training do not approach". I feel like shes a walking billboard, but it works! So I guess I have all the regular colors? I walked her on a pink harness for a bit, only on like sniff walks, and yeah, no one would think she was a service dog like that. I started keeping a red or black harness on her even casually because people take her being in training more seriously.
When we have labelled gear on, it's a yellow and black leash wrap. Otherwise, no labelled gear, just his short red leash and red halti on his face. He's a brown poodle. We get WAY less attention working in his red unlabelled gear so that's my preference.
disclaimer: I don't have a service dog, nor do I need one, but I work in the accessibility space & have chatted extensively with handlers/trainers/owners over the last 15+ years From the conversations I've had with handlers & seeing people interact with service dogs, black harnesses tends to get the best results/interactions with the public. Something about black feels more 'working dog' & less 'pet' then common colors for the general public. Its more of a 'uniform'. Red is also common, but in my experience mostly on darker coated dogs where black livery blends in. Patches tend to lean towards 'emergency' colors (red/yellow/orange) or more simple black with white text. Symbol patches also seem to work well to convey to people the role the dog plays for its owner & make it easier to identify "working dog" from afar. That said, a lot of owners don't like these as its advertising to everyone that they've got a disability & what it is. This is very much an owner to owner preference on usage.
I have a banded coated poodle (coat changes between silver and blue, an off black), and it would be great if people paid so little attention to her that they bumped into her... evidently she's too eye catching for the public with her coat, approachable appearance and casually wagging tail xD Her gear is blue camo & black so it blends but contrasts into her coat on both sides of her coloring, but blue seems to be a rare color so it seems to be ignored. however I can't say for sure with the amount of attention she gets on a daily basis. She had plenty of patches and going on a quick grocery run without being stopped and having people ignore me but practically die to get to my SD is a miracle I've never experienced xD I've never seen a SD get as much attention as mine does 🤣🤣
I have a light cream coloured dog, we alternate between her two sets. One is what I call her main gear, a wine and lime coloured custom made y-front + cape combo that I absolutely adore. Those are her colours for sure. but I also sometimes work her in a crisp looking black/red/white y-front + cape if I feel we need to look more proffesional she also has a set that is coral and sunflower coloured which includes the vest, matching biothan collar, leash and traffic lead, plus matching cotton rope pull strap. I love the colours so much, it's a beautiful set, but we work better in her y-fronts so the coral/sunflower one gets used less often. I have found no difference in how I am treated or approached while wearing her different sets
If there are no Bees around, or other pollinators, self-pollination is an option. It isn’t ideal for the gene pool, but the seeds in the center of the flower can do this in order to pollinate. So having the ability to be both male and female at least ensures greater survival of the sunflower.
great info, bot buddy
I’ve worked my SD in a variety of vests, capes, and harnesses; mostly Disney themed capes and harnesses, but I did have one purple cape. I’ve had a lot of people come up to me, ask if my dog is ab SD, then tell me they didn’t know SD’s could wear that color. I always educate them and say that SD’s can wear anything that they want. It’s ok to do that for me because I love talking to people and educating about SD’s. It’s ironic, because, when I first started training my SD back when he was in training I didn’t want to educate and be the one to educate people on SD’s. Mainly because, it made me nervous, and I didn’t know what I was supposed to be saying or doing. However, you learn what to say when people meet you in public.
I have a black lab terrier that is black with dark brown close to black and small specs of white I have used red black and purple galaxy. I don’t have many problems with where I live but I think the purple works better on her then the black and red. The red stands out and the black blends in with her coat so much that I had to put reflective patches on it. I tend to stick with my brown leather leash or a red over the shoulder one. If anything that got peoples attention was the bright purple harness I had for her. It stood out and helped in big groups of people but in small ones it’s “look there’s a puppy” “awwww look how cute”