Quote Originally Posted by Karen
I know Gina - sandragonfly - has had problems with bus drivers not picking her up because she has Crayola with her and is not blind. He is her Hearing Ear Dog, just as important as a seeing eye dog - people need to be educated!

I also once met a lovely Bernese Mountain Dog who was her person's Stability dog. She needed a breed tall enough, stable and heavy enough to counter her own weight, as she otherwise has equilibrium problems that give her trouble walking or standing. The dog had a handle on her harness, and her job was just to be there and help mom not fall over. Sounds funny, but if you've never had balance problems, you don't know how awful - never mind painful physically - it can be.
That is quite common. I am blessed with Sheena and living in an area that is very knowlegable about Service dogs and accepting of them. But I have heard many stories form people about access problems and transportation problems because people just don't have the right info.

Bernese Mountain dogs are very popular as Mobility Dogs. Their carting back ground gives them a natural gift for the join of aiding someone with a mobility disability.
Nicole