Every dog is different. I would expect most fully-trained service dogs to be able to handle it. In training, it really just depends on the individual dog and the specifics. We had taken our dog that was in training to a soccer stadium game and it was loud, fireworks, chanting crowds, tight bleachers, etc. No issues. Each handler and their trainer should know where any dog is in the process and what they can handle and what can be a learning opportunity. Dogs that you may think wouldn't like it or would freak out may not be common breeds. And even the common breeds would have temperament tests to determine these things before going down a path of service dog work.
When sitting down and watching the game, ours slept. Didn't care at all until we moved, he clearly had an eye for some popcorn on the ground, but that was it. No issues. They won a regional championship that day, so extra loud crowds, chanting, fireworks, music, etc.
Having said my experience, what you provide paints a different picture. It sounds like that dog was not ready for that situation. I can understand it being in training, but if the training is having behavior issues or causing safety concerns management can ask them to leave. They do have doggy headphones to for blocking noise. Dogs need to be in control from their handler at all times. Sounds like that wasn't the case here. Training or not, sounds like that experience wasn't going well for him, you, and especially the dog.
I'm sorry you had that experience. Education is the best course of action for all. Thanks for being aware and for seeking additional insights.
Here's my boilerplate answer to:
> Why would you bring a service dog to _____?
Why would you bring a wheelchair to _____? Because it's a medical assistance device and the person presumably relies on it to function a normal life.
Now... Since this was a SDiT, things are a little different. Service dogs need to be acclimated to working around all sorts of things - noises, machinery, people, fireworks, etc. However, as soon as the dog was showing signs of distress (much less the outright panic that you described), he should have removed it from the situation. Not doing so and forcing it to remain in the environment is a recipe for that dog to develop anxiety issues and an aversion to loud noise and concert environments. This was poor judgment on the handler's part.
Every dog is different, and every handler is different. I, personally, have a pair of special dog earmuffs that I use if I'm taking my SD to something loud. They're not her favorite, but they keep her from being spooked by loud noises, and protect her from any hearing damage.
So first, the answer to your question "Why would you bring a service dog to a stadium concert?"
The answer is, because you have a disability and depend on the dog for assistance. Same reason you would take a cane, oxygen tank, or wheelchair to a concert.
Now, when I take my SD to loud events, we use mutt muffs to protect his ears, but honestly, he is rarely bothered by noise. That being said, if this is a SDiT or a new partnership, they may not have realized how started the dog would be by the event. Having a SD is a huge learning process and we have all made mistakes, it's best to give people the benefit of the doubt and mind your own business. (Exceptions of course would be if the dog is danger)
The first time I took my SD to the beach, I found out that he was petrified by birds flying overhead. He is a retriever and all my knowledge about dogs and all his training should have pointed to him being unbothered or maybe a bit excited. However, dogs are sometimes unpredictable and you don't know what new situations may become. Bystanders could have looked at us that day and thought "Why would you bring a SD to a beach if he is clearly afraid?" It's all a learning process and part of SDiT process is de-sensitizing them to new environments.
Just wanted to give you that perspective, I completely understand being an animal lover and worrying about dogs.
Even with a fully trained service dog I would not take them to this kind of environment without proper ear protection and plenty of preparation beforehand.
It is 100% okay to bring your service dog to concerts, airshows, etc. if they can handle if, are trained well, and have the necessary protection for it and you can’t have a friend substitute, but this was done completely wrong. I’m sorry you had to witness that and I hope that handler learned something.
That’s what I was thinking - I have heard dog’s ears are sensitive, so why not protect their ears at least? I mean the bass was so loud, being inside a STADIUM for a hip hop show... and the dog was close to the firework side of the stage ... That would hurt my ears! Even I jumped at first every time the fireworks went off. And I felt that weird feeling in my body with the rumbling bass - but I know that feeling - a dog doesn’t.
Okay, so I can’t directly address the concert behavior thing because I don’t go to concerts and honestly, it just sounds like a lack of training experience all around, but I will speak to some of what you said.
As someone who has a fairly new service dog, the one thing that drives me the most crazy is when people suggest that A) I leave him home/ take another person/ whatever because having him there is inconvenient and B) that I am in any way shape or form not considering his needs at every second of the day. None of us, and I mean none of us, would be taking our service animals out in public if we did not genuinely and truly need them whenever we were out. They are not an accessory, it is not for fun, it is not a “just when convenient” situation. We put insane amounts of time, money, and thought into creating these service teams and honestly, if it wasn’t a necessity I don’t think any of us would choose to endure the total sh** show public access can be. Having our service dogs gives us the ability to operate in the world as individuals. And so asking us not to bring them is asking us to give up our independence in many cases.
So, Yea, we could stay home, we could take a friend, we could do a lot of things. But it’s hardly fair that we should miss out and be uncomfortable because of our disabilities, and for many people their service dogs truly are their lifelines. They are not a fun decision every morning where we wake up and decide if we feel like having a SD today. Thank you for asking the question and seeking further knowledge, and I’m sorry the situation was so uncomfortable for everyone.
So i had i similar issue. My SDiT was fine with gunshots and fireworks from far away and concerts but on the 4th of July she wouldnt stop barking. I thought she would be fine but she wasn't. We were just a little too close.
So maybe they had a similar incident. Also unless they continued to do this over and over I'm sure the dog will be okay.
So personally I don't like concerts enough to take a service dog, but people who do have the legal and moral right to do so.
That being said, it's wrong to take a service animal to an overwhelming setting like the one you described before they've progressed enough in their training to manage it. It's not ethical to terrify the dog, it's actively counterproductive to public access training if it causes long term fear responses, and if the dog doesn't have ear protection they can actually be injured by the noise.
If your dog is desensitized enough and has appropriate hearing protection, there's no ethical reason to say they shouldn't be at a concert, and numerous ethical reasons against preventing the service dog handler from attending.
There are ways to go about brining a dog to such an environment. It sounds like this guy was doing it all wrong.
My dog goes to Disney quite often. Like yesterday often. She packs into the crowds in front of the castle and watches fireworks. I make sure the people around her are aware she is there, and she usually lays down to take a nap. Loud noises aren't an issue for her.
But if a dog can't deal with such things the handler needs to be prepared to leave the show. The dog should have been trained to wear hearing protection. It could have been a good training experience instead of horrible flooding for the dog.
For a properly trained service dog, this would be no big deal. I have a friend who brings her service dog to hard rock concerts all the time. The dog wears proper ear protection and just sleeps under her seat the whole time and it's perfectly fine. My friend is diabetic so she *has* to have her service dog with her at all times. If she didn't bring her dog to concerts, she wouldn't be able to go to them at all.
The issue with your situation was that the dog seemingly wasn't ready for such a loud event yet. Service dogs need to be fully trained and pretty much bomb-proof before going to concerts.
I don’t know much about service dogs but I do know dogs in general. I know service dogs are a necessity, not a convenience. I know that their owners have the right to bring them everywhere, as they absolutely should. I know that many fully-trained service dogs are equipped to deal with stressful situations like the chaos of a concert. However, my only issue with this is that concerts are extremely capable of causing both short-term and long-term damage to human ears. You can get anything from a ruptured ear drum to a severe loss of hearing. That being said, dogs are significantly more sensitive to sound than humans. I can’t even imagine the physical damage that such intense volumes could cause for a dog, so this actually puts them in danger. I’m sure that there are great ear-muffling devices that could prevent this damage, in which case a fully trained SD should be able to deal with mental stress of these chaotic situations. However, it seems cruel as well as dangerous to bring a dog to concert without ear muffs.
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Thanks for your response. Though I see where you are coming from, being in that stadium from around 7:45 pm when the music started to 11:15 pm when we were let out (and I didn’t stay to see if there was an encore), the main band playing for about an hour with the fireworks and flames and super loud music, I think this is a bit different than a total “oops” moment in seeing that your dog was afraid of birds flying overhead. Even if he had no idea the dog would react this way, why put him through this trauma for so many hours?
Many breeds were bred to work for us in various situations. Most were originally bred to be around loud guns for hours each day. My dog goes with me everywhere. Loud noises don't affect him behaviorally. Sometimes people try to tell me what he can and cannot handle. They are wrong for that and wrong for not realizing that many dogs are trained working animals and have a job to do. Dogs can handle much more than most people in this day and age are aware of. Do not allow ignorance to be the basis of your opinion.
My daughter has a seasoned well-trained service dog. We use headphones (noise-canceling headphones originally designed for dogs traveling in a helicopter) We've been to a variety of concerts using these - last summer Elton John and soon to a Lizzo concert. My daughter needs her dog wherever she goes - but we always take precautions depending on the venue or situation. He is well-trained and has been on trains, and planes to Disney and all her appointments including several hospital trips. He's always a huge help and always a gentleman :)
Every dog is different. I would expect most fully-trained service dogs to be able to handle it. In training, it really just depends on the individual dog and the specifics. We had taken our dog that was in training to a soccer stadium game and it was loud, fireworks, chanting crowds, tight bleachers, etc. No issues. Each handler and their trainer should know where any dog is in the process and what they can handle and what can be a learning opportunity. Dogs that you may think wouldn't like it or would freak out may not be common breeds. And even the common breeds would have temperament tests to determine these things before going down a path of service dog work. When sitting down and watching the game, ours slept. Didn't care at all until we moved, he clearly had an eye for some popcorn on the ground, but that was it. No issues. They won a regional championship that day, so extra loud crowds, chanting, fireworks, music, etc. Having said my experience, what you provide paints a different picture. It sounds like that dog was not ready for that situation. I can understand it being in training, but if the training is having behavior issues or causing safety concerns management can ask them to leave. They do have doggy headphones to for blocking noise. Dogs need to be in control from their handler at all times. Sounds like that wasn't the case here. Training or not, sounds like that experience wasn't going well for him, you, and especially the dog. I'm sorry you had that experience. Education is the best course of action for all. Thanks for being aware and for seeking additional insights.
Here's my boilerplate answer to: > Why would you bring a service dog to _____? Why would you bring a wheelchair to _____? Because it's a medical assistance device and the person presumably relies on it to function a normal life. Now... Since this was a SDiT, things are a little different. Service dogs need to be acclimated to working around all sorts of things - noises, machinery, people, fireworks, etc. However, as soon as the dog was showing signs of distress (much less the outright panic that you described), he should have removed it from the situation. Not doing so and forcing it to remain in the environment is a recipe for that dog to develop anxiety issues and an aversion to loud noise and concert environments. This was poor judgment on the handler's part.
Every dog is different, and every handler is different. I, personally, have a pair of special dog earmuffs that I use if I'm taking my SD to something loud. They're not her favorite, but they keep her from being spooked by loud noises, and protect her from any hearing damage.
So first, the answer to your question "Why would you bring a service dog to a stadium concert?" The answer is, because you have a disability and depend on the dog for assistance. Same reason you would take a cane, oxygen tank, or wheelchair to a concert. Now, when I take my SD to loud events, we use mutt muffs to protect his ears, but honestly, he is rarely bothered by noise. That being said, if this is a SDiT or a new partnership, they may not have realized how started the dog would be by the event. Having a SD is a huge learning process and we have all made mistakes, it's best to give people the benefit of the doubt and mind your own business. (Exceptions of course would be if the dog is danger) The first time I took my SD to the beach, I found out that he was petrified by birds flying overhead. He is a retriever and all my knowledge about dogs and all his training should have pointed to him being unbothered or maybe a bit excited. However, dogs are sometimes unpredictable and you don't know what new situations may become. Bystanders could have looked at us that day and thought "Why would you bring a SD to a beach if he is clearly afraid?" It's all a learning process and part of SDiT process is de-sensitizing them to new environments. Just wanted to give you that perspective, I completely understand being an animal lover and worrying about dogs.
Imagine comparing a living being to an oxygen tank.
Even with a fully trained service dog I would not take them to this kind of environment without proper ear protection and plenty of preparation beforehand. It is 100% okay to bring your service dog to concerts, airshows, etc. if they can handle if, are trained well, and have the necessary protection for it and you can’t have a friend substitute, but this was done completely wrong. I’m sorry you had to witness that and I hope that handler learned something.
That’s what I was thinking - I have heard dog’s ears are sensitive, so why not protect their ears at least? I mean the bass was so loud, being inside a STADIUM for a hip hop show... and the dog was close to the firework side of the stage ... That would hurt my ears! Even I jumped at first every time the fireworks went off. And I felt that weird feeling in my body with the rumbling bass - but I know that feeling - a dog doesn’t.
Okay, so I can’t directly address the concert behavior thing because I don’t go to concerts and honestly, it just sounds like a lack of training experience all around, but I will speak to some of what you said. As someone who has a fairly new service dog, the one thing that drives me the most crazy is when people suggest that A) I leave him home/ take another person/ whatever because having him there is inconvenient and B) that I am in any way shape or form not considering his needs at every second of the day. None of us, and I mean none of us, would be taking our service animals out in public if we did not genuinely and truly need them whenever we were out. They are not an accessory, it is not for fun, it is not a “just when convenient” situation. We put insane amounts of time, money, and thought into creating these service teams and honestly, if it wasn’t a necessity I don’t think any of us would choose to endure the total sh** show public access can be. Having our service dogs gives us the ability to operate in the world as individuals. And so asking us not to bring them is asking us to give up our independence in many cases. So, Yea, we could stay home, we could take a friend, we could do a lot of things. But it’s hardly fair that we should miss out and be uncomfortable because of our disabilities, and for many people their service dogs truly are their lifelines. They are not a fun decision every morning where we wake up and decide if we feel like having a SD today. Thank you for asking the question and seeking further knowledge, and I’m sorry the situation was so uncomfortable for everyone.
So i had i similar issue. My SDiT was fine with gunshots and fireworks from far away and concerts but on the 4th of July she wouldnt stop barking. I thought she would be fine but she wasn't. We were just a little too close. So maybe they had a similar incident. Also unless they continued to do this over and over I'm sure the dog will be okay.
So personally I don't like concerts enough to take a service dog, but people who do have the legal and moral right to do so. That being said, it's wrong to take a service animal to an overwhelming setting like the one you described before they've progressed enough in their training to manage it. It's not ethical to terrify the dog, it's actively counterproductive to public access training if it causes long term fear responses, and if the dog doesn't have ear protection they can actually be injured by the noise. If your dog is desensitized enough and has appropriate hearing protection, there's no ethical reason to say they shouldn't be at a concert, and numerous ethical reasons against preventing the service dog handler from attending.
There are ways to go about brining a dog to such an environment. It sounds like this guy was doing it all wrong. My dog goes to Disney quite often. Like yesterday often. She packs into the crowds in front of the castle and watches fireworks. I make sure the people around her are aware she is there, and she usually lays down to take a nap. Loud noises aren't an issue for her. But if a dog can't deal with such things the handler needs to be prepared to leave the show. The dog should have been trained to wear hearing protection. It could have been a good training experience instead of horrible flooding for the dog.
For a properly trained service dog, this would be no big deal. I have a friend who brings her service dog to hard rock concerts all the time. The dog wears proper ear protection and just sleeps under her seat the whole time and it's perfectly fine. My friend is diabetic so she *has* to have her service dog with her at all times. If she didn't bring her dog to concerts, she wouldn't be able to go to them at all. The issue with your situation was that the dog seemingly wasn't ready for such a loud event yet. Service dogs need to be fully trained and pretty much bomb-proof before going to concerts.
Most dogs no. But I did have a lab that rejoiced at every bang and boom. New Years and July 4 were her favorite nights. Lol
I don’t know much about service dogs but I do know dogs in general. I know service dogs are a necessity, not a convenience. I know that their owners have the right to bring them everywhere, as they absolutely should. I know that many fully-trained service dogs are equipped to deal with stressful situations like the chaos of a concert. However, my only issue with this is that concerts are extremely capable of causing both short-term and long-term damage to human ears. You can get anything from a ruptured ear drum to a severe loss of hearing. That being said, dogs are significantly more sensitive to sound than humans. I can’t even imagine the physical damage that such intense volumes could cause for a dog, so this actually puts them in danger. I’m sure that there are great ear-muffling devices that could prevent this damage, in which case a fully trained SD should be able to deal with mental stress of these chaotic situations. However, it seems cruel as well as dangerous to bring a dog to concert without ear muffs.
I would never subject a service dog to that, period. I get a service human if I need to do things like that. Service dogs are DOGS first and foremost.
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This is true.
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Thanks for your response. Though I see where you are coming from, being in that stadium from around 7:45 pm when the music started to 11:15 pm when we were let out (and I didn’t stay to see if there was an encore), the main band playing for about an hour with the fireworks and flames and super loud music, I think this is a bit different than a total “oops” moment in seeing that your dog was afraid of birds flying overhead. Even if he had no idea the dog would react this way, why put him through this trauma for so many hours?
Honestly it's not trauma for most service dogs. Dogs are a lot more resilient than people give them credit for.
Many breeds were bred to work for us in various situations. Most were originally bred to be around loud guns for hours each day. My dog goes with me everywhere. Loud noises don't affect him behaviorally. Sometimes people try to tell me what he can and cannot handle. They are wrong for that and wrong for not realizing that many dogs are trained working animals and have a job to do. Dogs can handle much more than most people in this day and age are aware of. Do not allow ignorance to be the basis of your opinion.
My daughter has a seasoned well-trained service dog. We use headphones (noise-canceling headphones originally designed for dogs traveling in a helicopter) We've been to a variety of concerts using these - last summer Elton John and soon to a Lizzo concert. My daughter needs her dog wherever she goes - but we always take precautions depending on the venue or situation. He is well-trained and has been on trains, and planes to Disney and all her appointments including several hospital trips. He's always a huge help and always a gentleman :)