One day, while entering a restaurant with my wee Papillon, Peek, and my friend Rita and her large German Shepherd service dog, we hear a mother and daughter talking about the dogs in the alcove. The little girl exclaims, “Mommy, there's some “Hearing Eye dogs.” The mother corrects her, explains, “Honey, those aren’t Hearing Eye dogs---can’t you see those women aren’t blind? Those are “Seeing Ear” dogs. “
Another time I was entering a restaurant with another friend who had a Border Collie service dog. My little black and white Papillon had very similar marking patterns and coloring, in spite of the breed and 50 pound difference between them. A woman diner stops us, asks, "Is this the big dog’s puppy?”
Feeling devilish, I quip, “No, but they are the same breed. This little one actually is older, but he accidentally got caught in the dryer one day and shrunk.” I expected a laugh, but the woman takes me seriously, and with a horrified look, says, “My God, how awful. How on earth did he survive that?”
