Service Dog Vest Color Meaning?

[@EricaDiebold]

What do you think about different color vests? What do you think about orange collars/leashes?

[@Scarletlight525]

Where I live guide dogs wear a white harness, whereas other assistance dogs wear a black cape or harness with yellow text on it.

[@servicedoggy2436]

I always let my SD, Jackson, black. He is a Brinnle boxer.

[@Whisperra]

Back when i was paired with my service dog Rocky in 2011 yellow vest meant therapy, red meant service dog. i'm excited now to be able to choose w/e color i want.

[@RisingFromTheAshes97]

I plan on getting my ptsd service dog a teal vest since it is the awareness color for it. I plan on very obvious black embroidery and black and white patches to make it obvious he's a service dog. My state in the US has no rules on color just that in training dogs have to be labeled as such.

[@martinjones7759]

Barrett's gear is black and red simply because I like the color combination and it fits the theme with one of my special interests. I think color requirements are silly and complicated. In my opinion, people in general aren't educated enough in general about service dogs and this would complicate things further.

[@EricaDiebold]

Totally agree!

[@nataliechristensen420]

I agree! People go off of what they like and not off of information. No one is going to stop and think when they are buying a collar or a Leash at the pet store and think “What does this color mean?”

[@martinjones7759]

@@EricaDiebold It's an upside that the colors I use look more "official" I suppose. Also, I've noticed that having a giant rare breed dog usually distracts from those issues. It's weird but effective.

[@justhere5037]

Agreed

[@athenam4868]

As an owner of a fearful dog with at least two different signs/patches/leash wraps labeling my dog (do not pet, needs space, nervous, etc.) I can say confidently that the general public can’t read reliably, let alone color decode. I honestly wish we had a life skills class in school that would teach kids about service dogs and just generally not to pet dogs in public without express owner permission. It seems like it would solve a ton of issues and we wouldn’t have so many people trying to bar service dog access in public spaces or interfering with and negatively impacting reactive dog training or a ton of other issues that come up with people not understanding how to interact with dogs in public.

[@aaronwolf1045]

Where I live, orange is almost exclusively associated with hunting dogs or anyone who may be walking/hiking during hunting season. The local SD program uses blue for both their training and graduate dogs. I have only seen people label their dogs (deaf, shy, etc) with embroidered leashes that can be easily read by passersby. A lot of people who walk their dogs at night use high-visibility yellow for safety.

[@RisingFromTheAshes97]

I live in a high hunting area too so orange is very common "normal" dog colors here as well.

[@redfailhawk]

I only use orange for a collar if I plan to be hiking early or late. It’s visible from a distance. I personally don’t hunt but I think it’s a good safety precaution certain times of the year.

[@shawnahaddan3674]

Mobility dog/service dogs in the 80s and early 90s used to wear blue.

[@msmakos1]

I hate when people think that when we ask “what are your dogs tasks?” They think we’re asking “what are your disabilities.” I tell business owners that legitimate teams knows what tasks are and the two legal questions. Which isn’t asking for their disabilities. That if someone becomes aggressive or says anything about certification, documentations, or identifications, in Texas. They are illegally passing their pets off as service dogs. As it’s a misdemeanor for both fakes and documents outside of training documents stating their training. People still try, but I put them in their place.

[@EricaDiebold]

Very true. But also good to keep in mind, only gatekeepers are allowed the ask the two questions. As a patron, always deflect to a gatekeeper who works at the business you are at

[@msmakos1]

@@EricaDiebold most of the gatekeepers are more worried about felons suing them than the actual federal law convicting them of something that they can’t stop.

[@ashleyzuras8006]

I was working at Walmart (first job after my crash which gave me a TBI) I asked a young man the two questions. He was aggressive with his response. Told me I’m not allowed to ask him anything. I was polite and I told him I have used a SD due to my disability. I recited the law but he walked off yelling at me. I knew it wasn’t a real SD due to the way the dog behaved. It was a pitty but breed doesn’t matter obviously. I believe he was actually homeless and couldn’t leave his dog anywhere. I can understand that but still! The law is the law and it makes it harder for real SD teams. My 1st SD was attacked by small breed dogs while in stores who sold food over a handful of times. Yet those ppl weren’t told to leave but I was. That dog was an Alaskan Malamute and I was in my wheel chair. Unbelievable!

[@ruthiesfight]

Video Idea; Maybe talk about when is the right time to start mobility. I see so many young handlers doing mobility on their young dogs, that arent fully grown yet, and doing mobility on dogs that aren't 50% of their body weight.

[@EricaDiebold]

Good idea! Also, “50% body weight” is not a set ratio. There is no legitimate study that can correctly define a dogs ability to do mobility by their weight. Some places say 30%+ for light mobility, 50% + for heavy mobility. But your vet is the only one who can tell you if your specific dog is okay for a task. The weight percentages are just an estimate

[@ruthiesfight]

@@EricaDiebold huh my vet said 50 so i thought that was the standard

[@EricaDiebold]

@@ruthiesfight nope. Just an estimate. Definitely gonna have to do a deep dive in this subject I guess!

[@inconveniencestore_]

I'm planning on getting a service dog and I want to have them have an orange vest because I love orange, it's a calming color to me. It makes me feel safe because it reminds me of my favorite holiday, Halloween.

[@redfailhawk]

Not a bad idea whatsoever. I use an orange collar for low-light as it’s easy to see from a distance. On the right dog, like a black dog, it really pops. I feel like my white husky can’t go full orange but hey she can do pink and that’s my favorite and it looks good on her. FYI, IceFang does a few really nice vests in orange with matching collars. I highly recommend them. That gear is heavy duty and while pricy (45$ for a harness, 15 for a collar, in USD), it’s worth the amount they charge. I use one of their orange collars for hiking.

[@VicandWes]

My SD’s gear (collar and leash) are green because that’s the color of the Cerebral Palsy ribbon 💚. He’s mobility harness is black. A lot of people think that I’m blind because he wears a harness I actually put a banner on it that says mobility assistance dog thanking it would help and it doesn’t 😂

[@patriciabellah9392]

Mine wears tan vests. I like people coming up and asking (as longas there nice about it) about my disability or Gizmo my dog. Its a good teaching tool. Much better then laughing about it behind my back.

[@barronleeds4585]

I know you posted this 4 months ago but I just found this channel. I whole heartedly agree that if someone asks nicely, I more than happy to make it an educational experience for them. Now that I am part of this community, I've really become aware of how little most people know about service dogs and want to help change that. I also carry this Philosophy over to my job as a police officer. When called to incidents involving a service dog's access or whatever, I again do my best to make it a teaching moment vs. a confrontation.

[@jennynguyen9068]

Thank you so much for this video! It was really cool! Generally, I see a lot of service dogs wear blue or red vests. Those colors really do pop when people walk by. Regardless of whether or not a service dog is wearing a specific colored gear, people don't seem to understand that the dog is a service dog. You can have a big patch that says "Service Dog. Do not pet" and people will still come up to try and pet your service dog. 😤

[@EricaDiebold]

Yeah, depending on your dogs coat, the primary colors pop really well! Honestly, people trying to pet is not a huge problem for me. It’s happened a handful of times. But depending on the dog and the handler, it could happen more or less. People tend to leave us be

[@jennynguyen9068]

@@EricaDiebold I'm glad people tend to leave you guys alone! I'm working on my assertiveness in case people try to distract Mochi or try to deny public access. I'm quite tiny in size, but my confidence can make up for that.

[@ALACGltd]

I love that you have all of those games to get food in your background. Thank you for your video

[@megandmauiguidingpaws]

I know Maui my guide dog her program used green cape for training then a normal leather harness though some of the newer guides within this year have started to use ruff wears guide dog harness more typical of a walking harness but with a guide handle on it I love watching your videos I put my dog in colors I can still see makes me happy

[@EricaDiebold]

Thank you for sharing! That’s great info!! I didn’t mention training programs that graduate their dogs to harnesses. Thanks for bringing this up!

[@megandmauiguidingpaws]

@@EricaDiebold Yah like Occupaws where my dog graduated from they have the vests for before they go into what they call formal harness training then they graduate and they use either the traditional leather guide dog harness or the ruffwear unifly guide dog harness. I like the leather (with my autism) but other people or dogs like the ruffwear version. Some schools use a tan harness like mine and others black or mix of leather and metal like in the UK. Sorry did a whole lot of research on Guide dogs before I got mine. I really like your channel you are so nice and do your research on things too which is so awesome. It’s funny like my guide dog doesn’t like capes but she will wear a vest in addition to her harness for me.

[@EricaDiebold]

@@megandmauiguidingpaws very interesting! When it comes to your dog wearing capes, have you tried: 1: different attachment to the harness. If you previously tried a metal clip, try Velcro? 2: was your dog bothered by the belly strap? I don’t have a belly strap on my my dogs cape and it helps. 3: was the cape material uncomfortable? I use fleece on the underside of my capes, which I find is more sensory friendly to dogs

[@megandmauiguidingpaws]

@@EricaDiebold Yah I think its funny Maui likes vests I think because it feels just like her harness goes on just like her harness capes are not her thing. She likes her Galaxypaws gear vest I also use her one tigris Apollo 9 tried her with the cape version but she didn’t like that way so I use it as a vest.

[@redfailhawk]

Before watching this, I’ll share mine and my reasoning. I am in USA-SC, for legal context. My dog is a white husky mix with blue eyes. Finding a color that works well on her is tricky. Red feels too much, and it clashes. I’m not good with color theory but it just looks... bad... on her as more than an accent color. Similarly, yellow looks weird on her. I have two setups. The first is a pink harness, with two pink leads (one for harness, one for collar), a pink collar, and pink boots (rarely use boots, but I have them). I like how it’s simple but functional. It covers very little of her body and is great for summer, and since it’s a light color it helps reflect heat away from her. The harness has reflective stitching that is pretty good for low-light work. The second is a much more body-covering setup that I prefer. It’s a silver guide harness with blue handle, a rainbow lead for the harness, and a second blue lead for the collar. (My harness lead is hands-free, for those curious why I need two.) I sometimes pair it with a pink set of saddlebags or (rarely) a black cape that has pockets and patch space, depending on whether I need storage or patches more. We both like this one more, and I usually just clip my med bag to her guide harness (it’s tiny) and we can go with no bags at all. The harness reflects all colors around it and is super good for visibility in low-light.

[@Episcopalianacolyte]

I am in Oklahoma as well! Mine wears red in the summer and in cooler months he wears green. He is in my profile pic.

[@all_out_barrles]

My service dog wears yellow he’s not nervous or aggressive I just really like the color he has a bandanna and a collar and leash but he would never bite or be taken away from it it’s really annoying when people across the sidewalk well we’re walking

[@whiteclouddakota1451]

Wow…so cool, I honestly had no clue.

[@asecretcourtofcrowsandcloc4084]

This was such a fun topic Erica. Thanks very much for making the video. I hadn’t heard of that leash classification for colors but that’s really strange that when typically Orangewood signal the dog is a hearing dog Washington law uses it for aggressive dogs. I don’t think that should be in the law I mean I think they should’ve been careful enough not to pick a color typically associated with Service work to refer to aggressive dogs.

[@Little..Wallflower]

Where I live there’s no requirement to wear gear and no color guidelines but I prefer to use typically “medical” colors like red, blue or yellow. I don’t like to stand out but the vest is there to make it clear they’re working. Sadly many people won’t listen but it still helps a little bit. The colors I prefer are only specifically my preference for me and what my future service dog will wear.

[@Hailey-ge9qn]

Thanks for this video. I am a autistic service dog handler and I personally only in things like restraunts or low crowded where it might be easyier just to point, is when i have a tag on

[@nataliechristensen420]

It’s interesting how there is really no set rules anywhere you go. I like it would be a lot easier if it was set and stone for the whole country. That would make it easier. Like someone might just choose orange just because they like the color and not knowing what it means. For me. My ESA loves red. It’s her favorite color. She’s not aggressive by any means. She likes it better than any other color you put in front of her. It’s the same with Willow I just went off of the patch set that I have and it looks good on her. No specific reason of why I have it.

[@nataliechristensen420]

@@maggiethedruid9010 I definitely agree there is just too much confusion

[@batman-oursuperdog2717]

I'm in Queensland, Australia so federal law doesn't require anything but a well behaved dog who performs tasks so there's no legally required gear or colours. Most training organisations I've seen tend to use purple and/or orange vests which really stand out so those colours are typically for pups in training. People usually know to give them space but also that they're not fully trained so might still make some mistakes. Lol pups in these vests tend to get more compliments and people aren't so quick to judge if they aren't perfect unlike ones wearing more mature assistance dog gear. Certified dogs (they need to pass a comprehensive public access test here before they get a state recognised ID card) can wear anything or nothing. Some keep the puppy vest, some use the adult dog vest from the training company, some make or buy their own and some just use a regular leash and collar in any colour. A few local animal organisations tried to introduce a traffic light system for leashes to identify dogs (red- stay away I'm aggressive or unpredictable. Orange - ask my owner before approaching and Green - super friendly and happy for any pats and play) but it never really caught on. The handlers often add specific labels though to identify their dogs job eg. Guide dog, hearing dog, medical alert dog, autism dog, mobility dog, assistance dog and many more.

[@emmat88]

The org I’m training with in Brisbane Australia has a rule that you have to wear their vest when you pass the public access test through them. That’s so you can remain registered with them, with the benefits passing the PAT have, such as airline travel.

[@batman-oursuperdog2717]

@@emmat88 I love the org vest and it makes life so much easier. Batman wears his almost everywhere and knows the best means work mode but it depends on if you want to go through a trainer and do the GHAD cert or not. Since federal law trumps state you can choose to owner train and avoid the GHAD certification. It's a lot more work though and it's a lot easier to have a GHAD ID or training ID and vest from the trainer. Not sure about all the different training org rules. Lol at Christmas time and other special occasions I love to dress my son and dog in matching outfits though so he sometimes wears a cute shirt with a badge instead of the vest.

[@emmat88]

@@batman-oursuperdog2717 love it!!!!

[@Ausgar-yc1yl]

There is NO certification for service dogs and NO service dogs must pass any test.

[@Ausgar-yc1yl]

There is NO ID card

[@hersheyroden1302]

Wow I'm impressed you did ALOT of home work. Thank you. I appreciate it

[@EricaDiebold]

Thank you, I appreciate your comment

[@jennifervallot7003]

Check out color-coding for collars and leash that I recently came across.

[@ashleyzuras8006]

TBI awareness is a brighter green. Which is my favorite color. Right now I have a grey harness but it matches the color of my SD. The style of it works better for me. I can’t find the style of harness I need in the green color I want. I’ll probably have to make it or reach out to maybe an Etsy store to help. My SD is a blue and white staffy and my disability isn’t readily apparent. I have a psychiatric service dog patch and please don’t touch I’m working patch. Just sharing, Hello everyone 💚

[@LivingLifewithJudith]

Do the state's laws over right the ADA? I heard about the orange cor for SDt but didn't know about the colors being linked to a specific disability. I don't think we have assigned colors here. 🤔 I'll have to look into this to make sure. I know some organisation have their own colors, but it doesn't mean anything on a legal aspect. Have a great day!

[@happy__human]

I like this hair and makeup that you've done here. This is my favourite from all the different kinds you do?

[@EricaDiebold]

Thank you! I like switching it up 😋

[@that.traveling.k9]

This was really educational thank you!

[@staceystephens4754]

I love this content - I have a nervous but very approachable dog & I want him to stay friendly so I love the coloring system. Plus, since I am working with a nervous dog, I like him to get as much experience as possible. I might be in areas where service dogs are working, and it would be nice to know so I can let my dog know that the dog is working, which means he won't try to say hi. I can tell the K-9 units because it is very clear, I can tell with ones that are for blind and deaf because it seems those are more clearly marked, it is the ones where people train them themselves and get irate if I say hi and make eye contact with their dog.....BUT I CANT READ MINDS

[@lailahepburnandmischka]

When I get my next pup the first thing it will wear is like hi viz yellow :)

[@EricaDiebold]

I love that!

[@lailahepburnandmischka]

@@EricaDiebold I just feel like it's more noticeable to the general public so hopefully less questions :)

[@dragonflydream7858]

Thank you my dog does my diabetic but is super friendly sometimes It Fustrauted me so I took all gear off and put a cover for her leash that says medical service dog, she is also a ptsd, dog and I'm very hard of hearing...so finding some things challenging and people always asking more and more questions...I would go for a tag if that worked but if in a accident what would one do? She should not be separated from me...I live in Maine...Your very clear speaking..Thanks for your help...Kim and Flicker dog

[@EricaDiebold]

@@dragonflydream7858 thank you for your comment Kim, Flicker sounds like an amazing service dog for you ❤️ I wish there was a right answer when it came to how to identify/label your service dog. It comes down to a bit of trial and error for each service dog team. I wish you two the best luck on your journey!

[@malainakarpinski9499]

I feel like colors are so subjective and based on preference and local opinion that they aren't good labels because, like you said, they can vary from place to place so much. I get labeling an agressive dog for safety, I just think it should be a specific item sold for that purpose so that it isn't something someone might buy just because they like the color.

[@janiscurtin3388]

Guide dogs won’t cross in front of a car that is stopped unless there is a crossing signal. In the U.K. yellow is the colour for dogs who need space for whatever reason - nervous, aggressive etc.

[@debbiekanoza8535]

I put BaileyMae SDIT wears a Gray Vest Allergies and Asthma

[@ashleylawrence3371]

I’m in PA and I was thinking about an orange vest purely because orange is the color for MS 🥴 but I didn’t realize it has so many connotations and might have ppl thinking it’s for other reasons 😅

[@EricaDiebold]

It’s your pup, do what YOU want! 🧡

[@lynnsweirdcorner2609]

My boy's mobility assist harness is mickey mouse (I got it when my band class was planning a Disney trip) and just never got another one. His collar is solid pink. His leash and summer/walk harnesses are reflective yellow, simply because I tend to walk him at night when it's cooler and less traffic but still want to take precautions for the occasional cars.

[@EricaDiebold]

I would love a Disney themed harness someday! What brand did you get it from?

[@ashlynbulsara4238]

Thank so much this video helps. 👍👍👍

[@Poodleinpink]

Alot of people in the US associate Red with all service dogs.

[@judysherrell6683]

I live in Ga. usa. I been watching u tube and I notice that a lot of places are not let a service dog in there place of business. do you know why this is?

[@EricaDiebold]

I believe the biggest problem is Education. People have misconceptions about Service dogs because of so many people fraudulently representing their dogs as Service animals. We need more education about Service Dog laws and that’s a problem I’m hoping to help some with this channel.

[@OEWNRKandFriends]

I have inherited Zeke's gear, simply because my owner likes the color blue. :) ~ AriYo :)

[@redfailhawk]

Interesting that orange is hearing impaired. 😂 I’m deaf on one side and have never really seen much about that. It’s good to know the Oklahomans have been correctly identifyIng us while we’ve been hiking?

[@abigailpeart6803]

Can u do the laws and things for the UK

[@EricaDiebold]

It’s in the works! I got my script building for it! Do you have any specific resources you can point me to?

[@EricaDiebold]

Recently found “Purple Ella” and she has a great KZbin channel where she talks about the UK laws and having an autism service dog in the UK. Just wanted to pass her channel on!

[@abigailpeart6803]

@@EricaDiebold thanks I'll have a look

[@abigailpeart6803]

@@EricaDiebold not really tbh I've struggled to find things

[@ebi4005]

As somebody who has a pitbull-boxer mix as a *service dog*, i am honestly saddened that the world gave pitbulls such a bad representation. Pitbulls arent aggressive and are very loyal and intelligent dogs. That doesn't go for all pitbulls though, there is of course at least one pitbull in the world that is aggressive, but not all of them are. Huskies can even be aggressive. All breeds can be aggressive, not just pitbulls.

[@erblue5469]

If you are traveling do you do homework? Like going to California now I need to use an orange leash and collar? Or are you covered by your home state laws.

[@EricaDiebold]

While I wouldn’t go out of your way to wear an orange collar. I would definitely look into laws before you go somewhere. I’m not a lawyer, so I don’t know. But I highly doubt that it would be a problem

[@willemh3319]

a vest means service dog no matter for what and a pittie is not always a danger, here in the netherlands no color needed a vest means service

[@ivyf8670]

are there any colors for mobility

[@EricaDiebold]

Well, the colors are all made up. But I think people see a harness and think mobility

[@rebeccapaolucci5790]

What color Wilkes barre pa for a service dog

[@raysmith6829]

Good videos

[@rebeccapaolucci5790]

Hard of hearing and dr were y about the two ear going deaf am a ready deaf in one I am war a hearing aid in one so what color for that

[@cloud-1997]

orange apparently but google gives so many options like blue, gold and silver, green and orange so it’s all over the place

[@jennynguyen9068]

I really hate breed specific legislation. 💔

[@EricaDiebold]

Me too 😟 it breaks my heart. I picture nazi Germany every time I see it…

[@willemh3319]

great subject let federal law rule for this everywhere the same💪💪👍♿️♿️

[@pollyblack114]

I have a dog with special needs. What color should she wear

[@keithcharters6456]

According to the ADA, it is illegal to discriminate against any dog breed. ALL dog breeds are allowed to be service dogs

[@jaynecreekmore9759]

I’m glad we are not required to wear certain colors - so boring! Also I don’t think we need to label our SD with our disability (invasion of privacy).🐾

[@lailahepburnandmischka]

Omg I was telling my friend about the dangerous dogs my neighbour has and he was like 'maybe they're pitbulls?' They're far from pitbulls lol far too big, one of them apparently isn't even a breed most people have heard of :/ I showed him zion to show him what a pit looks like, to mad I've met a load of people in the UK who have no idea what a pitbull actually looks like 🤣 Tbf I used to think a bull terrier was a pitbull, but that's cuz everyone told me that's what they were lol 😆 Also, the colour thing is really confusing, it seems pointless, the average person will NOT remember all of that and other people will use those colours just because they like the colour :/

[@EricaDiebold]

Oh goodness 😅 I’m glad you were able to educate them!! I agree, The color thing is absolutely pointless! Just a fun topic. That’s why I don’t think it should be specific in the law about colors, it’s too confusing!

[@lailahepburnandmischka]

@@EricaDiebold I think since pits were banned in the UK people don't really see them around and just get told they're these AWFUL dogs (since that's what we're told here as to why they're illegal) but everyone seems to have their own mad ideas of what a pitbull actually looks like and then I'm like 'it's kinda like a large, longer shouted staffie' and then show someone a pic and they're like 'aw that's actually cute!' 🤣

[@mandeehusky]

If the owner is color blind they may not know what color is being used. I choose a bright color just so people realize the dog is simply leashed.

[@mummychad1136]

I don't think an ID or paperwork is real for a service dog

[@EricaDiebold]

They exist, both legit and non legit. But IDs are not required by federal law to prove they are a Service dog

[@rebeccapaolucci5790]

Wilkes barre pa

[@susanfocht6113]

Please call me.

[@briancrystal99]

And your dog doesn't need to wear anything at all!