Guide dog.. really?

My sister and I went to the cinema to see "Ted" last night. (Hilarious, you should really see it) Anyway on our way there, we caught the tram into town, a woman got on the tram and as I wasn't facing that way, I heard clinking of chains. I turned around and she had come on with a gorgeous Rottie, with a hi vis coat on.

It wasn't a guide dog vest, it was the same coat I have for Louie for road walking at night in the winter. She has no visible ailment, she communicated with the tram conductor fine. The dogs coat had gotten "No Talk" written on the side of it.

Anyway she was allowed to stay on, saying that his official badge hadn't arrived yet. Which left me stumped. Firstly I was being nosey and wanted to know her condition. And secondly her dog didn't behave like a guide dog on the tram. And also if they are proved to be guide dogs don't they get their badges etc on the day of training..

I don't know how it works but that dog wasn't a guide dog IMO, when she got off the tram a few stops before us, the dog pulled and swapped sides and wee'd up everything going..

But it means that I can put a hi vis vest on Louie and take him into town now..

Could he have been a different type of service dog?

I don't know the laws in the UK but in the US there are quite a few different kinds of service/assistant dogs. E.g. guide dogs for the blind (don't forget this includes partially sighted too), hearing dogs for the deaf, assistant dogs for medical cases like epilepsy and so on. There are even service dogs for people with anxiety and other mental health issues.

http://www.assistancedogs.org.uk/
http://www.caninepartners.co.uk/assistancedogs

Are dogs (other than guide dogs) banned from trams or is it just up to the driver? If it's the latter, I wouldn't blame a Rottie owner for trying to ensure they're not discriminated against to be honest!

Not with the coat on. It was the exact same as the ones you get in pet stores and the writing had been written on by hand in marker. Besides we have different colours for different things don't we? Yellow - Blind, Red - Deaf and Blue is Learning Difficulties. But as I said, I don't know much but IMO she was just blagging it.

Dogs and pets unless in carriers and service dogs are banned from Trams.

I don't know about the UK but over here dogs are allowed to travel with their owners on buses and trains providing they wear a muzzle. Bit difficult with my Tibbie and her "puggy" face!

In the UK they can travel on buses and trains but not trams.