Page "Service dog" Paragraph 23

Service dogs are free to act normally when they are not working.

Typically, the animals are taught to identify work versus free time by whether or not they are wearing their gear.

Exceptions to this rule may exist, such as a seizure alert dog, which must not ignore an impending seizure even when it is not wearing its gear.

Nevertheless, just as with any other trained animal, working dogs must still obey commands even when they are off-duty.

Because of the strict behavior expected from a working dog when it is on duty, many owners will usually not permit people to pet the animal, or be reluctant to remove gear on request ( such as for security inspections.