Service dogs handlers hear some crazy things—some more annoying than others. Here's a list of some of the most common things we hear on a daily basis, with level of annoyance ranked from one to five stars. Some comments are insulting, but some are so ignorant they're hilarious. Read on to see exactly why you shouldn't say these things to handlers! Each one of these is an actual quote that either I have heard of someone close to me has heard. We truly do hear these comments daily. Are you guilty of saying one of these things?

1. How do you get to train service dogs like that? Who will she go to when she's fully trained?

No, I am not training my service dog for another person. Just because she's a service dog in training does not mean she's in training for another person, or that I'm a program volunteer. Instead, ask: "Is she your service dog?" Try not to make assumptions.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★

2. They allow pit bulls to be service dogs?

Me and Chloë (right), my service dog in training, with our friends Maddie and Daisy, another service dog in training. Both of our dogs are mixed-breed pit bull-types that were rescued from shelters.

There is no certification required to become a service dog, and there is no test or registration to have your service dog. Because of this, there is no "they" that makes service dog decisions. There are pit bulls, Great Danes, Rottweilers, Dobermans and many, many more dog breeds acting as life-saving service animals. Don't judge a book by its cover!

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★

3. You're so lucky you get to bring your dog with you anywhere you want!

"Man, I wish I could bring my dog in public, too."

By saying we're "lucky" to have our dogs with us, you're also saying we're lucky to be disabled. Don't get me wrong, I love my service dog, and I consider myself lucky to have her in my life. But I am not lucky to need a service dog. Instead: Don't say anything. This is most handlers' biggest pet peeve. It's very ignorant and offensive.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★★★

4. Wow, she's so well-behaved!

Mahli, a service dog, helps her girl handle multiple disabilities. She's demonstrating great behavior while her and her girl are at a doctor's appointment.

While I definitely appreciate the compliment, my dog is more than well-behaved: She's working. It implies that she is simply a well-trained pet, not a working service dog.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★

5. Your dog looks just like my dog that just died! Except he was a boy. And he was yellow. And a chihuahua.

Look, I'm really sorry about your dog. Truly, I am. But I really just wanted to get some groceries and be on my way, just like you did.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★

6. Wait, how is she working? She looks like she's just sleeping. I'm pretty sure she's not working.

Harlow, a service dog in training, taking a quick snooze at a doctor's office. Her girl suffers from many invisible illnesses, including narcolepsy and epilepsy, and Harlow will wake up in a second if she senses something is wrong with her girl.

Dogs aren't like humans: They need about 12-14 hours of sleep per day, and that's just on an average exercise regimen. Service dogs work more than the average pet dog, so they take short "cat naps" (or dog naps) throughout the day to catch up on sleep. However, that doesn't mean they aren't working! When they sense something is wrong, they will wake up to alert to it. When their owner asks them to stand up, they will. Just because they're sleeping doesn't mean they aren't in alert mode!

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★★

7. Can I pet her? What's her name? What breed is she? How old is she? Really?!

On a good day, sure, I'd be happy to answer your questions. But like I said before, sometimes I just want to finish my errands and head home without being interrogated. If I am up to answering questions, I will answer them, but if I'm short with you, please read the room and move on.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★

8. Is that dog wearing shoes? Oh my goodness, look! That dog is wearing shoes!

Shiloh, a service dog in training, rocking his Ruffwear boots in the book store with his girl.

During extremes of weather, the ground can be very painful for dogs that do as much walking as our service dogs do. Some dogs also have extra sensitivity to floor-washing chemicals, and I will put boots on my dog on certain city streets due to broken glass, cigarette butts and other unknowns on sidewalks. Please don't make our lives more stressful by staring at us, calling at us or loudly whispering to your friend to look at us. (Yes, we hear you. You really aren't discrete.)

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★★

9. Hi, puppy! Hi, sweet dog! Oh, what a good girl! *kissy noises* Come here, sweet girl! Look over here, puppy dog!

Stop. Do not ever, for any reason, call at a service dog. It's rude, it's ignorant and it's flat out dangerous. If a service dog is focused on you and misses an alert, a handler could get seriously hurt. Our service dogs are here to help us, not to make you happy. I know it sounds rude, but we deal with disabilities every single day. If you need to see a dog, visit a local shelter. Our dogs aren't here for you.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★★★

10. You can't bring your dog in here. This isn't PetSmart.

Loki, a service dog in training, showing his sit/stay work in a grocery store.

You're right, pet dogs probably aren't allowed in your store. But if your business is open to the public, service dogs are allowed in. Grocery stores, restaurants, retail stores, even government buildings, hotels and airports. End of story. Instead, research ADA service dog laws.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★

11. You don't look blind... You aren't blind, are you? *waves hands in front of face to see if I'm blind* If you aren't blind, why do you have a Seeing Eye dog?

So many assumptions here, y'all. First of all, not all service dogs are guide dogs (Seeing Eye dogs are actually only from one company, located in New Jersey), though they do make up a large portion of the SD community. Diabetes, anxiety, fibromyalgia, arthritis, narcolepsy and thousands of other diseases and disorders can warrant service dog use. Please don't assume there is only one type of service dog.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★★★

12. You have an "invisible disability?" What is it? What's wrong with you?

Riddick, a service dog, helps his girl fight invisible illnesses every day.

"You don't look sick..."

Please, for goodness' sake, don't ask us this. It is so, so rude and invasive. Would you like it if I asked you for details about your last gynecological or prostate examination? No, because it's your personal medical information. Please don't ask us about our medical information. If you do, don't get upset when we turn out to be pretty rude in response. Instead, keep it to yourself.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★★★

13. Can I go online and get a vest so I can take my dog everywhere too?!

Do not even think about getting one of these vests and faking a service dog—it's a misdemeanor or felony in all 50 states, and it's simply unacceptable. Fake service dogs distract real working dogs, and often disrupt the public by barking, growling or using the restroom. This makes it even more difficult for real service dog teams to get public access. Not to mention how demeaning it is to handlers like us with real, miserable disabilities. Please don't do this, and don't even joke about it with us. We don't think people faking disabilities is very funny.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

14. Why won't she look at me? Why won't she come to me when I call her?

Saxon, a service dog in training, staying clear of distractions! Saxon's handler is the girl on the far left, and you can tell Saxon isn't paying attention to either of the other girls, despite the fact that they're in such close proximity!

My dog has a job to do, and that involves her complete focus. I spent months training her to ignore being called at, unless she is given a release command. She ignores you because I tell her to, and if I give her a different command, she'd have no issue giving you attention. Please try not to be offended when we tell our dogs to leave it—we need you to ignore our dogs so we can be successful.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★

15. AHHHH! WHAT THE @*!# IS THAT DOG DOING IN HERE?! GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!

I honestly do hate that some people have a deeply rooted fear of dogs, because I know how scary it can be to have to confront your fear; however, our dogs aren't bothering you—they're helping us. I'm sorry it makes you uncomfortable, but I have every right to be here, and it would be nice if I could exist without you screaming in my face.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★

16. I know your vest says do not pet, but you're just so cute! I have to pet you!

"Why would you bring a dog in here if you don't want people to pet her? How can you have a dog that cute and say don't pet? Oh, I can't pet her? Well you can't stop me from staring at her."
My Chloë, rocking her vest and very obvious "DO NOT PET" patch.

I get it. My dog is cute. But you cannot pet our dogs without our permission. Look back at number nine—if our dogs are distracted, we can be seriously injured. There are shelters all over the country with dogs that love to be pet. Our dogs are not here for you. Instead, look into animal shelters or therapy dog programs near you.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★★★

17. Does she bite? Is she one of those guard/protection dogs?

....No, my dog is not a police dog, or an attack dog. She's just a service dog. As her vest clearly states. I don't even understand why this question has been asked multiple times.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★

18. Oh, so she's a therapy dog! Dogs are so calming, aren't they? When finals come along, I should get myself one of those, too!

A therapy dog is brought into public places like schools, hospitals and prisons to calm the public. A service dog is task-trained to help me and only me. Also, there's a difference between normal anxiety and anxiety disorders. Everyone gets stressed during high-pressure events like finals. Not everyone has chronic, unexplained, crippling anxiety disorders. Instead, ask: "Do you know where I could go to pet therapy dogs? I'm stressed and love bonding with animals."

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★

19. You are so mean making your dog work like that! Dogs just want to relax and play all day. It's what they were bred for!

Daisy, a service dog in training, enjoying a fun day at the beach with her girl! Service dogs get plenty of off-duty time to play around and "be dogs." You can see how happy Daisy is!

Does your dog chew things in your house? Does he have excess energy when you come home? It's because you aren't keeping your dog busy. Some breeds, especially German Shepherds and Malinois, will go crazy if they don't have a job. Service dogs genuinely like helping their handlers, and enjoy having a task to perform. If they don't like working, they're retired to become family pets.

ANNOYANCE LEVEL: ★★★★

So what should I do when I see a service dog and its handler?

Please, please, please just ignore us. If you want to talk to the handler, please do so; don't talk to the dog. I have been in a cafe where people were talking to my dog for minutes before even looking at me—it's demeaning, dehumanizing and embarrassing. You might have started assuming service dog handlers are grumpy or rude, and we really don't try to be! Just imagine the stress that comes with being asked every single one of these questions multiple times a day. If you really want to be a model citizen, simply walk on by us and continue on your way, and we will do the same!