There are a few items that I keep on me at all times as a service dog, and I was realizing that not all service dogs carry the same stuff, so I'm going to explain to you what I carry and why! Enjoy!
Leash - This one is a little bit self-explanatory. My owner is supposed to have me under control at all times and this is how she does so, with the help of a few other things, which shall be listed below.
Gentle Leader (a.k.a. Snoot Loop) - Different trainers call these different names depending on the brand and model they use, but essentially, it's the same as the halter on a horse. It loops over our nose, clips at the back of our head, and from our chins dangles a little loop where you attach the leash. This allows the trainer or owner to control us without us pulling too much, so for dogs (like me) who want to be ahead all the time and keep pressing forward as fast as possible, we usually need these to keep us in check. Remember though! This is not a muzzle! It's a training device that we use to train dogs to stop pulling. Some dogs outgrow this, others are stuck with it forever because they never learn, but we can still eat, drink, yawn, chew, and bark with it on.
Collar - This is standard for any dog, but specifically, I use a Martingale collar, which cinches around my neck just enough to hold me when I pull but not enough to hurt me or cut off my air supply or anything like that. This is generally seen as the best type of collar because it's harder to escape than a flat collar like you often see dogs wearing. This holds my dog tags, such as my microchip tag, my rabies tag, and my town registration tag.
Service Dog Vest - Believe it or not, service dogs are not required to wear any sort of identification that indicates that they're a service dog. This may change in the future, but as of right now, they can just wander around as standard dogs. I wear one because it helps me differentiate between when I'm working and when I'm not working. When I'm working, the vest is on, and I'll have patches that say "do not pet" or "ask to pet" depending on whether I need to focus in or if I can say hello to nice people who ask to pet me. Oftentimes, though, I'll have no special patch at all and my service vest will simply say "service dog." In that case, feel free to ask to pet but be prepared to hear no. Every service dog owner is different, and in some cases, the dogs cannot refocus themselves after being disturbed.
Service Dog Saddlebags) - Not all service dogs wear these, but my owner has me wear them so that I can hold my own gear while we walk around places. My old pack was just one pouch that I'd wear on my back, but now I wear two bags that are like saddlebags. Sometimes the bags say "service dog" but on mine, we put the "do not pet" patches. These packs hold things like a first aid kit, a muzzle, a slip lead, cleaning wipes, poop bags, dog treats, my collapsible water bowl, and ADA cards.
My Badge - Not all service dogs have this, and it's not a requirement, but when I was certified by my trainer, I was presented with a badge with my name, my owner's name, my owner's phone number, town, and state, a microchip number, and a variety of other information that someone might need to know. This presents it in a way that's easily accessible and looks very official. I clip this right onto my vest and walk around with it proudly (though sometimes it flips the wrong way) and oftentimes, this is what I like to show people when they're greeting me or when I feel like being very official.
Slip Lead - A slip lead is a small, thin leash that you can loop in a variety of ways according to what you need it for. In one orientation, you can loop it around the collar and use it as a leash, and in another, you can loop it over the head of your dog and have it cinch around their neck gently (still using it as a leash but without a loop for your hand). These can come in handy when you are a) met with a stray dog, b) need to take your dog's collar off for whatever reason, and c) forgot your leash (somehow). These are commonly seen at the groomers when they have you take everything off your dog and slip a little leash around their neck that cinches and holds them. You may be familiar with this, but not know what it's called.
Muzzle - My muzzle is not to be used when I bark or anything like that. It's not to keep me quiet. As a service dog, I've been trained to be quiet under most circumstances. What this does do is allow my trainer to keep me gently restrained in case I get hurt. For example, if I hurt my eye and didn't want to let my trainer touch my eye, she could put a muzzle on me to hold my mouth shut so I wouldn't bite her as she tried to access my injured eye. This could be used for any other injury, but is essentially to keep the trainer safe in unusual (and often painful or alarming) circumstances.
Cleaning Wipes & Paper Towel - These are primarily for if I have an accident because believe it or not, even when we try our best, service dogs can't hold it forever. And sometimes, when we miss a walk or haven't had an opportunity to go potty in a while, we might have an accident in the middle of a store or anything like that. This doesn't necessarily mean we weren't well-trained! We try our best, but we can't hold it forever. Because this does happen, we carry dry paper towels to clean up pee if needed and individually packaged wet wipes to sanitize the area.
Poop Bags - For anyone with a dog, this should be self-explanatory. If I need to go to the bathroom and I'm in a spot where I can, I'm going to, whether it's convenient for my owner or not. And unfortunately, she still needs to pick up the mess. So, we keep a roll of poop bags with us at all times for the inevitable moment when we need them.
Treats - I'm a dog. Dogs get dog treats just like humans get candy. And my human still likes to reinforce special behavior with treats. If I'm having a bad day and I do something really good? Treat. If I did something good that I've never done before? Treat. The training never ends and you've gotta be prepared!
Collapsible Water Bowl - This one is actually much more important than even the treats. For short trips, I can go without water for a little bit, but it's always better to be prepared when we go on longer trips out and about. Whenever I need a drink, we find a source of water, whether it be a bathroom or whatnot, and we can pull out my little bowl and fill it. I have two: A black one and a purple one, but we swap between them.
ADA Cards - These are something I carry to save my owner a lot of heartache, and that's for a number of reasons, the main one being that every question a person can ask about my service dog is written on the card itself (at least, the ones I carry. There are many different kinds). So, my owner can present a card to a person when asked and gently say, "Actually, you can't ask that question. Here's a list of questions you can ask, and here's a list of questions you cannot ask." Depending on the person, you will be obligated to give them more information, examples being TSA agents, police officers, or animal control officers, but the general public doesn't need to know about your disability if you don't want them to know. My cards include a set of additional information such as the definition of a service dog under the ADA law and the specific rules related to service animals.
First Aid Kit - This is just something I carry in case I get hurt. While I do carry band-aids in case my owner needs them, the most important parts are what I carry for me in case I get hurt. I have nonstick wrap (think athletic pre-wrap for those of you who know what that is) and a sticky mesh wrap to go over it (in black, of course, hehe), popsicle sticks, piddle pads (to create a "sterile area" for working. Napkins also work if it's a small injury), and anything else my owner thinks of before she leaves.
Oftentimes we'll have other things in our pack, like special treats for airplane rides, that we put in or take out when it's appropriate. If you'd like a list of what kind of other stuff we've put in my bags, feel free to ask! I'd love to make another post like this!
Hope that was interesting for you to read, and who knows! I might have to add more stuff eventually, but right now, this is what I carry on a regular basis. Let me know if you learned anything new today! I'd love to hear it!