New Years is a time for reflection and resolutions Most people think about the usual things: losing weight, learning to live in the moment, etc. but our mission is to encourage disabled individuals who use Service Dogs to leave nothing but an excellent impression. Here are 10 ways to be a better Service Dog team in the coming year. 1) Be polite and make an effort to educate others if you can If you've been partnered with a Service Dog long enough, chances are excellent that you will have run into an access challenge, someone who is rude, secretly (or openly) jealous that you have your dog with you — or just behaves awkwardly toward you or your canine partner. Perhaps they'll ask invasive questions. If you have an invisible disability, they may wonder aloud why "you don't look disabled" or even openly confront you. Chances are they have never met a Service Dog team before. It's possible that they have an image in their mind of what a disabled person with a Service Dog should look like. While having a Service Dog does not also require you to take on the role of Public Educator (and nor does everyone have time, especially when you're tired of being confronted the third time in one day) it's important to leave an excellent impression. Remember, it takes only moment to leave an excellent impression — or to do the opposite. Always remember that you only get one shot at making a first impression. Be aware that your impression upon others, again likely being their first and only interaction with a team, can directly affect your rights later. The impression you leave with the public can directly impact your rights as a team, as well as the treatment you and other Service Dog teams receive in the future from both people on the street and businesses alike. Going further, the impression you leave can directly or indirectly affect change on the laws that govern you in your state or even at a federal level. Be kind, be courteous, and treat others as you want to be treated. You may be in a rush, but the decision to partner with a Service Dog comes with responsibilities, so you should always strive to be a better Service Dog team than you were yesterday, last month or last year. You just want to get out of the store, but taking one