Living in an urban area means that your dog not only will see a lot of pet dogs, but you may also encounter a service dog. Lots of cities are home to people with disabilities who have a service dog to assist them. The most important thing you need to remember is that a service dog is working when with it's handler. It is not a pet, and you should not let your dog approach, distract, or otherwise interfere with the service dog. Most states have laws that protect service dogs. If your pet dog does anything that hurts or otherwise impedes a service dog's work you could face fines or even a lawsuit depending on the damage.
Keep in mind that it can cost upwards of $50,000 and 2-3 years to fully raise and train a service dog. That is thousands of hours to create a very specific helper for a disabled person. A service dog can open up huge opportunities for a disabled person. Do you really want your friendly/exuberant dog to ruin a service dog's training? As a result the handler could then lose their independence and freedom because your pet dog "just wanted to say hi".
Tip for the day:
If you are out walking your pet dog and see a service dog approaching with its handler either cross to the other side of the street or have your dog sit/stay on the side of the sidewalk (if he is capable of doing so) - give the working team ample space. Don't allow your dog to stare at the service dog. Service dogs can look very different than average pet dogs. They wear harnesses and capes and can sometimes look bigger or weird to a pet dog.
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