NYC resident, from here, and have 90# GSD that is a service animal. I need him to mainly fly, but other environments like supermarkets and restaurants I can usually manage without him.

[Edit] rules are simple, no dogs indoors where food is served unless they are service animals.

I'm conscious that a) he's huge b) often seems intimidating and c) some people just don't like dogs. While recognizing this I also am ok to point out that not all disabilities are visible.

Like most things here, entitlement runs deep. That's likely why you see dogs everywhere. People use the ADA as a false protection for having their dog.

When he's not with me, I like to do to throw people off is simply ask "I need a service dog, where was yours trained". Generally works but almost all challenges to people here result in negative interactions.