If a pedestrian is walking a dog in a yellow or burgundy coat, it usually means that the person is deaf or has a hearing impairment, and the dog is a hearing assistance dog (also called a hearing dog) trained to alert them to important sounds like traffic, doorbells, alarms, or someone calling their name.

What those colours mean

In many countries, especially in the UK, official hearing assistance dogs wear a yellow or burgundy (deep red) coat so drivers and other road users know they are working and the handler may not be able to hear approaching vehicles, horns, or shouted warnings.

  • Yellow or burgundy coat = the dog is a hearing dog, and the owner is likely deaf or hard of hearing.
  • This is part of road safety advice in driver theory tests, which tell drivers to ā€œtake extra careā€ and be patient when near such a dog and pedestrian.

Why this matters on the road

Because the handler cannot rely on hearing, they may not react to a car horn, siren, or a driver shouting, so road users should:

  • Slow down and give extra space if near them at a crossing or on a busy road.
  • Avoid sudden, loud noises that might startle the dog.
  • Be patient and ready to stop if the dog signals that the handler should wait (for example, if the dog blocks the crossing).

Not the same as ā€œdog in trainingā€ vests

Yellow is sometimes used in some regions for dogs in general training (not just hearing dogs), but in the context of a pedestrian with a dog in a yellow or burgundy coat, the standard meaning on roads is that the handler is deaf.

Other colours often mean different things:

  • High-visibility vests (fluorescent yellow/green) are often for better visibility, not necessarily a service dog.
  • Yellow bandanas or harnesses in some areas may signal a ā€œreactiveā€ or anxious dog, but thatā€™s a different voluntary system, not the official roadā€‘signalling coat.

What you should do

If you see a pedestrian with a dog in a yellow or burgundy coat:

  • Slow down and be prepared to give way.
  • Avoid beeping the horn or shouting; the person may not hear it.
  • Watch the dogā€™s behaviour ā€“ it may be actively guiding or warning the handler about traffic.

Bottom line: that coat is a quiet signal that the person is deaf; itā€™s a cue for everyone nearby to be extra cautious and respectful.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.