Teacher’s dogs in classroom?

I worked in a school with an official school dog. It was great. Especially for children who were finding things difficult and really supported emotional regulation. They did have their own RA to assess everything and the dog was one that produces less allergens.

I think there has to be some consideration that they know a few things and to not freak out every time something novel occurs because of lack of previous exposure. It's okay to question and not just assume that schools are out to murder children because they love dogs. We used to have science classes with spiders, snakes etc and none of the parents went batshit over it so a couple of sausage dogs and a conversation seems reasonable for the OP.

I hope this isn’t true. Why do the fuckers need to be everywhere ?!?

My 5 year old is asthmatic and allergic to dogs. I wouldn’t be happy about this at all.

Not to mention that dogs + unpredictable, loud and excitable kids are not a good combination. Huge avoidable risk. Why do people forget that dogs are animals and so should be treated as such?

In my son's school the year R teacher was married to a trainer of guide dogs and various Labrador were brought in as part of a training session but only for a 1 off pat type event. And this was at end of training so no I don't think she should bring her dog. I like dogs but 4 year old can be impulsive.

Simply because there will always be children who are highly allergic to dogs while also exacerbating asthma. They may not be a majority but does this not count? If there is one child in a classroom allergic to peanuts the whole class is banned from bringing them in. There are none so blind as those who will not see.

That is mental. At our school no dogs are allowed on school grounds, for obvious bloody reasons. I am a dog owner of the soppiest dog in the world, still would not have her in a classroom all day. Sausage dogs can be total arseholes unless a lot of work has been put into training.

I would not be happy with this at all. The teacher needs to find a dog walker/sitter like the rest of us.

Mu daughter and I are very allergic to dogs so I’d obviously have a massive issue. I can’t believe this is allowed.

This annoys me. I have multiple dogs. Dogs are great. But nobody considers whether a classroom environment is suitable for them and if being around kids all day is how they want to spend their day.
Dogs in school settings can be wonderful but they are essentially working and should be treated accordingly… given frequent breaks - and the children need to be trained to be around them.
Just bringing in a random pet is insane.

If this is a genuine post I would ask for clarification from the headteacher regarding this. What the teacher has said and what the reality is might differ.

Also moving your child to the other class is unlikely to solve the issue - reception is set up as free flow. Yes they will have some parts of the day based in their own rooms but a lot of the day as part of the EYS framework is to be exploring and learning through play so usually activities are set up across both classrooms as well as any other learning areas they have access to (for us this is the playground and a room that connects the two reception classes, so your child is still likely to be in the room with the dogs at some point (if this is true).

It's insidious. Drs will be taken their dogs to work at this rate. I like most dogs, but its getting out of control

As someone with a dog allergy, I'm surprised that a teacher is allowed to bring dogs into school.

To presume that all schools are perfectly managed and organised, with sound judgments always made, is very naive.

DS school has had a school.dog in the past. Belonged to a member of the SLT. He was a a large short hair breed. He cane in a couple of times a week. Children were allowed to walk him round the school perimeter (with the teacher) as a reward or also to help regulate behaviour. He was often there when school opened. DS really struggled to go in (fine when there) so from time to time would be invited to go in with the dog.

However before he came we had quite a lot of information from the school amd it was also mentioned to new parents viewing the school. He was a trained PAT dog and teacher was also trained. He was a low shed breed and we were asked about allergies and there was a plan for children who were nervous and for toileting. Dog was also insured.

The dog lived in the office when not working. Children could come and see it but more importantly the office gave it some time out.

They ca. E great but as with anything need to be properly 'managed'

I am appalled by this. Is there no end to the entitled attitude of dog owners? Is there nowhere to get away from the darned things? What next? ... theatres, hospitals, parliament? It is madness.

This decision takes away choice for parents and is wholly unprofessional. What is worst is the fact that the dog mafia make the OP feel she cannot speak up for fear of being ostracised or criticised.

It is this reason that I wouldnt want 30 four year old kids around my dog 😂 I appreciate I am the opposite side to your argument

The teacher has no idea that those kids will behave around the dog and not torment (intentionally or not). I wouldnt risk my dog.

Kids especially young ones need to be supervised around dogs. A few kids for a bit, fine. But thirty of them all day? While you're also teaching?

Bringing a dog in on a one-off basis, yes. Providing there is a plan so individual children can be elsewhere in school if needed, and for the dogs if they don't like being there.

The OPs children may be fine, other children may not be and the teacher will be unaware.

This would never be allowed at my ex school my boss/headteacher hates dogs. I'm not a massive dog lover so I wouldn't like this.

I like dogs, but I wouldn't be pleased with this. They're a distraction for one, I don't think it's allergy safe and most importantly, even 4yos who do have experience around dogs can get it wrong, even with adults around. I also don't like daschunds - they're touchy, ferocious little things so I wouldn't be happy with that, either. I think the whole set up is a very bad mix. My husband is also extremely wary of dogs - he'd pull a child out rather than risk this.

I went to naice schools where staff brought in dogs. You'd occasionally see them around - but NEVER in classrooms.

Assistance dogs fine. Other dogs no. School is not a place for teachers to bring their pets in because it is cheaper than getting someone to look after it. Accident waiting to happen.

It’s one thing for a dog to be in the Head’s office most of the day and only encounter children now and again with the Head directly supervising the dog, it’s quite another for it to be stuck in a reception class all day when the teacher will have their work cut out supervising 30 children!

Why should the majority miss out for a tiny percentage of people who don't want something?

This is becoming much more of a thing, along with dogs everywhere- cafes, shops, trains, even the library the other day! I love dogs and have had dogs my entire adult life (currently have an Irish wolfhound), but they really don’y need to go everywhere with their owners, including into school. In my experience the teachers who push for having their dog(s) at school are really just trying to find an excuse to take their pets with them as they haven’t been trained well
enough to be comfortable staying at home
by themselves. My sons prep had a sausage dog ‘therapy’ dog, which was very sweet natured, but to be fair it lived with the deputy head in her office / rooms and only really came out on a lead at home time.

The boys secondary school has also had various ‘school dogs’ mostly anxious spaniel types, the last of which was quite elderly and had horrific diarrhoea all over the quad and stopped the children playing out there at breaktime! I think a few parents complained and so that one vanished but a few weeks later another teacher started bring her new puppy in as a school dog! As if a busy school is a good environment for a puppy! My boys love dogs but I know there are boys there who are allergic or are scared of dogs.

In your situation I would ask for a meeting with the teacher and / or head and talk through why it’s necessary to have two dogs in a classroom of 4 and 5 year olds.

A dog that is very good tempered in a home environment will not necessarily be very good tempered stuck in a room with 30 screaming 4 years for 6 hours every day. And tying up a dog in a corner on a leash isn’t going to help a dog stay calm - on the contrary, or are you expecting the teacher to walk round the classroom with a dog on a lead all the time.

I’m a good tempered adult and I don’t think I’d be good tempered as a reception teacher, but as an adult I can be trusted the regulate that… you couldn’t do that with a dog.

This isn’t about instilling fear of dogs into children. I have dogs and think it’s healthy for children to be introduced and be comfortable around them from a young age… but this isn’t the way to do it.

And as for “parents these days”… actually we’re a lot more accepting of dogs in school these days than we were in the past. I wasn’t acceptable when I was at school in the 80/90s for instance.

a couple of the schools we viewed had school dogs, but they were specially trained dogs which would come in just for the children to read to them - not just in the class all day.
Also, whilst I’m sure many are lovely and well trained, my experience with Dashunds I’ve encountered are not great - they’ve been territorial and grumpy (and I’ve seen a couple of bites from them).