Teacher’s dogs in classroom?

Some children are frightened of dogs. I was terrified as a child after having been badly bitten by a dog that just ran up behind me from apparently nowhere.
Being forced to sit in a classroom all day with a dog would have been torture.
Lots of children to a greater or lesser extent can feel this way. Having a dog forced upon them is not going to help erase their fears, trust me.
As an adult I am no longer terrified but I can choose to be or not be in their company, depending on the dog. Therefore I think dogs in classrooms as an everyday feature is a terrible idea.

I’m in the uk, state school and there are 2 dogs in the school, one a lab but I’ve not seen the second dog, I understand it’s new and belongs to the HT. The first dog was introduced last year as a support dog and comes in a few days a week, the kids love him. Parents were asked for feedback before he was introduced to the kids.

Are you actually serious. I can't believe this is allowed. There are children highly allergic to dog dander. I would refuse to send my child to a school where this is permissable. Does the teacher leave the classroom to allow the dog to do it's business & would it be in the playground? Absolutely crazy.

Yeah it's a pisstake. They brand them as therapy dogs or mentor dogs but are usually dogs belonging to members of staff. Often the dogs are over stimulated and eventually hate it plus they never ask if every child (or teacher) is happy with a dog in their class. I've sat in meetings with a dog running round over the table. It's ridiculous.
Distracting and irresponsible in my opinion. And yes, they usually belong to the head teacher or another senior member of staff.
I work in a school with e therapy dogs. One bit a teacher the other week and the slt just laughed about it

The main question would be why? Ask for the risk assessment. Not everyone likes dogs - or the smell or unpredictability of them. It would be a firm no from me. Why should children be forced to have to spend the day with the teacher’s pets? Pupil voice needs to be heard - and that’s all pupils, not just several.

You can ask to see the risk assessment. Will the dogs be in a crate?

I'm on the fence about this. I think for primary school, it's just not a good idea, full stop. The limited benefits of having a dog as a 'therapy animal' in a primary school are outweighed by: the distraction for young children, the fact that primary schools are extremely busy noisy environments, the fact that many very young children will not be able to articulate if they're scared of dogs, and many young children aren't able to exercise self-control and leave an animal alone.

At secondary school, I think a therapy dog can often be a good thing. I should be clear - I'm saying 'therapy dog' because that's invariably how it'll be presented to parents, but essentially it's a teacher's personal pet, brought in on the understanding that children who need some regulation can spend time with it. Don't ask me how they sign off on the H&S of this!

At my son's secondary school, there have been dogs belonging to the librarian who always stay in the library. (one dog at a time, over a long timeframe) Kids who needed a bit of calm time or comfort are able to chill with the dog. I sometimes asked DS, did nobody object because of fear of dogs, allergies etc? He said he thought not. At another local school, there was a dog brought in by an art teacher that was based in a pen in the art block but was taken on supervised walks around the school as therapy.

Both these examples seem to have worked out at these schools and helped students regulate and feel happier.

I think a dachshund in a primary school is asking for trouble though! They tend to be really barky and excitable. I live next door to one and the bloody thing never stops having hysterics.

(at the back of my mind, I can't help thinking this is basically a way for a dog-obsessed staff member to bring his or her pet in with them every day. And I'm not convinced that personal pets belong in the workplace.)

As a teacher I loathe this. Not dogs, I adore my son's dog. Ask to see the risk assessment. I'm very asthmatic and dogs are a trigger plus I know some children are very wary. If it's a fully trained therapy dog, it's a slightly different matter.

Please complain. It isn't acceptable that this is being foisted on you and if you just quietly roll over and let it happen, it is a tacit acceptance even if you disagree and once that happens a few years in a row, it just become a thing that has always been that way.

Your son deserves a safe classroom where he only has to focus on learning and his developing friendships and not other people's pets. The teacher has 30+ young children to be responsible for and should be focused on them during work hours. It is ok to be the person who speaks up in this situation, you won't be the only one who does so and there will be others who feel they can't but will be glad if you do.

It seems like a pretty significant piece of information you should have been made aware of! I’d email the school saying you don’t feel comfortable with dogs in the classroom and that you’d like your son to move to a different class.

This. And ask to see the policy on what will happen with children who are fearful of dogs.

My children between them have had a "therapy" dog in every school and college they've been in over more than a decade. It's fine if done properly with responsible staff members and no pressure on fearful children to put up with or interact with the dog. They have a right to feel safe in school.

Bunging two young untrained dogs into a YR classroom with 1:30 or 1:15 ratio and no more than a "suck it and see" mentality would be a very unusual choice for a teacher with QTS and, therefore, a solid understanding of how to identify and manage risks to keep small children safe.

I wouldn’t mind it, but I think she’s leaving herself and the school open to legal action if there’s any kind of incident.

There is a school dog now at my DC school yet sounds much more like the PAT trained dogs and there was a lot of communication about why the dog will be seen in the school, every parent had to complete a form around allergies and permission or not for their child to interact with the dog

I don’t like dogs (previously bitten by one) yet the communication was clear and the way they were handling it sufficiently reassuring that I have said yes for both DCs to interact with the dog

If it was random dogs in the reception classroom for the teacher benefit essentially - honestly no. I would not want or like that at all

Schools are no place for dogs. Why do some people think dogs need to be everywhere?

We have a school dog at the school where I work. He has been assessed, is insured and there is a risk assessment. He spends all of his time in the office, apart from when he is walked on the lead on the school field. Pupils come to the office to see the dog as a reward or if they are upset etc. This is very different to a dog just roaming around a reception classroom! Which sounds ridiculous. Such young children are impulsive and could easily annoy the dog causing it to bite. Sorry but it's crazy and as a dog owner, parent and teacher the scenario you've described would be a definite no!!

I would be asking what about liability insurance and what if the dog bites a child?

Ask to see the risk assessment and ask what training the dog has had. I know schools where there is one in the office, children can visit, but not the classrooms.

I completely disagree with you. You’ve clearly never taught a class of 4/5 year olds. 🙄.

No I didn't know that. Maybe raise it as a Health & Safety issue. The teacher needs to make other arrangementss for the care of her dog. This would infuriate me.

I agree with you. I wouldn’t like it either. They’re not trained service dogs. Dogs have the maturity of the average 3 year old. I wouldn’t trust them around small children.

Such an ignorant comment. It's really a you problem with that level of it though.

True, but its very common in private prep schools, our local one the headmaster has a retriever, the art teacher a black lab and the history teacher a cocker, all in school every day.