Teacher’s dogs in classroom?

Then in that case, the teacher is breaking all kinds of protocols!! (I work in a UK Primary School).

You CAN bring a dog into school BUT they have to be trained/assessed to be sure they’re suitable & they have to have a purpose, not just be there because the teacher in question hasn’t got any daycare arrangements in place for them! They are also usually based in a designated calm space, away from the children, with specific visits to the classrooms/corridors/outdoor spaces etc - NOT just pottering around the classroom all day, every day.

This teacher sounds as though she has no way of knowing if her dogs are safe to be around children & has made no attempt to check if any children have allergies etc. I love dogs but I would very much question this situation as a parent. It does not sound OK!

But if they dont develop one they do not have one?! Right? Not sure how difficult it is to understand...

If I dont have money in my purse I am skint. Just because I might get paid next week doesnt mean I am not skint right now! Or am I not skint if I have no money by your logic as you dont live in the present?

So you're saying everyone has an allergy they just havent develop it yet??

No, that they don't know which children, if any, will develop allergies, so they have to risk assess and plan on the basis that some will.

But if they dont have allergies theg dont.

If they develop later THEN they have allergies.

But at that given point in time when someone has 0 allergies then they have 0 allergies

I dont have an allergy but you're saying me saying I dont have one is wrong as I could develop one..

So you're saying everyone has an allergy they just havent develop it yet??

'It's clearly so the teacher doesn't have to leave her dogs at home all day'

Isn't it weird that she's been accommodated though. I just can't imagine the thought processes and risk assessments that went along with the discussion of not only bringing dogs to work but also in an area with lots of very young children in a small area.

I wonder if the teacher is a right pita and everyone tiptoes round her.

My daughter moved to a new school at Easter and reports there is a "school dog" who is a large golden retriever and he sometimes comes into the classroom. She doesn't seem to know who he belongs to.

At her old school, there was a dog belonging to two staff members (one non teaching) who used to roam the place all day. Laughable really when parents had been told they weren't allowed to bring dogs on the school run because one child was scared of them.

I'm surprised, no shocked a Doctor would impose a dog on patients who may have all types of conditions exacerbated by dog dander. It would never happen today & if it did I would report it to the GMC and remove my family from the practice.

You are correct- no dog is 100% hypoallergenic, but my dog is as good as it gets.

He’s also trained not to lick.

This is not normal ime, I love dogs as does dd but I wouldn’t be happy with this tbh. Apart from anything else they would be a massive distraction and how is it fair on the dogs to be surrounded by kids all day.

Yes, I understand dynamic risk assessment. But you said "If no kids have allergies then no kids have allergies". That's not dynamic, and clearly you don't understand allergies. At all.

Not everyone develops allergies to everything they are exposed to. Two seconds thought would have told you that idea was nonsense. But if you have a predisposition, then you won't react on the first exposure to an allergen. It might take 2, or 10, or 50 exposures - and it usually gets worse each time.

Pet allergies are common. The dog sitting on their lap is not required to trigger it. Just being in the same room can be enough. The child can't choose whether to go into their own classroom.

I don't really have a strong opinion....I love dogs but I can understand why they shouldn't really be in the classroom. It's clearly so the teacher doesn't have to leave her dogs at home all day.

The thing I don't understand is how the teacher could concentrate. My dog would be whinging and fussing the whole time to go outside or for attention. My dog who's no longer with us would have been excitedly running about sticking his tongue in the children's ears and my dog who is still with us would be barking every time a child moved and he'd be quite frightened. I'd be worried about a sausage dog being trodden on and injured too.

This is such a daft idea! And I say that as a dog lover. My friend’s son is allergic to dogs and comes out in hives around them. Not to mention that’s it probably cruel for the dogs themselves!

I'd complain unless it's a trained therapy dog and has high insurance against it biting a child.

I would not be having this at tall. My daughter had 2 dachys, one loved children but was actually a bit snappy and the other used to pee himself if he heard or saw a young child. This is not appropriate!

This humanising of an animal by using "I" as if it is able to speak for me sums up this crazy attitude to dogs. Slightly gives me the 'ick........

So kids develop allergies to playdough from playing with it for so long in reception class and so it should be banned?

A dynamic risk assessment covers this....if you know what one is.

It is a risk assessment that is ongoing. Say for instance someone says it is fine to go up a ladder and fix a roof tile but the weather that day is stormy, do you follow the risk assessment on paper and say, computer says yes or do you constantly assess the risks and change your work accordingly and say not today mate I will do it when the weather calms down as it is not safe.

Weird isn't it that when I was in hospital they had a dog...and no one developed an allergy from exposure to said dog.

Kids are not being forced to sit with the dog on their knee you know! They can choose to go to the dog. If you are that worried about kids being exposed to things and developing allergies then by all means live in a space suit.

Your husband sounds as thick as the teachers (sorry ).

Dogs should not be in schools. Yes therapy dogs, trained dogs fine but not some teacher's no doubt snappy sausage dogs.

Staff, governors etc have accepted and enabled this for some bizarre reason. Please be that parent and put your foot down. Staff have to find dog care like everyone else and having unpredictable dogs in classrooms full of very young children is absolutely mental.

..kids upon entry give information about allergies...
Allergies develop with exposure.

So the teacher/the school needs to have a back-up plan already in place in case any of the new intake has or develops an allergy. There should be a risk assessment covering this.

Some dogs are lovely with children. A soppy gentle retriever for example. A weekly visit from a dog like that - for the children who want one - would be fine.

But this is TWO yappy little dachshunds, in a classroom full of noisy, unpredictable four year olds. Talk of allergies etc are by the by. Why should there have to be children with actual physical allergies? Why not "Hang on, school is for children not dogs".

Some people/children don't like dogs. Why should they have to have some barky dooly dog in their class?

My kids would too… Doesn’t mean it’s appropriate or reasonable.

..kids upon entry give information about allergies...

Allergies develop with exposure. If the child hasn't yet had much close contact with dogs the parents won't know, and so can't put it on the form.

Actually the PPS' mentions of insurance were a good shout

Given the teacher's rather casual attitude to this I'd be very surprised if the company (or even the headteacher come to that) knows about this, so an easy way out might be to ensure they do, and hope whoever you speak to isn't dog-mad too

This is what one school says

I’m XXXXXX a female Labradoodle and I was introduced to the school environment on a part-time basis from xxxxxxx and I’ve undergone regulated training with Canine Assisted Learning.
I’m joining the school environment for the following reasons:

• To support attendance: There is a greater enjoyment of being in the school environment, improved attendance and a willingness to participate and XXXX will be on duty on the school gate.
• To support behaviour: Researchers report that students can identify with animals and, with empathy for the dog, can better understand how classmates may feel.
• To support emotional development: Dogs can be a friend for students to talk to about their problems or to help students to calm.
• To support social development: Dogs are especially useful for building self-esteem; learning about positive and negative reinforcement, responsibility and boundaries. With the presence of a ‘calm and well-trained dog’, students find social support and peer interaction.
• To support individuals: The dog can work with students on a one-to-one basis (under adult supervision) to support students going through upsetting/difficult times or even those who are scared/phobic of dogs.
• As a reward: Dogs will be gentle and loving, but at the same time be enjoyable. Students could be rewarded with spending time with the dog, walking, grooming, playing with or training her.

My wellbeing will be monitored throughout the training programme and an appropriate timetable will be developed to support my growth and development.
A policy and supporting risk assessment will also be in place.

This is totally different to what OP describes. A school dog has a "timetable" of it's own and plenty of down time.

Surely you can see the difference between a consulting room where 2 or 3 people sit quietly and there are almost always more adults than children, and a classroom with 30 4-year-olds constantly moving around and only 1 or 2 adults to supervise them all?

The difference betweenhaving a school dog and a teacher's dog being present i the classroom is that a school dog has someone responsible for their welfare at all times and who can take toe dog away from the classroom. A teacher cannot leave her class to deal with the dog's needs. School dogs also have a safe place the dog can be taken if they become overwhelmed etc.