*****VERY UPSET CHILDMINDER HADLEIGH*****

I have a dog but am afraid I wouldnt use cm with dog. I know I clean my house, the dogs has time alone in cage and I stop my dog going near kids faces but I would not be as confident of someone else doing this.

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I wouldn't use a childminder if they had a dog. No way. My 4 year old DD has been bitten 3 times by 2 different 'sweet natured' dogs (my Mum's dogs).

It's just not worth taking the risk, imo.

I'm sure there are families who wouldn't be bothered by the dog too, though.

by the way, i can't imagine that people would actively be campaigning against you to their friends just because you have a dog, as your OP suggests. i would think the conversation would be more likely to go:

Friend 1: Have you heard there's a new childminder in Hadleigh? I wonder if she'd be able to look after little Tarquin?

Friend 2: She's got a dog.

Friend 1: Oh.

Friend 2: Did you see X-Factor on Saturday?

It's just not for some people, I'm afraid, and i really, really love dogs. By the way, i know a woman who was attacked by her daughter's cat and really seriously injured (her face was permanently scarred). the cat had never done it before and it caused a rift between the mother and daughter as the daughter refused to have the cat put down, leaving the mother too scared to go into her DD's house.

I have a cat and as a CM realise that there will be people that dont take me on because of this. I have actually had someone turn around and ask me to lose the cat or lose her potential business, needless to say I lost her business
We got our cat before we had ds (2.3) and is not particularly happy about children being around and as hunker as said she just runs and stays in the places she knows they wont be eg in our bedroom.
I personally love dogs and have brought up ds not to be afraid of them at all but I would never consider having one while i was a CM because they can be unpredictable.
Having said all this it still is a personal choice and by no means should anyone be telling anyone else not to go to even see you because
of your dog

I'm a childminder and love dogs, was brought up with them as a child BUT I am so protective about my ds, I personally wouldn't choose a childminder with dogs if I needed one. That's just because I'd want to be in control if their were dogs about.

I have a cat and just as hunker said, he goes 'bloody hell, children!' and legs it. He legs it through the cat flap if he's hungry, eats then legs it out again. In the winter he may stay up in our bedroom during the day. As for poo, he never does it in our garden. Cats normally do their toilet business in other people's gardens

IME cats are more likely to go "oh bloody hell, children!" and run and hide.

Well said Colditz.

Cats aren't as bad, because no cat has ever ripped a toddler's face off. Sorry to be brutal, but people care far more about their children than either your dog or your feelings.

I wouldn't have a childminder with a dog either. I don't like dogs, I don't want my children to be licked, sniffed, slobbered on and I don't want them to come home smelling of dog. OFSTED have no idea how your dog behaves, and neither do the parents, and to be honest until your dog has passed away, you won't know whether he will ever bite a child.

It's too big a risk, when there are people who don't have that unpredictable, potentially lethal creature living in their home.

Hi i have three dogs all staffordshire bull terriers, just had my ofsted inspection and all ok, i do have a pet policy in place that parents sign, but feel its such a joy for the children i mind to experience what fun we have with the dogs when we go out for walks etc. My dogs do have there own part of the garden and house but the children will come into contact with the dogs at least once a day, and i explain this to all of the parents. But each to there own my sister is scared of dogs and said if she was looking for a childminder she would not even go to the house if they had dogs.

I'm afraid I wouldn't consider a cm with a dog either.

i'm a childminder and dont have any animals at all not even a fish
my ds1 has asthma as a lot of children do now and i worry about allergies

my ds2 would love an animal any animal at all so we lend him out to friends to feed their animals while they are on hol he loves it

Not from Hadleigh either, but I'd rule out anyone with a dog too I'm afraid. Especially a large working breed like a pointer, sorry.
I'd never "warn people off" you though - it's a personal choice issue and some people are fine about having a childminder with a pet. I'd also be honest and polite about it with you as well.
Cats aren't just as bad though IMO. Cats don't have the potential to kill a small child. Their excrement does not potentially contain a parasite that can blind a child.
We don't have either BTW - I'm not keen on pets in cities full stop. I am guessing you are a semi-rural location, I would expect that might mean more potential customers are OK with dogs.
Thing is though, if you look at the balance of opinions here, I think more people are put off dogs than not, and if there are other local childminders who don't have them, then that does narrow your likely clientele.

It's the attitude of "he's a dog and we all love dogs and if you don't there's something wrong with you" that I object to, rather than the actual sniffing in itself.

Dd doesn't go to a CM, but if she did I'd love her CM to have a dog. However, if she kept spiders ........

...... each to their own.

it's your choice to have a dog, so surely you don't object to other people exercising their right to choose not to have you as their childminder.
i know it's not what you want to hear, but i'm another person who wouldn't want a CM with a dog. Or a cat. maybe a goldfish.
when i was three or four i was bitten by a dog who had never bitten anyone in his life before. he was a sweet thing, totally accustomed to children and i wasn't tormenting him but i remember that i did run past him quickly so i think i must have jumped too quickly into his line of vision, iykwim? he just snapped at me, bless him, i really only got a bad pinch but i do remember it shaking my confidence for a long time.

when i was looking for a cm for ds i would have not chosen one who had a dog. we all have our prefernces and you said it yourself about dogs having a bad press. not sure what a 'bad' dog is? but also i wouldnt have chose a cm who smoked or had no garden. the list goes on and its different for each of us.

I am the opposite of Hunkermunker - I do want to be sniffed/my child to be sniffed etc. because I want her to grow up unafraid of animals and to have respect for them. However, DD is 2.9 and although I desperately want a dog she isn't yet old enough to be aware of neighbour's cat ie. she pesters him (despite constant requests not to) and occasionally he scratches her, then we have floods of tears. For this reason I won't yet buy a dog, for fear she will be bitten. I expect there are parents who avoid you for the same reason - it's a shame though.

I wouldn't choose a childminder with a dog either.
Sorry.

lovingmum, i actually chose my ex cm because she had dogs!! (and she was rated ofsted excellent) I am a dogless dog person and wanted ds to grow up comfortable with them. (in the vain hope that our combined influence may one day convince dh to let me have one) my cm was very clear about her policy about her dogs, in the light of recent news stories it may be worth reiterating your pet policy or creating a special policy document to give to prospective parents.

"may sniff, but what dog doesn't" - that sort of remark is exactly the reason I wouldn't use a childminder with a dog.

I don't want to be sniffed, thanks. Nor do I want the children sniffed.

In fact, I don't want to be near a black-gummed toothy thing with a wet nose and a penchant for jumping up and scrabbling at me (or worse, shoving his nose in my crotch or licking my face).

I don't particularly like dogs though. Perhaps you can tell that?