Puppy banned from school playground

[Solo2]

We recently got our first puppy and as everyone else does, at DCs schhol, brought him to the school playground a few times, as part of socialising him and letting people meet him.

Everyone brings their dogs/ puppies to school - or certainly has done over the 3 yrs my DCs have been at this school. I've only brought our pup to the playground when my DCs have an after-school club, so there are fewer people there and he isn't overwhelmed by children.

Teachers and children alike are all over him, love him and even tonight, 4 members of staff were petting him happily.

So I was naturally shocked when an upstairs school window opened and the headmaster called down across the entire playground that "dogs are not allowed in the school grounds!" As I didn't hear him at first/ didn't realise he was talking to me, he called again and it was so humiliating and v upsetting for my DCs. I called back to apologise but said that as everyone else always brings their dogs/ pups to the playground, I'd never thought it wasn't allowed - but of course I'd remove him immediately - which I then did.

This was about 10 mins after several senior staff and the caretaker had been happily petting the dog and one had told me he was going to get another teacher - so wait - as she was desperate to see our puppy and wanted to take it home with her. Clearly, no one at all had/has any idea that dogs are not allowed.

AIBU to feel embarassed, angry and humiliated to be singled out like this - and on behalf of DCs who were so happy to have their pup to 'display'? AIBU to feel particularly outraged that the headmaster informed me of this sudden new school rule by screaming across the playground, instead of calmly coming down from his office - or sending his PA or another teacher down to talk to me politely?

The head MUST have seen other parents with dogs, night after night and he also gave special permission for one mum to bring her puppy into assemblies for parent assemblies once a week, to make things easier for her. Now I'll have to change my entire dog routine to get our pup back home before I do the school run and poor pup will miss out on his socialisation too! Several children have looked forward to seeing him - although he's only been there about 4 times now - and one child who was phobic about dogs, overcame his fear and befriended our cute pup.

Incidentally, our puppy was on a lead, was quiet and calm, didn't make any mess and simply rolled over to have his tummy tickled several times.

I can fully and absolutely understand if it were normal school policy to ban all dogs - for hygiene/ health & safety reasons of course. But this has never been the case to date and I feel singled out - in a v public way - for doing something that everyone else does all the time - and 'told off' in a rather rude manner!

I once saw a Mother with a pig in our school playground. There have been a few parents take dogs in the yard but it's usually nipped in the bud pretty quickly.
The paths leading up to our school gate is covered in shit, I stood in some the other day. If you walk the same path during the holidays its pretty much clean. There are usually half a dozen or so dogs tied at the school fence and some try to jump on anyone who walks past, that must be pretty scary for a little one. Not fair on the dog or people who have to walk past.
There is one person who has thier dog on one of those long extendable lead jobbies and lets it go full stretch ahead tangling people and often tripping kids over. Fair enough using those when it's not busy but when there are dozens of parents and kids and pushchairs etc trying to squeeze by on a tiny path is a bit rude imo.
I have a dog myself and I walk him before I go to the school. When he was a puppy he was left at home. He is one of the best behaved dogs I have ever known and he would never hurt anyone but his place is not in a school playground.

Yanbu at being shouted at. Yabu at the dog going into the school.

At my ds's school, the PARENTS aren't even allowed in - we've to wait outside the gate!

I think I forgot to say before but the head was rude and should have handled it differently. A sign would have been a good idea so no one could claim ignorance. Mind you they probably don't have a sign saying not to drive or piss in the playground either. They just rely on common sense for some things.

This is one of those very rare Acts of UK law where the onus is upon the ACCUSED to prove they are innocent and not the prosecution to prove they are guilty.

Not really surprising if the other acts applied to people not animals. :o

YABU to take dog into playground - you and other parents should have some common sense as dog owners that this is not a good idea.

School needs a clear sign ( as our school) saying no dogs in playground if common sense is not used.

YANBU for being annoyed that Head shouted at you.

I have a dog I walk it to school and wait outside the school for my children to come out . If they forget something I send them back in.

My dog has been on the school run since she was allowed out after jabs . as a dog owner I am all too aware that others dont love my dog like me .

Welcome to the dog owner world - not everyone likes dogs ,they are not always welcome .

Sorry for being naive here (my DS is too young for the school run yet) but aren't playgrounds for kids to run around in and stay safe, not places for people to socialise their dogs?

And OP, maybe the Head saw a dangerous situation developing (lots of people crowding a small excitable puppy) and "called out/screamed" at you in order to prevent it. Bit quicker than sending down a PA, writing you an apologetic 200-word essay on why dogs aren't allowed in a playground (which seems obvious to me).

head being unreasonable and it winds me right up that people stand at the school gate with bloody dogs, it was reallly bad at one stage where if you didnt turn up at school with a staff u were a nobody!! its a school not bloody crufts ffs

"Regarding your post, you were not BU, and whether the head screamed, shouted, called, whispered or sent semaphore messages to you, the upstairs window is not the place to do it from!"

Absolutely Saggy!

Very common behaviour on his part and not a good example to the DC nor professional.

(Says the girl from Sarf Lundun!).

yabu

Quite right to ban dogs from playgrounds.

Phone the head and suggest he puts the rule in the newsletter.

All sorted.

maybe the Head saw a dangerous situation developing yes, absolutely. 3 month old puppies are wildly dangerous

Solo - YANBU to object to having been spoken to like that, frankly, I would have ignored him until he had the manners to come down and speak to me in person. My child may be at that school, I am not.

YANBU to have taken the puppy to school if it has been 'the norm' at your school.

While he's still very small I'd wear a fleece and tuck him inside :)