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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

About a childminder with Staffordshire terriers

295 replies

chilled7up · 13/07/2012 21:05

I thought I found the perfect childminder for my son until I realised that she has 2 staffs at home. They were friendly but now I'm worried and confused. What would you do?

OP posts:
watermargin · 13/07/2012 21:06

I'm not sure I'd be happy to be honest

ScarletLadyOfTheNight01 · 13/07/2012 21:06

I on't have an issue with staffs as a principle, but I'd be wary if I didn't know the dogs. It's your choice. I don't blame you if you don't feel comfortable with it

weblette · 13/07/2012 21:07

Get a grip, staffies are lovely dogs.

BonkeyMollocks · 13/07/2012 21:08

Staffies are some of the best family dogs out there.

Don't stereotype the breed, look at the dogs. Are they friendly? Will they even be around your children much? What about the parents of the children she already minds?

ScarletLadyOfTheNight01 · 13/07/2012 21:08

They are weblette, I love them. I'd still be wary if I didn't know them.

Suzietastic · 13/07/2012 21:09

I am a dog groomer. Staffs CAN be lovely dogs - with the right owners. Personally i wouldn't go there unless I was absolutely sure.

GrimmaTheNome · 13/07/2012 21:09

You do know that Staffies were known as 'the nanny dogs' - in past times they were the childminders for poor people's kids.

Would you worry if it was two other medium sized dogs?

Rubirosa · 13/07/2012 21:10

I wouldn't choose a childminder with dogs of any kind personally.

scarlettsmummy2 · 13/07/2012 21:11

I definitely wouldn't. Why take the risk if you don't have too?

kinkyfuckery · 13/07/2012 21:11

I wouldn't be keen on using a CM with dogs at all, tbh, mainly because I CBA with my DCs begging me constantly for a frigging dog.

ScarletLadyOfTheNight01 · 13/07/2012 21:12

I think I'd be wary of any dog I didn't know. This is coming from a dog lover who HAS a dog and a young child. I'd feel better if I could get to the know the dogs first. Or at least see the owner and dog together for a while. Not everyone is great with dogs.

AmayaBuzzbee · 13/07/2012 21:12

The dogs are most probably perfectly fine but I understand how you feel as I would feel the same (and I am a dog person).

I would not risk leaving my DC with dogs/animals I don't know (regardless of breed). Animals can be unpredictable even if you think you know them. The risk is not worth it in my opinion (and even if it could be guaranteed that there is no risk -you'd still feel uneasy, which is not good either).

missmapp · 13/07/2012 21:13

I wouldnt be happy with a cm with any type of dogs

Lucyellensmum99 · 13/07/2012 21:14

Grimma, they may be medium sized dogs but they have the strength and bite of a much bigger dog. I adore dogs, ALL dogs, i have owned two rotweillers and think staffies make fantastic family pets. I would be dubious of any dog actually with a childminder. Your children aren't used to dogs (i assume you don't have any so apologies if you do) and will, quite rightly, be pretty boisterous at the CMs. A large proportion of dog bites are inflicted by dogs to someoen who isn't a direct member of their family.

This is not an anti staffy post but I wouldnt do it, even though i would have a staffy as a pet.

FallenCaryatid · 13/07/2012 21:14

I wouldn't have a childminder with a dog.

bronze · 13/07/2012 21:15

I wouldnt use a childminder with a dog and I have a gsd

jubilucket · 13/07/2012 21:16

Staffies are lovely. But ANY dog can be dangerous. If you torment a Bichon Frisee enough it'll snap... and the trouble with Staffies is when it bites you stay bitten. What is her set-up to avoid contact between the children and the dogs?

KatherineKavanagh · 13/07/2012 21:16

I'm surprised cm's are allowed dogs considering the hoops they have to jump with ofsted/registration

DeathByChocolate01 · 13/07/2012 21:16

Staffs are, as a rule, absolutely lovely with children. No dog should ever be left unattended with a child though, whatever the breed, but as long as they were always supervised and the dogs could be seperated from the children if they were getting wound up, then I wouldn't see a problem with it. I feel more sorry for the dogs being mauled by enthusiastic kids!

MotionOfTheOcean · 13/07/2012 21:16

I wouldnt use a childminder with any dog and I have two staffies.

DaPrincessBride · 13/07/2012 21:17

I wouldn't have a CM with a dog either, irrespective of the breed.

Original poster
chilled7up · 13/07/2012 21:18

The dogs were friendly and are used to children but I'm feeling uneasy about it Sad

I love dogs and I wouldn't mind if she had a smaller dog, but staffs are so strong that any incident can go very wrong.

OP posts:
Montypig · 13/07/2012 21:18

Staffs were one of only 2 breeds recommended by the kennel club to have with children - haven't checked recently. Equally children brought up with animals tend to have healthier auto- immune responses. Worth considering - i would go and meet the dogs and chat to cm about your concerns.

Booette · 13/07/2012 21:19

I wouldn't mind using a childminder with a dog, but I would want to know where the dogs were kept. That they had a safe space away from the children. They were never left alone with any child. The garden was free from poo. Anything else you can think of?

The fact that they are staffies wouldn't bother me, I would ask the same of any breed of dog.

WorraLiberty · 13/07/2012 21:19

Oh ffs so if a smaller dog bit your children or ripped their faces off you'd be fine with that would you?

It's all to do with the dog and nothing to do with the breed at all.

Staffs get enough bad press without ill thought out threads on public forums adding to them.

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