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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:
TroublesomeEx · 13/07/2012 21:21

I wouldn't use a childminder with any dog. Of course it's the family and the dog and not, necessarily, just the breed, but my child would be someone the dog didn't know and might act in a way that was unpredictable for the dog. And the dog might react. And my child would come off worse.

I wouldn't take the risk.

Bigwheel · 13/07/2012 21:21

Talk to the cm about your concerns before you make a decision. She might be able to totally reassure you, or not. My dd childminder has a dog, a small terrier. I hate terriers, horrible nipping things IMO, but I trust dd childminders to be sensible and I have also met the dog who (for a terrier) seems nice.

RuleBritannia · 13/07/2012 21:22

Yes, does the childminder allow the dogs to poo in the garden or take them for walks to poo in public places like grass verges? I would not use a CM with dogs. All dogs are unpredicatable except my grandmother's pekinese.

AllYoursBabooshka · 13/07/2012 21:22

Staffies are lovely dogs with a wonderful temperament, It wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

It's little dachshunds you have to look out for, They are snappy wee buggers. :o

Obviously you have to do what makes you comfortable but don't make your decision based on the bad press these great dogs get.

smoggii · 13/07/2012 21:22

I have a dog

Wouldn't use a CM with a dog irrespective of breed.

I know that I always supervise my dog when around my child, can't guarantee the same when i'm not there.

RuleBritannia · 13/07/2012 21:22

*unpredictable

FallenCaryatid · 13/07/2012 21:24

Nastiest dog I ever met was a Jack Russell when I was 6, the bugger used to leap up vertically and bite.
Got his comeuppance when he attacked a friend whose dog was with her, and it snatched the JR out of the air as it leapt. Bit like that scene with the velociraptor and the T Rex in Jurassic Park. Crunch.

Chloe55 · 13/07/2012 21:25

I used to childmind and am a dog owner. Other than walks the children were separated from the dog, she is a crazy husky and would have been more likely to maul them with kisses than anything else but I would never have taken the risk. I actually found the parents of my mindees liked the fact I had a dog as they either didn't own pets or generally lied dogs and liked that I could teach the children about animal respect. I guess they might have thought differently if the dog was out with them all the time though.

What I'm saying is that providing the dogs are suitably contained and never left with the children then I think kids can learn a lot from being exposed to animals.

musicmadness · 13/07/2012 21:26

I don't think the issue is that they are staffies TBH. Most staffies are brilliant with people (stereotyping a bit but it tends to be other dogs they aren't as fond of!).

The question is do you want (or can you accept) a childminder with dogs? If no then you have your answer and you need to look somewhere else. If yes then you look into the further details of how she ensures the children's safety. Are the dogs ever around the children? If so under what circumstances (ie do the children and the dogs go on walks together for example, or could they be in the same room/garden together)? Where is their food/water kept to make sure the children don't have access. Is the garden usable for the children? There are probably a couple more things I can't think of at the moment. If the answers to those questions are OK for you then you have a childminder, if not again you need to look somewhere else. The breed really is irrelevant, as I seriously doubt she would be allowed to be a childminder in the first place if their were concerns the dogs were likely to be dangerous at all!

lambethlil · 13/07/2012 21:29

I have a staffie, she's fantastic with children. But I didn't get her until the DCs were 10+, I don't think I'd have gone with a CM with dogs.

RandomNumbers · 13/07/2012 21:31

the CM should have a risk assessment, ask to see it to reassure self/heave sigh and run screaming, depending on it's contents

squeakytoy · 13/07/2012 21:31

You have nothing to fear from staffies. If they have a responsible owner they are as safe around children as any other dog. If not safer, because staffies are proven to be more tolerant of children, and not react in the way that more highly strung breeds might.

QueenofJacksDreams · 13/07/2012 21:33

An incident can go wrong with any dog if the child and dog are not properly supervised when together theres so much bad press about Staffs right now please don't let that effect your judgement I have never met an unfriendly Staff thats not to say they don't exsist but if they're supervised properly around children as all dogs should be theres going to be very little risk of anything happening.

"Got his comeuppance when he attacked a friend whose dog was with her, and it snatched the JR out of the air as it leapt. Bit like that scene with the velociraptor and the T Rex in Jurassic Park. Crunch."

Sorry but I have to comment this has really pissed me off the dog didn't deserve that it was the owners fault the dog was out of control and a lot of JRT's can be wonderful little dogs. I honestly believe theres no such thing as a bad dog just bad dog owners.

Cheriefroufrou · 13/07/2012 21:34

nope I wouldn't, they may be great "family dogs" for most, but we're talking about strange children that are outside of the family comming into the dog's home - so who knows! They protect their family, "their" children, their pack! will it see your children as part of that or as outsiders to the pack, what if it sees one mindee as part of its pack and a more part time mindee as a threat to "it's" child IYKWIM?

dogs are unpredictable, my gorgous timid quiet lovely dog that I would never in a million years thought would bite anything but a doggy treat did bite a child it didn't know!

MissRee · 13/07/2012 21:37

My friend is a CM with a soppy and pathetic staffy. She has child gates on the kitchen where the dog stays when it's raining outside and in the garden, the dog has his own penned off area that the kids know they musn't go in.

She has often seen said staff sitting by the gate whilst a small child repeatedly pokes him in the eye. He just loves the attention! He's been with the family since her twins were babies and is very used to poking/tail pulling but has a crate for when he's had enough.

I've met far more aggressive jack russells/Yorkshire terriers/alsations than I have staffies though so please don't make it about the breed!

Original poster
chilled7up · 13/07/2012 21:39

musicmadness I don't mind a childminder having a pet dog. We've got a cat and I grew up with both dogs and cats and fell that it's a positive experience for children. It's the strength of the dog that worries me, I wouldn't feel the same way if she had a pincher, although more unpredictable a bite would not do the same damage.

According to the CM she has had the dogs for 10 years and have been childminding for more, so they are used to children. I'll have to call her and ask what you suggested.

I still haven't told DH about the dogs, I've hot a feeling that he won't let DS go to that CM.

OP posts:
SPsFanjoLovesChanningTatum · 13/07/2012 21:40

It's not the dog its the owner you need to be wary off.

My mum has a staff and has a 2 year old and a 1 year old and has no trouble.

LST · 13/07/2012 21:42

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest. My DS frequently shares food with my bf rottie.

Cheriefroufrou · 13/07/2012 21:43

"It's not the dog its the owner you need to be wary off."

even with a great owner there's always an element of unpredictability
we gave our dog a lovely home, she was well trained, well socialised, great diet, very healthy, we thought we "knew" her.. she'ld been lovely with endless children before -they could poke her in the eye and pull her tail all day..

but a NEW child for some reason provoked a different reaction in her

That is why IMO its okay to have a staffie as your family pet, growing up with the SAME children every day.. but in a CM setting where some are more familiar then others.. no I wouldn't risk it!

nurseneedshelp · 13/07/2012 21:46

I had a staff for 13 years and he was fantastic with my dc,it's their upbringing not the breed.

pigletmania · 13/07/2012 21:49

I would not. Yes they may be lovely dogs but you cannot trust any dog 100% and I would not take that risk with my child

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 13/07/2012 21:51

LST your rottie is breastfed?!

D0oinMeCleanin · 13/07/2012 21:52

Dogs don't have packs. You are getting them confused with wolves. A well socialised Staffy will be excellent with children. Even strange ones. 99.99% of dogs would be fine with strange children, but staffy's are renowned for their love of and natural affinity with children.

A small dog might do less damage but ime most smaller dogs are far more likely to snap than a docile breed like a SBT.

wannaBe · 13/07/2012 21:53

I have never ever come across this obsession with keeping children away from dogs or this "all dogs are potentially dangerous animals just waiting to mutilate your children," attitude in rl.

Some people need to get a grip, seriously.

Original poster
chilled7up · 13/07/2012 21:53

itsallgoingtobefine GrinGrinGrin

OP posts:
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