About a childminder with Staffordshire terriers

[chilled7up]

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?

Cherie
Calm down I meant a bite is a bite in the way that the sentiment is still there, the dog wants to do harm. No dog is truly safe so you can't just group one breed and deem them dangerous which is what a lot of people would do.

And your last point isnt true, I'd bet quite a lot of money that if the child minder had a lovely little Dalmatian this wouldnt have been made. All dogs might be an issue to you but a lot of people on and off here are off the opinion staffs are the devil dogs.

' I can't believe so many people say they would not use a CM with a dog,'

Really? Then perhaps you are out of touch with the concerns of a significant number of parents. Reading threads on MN, there are a lot of people who worry about the behaviour of dogs around their children.

you don't KNOW it isn't true, you're just speculating, it may well be true (OP would you be bothered if it was a different dog?) because the likes of me would be bothered by a CM having any dog so it's entirely possible that the OP MAY feel the same

FWIW I wouldn't be thrilled about cats either!

I say that because the dog should not be in contact with the mindees so it should not be an issue. The dog(s) should always be kept in another part of the house or garden. He doesn't get near my mindees, so why should it be an issue in choosing a childminder?

I know for a fact that if people were given a choice they'd pick the Dalmatian as the least dangerous and least risk. Which it isn't.

The OP can answer, but now her answer will have been influenced so unfortunately we cant get a true answer.

Because of the possibility that the security might not be perfect.
Easier to choose someone you are completely happy with, it's hard enough to leave a child anyway, let alone in a situation that you feel has the potential to be dangerous.

No way on earth would I put DS with a CM who had any dog at all.

Any responsible person wouldn't leave an animal alone with a child anyway, I wouldn't leave a hamster alone with a child let alone a dog that could do damage.

And that's from me, I have 3 boxers who I treat like babies, I love them to bits but I can't deny that they have the potential to be dangerous if pushed.

" He doesn't get near my mindees, so why should it be an issue in choosing a childminder"

because it only takes one absent minded moment for the gate to be left open etc..

there are parents who are happy to use CMs with dogs, so its not like CMs with dogs will go out of business, but the OP has doubts, so it's not worth it! and I don't see how the OP is being unreasonable!

would you want parents choosing you who had doubts before their child even starts? for any reason? its not a good start is it?

"Any responsible person wouldn't leave an animal alone with a child anyway"
the A&E nurse confirmed my opinion that most dog attacks happen in arms reach of a supervising adult so that doesn't eliminate the risk

TBH I wouldnt use a childminder with any kind of dog, regardless of the dogs breed or how friendly/lovely etc it appeared to be, although with regards to a Staffie i wouldnt have to think twice it would be a definite NO. Im so wary of my DC's around dogs. Possibly unfairly influenced perhaps by reports in the media. I just dont want to take the risk. I dont want to be that parent of the child in the news report if you get me. If you're needing to ask then i think you obviously arent happy with it.

I have two staffies and a 5 year old, but I would not be happy using a childminder with dogs. I won't even have friends with children to visit because, although my dogs are friendly and lovely, I am just not prepared to take the risk. I wouldn't be sure that my child would be 100% supervised with the dogs if a childminder had them.

cherie how does the nurse know that?
How many people will turn round and say they were there because they don't want to admit they left the child with a dog?
How many people were watching the dog and child? It's very rare for a dog to attack unprovoked. If the adult was looking out for the signs it can be prevented.

Well, my answer to OP would be, check the risk assessments in place for the dogs and what the the CM's policy is. My inspector made sure that I made changes to the garden so that there was a high fenced area that the kids could not go in which was the dog area. He stays there all day unless it is torrential rain/sleet/snow in which case I put him in my bedroom. The mindees know they are not allowed near the dog, in any case I am always supervising them if in the garden and I can see that they do not go near the dog run (which is around the side of the house well away from where the children play). The dog run has high fences bolted on the dogs side. Yes we can never remove every risk entirely, but we can make sure we do everything humanly possible to reduce the risk as much as we can, as we do in everything.

presumably their attempts to get the dog off are relevant to the history of the injury!

people in shock are crap liars, I've worked in A&E (not trauma so didn't get dog attacks in), and honestly people are just shite at lying in that environment, even when a lot depends on it and the police are present!

ok then MOST dogs attack cos of how they are brought up i never said urs.

yeah but what about YOURS faithsmummy, do you think how you care for your dog has 100% eliminated it's risk?

I'd never use a childminder with a dog yet alone one with two staffordshire bull terriers. Two of them! The childminder may as well have a lion as far as I am concerned.

FGS those dogs were bred to attack bulls. Nanny dog my arse.

Hi Secretplace - I don't know if cherie is speaking about me but I was the surgeon working in A&E sewing up dogbites.

I can't say specifically if people were lying, but honestly, the only two phrases/stories which were repeating again and again and again were 'they were only left alone for a moment' and 'they've never done anything like this before.' Were the people lying, again, not sure, but often the stories were corroborated by their family/friends who came with them. Shock, surprise and almost...betrayal was often the feeling. That their trusted, loving family pet could do such a thing.

The particularly awful staffie bite I assisted (plastic surgeon had to be called in it was so bad) sewing up on a toddlers ear was a staffie where the gate was opened to let the staffie walk down their path to get into their car, it broke free of the owner, raced down the path and grabbed hold of a toddlers face. Entirely unprovoked.
Entirely unpreventable? possibly, had the dog been muzzled, or had the owner had a grip on it's collar. But it was a split second thing and I don't think it could have been predicted.

But I wouldn't single out staffies. I'd say it of all dogs - labs, GRT, collies, anything. The bigger dogs though certainly caused more damage than yappy dogs though. Hence why I just don't trust any dogs even though I love them

does in the nicest possible way... Shut up

I can't believe you are even debating or deliberating OP - dogs are unpredictable and no-one on here - even the frothers/fanatics who claim posters are demonising certain breeds and need to get a grip - can tell you your dc will be safe with 100% certainty. The phrase 'no brainer' was invented for this question.

MrsRants a parent has every right to not go with a cm who has a dog, they are entrusting you with the most precious things in the world them. Is it fair to keep a dog locket in a room or a part of the garden all day. dogs need attetion too, and need to be walked. You cannot trust a dog 100%, it may take a momentary lapse for something to happen. Evenn the most tamest of dogs have their limits. Yes dogs can bring a lot in a childs life, as a parent it is up to me whether to introduce that or not.

LOL as may as well have a lion

I wouldnt want a childminder with a dog though, i really wouldn't. Potentially four young children barging around, the poor dog will be totally stressed and it is a bite waiting to happen. Yes i know there are CM with dogs and their dogs im sure would "never hurt a mindee". But i just wouldnt take the chance. I take this as a dog owner, someoen who has owned a rotweiller as a family pet and ex veterinary nurse. I love staffies and think they are great family dogs.

If i am paying someone to look after my child i am paying for peace of mind tht my child is going to be safe. Life is not without risk, i know this, but i would expect risks to be minimised and the mimimal risk with regards to dogs (of any type) is no dog. No dog to bite if my child oversteps the mark, no dog to bite if the CM has accidentally let the dog in tht she "never allows to be alone with the mindee" these things happen, no dog to bite my child because it is feeling poorly that day and really just wants to be left alone. 99% of the time im srue a dog would be fine, but i would be paying someone to ensure that all risks are minimised - so no dogs. Puzzled as to why anyone would think this is ok, really!

I am not sure of the statistic but i think i high proportion of dog bite reports are from a dog to a child who is not a direct family member (by this i mean household member).

oh and im sorry mrsrantsalot but i just feel so sorry for your dog :( how awful for him to have to be locked away all day

Proud scary - im one of the posters who you think should 'get a grip', but I will say 100% not to leave a dog with a child.