to ask CM not to let her dogs poo in her garden?

[FoxPass]

Just started my DCs with a new childminder. She is lovely, they get on great there and I am pleased it is working out well.

Today when I dropped them off with her she was picking up dog poo in the garden. She has 2 very small dogs and I have no issue with them as DCs are used to our own dog. All the minded kids were out in the garden as it's a nice day, and the dogs were out there too.

I am a bit that she lets her dogs poo in the same area of garden her mindees have access to! I know as a dog owner how difficult it is to get every bit of mess off the grass - I don't let my DCs play on the grass area my dog occasionally goes on, as I am scared I miss a bit and they get it on themselves and get ill.

I own a very large dog who does very large poos which can be hard to clear up fully, whereas these are very small dogs which do very small poos - maybe it's easier to clear that up fully?

When we visited I didn't even ask her if her dogs went in the garden, I thought it was a no-brainer as she lives next to a wooded area, and her garden looked clean. I just assumed (I realise now I should've checked) that a CM would not do this.

AIBU to ask her to not let her dogs poo in the garden where my DCs will spend time? I feel a bit U as it's her home and they are her pets, but dog poo is so dangerous it seems like a risk.

My DH thinks I am overreacting and as long as she is clearing it up it's fine. So I thought I'd get some opinions here before talking to her about it.

If she is clearing it properly, I think it's fine. Not to everybody's standards, possibly, but if you were that bothered you wouldn't choose a CM who had dogs, or own one yourself, I reckon.

No YANBU to ask.
YABU to expect her to do this, and I suspect you'll be looking for a new CM.

Overreacting I think.

Have you tried using a better quality of dog food with a high protein content ? Too much cereal leads to the problem you describe = large poo = mess
Good quality dog food = small hard poo = no problem

Yes, my dog has Naturediet food and there is very little waste, and what there is is easy to pick up cleanly. You have to wonder what rubbish some people feed their dogs.

I think YABU.

She is cleaning it up. And she has no power on wether cats shit in her garden. She wouldn't even know then.

I think you're overreacting.

In most parks, playgrounds, fields, streets, etc dog poo will have been left then cleaned up, people don't not take those children to those places.

Everyone I know who has a dog and that includes myself allow children to play in the garden where the dogs poo. Obviously we clean it up first but I've never even heard of this being an issue.

Also if the dogs aren't in the garden, where is she going to take them, will it mean she has to leave the children for a second to go out the front for example.

If it is such an issue you shouldn't have chosen a cm with dogs or have a dog yourself.

I don't blame you for being shocked at this but from what other posters have said it would be worth finding out if the dogs do hard poos or not.

I know exactly what you mean about residue being left on the grass and no I definitely would not want my dcs playing on that grass either. Yuck.

As long as the dogs have had their jabs and she's clearing up properly it's not a problem, surely?

The main problem for my dog is she eats anything lying about, even her bedding, and she has a dicky tummy after years of doing this. Obviously I keep everything off the floor as much as possible, but if the DCs drop stuff she's on it. Lego, crayons, veggies, you name it!

We did get shown around the garden and it was clean then - so she must be able to clean them up fully.

OK I did suspect I was BU, I am nervy about starting them in childcare so it's probably that Thanks!

YABU

If the dogs are vaccinated its not dangerous. She is picking it up and the children should wash their hands when they come in from the garden and should be supervised outside anyway. Yabu sorry.

My small dog does small, almost perfectly formed, turds. Easily picked up, no residue remains. If your CM is meticulous about clearing her garden then I don't really see the problem. After all, it's not as if all sorts of other, wilder, creatures won't already be shitting in it (or in the case of birds, over it) and any child going outside will eventually encounter some sort of excrement even if only mouse-sized.

I can't imagine a good CM being other than extremely careful with dog poo and yes, YWBU to suggest she keeps her dogs off her own garden. If dog poo is something that worries you then better, perhaps, to choose a CM without dogs.

To be honest I think that YABU, but I may just be saying that because my DC have managed to survive to the ages of 10 & 12 being in a home and with a CM where they shared gardens with dogs who pooed in them!

As long as sensible precautions are taken there is only a small risk, dog poo really isn't that dangerous, when was the last time you heard of a kid getting sick as a result of exposure? Also I grew up in the 70's when kids and dogs where much more free range and we survived.

I think that you need to let this one go....

I can understand how the OP might think about it but quite frankly I encounter lots of dog poo in the street, the park, the beach etc and it would be impossible to keep children away from it all !

However, I do think it's totally vile that some dog owners don't clean up after their pets in the first place.

Vaccinations won't make a difference to how safe their poo is to children (or their mouths at that -licking) - its regular proper worming of pets that is important (with good quality stuff from vets like Drontal or Milbemax, pet shop stuff is not very good at all!)

Also I agree to what someone said about your dogs poo quantity and softness, that if fed a good quality diet without all those unnecessary fillers of cereals that dogs do not need (eg. NOT bakers, supermarket or value range etc but YES to Raw meat & bone/ BARF or Natures diet, wainwrights type) then there is less waste produce so poos are smaller & firmer

Oh sorry OP I forgt to answer your question, yes YABU to ask her not to let her dogs in and poo in her own garden. If you do not like it that much change to a CM that has no pets but I think that would be silly as like everyone said there is poo & traces of all over our world including human, just get your kids in the routine of washing hands when coming inside & before eating

YABVU and if you do ask I imagine she will think you are totally bonkers and try and get rid of you.

She is clearing it up so cant see what the problem is.

My dogs have a variety of nature diet, raw minces and raw bones (mainly chicken wings) their poos are very small and firm and easy to pick up. They leave no mess, unlike puppy I have now decided that allowing the rescue to pay for his food is not worth the cleaning so I've put my hand in my pocket and ordered him some high quality grain free food. The rescue will be pleased. He is a very greedy puppy

YABU. I would assume the dogs are wormed properly and she is picking it up, so the risk is minute, no more risk than letting kids run round in the local park.

YABU, but I can see why if they've just started there. Really, as long as the dogs are wormed and vaccinated, and the poo is cleaned up, it will be fine.

Also, there won't only be dogs pooing out there - cats, foxes, badgers might all use the garden, especially if it is near woodland. I have to go out a couple of times a week to clean up hedgehog poo from my garden.