School have threatened to call the RSPCA.

[YappyYapster]

I've name changed for this as it's potentially quite identifying.

DC started school this term. The first few days we realised that lots of people walk their dogs to school and leave them outside the gate. I thought this was a great idea so we've been taking our dog for the past couple of weeks.

I soon realised she yaps the entire time she's left so have kept the time to a minimum, I literally wait until the door opens and then run in with DC and come back. Maybe three or four minutes at the very most. We only take her in the mornings.

Last week was lovely, I was so pleased at the great routine we were all in, DC loves walking with the dog so it makes the school run a pleasure, the dog gets a walk at the same time every day so is calm and relaxed at home the rest of the day.

Today was a disaster. I came back to find a lady with her dogs pursing her lips at me and saying 'that poor dog is so distressed'. I said, oh I know she's yappy but she's not distressed, but I am working on training her to be quieter'. She then gave me a bit of a lecture on separation anxiety and lots of (well meant I'm sure) advice on how to train her, much of which I'm already doing.

I decided then not to bring her for a while until I could train her to sit quietly. I was quite sad about it, but resigned.

Got home and a while later I had a phone call from the school. Apparently several parents have complained and if I bring her again school will call the RSPCA.

I explained that I had already decided it wasn't working to bring her and she kept speaking over me and saying it's not fair on the children or the other dogs (fair enough) and that it's cruel to let her bark and they will report me if I carry on.

I am MORTIFIED.

I spent the whole afternoon crying. Barely managed the school run this afternoon but did it by keeping my head down and not making eye contact with anyone.

I have MH difficulties so may be taking this more personally than it is. But I feel awful that people think I'm some awful abusive dog owner and I really don't want to ever go back there. Obviously I have to. It's a small village school and I think I've blotted my copybook with them forever.

Sorry for the length of this, if you've managed to get through it all I applaud you.

My AIBU is, was I unreasonable to take her in the first place? Would you consider a yappy little dog to be distressed enough to call the RSPCA?

The RSPCA have much more important things to do and wouldn't be happy about the school wasting their time over this.

At my daughter's old village school there were tons of dogs on the school run as many parents went on group dog walks afterwards. Horses sometimes too! My dog is huge but very gentle and used to get mobbed at pick up. He loved it, used to drag me up to the gate and wait for the adoration to start.

I agree with itsmine the time to deal with phobias is in a calm controlled manner.

I have dogs but there's no way I'd take them on the school run as I don't believe it's fair on others. The amount of times I've seen a dog tied up close to the gate and then proceed to lunge at people trying to get in makes me cross. They've even had to put up a sign stipulating that dogs must be tethered x amount of distance away now in a bid to tackle this issue. Makes me annoyed when you hear someone saying 'oh but he's just an old softie' whilst the dog is barking it's head off and lunging at passers by. I'd say it's the owner that needs training not the kids.

I say this as a dog lover.

I think they are out of order! And you are not doing anything wrong !! As someone has said if it's genuinely separation anxiety then he would be yapping the whole time you leave him at home! If you don't leave him there how is he going to train to be able to sit there? Maybe start doing similar in your garden rewarding with treats when you go out if he's quiet.. but anyway it's all a process that he needs to learn.
We have just got a rescue puppy and he barks when I leave him at home to do the school run but with lots of me pretending to leave etc we had our 1st school run without barking!!
Someone at our school brings their dog to school and he yaps and whines everyone just makes a fuss of him and carries on ! He needs to learn that his owner is coming back ! What did rspca actually say as they should know very well you are in no way harming that dog !!! And what a waste of the rspca's time when there are actually animals in danger

My son is petrified of dogs after he was mauled by one at 3 years old. The dog was off it's lead because we were in a park. I have taken him to see a woman who specialises in making children less frightened of dogs. There was also someone who came into nursery and showed all the children how to approach unknown dogs. I have not avoided dogs and me and his brother stroke dogs next to him, but he is still petrified. So I have made a conscious effort and it's not that easy to overcome.

I think having dogs on the school run is absolutely fine and it's good to see them around. But not left unattended and barking or yapping at the gate. At my son's school this isn't allowed, parents are asked to stay with their dog and let a friend take their child the last bit.
I also don't think this is a RSPCA matter and the teacher was OTT and rude.

Although leaving the dog at home is longer than at the gate, it's not the same. At home the dog is in a quiet, relaxed and familiar environment. At the school gates it is noisy and busy and probably scary to a dog who is chained up.

The presence of dogs on the school run is weirdly divisive. Some mums and kids love it and can't get enough of the dog, others look at you (the mother) like you are mad/ rude/ dangerous to know.
I don't ever want to sound like Nigel Farage harking about the good old days but leaving a dog that does not pose a threat to children at the school gates is fine. It just is. It's a dog, people see them all the time in parks, and it's a dog that obviously lives with children so is not going to harm passing kids. Yapping, yes, it's annoying, but that's it, just annoying. Sometimes my dog barks, sometimes he doesn't. My dog doesn't like scooters so sometimes he barks at scooters, which is embarrassing, but usually not a major problem. You have to try these things. If it doesn't work and is stressing you and the dog, then fine, try not to take it. But getting the RSPCA involved is totally nutso and the complainant is an over-sensitive busy body. IMO. But then I'm on the dog side of the divide...

i used to love taking my retriever on the school run, he would make a noise thumping his tail and some children would come out every time they saw him to say hello but he was an older dog by then, when he was under 5 and full of beans I wouldn't have - you might find you can do it again when your chi x is older. He's too old now, he can't do the walk anymore. I wouldn't feel bad, the HT was OTT ime.

The rspca rarely turn up to animals that ARE in need of their time so i really doubt theyd turn up for a well cared for dog barking for its owner for 10mins :/ Personally i wouldnt take a dog to school as some children are scared of them and they could get stolen or attacked by a passing dog tied to the fence while youre not there but as for it being a cruelty issue then no i dont think it is. The school have over reacted

Phone the Rspca and ask for some advice I'm sure they would be happy to help.
Also could the dog have been yapping because it was excited?
My dog does he goes through works when my son comes near him if I take him to meet him at home time he shakes and makes this awful sound, but he is just so excited to see his little pal.
My dog also barks when he runs with his sister, we get some right funny looks but it's just what he does!
Can you not stand with the dog and have someone walk your child to the gate to meet you? It's a shame you child misses out in walking her for the sake of someone walking your child across the playground.

Total overreaction by the school and very rude too. YANBU.

Am l the only one who thinks it is sad that so many children are so terrified by a tied up dog?
Pets including dogs are one of lifes great joys and children being scared seems such a shame.

children being scared of dogs does make me sad too, i find it a depressing facet of modern life. Some children love seeing dogs at the school gate and presumably it could have an uplifting/calming experience on them.

There is a small supermarket right by Ds primary school. Where dogs are tied up all the time till their owners come back from shopping. Some cry some bark some just sit there. What's the difference? Children are always going past them. Never heard of parents moaning then. I took my dog many times while dropping Ds off to school. We tied our lovely boxer a little further away from the main gate so He wouldn't scare the little ones. Dont worry about it op. As if the Rspca have nothing better to do then go after a family who want to walk their dog.

Even a barking dog...after all its not a tiger...l would have thought we have far more important things to be worried about for our children than a very little, (rather cute) barking, tied up dog close to school!!

Storm in a teacup

Let's not forget the reason a lot of children are scared of dogs is because they have been jumped at/barked at etc by these dogs when owners haven't been paying proper care and attention.

Leaving dogs that are known to be snappy/yappy type dogs tied up outside a school really isn't a good idea - for the dog or for some children!

Some children find the noise of continuous barking upsetting because they have sensory difficulties relating to sound. Yes they are in the minority but some people are being dismissive of those difficulties. If my son got distressed by sound on the way in to school it may cause problems for himself and so others in the classroom.

A lot of owners treat their dogs like an extra child and don't bother to train them properly. You hear so much of 'lovely soft old thing wouldn't hurt a fly' but what is cute to you may not be to everyone else.

It's not just barking it's lunging, growling and general territorial behaviour that a lot of dog owners don't recognise and palm off as something else.

A barking dog is annoying, but this was a total overreaction. Op said she'd already decided to train it before bringing it in again and accepts that a barking dog is irritating to people and potentially scary for some children.

Op I'd put the incident behind you but don't let it stop you in the future once your dog is properly trained. It's awful to be threatened with the rspca, but I really don't think you have any reason to worry. The rspca turned up at our house one day because a neighbour's friend reported that our cat was underweight and scraggy. She gets 3 meals a day and has long fur which she won't let us brush so periodically she gets a few tats that needs shaving out. The rspca visited, saw how well cared for our two cats are (we showed the inspector the vets check up cards and vaccination records) and saw she wasn't underweight because her weight has remained steady since adulthood - she's a wee bit boney whereas her sister is more beefy. Case closed. We still have two very happy cats who are now 8 years old.

Put it behind you but don't let it put you off taking the dog on the school run once you've dealt with the separation anxiety.

A dog rarely sits in one place if it's yapping to be fair. When I've seen a yappy dog outside a shop for example they've been moving around on their lead, jumping at people etc.

It's established that you are not going to bring the fog to school again so that's a moot point. When I am most sorry and worried about is that this has affected you do profoundly. As someone who lives in a high drama, high stress environment working with often unpleasant and troublesome people with zero managerial support I can only pass on this little crumb of comfort: In four to six weeks you won't even remember how sick to the stomach this has made you feel. These people will find another drama to excite themselves over and will move herd like to the next thrilling episode in their lives. Where I work the same people that sent around a petition about a barking dog in a flat, arrived two weeks later with a petition about someone putting ordinary waste in recycling bags. Not saying they didn't have a point (don't jump on me Greens!) and the following week there was a petition because someone (me) had forgotten to unplug the kettle in the communal space after I'd been making a cup of tea. The point is... As in all things in life, it's never just you. Your event is part of the fabric. It will be the parent that isn't using regulation school uniform, unsuitable shoes, unsuitable hairstyle. There is nothing people who have not enough to do won't protest about. I used feel sick when my manager would come to see me with the latest petition indicating I was allowing where work to slide into a hot bed of discontent. I feel more flatulent than full on sick now. to go all biblical: This too shall pass, and probably a lot quicker than you think it will. Look after yourself. You sound like a really lovely, gentle person.

Aaagh...,or even "the dog" to school. Sorry.

I'd be fuming tbh.
Out of all the things the school could complain about....
What about the amount of twating inconsiderate drivers dropping their kids off to school.
Chaos, pollution, laziness.. what's that teaching children.