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?

I can't take her in with me, I've already asked.

If you knew she was yapping, you should have muzzled her. Yapping is very scary for someone not sure of dogs. To me it's what a nippy dog does.

Navy, believe me DS wouldn't need any encouragement to scoot quickly past. It's the barking noise he doesn't like (he may have some sensory issues). The nice quiet dogs in the playground have actually been really good for him learning to not be scared of dogs, it's just the barking that would bother him.

My DD was in tears last week trying to get past the cacophony of yelping dogs tied to the narrow gateway out of her school.

That said, threatening you with the RSPCA is ridiculous when you were reasonable and accepting of their request to leave dog at home. And I don't think you were in the wrong to try it out if it is the done thing for other people to brin dogs.

They should just ban all dogs tied to the gate via the next newsletter and be done with it. Wish our school would.

I would disobey their instructions and take my jrt chihuahua cross in with me.
Zipped in a bag with just its quiet little head showing.
If challenged I would say things like "left with very little choice" and "compromise."

But obviously I'm very naughty.

My jrt chihuahua cross is much bigger than yours too.
And heavier.
Just as noisy when left on her own I reckon.

Our school has to remind parents not to tie dogs up - not many do at the front, but many do at the back (the school backs on to a field but it's still the school's fence) and there is one dog that just barks and barks - so annoying, you can hear it all over the school.

Dogs have escaped and got into the playground and I know that parents have complained (I've seen them do it) and that the Head has spoken to the parents involved.

A PP suggestion of emailing the school sounds a good option. No way should the dog be allowed inside the school grounds!

I think you need to separate each of the (potential) problems and deal with them individually.

First and foremost, is a school where the other parents and the staff have such high handed attitudes and are prepared to report anyone whose (legal) actions do not meet their standards the right environment for your DC? This could be a one off or it could just be the beginning.

It is utterly unprofessional for whoever rang from the school to speak over you and to threaten you with reports to other organisations. Either it is a school issue, in which case the school should deal wit it, or it is a matter for another organisation, in which case the school should not get involved.

I suggest a letter to the headmaster/mistress expressing your concern about the way this has been handled. Keep it polite, short and keep a copy.

The RSPCA have no powers and no rights. Nevertheless they can be nasty and embarrassing. Suggest you speak to the SHG. the-shg.org

Others have mentioned the problems that could arise out of leaving an animal unattended. If another child hurt your dog and it responded the only evidence would be the damage to the child. If someone decided that you shouldn't have your dog and just walked off with it then what? Never leave your dog where you wouldn't leave your handbag full of money or your most treasured fragile item!

If there are children in the school (or more likely their parents) who are afraid of dogs then the school really ought to be doing something to help them deal with that problem, not protecting them from something they will meet in everyday life.

Pleas don't sit back and hope that all of this will die down and be forgotten. You need to deal with it and bring it to a conclusion that you feel you can live with.

I would guess one person has got all her particular cronies to complain to the school, and the result is the school thinks it is a bigger problem than it is. Sounds like a lot of concerted pearl-clutching has been going on. Try not to let it bother you.

Auser, you clearly don't have your facts straight. Muzzles certainly should not stop dogs from barking or yapping and most don't.

They should be able to bark, yap and most importantly pant with a muzzle on. There are one or two types of muzzle which restrict these but they are not recommend because they can restrict breathing and cause dogs to overheat (which can happen if they can't pant).

Anyway, I see nothing at all to suggest that OP's dog needs a muzzle of any sort. Only training and supervision.

I know it won't stop yapping. But as I said. Yapping is what's nippy dog does and a muzzle will stop that.

Yapping is what's nippy dog does and a muzzle will stop that

I don't agree, my dog yaps a lot, usually if there are intruders but sometimes for silly stuff. She has never nipped anyone or anything. Even when she's been attacked by smaller animals. She runs away from baby chicks and kittens. I would not muzzle her. As someone else said though, rural dogs rarely go to schools, unless they take themselves of course

By intruders I mean visitors. We are not plagued by intruders, unless of course you are the dog.

I agree with the person who said write a letter in hindsight pointing out what you had tried to say and how you agreed but were unhappy about how you were spoken to. It sounds as if you didn't get the chance to do that over the phone and I feel that if you don't say something, it's going to fester.

As an aside, people tie their dogs at our school but away from the gates, as stipulated by the head, for the reasons stated above and it does seem to work. Some bark but because they are not close to the children, no one seems to bother about it.

Yapping dogs are a pain generally and especially when they're tied up at the school gates. Other children are scared as they have to squeeze past. Leave the damned dog at home. Walk him another time. I am a dog owner btw but I don't take the dog to school.

Her point about separation anxiety is ridiculous because the alternative is leaving the dog at home.

However, I would probably have asked you to not leave it if it's yapping because in my opinion it's a sign that they're not comfortable and therefore will be more likely to bite someone. And even little dogs can cause serious damage.

My other half got bitten by a little York ie and it went through thick denim jeans and through his skin and the bruise and lump on it was horrible it really hurt him. I'm so thankful he dropped DS at nursery before he went in the post office (it was tied up by the doorway).

As I said. My experience of small yapping dogs (jack Russell's ) is that they nip. That's why I would muzzle if I had a small yapping jack Russell x

But it's immaterial because the op isn't taking the dog back anyway.

💐 don't let it get to you. There's always some gobby mare at the school gates who thinks she runs the place, & most school offices have one staff member who thinks 'School receptionist' is a direct translation of 'God'.

Don't stop taking your dog. She will get used to it.

Keep training her away from school as well. I would also get her vision checked as that caused huge problems with our dog when she was left, she couldn't see much & was trying to get our attention because she couldn't see us.

The RSPCA will not be even remotely interested in a dog yapping for 5 minutes. Truly.

Write an email to the Head, tell them you are not happy being confronted by parents in the playground nor yhevwaynyou were spoken to by a member of staff. Reiterate that your tiny DH has

My DS ran into the road outside school because he was frightened by a barking dog tied up outside the school gate. He didn't see that it was tied up, the dog barked lurched forward and DS jumped a mile and ran into the road because he thought it was going to get him. Luckily there were no cars going past.

I wouldn't say it's a neglect/separation problem, especially not worthy of a response from the RSPCA, but even for 3 or 4 minutes, you are not in control of your dog, so it's definitely a safety issue for the children walking past.

I think it was a bit OTT of the school to mention the RSPCA, but they could've worded it in a way that didn't make you feel like crap.