Dangerous dogs

[Ghanagirl]

AIBU to ask how you can help protect your self from being bitten by aggressive dogs.
I have to visit clients at home and frequently come in to contact with various pets, some docile others really aggressive and owner's of latter often seem unconcerned that their snarling dog can be intimidating to a person that has to visit their home by law (I work for NHS) I've never been bitten but know colleagues who have so I'm now nervous around dogs in particular...

I have an aggressive dog.

I always put him far away from anyone visiting and wouldn't be embarrassed if someone asked me to put him away.

Can you not just ask them to move it to another room?

Could you not just say you're nervous of dogs would they mind putting it in another room/the garden? You're not asking them to put it in a cage - I don't see the big deal.

Keep a stash of bonios in your pocket!!

I have a biggish dog and I am not offended if a visitor asks me to put her in another room, just ask!

OP you asked ''how you can help protect your self from being bitten by aggressive dogs.''

The answer is to ask your clients to put the dog in another room for the time you are there. No need to say you're personally nervous of dogs. If pushed you can say some of your colleagues have been bitten while on home visits and as you are entitled to be safe while you work you'd appreciate their co-operation. Thanks.

I do ask for the dogs to be put away and most clients do but some very reluctantly and twice in last 2 months parent of child has refused in the last case owner held dog by the collar and it was literally straining to get free whilst I tried to do my job.
We are allowed to refuse to visit if we feel unsafe but it means either the child wont get care it needs or one of my colleagues will have to do visit at a later date and we are extremely short staffed

Loup - i am sorry that people are wanting to hurt you, that must be very scary for you. Your dog sounds amazing and is probably safer than many untrained dogs.

Going to the OP ofcourse you should ask for the dog to be outside. My mum had a huge dog and often needs medical attention at home. Id always put the dog out but onthe one Timei forgot the dr wouldn't come in until i removedthe dog. Totally correct, I had just forgotten as i knew he was safe but other people don't.

I've got two rottweilers and they are the daftest dogs on the planet. Given the chance they give our guests a nice waggy greeting and then carry on snoozing or whatever (yesterday the youngest was helping the carpenter by fetching his tools for him).
However if I knew someone was coming around who was nervous of dogs or I had never met before I would of course move them to another room and you are definitely not being unreasonable to ask this is done if the dog is seemingly aggressive. However if you are visiting and the dogs were friendly, not jumpy uppy or invasive I would have a hard time seeing what the issue would be.
From your point of view I would check out the RA done regarding this aspect of your work. If it's more a case of you are frightened of dogs perhaps make your clients aware of this before visiting or make it a blanket rule that you say this to everyone?

To be clear OP are you specifically working with vulnerable children or with all children?

I always ask people to put their cat/dog in a different room. I say I have an allergy.

No one has ever refused

“I've got two Rottweilers and they are the daftest dogs on the planet.”
“However if you are visiting and the dogs were friendly, not jumpy uppy or invasive I would have a hard time seeing what the issue would be.”

You know that they are friendly, but a stranger wouldn’t. I read this time and time again on MN that some dog owners simply don’t “get” that some people are scared of dogs or just don’t like them. I like dogs BTW, but I think the default should be to be considerate towards the visitor. In Ghana’s case she isn’t likely to be in the house for very long anyway, so I don’t understand why someone wouldn’t shut their dog away for the duration of her visit.

I think the allergy excuse is a good one and wouldn’t offend.

But Iam, it's her home!

I don't get your point.

I don't like dogs at all and find them terrifying. I used to tutor children in their homes, and the families were always happy to shut the dog in a different room while I was there.
Just ask politely and say you're terrified around dogs, and I'm sure most people would be fine with that.

OP you do realise that PP dogs are very very highly trained? They don't just go for random people because they don't like what you are doing. What would you be doing to a child that the dog might not like? Holding them down while they scream and cry? Dragging them away? Raising a fist to them? If none of the above, you have nothing to worry about. They defend their handler on command or if there is an immediate risk to their safety such as someone coming at them with a weapon. They also cease on a single command. I wouldn't be shutting away a perfectly docile animal in it's own home when it was lying quietly and showing no interest in you whatsoever. Grow up.

If the dogs won't leave you alone or are aggressive then fair enough, ask for them to be put in another room but otherwise, I think you're being very silly. A dog lying on the rug, completely ignoring you should not be intimidating in the least, regardless of it's size.

StarryIllusion grow up because following 2 colleagues being bitten by dogs I'm now nervous around them!
As mentioned before I go into provide care for babies and children so of course I'm not holding them down, or hurting them, I think you're being very childish.

I've just clarified with human resources department and they've said we don't have to enter any house if we feel at risk or uncomfortable, the risk can be unsafe building, or a person or animal that makes us feel unsafe, the onus is on the parent to then bring the child to either a clinic or hospital.

I think people who own aggressive dogs are selfish numpties, who don't give a rats arse about anyone but them selves. Unless the dog is needed in a work capacity then you shouldn't own one. You scare nearly everyone that comes near it and you, but of course that's the point.

I insist that any dog must be shut away or I refuse to visit (also NHS). My colleague was bitten and we now have a policy to protect us. Can you suggest this to your line manager?

Totally inappropriate to have a dog running around when a HCP visits. At best it's a distraction, at worst it's a threat to your safety.

Nan in her later years needed doc/nurse house visits. She had a Lab & a Jack Russell that her various children helped walk/feed/care for. Any time someone visited her the dogs were put outside- non negotiable. Both for hygiene- esp as was cleaning ulcers/dressing etc but also the Jack Russell was an unpredictable little shit sometimes!

I am asked to do house visits as a vet & I always ask other animals are removed from the room. They are a distraction to the pet being treated & I have had an occasion of examining a very ill dog & it's "brother" bit my nurse with no provocation whatsoever.

You are completely fair in asking them to be removed from your vicinity. Even if they are lovely & placid some people are very scared of dogs- end of!

The OP doesn't say she is afraid of a dog lying on a rug asleep but unless you are very experienced with animal behaviour then you have no idea if a dog can wake up and become aggressive if a child cries (even if just at the sight of a stranger).

And one of the dogs that the family refused to put away was clearly aggressive.

Most of the dog owners on this thread are living in a world where dog owners are responsible and sensitive to visitors, the general public is not afraid of dogs and also the general public is good at reading dog behaviour.

The OP is living in a world where she has no idea if a dog owner is responsible, where families are clearly not sensitive to visitors, and where she is not an expert in dog behaviour but is mildly afraid of dogs (both through personal experience and through colleagues' misfortune).

I would report the families that refused to put their dogs away and say you won't visit them again unless they put the dog away.
I am assuming you make an appointment? though in some jobs you would just turn up in the home.
So maybe if you could ask every family when you ring if they have a dog, state that there have been cases of dog bites and that you will require dogs to be shut away. If they say "oh but he's a softie" then say "sorry that's policy now" [never mind it's your own personal policy].

Then you can book for a colleague to go and you swap to his/her family if someone is reluctant. Should save you wasted visits as you can swap and go to a non-dog household if a colleague is happy to take your place.

If you ARE involved in safeguarding, this is a safeguarding issue. Children of the family or visiting children could also be afraid of the dog.

I always ask if a visitor is scared of dogs and offer to shut the dogs in a separate room.

Trouble is then they get excited and want to go out and a lot of barking and nonsense happens, and then it does seem as if they are unsafe. they are not, just daft.

It would be much easier if could stay with me, they would be much calmer and happier and things would be easier for everybody involved.

The problem is, as Midnight says, that responsible dog owners are reasonable human beings who will either automatically have the dog in another room without even being asked or will have no problem or issue with putting them in another room or the garden on request.

However a minority of dog owners are arseholes, as is to be expected because a minority of the human race are arseholes, and some of them own dogs. Those people will either not care whether you are nervous, actively enjoy the fact you are nervous, or try to convince you that their dog wouldn't hurt a fly/ is well trained and try to make you feel embarrassed into accepting the dig stays in the room.

Additionally some of the less responsible category of dog owners are just like certain parents who believe their child can do no wrong and everything is someone else's fault etc. Those people will say their dog is well trained/ friendly / harmless / only playing, and when it bites you they will say it is your fault for moving too quickly or looking at it in the wrong way or touching the baby you are there to examine whom the dog is protective of, or whatever.

Saying that you are allergic and firmly insisting the dog is removed for that reason really is the only way you'll get the second category of owner to remove the dog, and having a fixed policy of never going inside until the dogs are removed is the only way to be 100% sure you won't be bitten.

A dog owner was killed by his beloved pet dog in front of visitors who happened to be a BBC film crew just ten days ago, so your worries are not irrational.

StarryIllusion I don’t think the OP needs to “grow up”. How would she know if the dog is a PP dog unless the owner told her? I must admit I have never come across the idea of them before. Is it common practice to have one in the UK?

“I think you're being very silly.”

Back at you. You completely lack any empathy for people who dislike or are scared of dogs. Are you always this unfeeling and inconsiderate? Do you take pleasure in witnessing someone’s discomfort in the presence of your dog? Telling someone to grow up or suck it up is not helpful at all.

“Unless you are very experienced with animal behaviour then you have no idea if a dog can wake up and become aggressive if a child cries”

Exactly drspouse

OP as the owner of some very large breed dogs I am fully aware that they look intimidating to people even though they are completely docile (unless someone goes near the kids - then you'll find a large lump between you and the child!)
As a health care professional, They know you are coming and should automatically put the dog away in another room or garden. I would refuse to go in if they refuse to move the dog. You are there to help them not to worry about being bitten though I presume most sensible dog owners will be fine with keeping the dog out of the way whilst you do your work.

LoupGarou
Why do you need a "personal protection trained Doberman"?
If I'm visiting a child it's really intimidating to have a dog that's big and potentially aggressive in the room even if it's lying quietly.
Why would you need her to be at your side?

LoupGarou so a health care worker who has a duty to visit infants at home is a threat

This is a bit ott.
Loup has a dog due to her needs, the dog is highly trained and wouldnt bat an eyelid at you if you were there unless you threatened its owner. That is not the same as some numpty who cant understand how to train their dog or refuse to take an excited/aggressive dog out the room.

Picking on her is not helping your own circunmstances.

Its simple you either get the owners to remove the dog or dont go in if you feel threatened by the dog.

Why dont you have your practice write to your patients and state that all dogs have to be removed from the room where you are working. Explaining that due to the sensitive nature of your visits which may upset the child and therefor the dog, which may react.