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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dogs in the playground on school pickup

153 replies

MrsJamin · 26/01/2018 07:26

I don't think dogs should be allowed in a playground at drop-off/pick-up, am I being unreasonable? What is done at your school? My school allows it and I don't think it's quite right.

OP posts:
idontlikealdi · 26/01/2018 08:08

Dogs not allowed in the playground - carried or otherwise. There's a kind of holding area before the gate where they are allowed - I reckon about 15/20 a day and it's a small school.

I have a dog and it's the perfect time to walk him - can't do pick up as have to collect from inside the playground and I wouldn't tie him up.

mustbemad17 · 26/01/2018 08:09

Absolutely not. And i hate owners who leave their dogs tied up outside so that hundreds of excitable kids have to flock past them.

PrincessoftheSea · 26/01/2018 08:09

Agree not in playground and not tied up just outside school gates either.

At our primary, the dogs used to be tied up on the other side of the road so you had to cross the road to get to them.

I say this as a dog hater.

mumsiedarlingrevolta · 26/01/2018 08:09

I have 3 DC and they have been at a number of schools-none of which allowed dogs on the premises-playgrounds, playing fields etc.

I don't think it's because people are afraid of dogs-I think that there is a risk of toxoplasmosis from dog poo-there used to be a picture of a boy at our rugby club with half his face sort of eaten off-the problem is that not everyone cleans up and ruins it for others.
The actual poo doesn't have to be there-just the residue left and then if a child falls with a skinned knee and then they can get the germs in the scrape. It does sound rare but it does happen Sad

Ameliablue · 26/01/2018 08:12

Not allowed in the school grounds. One or two tied to the fence, away from the gate. A few others with owners waiting near to gate.

veuveo · 26/01/2018 08:12

DEpends on the school
Our school has its own dog and it's a bit countrified.
Lots of dogs in school playground

Really very unsafe to leave dogs tied up
Outside

allegretto · 26/01/2018 08:20

Definitely shouldn't be in the playground. Why does everywhere have to be open to dogs now? I'm fed up with it.

KayaG · 26/01/2018 08:22

OP, complain to the head teacher, she may be just waiting for a reason to ban them.

Iprefercoffeetotea · 26/01/2018 08:29

I don't think they should be in playgrounds. Quite frankly they shouldn't anywhere where they can cause a health and safety risk to others (though that doesn't just apply to dogs, it also applies to kids on those infernal scooters - since when has it been acceptable to scoot around a busy shopping centre or along a busy road).

Or clothes shops for that matter. Yesterday I was in a branch of Fatface and someone walked in with his dog. He must have seen my face because he asked the customer service assistant if they minded the dog and they said no. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to embarrass the assistant and I had a train to catch anyway (it was in a station) , but I don't think you should take animals in because you don't want fur getting onto the clothes or the risk that a dog decides to wee or poo in the shop!

I don't really think you can compare prams and pushchairs with dogs. They are inanimate objects and don't wee or poo or bite or lick people!

JennyOnAPlate · 26/01/2018 08:32

Not in my dcs school. Not even if they’re carried. Speak to the head op or the chair of governors if the head isn’t on board with banning them.

StrangeLookingParasite · 26/01/2018 08:33

Where should people leave them?

At home.

Elocutioner · 26/01/2018 08:37

Scooters and dogs - some people just like to get worked up

ThirdTimeUnlucky · 26/01/2018 08:52

I stand outside the school gates with my dog. My son is in year 4 so has to be collected in person, but they know where to look for me. The school has PAT dogs so they can't really complain on the odd occasion I have to go to reception to hand forms in. I'm respectful of the parents and kids that don't like dogs and keep him on a short leash or carry him when I do have to go into the playground or reception.

Funnyface1 · 26/01/2018 09:19

There's a sign on the gate at ds's school asking for no dogs on the playground. A few wait there with their dogs for their dc and a couple get tied up. I wouldn't want to see them on the playground either, it's too hectic in there.

Original poster
MrsJamin · 26/01/2018 09:22

Bit of context why I asked (I wanted to gauge opinions on the topic first). Head loves dogs. Person with young dog on lead on playground let him jump up at me and didn't even attempt to pull him away or admonish him, and was on phone the whole time. I think it was their reaction that made me so angry, no apology or any response whatsoever. Not all dog owners are like this but sometimes you get a few barking at each other which scares me and my children, who knows what they might do around crowds of children. And yes I don't like dogs but I don't think this should matter to be honest.

OP posts:
ClaudiaD13 · 26/01/2018 09:29

The general rule is no dogs allowed but an exception has been made for our dog, who is in training to become a hearing dog. I agree with the no dogs allowed rule and thought all schools had this rule due to health and safety.

Sirzy · 26/01/2018 09:30

The heads views on dogs should be irrelevant. I would ask to see the schools risk assessment for dogs on the playground at pick up time...

Kitsandkids · 26/01/2018 09:35

I agree no dogs in playground. You can't always control where your dog needs to answer a call of nature and kids shouldn't have to be worried about watching for 'accidents' in their playground.

However, I have a dog. I struggled with the dog at first as he was very 'naughty' for want of a better word, I was pregnant (found out just after we got dog) and then had a baby plus 2 older kids. So dog went to dog sitter on days when my husband was at work. However, now he's calmed down a great deal and I can cope with him and am saving money by not using the sitter. But he needs to be walked obviously. During the day I often go to a baby group so once I've done that I want a bit of time to relax, feed the baby etc at home before school pick up time. So for me the best times to walk the dog are when I take the kids to school and when I collect the kids from school. We live a 25 minute walk away plus there's a park we can detour through on our way back so it gives the dog a really good couple of walks.

But school has specifically asked parents, by letter, not to bring their dogs to school. Not just into the playground but anywhere near the school. The path outside the school is always littered with dog poo but none of it has ever been from my dog and I don't think it's even dogs of families at the school, just people walking their dogs past on a night.

So last week I took the dog and stood on the pavement opposite the school gate. Once the crowds had cleared a bit I could see my kids waiting and when I waved they saw me and came. Which would have been fine except a teacher insisted on accompanying them across the playground and out of the gate. She tried to cross them over but I called over than I'd meet them at the lollipop man further down. I felt a bit guilty that she'd had to leave her post at the door and come over with my children but really, why did she have to? They're not 4, they're 9 and 10 and had clearly seen me, as had staff. But anyway, I'm not sure whether school see it as acceptable for me to bring the dog to pick up but, like I said, it's the best time of day for me to walk him.

Loopyloopy · 26/01/2018 09:37

Mumsiedarling, dogs don't carry toxo. You catch it from cat poo ( or undetcooked meat).

WeeMadArthur · 26/01/2018 09:41

My dog would love to come to school with me to pick DS up, and it would be convenient for me, but that isn’t what matters.

Not everyone likes dogs and some are downright afraid of them. I think it’s a bad idea to let dogs into a playground, or even leave them tied up unattended as who knows what might happen if a child approaches it on their own. For the same reason I wouldn’t leave DDog tic up outside a shop, either I or DH would have to be there.

metalmum15 · 26/01/2018 09:41

Not allowed at our school either. Parents with dogs wave their dc off at the gate.

Piffpaffpoff · 26/01/2018 09:43

Not in the playground and away from the gates. This was after some incidents.

steppemum · 26/01/2018 09:46

I am dog owner, and a school governor.
Our policy is very clear, no dogs on school premises.

(Although our head has looked at the idea of getting a 'school dog')

reasons:
-it is not up to the school to make a judgement about which dogs are 'safe' and which aren't, and so we need to err on the side of caution
-any dog when surrounded by 200 noisy kids may get distressed and lash out, whether a nip or a serious bite, neither is acceptable.
-some kids are afraid of/allergic to dogs, and school should be a safe place for all kids
-dog mess in the playground is horrible and possibly dangerous

as governors we are asked to keep our eyes open in repeat offenders get a word from the head.

We do have one exception, a parent does puppy training for the guidedogs for the blind. Her dog wears all the proper training stuff and has a pass to allow her anywhere.

maddiemookins16mum · 26/01/2018 09:57

It's not the dogs that are the problem (mostly), it's usually their owners.

Booboostwo · 26/01/2018 10:06

No dogs allowed at our school either and rightly so. I say this even though I own dogs, love dogs and train dogs.

Some people bring puppies but stay well away from other parents who are collecting. Children who want to can approach for a stroke which is great for puppy socialisation but others can easily avoid them.

IMO the most dangerous situation is dogs left unattended, tied to fences. Most dogs get stressed when on lead and when left alone around other dogs, plus the owner is not around to manage situations like moving a stressed dog away from a child. However as these are public spaces schools can t tell parents what to do. Parents need to have a bit of dog sense.