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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dogs on the school run

93 replies

Sunshineshinning · 11/05/2018 10:24

Our school run is along quiet residential roads and footpaths. There are quite a number of dogs - most of which are on leads - particularly around the outside of a largeish park.

There are a couple, however, who are left to run free. They are all ‘nice’ dogs (eg Labrador, beagle types) and stay relatively close to their owners. However they do sniff around which scares my children.

So - would I be unreasonable to ask them to keep their dogs on a lead or do they have the (moral) right to keep them off lead?

Am particularly interested to hear from dog owners (esp those who do keep off lead - and think their right to have off lead trumps my right to not have a dog sniffing around).

OP posts:
CrochetBelle · 11/05/2018 10:26

Dog owner.

I don't agree with dogs being offlead in residential or shopping areas, full stop, regardless of their 'niceness'.

CrochetBelle · 11/05/2018 10:26

I wish this was the law, tbh.

UpstartCrow · 11/05/2018 10:27

Yanbu, there's always one person who has to spoil things for everyone else. The DC's school sent out a letter about loose dogs, so maybe you could ask them so you don't have to confront anyone.

SparklyglitterAnddiamonds · 11/05/2018 10:27

My dd school lets them in the playground and school Shock

My dd is terrified, it's pretty shit to not feel safe In your own school and playground

I would ask them to keep on leads/stop thrm from running up to you

UnsuspectedItem · 11/05/2018 10:28

Sounds like an opportunity for your children to overcome their fear of dogs.

Nanny0gg · 11/05/2018 10:31

My dd school lets them in the playground and school

Who cleans up their urine and poo?

Dancingmonkey87 · 11/05/2018 10:32

When I was in primary school a girl in my
Class went to stroke a dog outside the school gates and it mauled her face. They shouldn’t have any dogs near school grounds.

SparklyglitterAnddiamonds · 11/05/2018 10:34

@nanny0gg I haven't actually seen them toilet in the playground, but dd stood in dog poo yesterday on a grass verge outside the school Angry

Madmarchpear · 11/05/2018 10:35

There's a foul uncastrated staffy tied to the school gates everyday at ours. It's an accident waiting to happen.

NoFucksImAQueen · 11/05/2018 10:36

Just to clarify because I'm not certain from the wording in your op. You walk to school through a park and there's dogs off lead in the park?

AuntieStella · 11/05/2018 10:36

I think your first port of call should be the school, and ask them to put a piece in the newsletter asking for everyone picking up from the school to keep their dogs on the lead (with an explanation of fears etc, if they think that would help). Then see if that makes any difference.

Original poster
Sunshineshinning · 11/05/2018 10:37

@unexpecteditem - I am working with them on this - but when we’re in a hurry to get to school it’s not really the appropriate time!

Funnily enough, I don’t have such an issue with it at other times (during school hours / evenings etc) but I do think in that 45 mins ish in the morning and afternoon when most kids are travel to / from school, dogs should be on a lead.

I’ve wanted to say something and chickened out a number of times firstly because I wasn’t sure if I was being reasonable and secondly because I didn’t want to make it more of an issue for my kids.

OP posts:
CrochetBelle · 11/05/2018 10:37

When I was in primary school a girl in my
Class went to stroke a dog outside the school gates and it mauled her face. They shouldn’t have any dogs near school grounds.

Well, yes, but parents also need to teach their children never to approach a dog without permission from the owner.

CrochetBelle · 11/05/2018 10:40

Ah the dogs are offlead in a park? Unless you mean in a specific children's play area, I think YABU. Offlead dogs in parks are fine, as long as the owner has control over them.

Original poster
Sunshineshinning · 11/05/2018 10:40

@nofucksimaqueen we walk along a path which is separated from the park by a knee high fence.

It’s generally accepted that dogs can run free in the park, it’s the ones on the footpath either by the park or other parts of the journey. The school has a very small catchment area - so there are a plenty of kids on the whole journey.

OP posts:
Original poster
Sunshineshinning · 11/05/2018 10:41

Just to be clear no part of our journey is actually in the park.

OP posts:
Ansumpasty · 11/05/2018 10:43

Our school has a ‘no dogs past school gate’ policy which is good. After all, if a child was bitten on school property then school would be to blame.
What does piss me off is people walking down the school paths (public pathway) with their dogs and not picking up their shit. Every single day, there are at least 5 piles of poo that we have to weave around. Sending your child to school with dog poo on their shoes is foul.

SissySpacekAteMyHamster · 11/05/2018 10:44

I walk my dogs on their leads. I agree that dogs should be on leads.

I don't agree that dogs should be kept away from schools. I kill two birds with one stone in a morning by making the school run the dogs' morning walk.
I am respectful of anxious children and keep my dogs away from other dogs so there is no chance of unpleasantness.

I know a few children who have been nervous around the dogs who have asked about them and now pet them.

I would speak to the school.

For the record, I thought dogs had to be on leads in residential areas. I honestly thought it was law?

Tamingoftheglue · 11/05/2018 10:49

I own a dog. He's never off the lead when we go out for a walk. Not because I can't control him, I just don't like it for the exact reason you've given. I would be distraught if anything did happen between him and a person or another animal. He's a nice, small dog; hairy and daft. But I don't think you can ever trust an animal or a situation 100%.

Dogs that sniff around can be very intimidating. Yanbu in my opinion.

NotARegularPenguin · 11/05/2018 10:54

Dog owner.

Dogs should only be off the lead in a crowded place like you describe if they walk to heel and don’t go up to people or other dogs.

Spikeyball · 11/05/2018 10:57

I would expect dogs that are not in the park to be walking to heel. Dogs shouldn't be sniffing around people's feet anywhere.

gryffen · 11/05/2018 10:57

Our school/council bans dogs on school property unless they are guide dogs etc.

If a lone dog is found on school property the school is kept shut and animal welfare called for removal or if violent then dog unit called.

No kids allowed out until dog is seized and owner when found is visited by police and head of school if children are students there with strict instructions of what will happen if a child or adult uninjured.

pigsDOfly · 11/05/2018 10:58

Dog owner here.

Dogs must be under control in public places, so unless a dog is causing a nuisance or is violent it would seem it's ok for it to be off lead in the street.

Personally I think all dogs should be on a lead in the street. In the park it's different and I think most people accept that well behaved dogs run free in most parks as long as they are kept out of children's play areas. Unfortunately, not all dogs running free in parks are well behaved.

It often depends on local bye laws as to whether dogs are permitted off lead in public places. In the next town to me for example, there is a park where the dogs must be kept on the lead, although that doesn't seem to make much difference to some dog owners.

If the dogs that scare you children are owned by parents of the school and are being brought to the school, it might be worthwhile having a word with the school secretary to pass on your concerns and see if they can send out a letter asking parents to put their dogs on a lead near the school.

angryburd · 11/05/2018 10:59

I'd find it hard to get worked up if all they're doing is sniffing around, as dogs do.

Nikephorus · 11/05/2018 11:00

Dogs should be under control - doesn't matter if off-lead or on-lead. You can have a perfectly well-behaved dog off-lead who will sit quietly next to their owner and a dog on the lead who's pulling and snapping at people. Which of those would you prefer?
I keep my dog on the lead near the school, not because I don't trust her, but because I don't the children not to run up to her