Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask your opinion on support dogs in schools

133 replies

OddSocksDontCare · 22/03/2019 21:00

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-47655600

I saw this article earlier and was curious as to what others think about this?

I've suffered mental health issues the past year or so and got my dog 7 months ago now. He has completely saved my life and I couldn't get more joy from him than I do.

I am considering trying to get him involved in some sort of therapy work i.e. nursing home visits / hospitals / schools etc... and have been going to training classes with him to try and lead up to this. I wouldn't have believed the thought of me having a hobby and joining a class like this a year ago!

I think the idea of pets as therapy for anxiety and stress can be a brilliant one with the right regulations in place to cater for those it would be unsuitable for (allergies, fear of dogs etc).

OP posts:
Walkingdeadfangirl · 23/03/2019 00:46

As long as they are not allowed in the main school buildings it would be fine.

But I think it would be a massive distraction to studying and you would probably find an sharp increase in children with 'issues' who need to spend time with the dog.

llangennith · 23/03/2019 00:50

Ridiculous idea. I love my dogs but as PP have said some kids are scared of dogs, allergic to their fur or dander, dogs may have fleas or pee in the school. Why don't people think these things through?🙄

SleightOfMind · 23/03/2019 00:51

I think it’s a wonderful idea but needs to be managed carefully for both DC and Ddogs.

StBernard · 23/03/2019 02:32

I am working with the school to take my dog in when they start using the outdoor classrooms. At the minute we are just waiting for snow to melt and the ground to dry then we will be on it! The idea is the younger children will be able to read to him, with me there to supervise. Most of the kids are already used to him as they see him morning and night in the playground and they have been begging me to bring him in for months!

WiddlinDiddlin · 23/03/2019 02:57

Having a dog that kids can visit, in a particular room set up for this.

Then the dog phobes and allergics and those whose parents opt them out from this are fine, no bother to them.

My main concern however is the dogs - I see far too many dogs stressed out by kids, stressed out by having to absorb human emotions, asked to tolerate FAR too much.

Even when run by 'dog people', I see service/assistance/therapy dogs asked to tolerate more than is ever fair.

I worry that schemes like this are often NOT run by 'dog people', but by those who actually cannot evaluate a dogs behaviour, and cannot give dogs enough of a break. When it goes wrong, it goes very wrong for the dog and the kid.

Driftingthoughlife · 23/03/2019 04:11

The school I used to work in and that Dd is at now has a “therapy dog”
In reality it’s just an excuse for the head to bring in her dog all day keep it in her office and spend lunchtime walking it. She picks two children who are usually her favourites to walk the dog with her a lunch time.

The office manager who has been there for 20 years is leaving soon because the office is right next to the heads office and the dog spends all day barking and howling when the head is not in the office with it.

A proper therapy dog might work but this one is just a farse

PregnantSea · 23/03/2019 05:12

I imagine there would be issues with allergies if you took him into a school. But that sort of thing can be dealt with on a case by case basis. Otherwise I think it's a nice idea

Original poster
OddSocksDontCare · 23/03/2019 08:46

dogs may have fleas or pee in the schools

I think so long as it's done properly a lot of these are non issues.

I don't think it should just be a case of a head teacher bringing their dog into school and labelling it a therapy dog.

Proper therapy dogs are well trained and assessed by either a qualified assessor of a vet first to ensure they are right for the job. There shouldn't be any nippy or aggressive therapy dogs or ones that will just pee on the floor or be covered in fleas (which any dog that's properly looked after will not be).

As for allergies and fear of dogs, as PP have said, the dogs should not be freely roaming around the school. There should be an area away from the class room where the children can visit them if they can/ want to.

For it to work it needs to be done and managed properly across the board. And WiddlinDiddlin the dogs well being also needs to be seriously taken into consideration.

I do genuinely believe that my dog would enjoy the experience. Perhaps not every day but visits on certain days of the week for example could work well. He loves human contact.

Of course some dogs are unsuitable which is why initial assessments by the proper qualified body should be standard in every case I would have thought.

OP posts:
Original poster
OddSocksDontCare · 23/03/2019 08:47

And as WiddlinDiddlin says*

OP posts:
SachaStark · 23/03/2019 08:54

We have an amazing therapy dog (big fluffy half bear, half Beethoven kind of dog) that comes in every week to visit our ARB unit. Everything is very well-managed, and the students love him and get so much out of his visits.

Confession: I may also spend a significant portion of every Friday lunch cuddling the therapy dog. What?! It's been a long week of mock GCSEs!

Coulddowithanap · 23/03/2019 08:56

My sister's dog used to go into a school to listen to children read (obviously my sister would be in the same room but the children would focus on the dog!)
It was a separate room from the main class room.

itsabongthing · 23/03/2019 08:58

Our head teacher is going to be bringing her puppy into school for ‘therapy’ which I do think is generally a great idea but can’t help thinking it’s also pretty convenient for her as presumably it would otherwise be difficult to have a puppy and work full time! They have written to parents and asked for details of allergies and phobias etc.

Letsnotargue · 23/03/2019 08:59

My dogs weren’t PAT dogs, but both of my grandma’s old people’s homes were thrilled when I took the dogs to visit. We’d primarily visit my grandma but the residents were always pleased to see them and have a pat. The dogs loved wandering around (on lead) collecting fuss from as many people as possible. My dogs knew not to wee in houses, they certainly weren’t the cleverest but they knew that this extended to old people’s homes, pubs, shops, offices etc and all the other places they went.

I know you are asking about schools, but the principles are the same. As long as there is protection in place for those kids that don’t want to participate, and the dogs can retreat if theyve had enough then it’s positive all round.

PlainSpeakingStraightTalking · 23/03/2019 09:00

DS work place has a well being dog Grin, loopy little cockerpoo going daft all over the place. But they are a very young innovative and funky company

Friend works for a prestigious bank, and they are bringing in a well being dog too. She wants cats because the place is over run with mice and cats will be more useful

Original poster
OddSocksDontCare · 23/03/2019 09:01

I know you are asking about schools, but the principles are the same

No, I'm definitely interested in hearing about anyone who's done similar Smile

When I've done a bit more training with mine I would like to take him to visit nursing homes etc..

OP posts:
Original poster
OddSocksDontCare · 23/03/2019 09:04

loopy little cockerpoo going daft all over the place Grin

Ours is a Cocker Spaniel, loopy is definitely the right word! He's incredibly clever though and doing really well at learning to reign it in a bit better!

OP posts:
Original poster
OddSocksDontCare · 23/03/2019 09:05

Rein it in!*

OP posts:
MidniteScribbler · 23/03/2019 11:47

Ridiculous idea. I love my dogs but as PP have said some kids are scared of dogs, allergic to their fur or dander, dogs may have fleas or pee in the school. Why don't people think these things through?🙄

Our school has no child with allergies to any animals. Any child that is scared of any animal is not forced to interact with them, but they do usually get over their fears pretty quickly when they see their peers interacting with the school animals. I have my own hydrobath, high pressure dryer and grooming equipment due to my twenty years of showing dogs, and my dogs are groomed weekly and certainly aren't dirty, nor do they have fleas. The dogs are taken out for walks in the school farm area to relieve themselves, so any pee is restricted to the same space that the sheep, cows and goats are peeing and pooing in.

I worry that schemes like this are often NOT run by 'dog people', but by those who actually cannot evaluate a dogs behaviour, and cannot give dogs enough of a break.

I don't disagree on this point. I have twenty years experience with dog training, I have trained dogs to obedience, agility, show, and field champion level. Our school dogs are very carefully managed. They only allowed to be at school on alternate days, with a maximum of 2 days per week. They each have a crate behind their owners desk and the students are taught not to go near them when crated.

Animals in school can be managed very well, and it can be a massive benefit for students and staff.

AdvancedAvoider · 23/03/2019 11:59

There's one at my DS's school and it's a great benefit to him to try to avoid a meltdown.

Barrenfieldoffucks · 23/03/2019 12:03

Our school has a therapy dog, she's very popular!

Barrenfieldoffucks · 23/03/2019 12:05

But she is a fully trained, immaculately behaved therapy dog, not a personal dog belonging to a staff member type thing

TheCanyon · 23/03/2019 12:12

Our school has one, she's an awesome wee thing. Every child gets the chance to read to her in the library or just spend time with her in a quiet area. She lives with and is paid for by a teacher, but is very much the schools.

TaMereAPoilDevantPrisu · 23/03/2019 12:25

Dogs can fuck off out of the workplace as far as I'm concerned. Unless they're like actual sniffer dogs or something.

SeventeenTwoChesnutMare · 23/03/2019 12:37

Can I ask to take a support equine into the office? Is that a thing now?

Barbie222 · 23/03/2019 12:43

People who are allergic to dogs often don't react well even if the dog isn't in the same room so there would probably have to be some sort of zoning if I was going to be able to work at the school. Fluffy things are really hard for me and it's not nice to think of children having to manage when they can't take the strong antihistamines. Tbh I don't really like taking them every day myself, it's bad enough going round to someone's house or going on a day trip to a farm or a zoo without it being constantly there in your place of work.

Swipe left for the next trending thread