The school is getting a school dog

[Worriedaboutthedoggy]

The school had sent out a newsletter today that they are getting a school dog. The letter has all the positives mentioned - they are getting it from a reputable breeder and good bloodlines, it is a hypoallergenic breed (labradoodle), it will be staying in a family environment when off duty (presumably with a member of staff), it will teach the children about the importance of caring for someone - but I still am feeling a bit weird about it, can't put my finger on why exactly.

I am not sure about the impact on the dog - won't it be stressed by the usual playground ruckus? What if it turns out to be wrong temperament?

I am also ashamed to admit that one aspect that concerns me is financial. The average lifetime cost of keeping a dog in the UK (according to google) is around £18K, and I can't help feeling that there are better ways to spend these money (the school is currently fundraising for quite basic things).

Please do tell me I am BU and a total killjoy, and please do tell me your positive stories.

@Worriedaboutthedoggy you are being sensible and your concerns are rational in my opinion!

Yes too to the people who've mentioned about cultural differences, it's just another instance where these are ignored and your own way is automatically best.

I expect someone bringing in a dog every so often would be great - and kids who are allergic/scared/don't like dogs can be easily kept out of its path.

Not quite sure why it needs to be a permanent fixture?

I agree that the carbon footprint of dogs is horrendous. And the costs are not inconsiderable, either.

OP there is nothing wrong with you asking questions or being unsure when confronted with a situation you are not familiar with. No one should be taking offence here and I’m sure the school would be happy to answer any questions you have about how they will manage the dog as well.

I work in a boarding school where there are 8 dogs belong to Housemasters etc. The children adore them and they add a homely feel to the school. No negative aspects whatsoever!

I think it's a wonderful idea. Dogs are better than humans and (fully expect to get flamed for this but I don't care) anyone who doesn't like dogs is very strange in my opinion.

Teaching children to care about another being, cuddling the dog when they're upset, are all wonderful benefits of this. I know of a dog who lives at the local hospice and gives so much joy to the residents as she visits them.

My DC has grown up with a dog since birth, they adore each other and she loves and respects all animals she comes into contact with as a result. Something more humans could do with learning.

Whilst I am all for a dog in schools, done in the right way. I do think OP should speak to the school about her concerns.

Though it will be an odd converstation as her children wont be negatively impact and the issue is more cultural. As she said herself.

But if she broaches it from the angle of concern for the dog, how it's been trained, the fact that it's not hypoallergenic, stress risk assessments etc she will get the answers.

Either that will relieve her fears about the dog or it will make the school think twice (if they arent doing thos the right way).

I would email a list of questions to the school.

@Doyoumind, I agree that there is no such thing as a dog that doesn’t cause an allergic reaction. My DM always used to discourage me from stroking dogs for this reason and staying round my grandma’s in the summer holidays was always a bit traumatic as I would inevitably wake up in the night with coughing and wheezing, and wake everyone up. I love dogs and would love to have one, but I have had some really bad reactions (cats are also bad, especially indoor cats, and rabbits are the worst). The worst thing is that I can be okayish with the same dog one day and the next day it will not be okay. Fortunately I have reasonably good control over my asthma (and allergic reactions) now with steroid inhalers (that seem to help with the skin reaction too), so it won’t tend to cause me major problems, but I’m not sure these are prescribed to young children. I’ve experienced a dog in the workplace (guide dog) as an adult and that was okay because I just didn’t touch it and it was quite far away from my desk, but that’s with medication. I don’t think it’s ideal for a school where there will inevitably be a few children in each class with asthma who may react to dogs. Dogs often get annoyed with children poking and prodding them, and even the most placid dog can turn in those circumstances. It is also not an ideal environment for a dog, unless you already know the dog’s temperament.

I think it's a great idea if they fundraiser separately for the cost. No dog is actually hypoallergenic though ( we have ( had) 3 labradoodles and allergic DD wasn't allergic to the first who was scruffy type, is to the second also scruffy type and is allergic to the crap no 3 brings in on his poodle type coat, like leaves, dirt general crap from the outside). We got labradoodle on advice of paediatrician btw as DD was desperate for a dog as were we but she really needs to live in a bubble really. We drug her With antihistamines and don't tell DH she's allergic but I can't see how you could drug an entire school!

Crikey, what a miserable load of responses! Trying to pick holes with what the school is doing. I have a feeling that they will probably have thought through all these contingencies and have a way through them. It sounds like a fantastic idea.

@Treacletoots that's exactly the issue, you are "prepared to be flamed" but happy to state that your way of thinking is the only way, and you can't possibly imagine any reason why there could be a problem with a dog in school! But apparently contact with dogs gives you tolerance and perspective....?

There are some people who are allergic to guinea pigs and hamsters and indeed hens, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be in schools! Just that those affected need to avoid them.

If you don't like dogs as house pets where exactly do you expect dogs to live ?

There's a very good reason why most reputable rescues will not rehome to families with young children..

That's a rule that many rescues have in place to protect themseleves. The very same rescues also complain they cabt rehome dogs.

No rescue should have blanket ban on dogs where there are children. Some rescue dogs can happily be rehomed with children. The rules should apply to the dog. Not as a blanket ban.

Lots of dogs do very well and are very happy as therapy dogs.

It's quite a lot easier to cage a gerbil than a dog though.

@Fleetheart should we apply the same thinking to nut allergies too? Just send all these awkward, allergic people away from where it's at?

@Treacletoots

It's good to be strange then.

I would rather walk on the other side of the road than on the same side as a dog. I guess in your eyes that makes me "double strange".

I am a dog lover and have a dog myself.
I have seen huge benefits from petting/therapy trained dogs visiting hospices and care homes etc.

But a school feels the wrong environment for a full time dog.

Costs can be huge- what if the dog ends up with a serious illness or enduring problem like a skin condition.

Insurance

What if the dog gets ill and bites etc- even the calmest dog can get stressed and turn eg if poked in the eye accidentally by a curious child- experienced owners know this and manage this risk all the time.

Given this dog is a puppy by the sounds of it then there is no way of predicting its temperament esp as it’s a cross breed. Some labradoodles are very bouncy indeed and they aren’t small dogs either.
My neighbours labradoodle could knock my youngest of his feet easily. Even calm dogs end up barking and this can make people jumpy.

Effect on the kids if dog gets ill/run over/dies. Parents who get a family dog accept this and will grieve as a family. School are encouraging forming of what could be a very close bond without parental agreement. Some kids might already be very vulnerable and not cope with further loss.

Allergies still a risk with even low shedding dogs. For visitors to the school and kids.

Never mind the dog......what about the children?

I had a serious run-in with a dog when I was about 5 - it was an alsatian - much bigger than me. I was therefore terrified of dogs - school was one of the places where I did not have to encounter them. I would have become a school refuser had there been a dog there.

I am with EineReiseDurchDieZeit - bringing a dog into school indicates the commonly held belief by besotted dog owners that everyone shares that passion. That people do not mind being jumped all over and slobbered all over. There are many responsible owners who recognise that not everyone shares their passion for dogs; but trying to bring a dog into this setting assumes that either they do not understand that not everyone wants a dog around or they are setting out to "cure" those who do not like them.

Have a rabbit in a cage by all means - but definitely not a dog. Someone will have to be in charge of it - their time would be better spent on educating the children.

How ridiculous! On another note when it dies who replaces it? Morbid I know but we had the guinea pig over the summer and it croaked it and I’m not sure if I was supposed to find a replacement but I found a lookalike as I felt so bad. I think she was fairly old though.

How ridiculous! On another note when it dies who replaces it? Morbid I know but we had the guinea pig over the summer and it croaked it and I’m not sure if I was supposed to find a replacement but I found a lookalike as I felt so bad. I think she was fairly old though.
I would expect like most working dogs it would be retired before old age rather than worked to death.

As someone who as worked professionally with animals all her life, I have never heard anything so utterly and completely INSANE!

Dogs are not humans .... schools are inherently institutions filled to the brim with STRESS & FEAR ....dogs pick up on stress and fear ..... even the most quiet therapeutic dog has strict protocols to its working day, the amount of people it gets to interact with and when!

Dogs are domestic wolves ... their innate instinct sits dormant due to reliance on humans but it just takes 1 moment, one second for that flight/fright to kick in and a child/teacher is bitten, either because the dog got protective of an anxious child/teacher or scared from over stimulation!

No, you don't hear of the highly trained dogs, police, guide, therapet who failed on the job because of a build up of fear and stress ... they don't make a good lovable story in the press but it happens much more than anyone likes to think! Trust your instinct and ask questions, lots and lots and research ... stress and fear in dogs, how it builds, why it builds and the reactions of dogs under stress!

Doesn't matter how well trained, a sheep dog can suddenly turn on sheep or its master in a second, a family happy family pet on a child or stranger .... argh! The world has gone mad ... I know I shouldn't come onto these forums ... as humans we have lost touch with reality and life is viewed from some post modern constructed fantasy where all will be fantastic as long as we all play along! Things is animals didn't get the memo but they are always the ones that get the blame! Schools are no place for dogs, other than the odd visit by a trained therapet and it's trained owner!

I am probably just not that much of a dog person, also from a culture which is not too keen on dogs as house pets.

See this is why I think it's a good idea.

I live in a very diverse part of London and a lot of parents from different cultures have very good reason to be terrified of dogs (due mainly to street dogs in their home countries). Often if they haven't been directly affected by street dogs, friends and family will have been.

This fear is often passed down to their kids and it's awful sometimes to see the sheer terror in some kids eyes, when they won't even pass a dog on a lead walking on the same side of the street as them.

The dogs in schools initiative in this area has had very positive results and kids are even told they're welcome to invite their parents and younger siblings to meet the dogs, should they wish to.

No, no, no! Dogs are awful and kids shouldn’t be forced to interact with them. Waste of money and time too. School is to educate, not this crap.

My sons school as a school dog. I think it's amazing, he accompanies them on long hikes and takes part in their pe lessons. Roams the school corridors and is just there as a general, listening ear.

When he isn't sloping around picking up pats and kind words on his way he can be found snoozing in the library. He even came to our house for our home meeting......my son will really miss him when he leaves. :(