About dogs around the playground

[Greentomatoesrule]

I have 2 young DC, aged 2 and 4. Both terrified of dogs after an unfortunate encounter with a dog at the park a year ago.

One DC attends preschool which is on the same grounds as the primary school. The primary school has a 'no dogs' on the grounds rule. There used to occasionally be a dog on a lead tethered to the gate when we dropped DC off but recently this has grown significantly and there are usually at least 5 dogs tied next to the gate at drop off. We have to walk through the gate, and a couple of the dogs are quite young, excitable, barking and jumping and my DC are just terrified as it's like running the gauntlet to get through the dogs.

Now I know that they will encounter dogs and that this is something we need to work on. But it's hard with so many dogs, and it feels like it undermines the purpose of the no dogs on the ground rule. Would IBU to have a quiet word to preschool to see if there's anything that could be done (just sending out something in the newsletter asking that people don't bring their dogs unless they really have to)? I know that it's hard for people to fathom that their lovely dog might genuinely cause terror in a little kid. I think I may BU as obviously I'm not a dog owner so have no idea of etiquette so wanted to check here before making an idiot of myself!

YANBU at all.

One of the things I'm worried about for my DC starting school in August is that lots of people use the school grounds as a cut-through to the adjacent park, and a huge majority of these arseholes have dogs with them. They walk right through a busy playground, sometimes with dogs off the bloody lead! Neither of my DC like dogs and the younger one is particularly terrified so it's a real worry.

Yanbu. People do this at our primary school too: the head has banned them from the grounds, so the selfish fuckers tie them by the school front gate. Where they poo. And a load of kids then walk the poo into all the classrooms. All because someone absolutely had to bring their dog on the school run.

And yes upsetting for the dog-phobic kids too.

Thanks so much everyone. Interesting, the comments are mainly YANBU whilst the voting is more mixed.

I really don't want to be 'that' parent, and feel like it might be one of those things where if they put out a reminder things change for a week or so and then go back to how they were. Unfortunately the spot right next to the gate is the only place for people to tie up dogs (the rest of the grounds are surrounded by walls). I'll have a quiet chat with the preschool and just mention how the kids are quite scared and see what they say and take things from there. I don't want to cause problems for anyone, and know that I need to help my kids overcome their fear, but also feel that this isn't helping them to get over it, but instead, exacerbating it a bit. Thanks everyone.