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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think school staff should make care provision for their dogs?

530 replies

LoveTheirDogs · 07/10/2021 12:02

Our headteacher and business manager have both got dogs in the last six months. Now they're bringing those dogs into school. They're saying that the dogs are 'school dogs' which seems to mean that they're dogs that mostly hang around in school. They've also scheduled a number of 'enrichment activities' for the kids so that they can 'learn how to interact with different species' ie their dogs. AIBU to think this is taking the piss and they should just make provision for their dogs same as any other working person rather than having the whole school have to go to these (non-accredited) 'courses' that clearly cost a fortune and are only being put on so that BM and HT can tick a box that says everything is ok with them bringing their pets to work?

OP posts:
earthyfire · 08/10/2021 18:49

I think all children should be able to go into school feeling safe. Not all children will love the dog. A trained therapy dog I can accept but not one that hasn't been trained. It isn't fair on those with allergies or who are scared of dogs, it just doesn't come across as being inclusive to all.

1ittlegreen · 08/10/2021 18:57

@EvilPea

My ds’s school have a school dog. I cannot underestimate how beneficial it’s been. The children are calmer in the school. The troubled ones talk when they are with the dogs. The sensitive ones come out of their shells when the dogs are around.

They’ve worked with some of the scared ones, and they are no longer scared. That’s respected though.

They’ve had the dogs trust in the teach the kids manners around dogs.

However, these aren’t normal pet dogs (although they are one of the teachers) they are trained as therapy dogs, they are a poodle cross so hypoallergenic for most.

If implemented well it’s brilliant and can transform school life for some children.

There is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog, that's something sellers/industry spout in order to breed/sell more puppies. A dog is a dog, whether it sheds less or not, it still sheds.

People who are allergic to dogs are usually allergic to their saliva, dander and fur. If a dog has passed by a fabric chair for instance, some of its sweat, fur and dander will have rubbed off. When that transfers onto clothing and then the human touches that part of their clothing (eventhough it's microscopic) that's when the allergy flares up.

A risk assessment must be a nightmare to negotiate but if it teaches children to become more responsible pet owners then I'd be all for it.

When I was at school we had 'litterbug' campaigns, if only they would do one for dog shit with children then owners will pick up after themselves encouraged by their children. In theory. It might also teach children that not everyone feels the same about dogs and to respect the boundaries of people who don't like them.

Dfhugdhvdnjrs · 08/10/2021 19:06

Sounds illegal

Vynalbob · 08/10/2021 19:06

I think it's a positive move. It negates the usual problems with animals in school.
ie. Who's responsible for looking after them and treating them right. Sometimes some bright spark decides to say have class rabbits but then goes on leave or moves job then the pets are forgotten about or rehomed.
It may have a side benefit to the HT & BM but that doesn't mean it's a bad idea.
There are a lot of benefits to the wellbeing of the kids and if taught correctly the kids should be confident what they should or shouldn't do with strange dogs.

Best pet I've seen was a giant lop eared rabbit that ran around free in a nursery class, open cage, separate litter tray and a very loving and inquisitive nature (it was about the same size as the smallest guy in the class to give perspective... I believe it was the teacher's pet.

Dfhugdhvdnjrs · 08/10/2021 19:09

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5319273/

Stompythedinosaur · 08/10/2021 19:48

@Dfhugdhvdnjrs

Sounds illegal
I really don't think this is true.

I work in a secure children's home and dogs coming in is very popular with the dc. If there is a dc in who is scared or allergic then the dogs stay at home until they are no longer with us. It works perfectly well.

LoisLane66 · 08/10/2021 20:05

In the small rural town and surrounding villages where I live, dog ownership is de rigeur and dog-walkers honestly make a mint. Some owners clubbed together to buy a field so their pets can be off the lead.
Hanging bags of dog s* can be seen on practically every other tree on some favoured walks and the number of owners who post about lost dogs and cats on the Nextdoor app, are legion. Owners have no power of recall over the mutts but it's laughed about and indulged as if their 'fur babies' are naughty children.
I agree with the OP as regards the keeping of pets for people's own 'amusement'. After all, it's not the animals which sought to be adopted into our society, it's humans who decided to humanise animals.

Extragherkinsplease · 08/10/2021 21:08

Having a business manager in a school is not strange. Have you actually been in another school?

In regards to the dogs - are they hurting you? Why do you have such a huge issue with them?

Moll2020 · 08/10/2021 22:03

Wish I could take my dog into school. I’m an attendance officer, she could stay in the office with me and come in the car when I do home visits 😂

Mollymalone123 · 08/10/2021 22:10

My grand daughter’s school has a Shetland Pony for their ‘school’ pet.It’s has been trained believe it or not! Children read to it-it’s been in the classrooms-they’ve learned to groom it and know how to behave calmly around it.However OP unless the dogs are accredited and professionally trained before they go into a school- then absolutely they HT should not be bringing their own to school

Emberino · 08/10/2021 22:13

YABU…I was at my sons school today, headteacher has acquired a school dog during lock down one can only guess at how much that has cost, the librarian was tasked with taking him - the dog not the headteacher for a walk. Clearly not in her job description!

supperlover · 08/10/2021 23:12

My children, all in their 40s now, went to a little, rural three teacher school in Devon. The infants' teacher brought her king Charles spaniel to school every day. He had a bed in the corner of the classroom and interacted with the children. The children all loved him and parents weren't bothered. Never heard health and safety mentioned and inspectors didn't object. Maybe because it was a country school most children were used to dogs anyway. Lots of them from farming families.

lawofdistraction · 08/10/2021 23:15

I don't think what some backwater school did in the 80s is relevant

wellstopdoingitthen · 08/10/2021 23:39

We had a 'school dog' back in the'70s long before it was trendy.
This dog just turned up one day & wouldn't leave. One of my teachers adopted it (or the teacher was adopted by the dog?).
It always sat next to the teacher quietly watching the class. It was just a black mongrol & very clean & friendly.

EmeraldShamrock · 08/10/2021 23:51

I do think most DC would benefit from a school dog provided the dog is fully trained to tolerate noise and human traffic or some chickens.
It would teach them to respect animals from a young age.

supperlover · 09/10/2021 06:09

@lawofdistraction

I don't think what some backwater school did in the 80s is relevant
Why not? It's an example of a dog being in a classroom and it not being a problem. The fact that it was in the 80s seems irrelevant- are children more frightened of dogs now or more allergic? As for the insulting ' backwater school', I can assure you it was a fabulous school with amazing teachers. Our youngest, when she got her PhD, said that it was that school gave her a love of learning. Our son's children go to a London primary and he thinks his primary school experience was far superior.
Bleachmycloths · 09/10/2021 07:07

They’re taking the piss and it’s a (mild) abuse of power. I’d like to know if the HT and DH are a couple of prats generally?

Bleachmycloths · 09/10/2021 07:09

HT and Business Manager. Not DH

Brieandcamembert · 09/10/2021 07:14

The school's I know with dogs have great results. Children read to the dogs, tell them their problems, walk it round outside to get some quiet time when overwhelmed.

I think children with phobias do well to be gradually exposed to little " sprout" and see that he's calm, friendly and other children are enjoying him. Better to address phobias than let them become a big thing.

Dogs are everywhere. Better children learn to be with them and treat them well

The school dogs I know are let's of the teachers but tend to be well chosen breeds like cockerpoos, labradoodles etc who are calm. I've never known a staffie or rottweiler roaming the schoo Grin

ViceLikeBlip · 09/10/2021 07:27

We have a number of dogs in school, but mostly belonging to staff who live on site. To be fair, ours are all older, and very well behaved, and they are kept on a lead at a times.

In life you can't avoid dogs. Controlled, safe exposure at a young age is really beneficial to nervous kids. We don't have any genuinely phobic kids, but significant fears/issues would of course be handled kindly and sensitively.

But I do agree that a Head getting a new puppy and just assuming it will be alright to keep it in school doesn't seem like a wellthought out plan. Hopefully they have a plan B if it doesn't work out.

Ps it's fine for kids to do random fun activities that aren't "accredited"

Powertothepetal · 09/10/2021 08:15

The school dogs I know are let's of the teachers but tend to be well chosen breeds like cockerpoos, labradoodles etc who are calm. I've never known a staffie or rottweiler roaming the schoo grin
Calm?!
Have you met any cockerpoos or labradoodles?!?!
Most of them are fucking mental!
Hyperactive, jumpy, I’ve met tons of aggressive ones.
I’d far rather have a staff or a Rottweiler than a cockerpoo or labradoodle.

minisoksmakehardwork · 09/10/2021 08:24

Our school is looking into a school dog as part of our interventions and therapy programme but it will be owned by the headteacher and shared with his wife's school as well.

However, given that yours are foreign rescues I'd be wary of their status as 'school/therapy' dog. One of the prerequisites for a therapy dog is they have a known history of no aggression. With a rescue dog, they can be trained but you just don't know their full history.

As a 1:1 service dog they may be fine. But in a school full of students, who can be unpredictable, I certainly would not be taking a risk with any dog unless I knew it's breeding and background. Ie knew it had been trained from a pup.

I agree this is a lazy way of avoiding dog walking/doggy daycare.

bozzabollix · 09/10/2021 08:25

I wish my son’s school had had a dog when he was going through quite a difficult stage, it’d have transformed his experience. Dogs can be real therapy for anyone, and for those who complain their kids don’t like dogs - that’s quite limiting and surely it’d be good to fix that phobia. A lovely calm school dog would do that.

Barbie222 · 09/10/2021 08:31

I'd struggle to work in a school with a dog unless it was hermetically sealed away!

There are a lot of people with low level allergies as well, who muddle along with animals and it's always there tiring you out in the background. That was pretty much my whole childhood and the difference to my life and health when I moved out into a pet free place made me determined not to accept anything like that again.

HikingforScenery · 09/10/2021 08:41

Why are there many comments telling us about how brilliant school dogs are? The only clearly has said there’s are pets belonging to staff.

I’d hate this tbh. It’s rather cheeky on the staff’s part.