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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

School dog should be trained?

95 replies

Hortonhearsadoctorwho · 10/11/2021 19:49

Happy to be told iabu!
Basically school dog lunges, pulls and barks. Have noticed the dog trying to get at other dogs and having to be dragged away from them.
Ianbu - a school dog should be trained.
Iabu - it’s fine.

Also had passing thoughts about allergies and fears amongst the kids at school 🤔 is a school dog a good thing or not in your opinion?

OP posts:
boomboomshakalakalakaboom · 10/11/2021 20:35

@Hortonhearsadoctorwho

Yes UK! I was surprised as well. Not sure on age but looks like an almost full grown or full grown lab. Tends to be on a very short lead whenever I’ve seen it or dragging the head teacher out of school.
If the head can't teach his dog to behave surely it doesn't give you much faith in the school to be able to teach good behaviour to actual human children?!
boomboomshakalakalakaboom · 10/11/2021 20:36

@ImUninsultable

Did they research breeds and pick one which is great around kids? Did they check see the puppy with the mum? And check what the parents were like?

Or is this just a teacher's dog and they dont want to leave them at home?

If they did it all properly then that's good. But they do need to train it. A dog around children needs to be trained.

Also 💯 this.
MrsWarleggan · 10/11/2021 20:38

Awww my DD had a school dog at her infants school. He was a cockapoo called Teddy and he was the most adorable little thing. Used to come out to the playground at pick up times and used to go and lay down with the kids at story time for cuddles 😊😊

TuftyMarmoset · 10/11/2021 20:41

Sounds like a terrible idea. I was terrified of dogs as a kid and would have been out of there like a shot.

bowchicawowwow · 10/11/2021 20:47

My DS was nipped really hard by the school dog. Didn't break the skin but it did leave a indentation and subsequent bruise. It was all reported in accident books etc. My DS was under supervision at the time (significant SEN) and wasn't doing anything untoward.

My DD used to hate it when the dog was in her class as he was always trying to stuff his head up the girls skirts too. She said the teacher was always struggling to keep him contained while she was teaching.

I love dogs, we have one and are experienced responsible owners. I'm not sure they really have a permanent place in a school apart from short fully supervised (on lead) visits.

hiredandsqueak · 10/11/2021 20:51

Dd's school doesn't have a school dog as such more that there is a dog at the smallholding that belongs to the school that the pupils go to weekly. The dog, a border collie, belongs to the person who runs the smallholding and is incredibly well trained. Dd loves spending time with the dog and this reduces her anxiety. Pretty sure a badly trained dog wouldn't be of benefit to anybody in the school.

Sirzy · 10/11/2021 20:52

School dogs are brilliant. Ds school has one and it has helped him and other pupils massively.

However they need to be properly trained and fully risk assessed.

CristinaYangismySpiritAnimal · 10/11/2021 20:54

If it’s a school dog, there will have been communication with parents about it coming in to school and there will be a policy. If there’s not, it’s not a school dog and it shouldn’t be in school.

icedcoffees · 10/11/2021 20:54

@Suzi888

A school dog? Confused You can’t be in the U.K? YANBU either! Of course the dog needs training!
Why do you think that?

Loads of schools in this country have dogs on site. We had a school pig!

Iamhaunted · 10/11/2021 20:55

Our school had a dog (basically the head teachers owt who was brought into school) - not uncommon in ruralish schools - although generally dogs are banned from schools via bylaws - hence why most people can’t take their dog in the school run

Our school dog was lovely, and adored by the kids so yanbu to expect it to be trained and also happy to be around hundreds of loud children!

Comefromaway · 10/11/2021 20:57

Ds’s school had a school dog (pre-Covid) the breed was specially selected, allergies taken account of and she lives in the SEN department. It was brilliant fir kids like Ds with Sen who got stressed out by school but she was highly trained and always on a lead with one of the SEN staff.

Suzi888 · 10/11/2021 20:57

@icedcoffees a school pig!? Grin
I’m in Wales and I’ve never heard of it! They don’t even have school guinea pigs/rabbits anymore (that I know of).

FictionalCharacter · 10/11/2021 21:07

Of course it should be trained and well behaved. But I'm not keen on the idea of school dogs. In my kids' schools it seems to be an excuse for teachers getting a dog and bringing it to work.

Original poster
Hortonhearsadoctorwho · 10/11/2021 21:10

If it’s a school dog, there will have been communication with parents about it coming in to school and there will be a policy. If there’s not, it’s not a school dog and it shouldn’t be in school.

Definitely no communication with parents, nothing about the dog on the website. I think it’s just the head teachers dog that he decided to bring in 🤔

OP posts:
Crazycakelady17 · 10/11/2021 21:15

My DD just left primary and they had a school dog it was brilliant but yes must be very well trained
It worked wonders for children who struggled with reading and those with lack of confidence reading out loud as the kids read to him.
There were strong rules and I haven’t heard of any issues and they got him about 4 years ago he lives with one of the y6 teachers
My DD was in that class last year and when he wasn’t “working” he was asleep in her classroom in his bed
I only kept the school on Twitter to keep up to the updates with the dog

icedcoffees · 10/11/2021 21:17

[quote Suzi888]@icedcoffees a school pig!? Grin
I’m in Wales and I’ve never heard of it! They don’t even have school guinea pigs/rabbits anymore (that I know of).[/quote]
Her name was Sage Grin

Whatwouldscullydo · 10/11/2021 21:17

If a school dog is badly trained and doesn't seeve a purpose then it's not a school dog so much as a teacher bringing their dog to workcos it got kicked out of doggy day care?

Dds school has a school dog. But it's a fully fledged PAT dog and ergo a member of the school pastoral team. Children read to her . Talk to her and she helps any kids feeling upset or nervous.

Allergic or scared kids are not expected or forced to have anything to do with the dog.

GrandmasCat · 10/11/2021 21:20

It is absolutely out of order, schools are no place for dogs, it is not good for the kids and it is terrible for the dog.

I only know a school that does it, but the owner of the dog, not only doesn’t know much about dogs, she is terrible at taking care of the poor animal.

SchoolForScoundrels · 10/11/2021 21:26

Our (senior) school has a 'school dog' that belongs to a non-teaching member of SLT. Apart from stuffing its face in people's crotches it is pretty well behaved and the students love it - a lot of the children who struggle with reading, read to the dog whereas would refuse to read otherwise.

Grumpyosaurus · 10/11/2021 21:28

I work in a school and we have a dog who comes in sometimes. She was properly trained, and had to past a test set by a therapy dog charity. The the school did a risk assessment and notified parents in case of allergies etc.

So, school dog if trained, no problem.
Untrained school dog, problem.

1forAll74 · 10/11/2021 21:32

They should be trained very well, like guide dogs, and service dogs, and dogs taken to meet the elderly people in care homes etc.

gingerbiscuits · 10/11/2021 23:21

I work in a UK Primary School & we have a school dog, belonging to one of the Deputy Heads. He's a lovely, gentle giant (adult golden retriever) who the majority of the kids absolutely adore but he (& his owner!) definitely had to go on a training course & be approved to be allowed in school on a regular basis.

There were risk assessments carried out & much communication with parents. We have a list of all allergic children & handle this accordingly. As for fearful children, I genuinely don't think anyone has an issue with him - in fact, he's helped some overcome their anxiety & he's incredible as a therapy dog.

Spending time with him is also seen as a 'reward' for some of our trickier characters & he's an incredibly calming influence on them. It warms my heart to walk past our school library & see children reading to him!

He even has his own Twitter page & regularly pops up in the Head's assembly videos!

FlibbertyGiblets · 10/11/2021 23:26

What training does a therapy dog have further than the usual sit/stay, come by, fetch, paw/shake hands?

gingerbiscuits · 10/11/2021 23:26

I should also add that the dog adores being in school too! He only comes in 1 or 2 days each week & he's not at all stressed out by it - when he's he's not helping the kids or having a walk round the grounds (ALWAYS on a short lead) or being spoilt rotten by the staff, he's flat out, snoring in the Deputy Head's office! 💗

Whatwouldscullydo · 10/11/2021 23:35

What training does a therapy dog have further than the usual sit/stay, come by, fetch, paw/shake hands

Pat dogs get taken to hospitals etc so they are also taught not to chew wires or eat anything. To stay calm /not he fearful of crowds and loud noise. Not to jump up etc