AIBU to really dislike cockapoos and other 'school' dogs.

[Japingjaponica]

Worked at a new school today and made myself decidedly unpopular for not loving their school dogs. I'm seriously allergic to dogs, yet it still seems to offend people if I don't want to touch them. I find cockapoos to be REALLY needy and annoying, and I just don't want a dog scrabbling at my legs when I'm in work. I'm allergic enough to need to be WARNED beforehand if there is a dog there. AIBU?

YANBU, I would hate this. A school cat, on the other hand, I'd be a very happy and completely unproductive worker!!

You can be allergic to dogs without having full anaphylaxis, many people get asthma or a rash it is still an allergic response.

I hate people use allergic to mean intolerant. It's belittles real allergies.

Hate seems excessive in fairness! I also think you don't understand what an allergic response is.

@PieMistee

I hate people use allergic to mean intolerant. It's belittles real allergies.

Intolerance relates to eating food you can’t digest properly. Allergy is a immune system reaction.

People can be allergic to dogs. Not heard of an intolerance to them, but we don’t usually eat them in this country.

As an aside, I love dogs. I admire some breeds but would not want to necessarily buy them - such as German Shepherds. I think they are beautiful but too big and smelly for me.
Similarly I would not keep a Rottweiler or a Doberman Pinscher due to their size but I admire the breeds.
Some dogs are just too silly for words. Cockerpoos are lovely but I would not have one All that jumping about would do my head in :)

@Lillyhatesjaz

You can be allergic to dogs without having full anaphylaxis, many people get asthma or a rash it is still an allergic response.

The OP was very specific in stating a 'serious allergy'.

Yes, asthma can be very serious, but typically people who have a severe asthmatic response to allergens would highlight the asthma.

Yanbu - the owners are being weird. All the poodle cross breeds seem to be very friendly and sociable by nature. It’s up to the owners to control them though.

Would an ugly mongrel be fine to scrabble around one's legs?
Please tell me your dog is called Yoda

@XenoBitch

YANBU, but then I hate this current trend of breeding mongrels and charging serious £K for them.

I've got a bichon / shitzu and paid £500. He is brill.

I've got a cockerlabadoodlepoodledoodledoo.

I'm not sure if any of some of the posters have ever experienced hives and hayfever, but an allergic reaction can be serious enough to leave someone debilitated and unable to work, while falling well short of anaphylaxis.
I live in Australia and have never even heard of a so-called school dog. Hoping like heck they don't catch on here. It sounds like a ghastly waste of time and constant annoyance.
Is there any evidence of cost/benefit to DC (as in the peer reviewed kind, not the anecdotal kind)? Who pays for the food, ver bills, insurance & who takes it home at night? What happens to the school dog if it doesn't work out? Who is responsible for cleaning up its business and doing the risk analysis? How much does the dog-attendant get paid for these duties?

I find dogs really annoying too. I don't mind the ones who don't invaded your space but they bother me when they want petting and they smell

I agree @Grayskelly. I'd say my DM was seriously allergic to horses — her eyes stream, her nose runs, she sneezes almost constantly, and if she touches one she gets welts like a nettle rash. She doesn't need an epi-pen, but I definitely don't think she'd be able to teach a class in that state!

My son is off the scale allergic to horses. Luckily very avoidable where we live, but if he ever has a partner who is horsey, they will have to understand that they’d have to change clothes, shower, wash hair, scrub nails, etc, not wear same shoes & socks or he could die. (Trust me, I know how melodramatic that sounds.) It means not taking him to secondhand furniture or antique places in case of antique sofas.

I think @Japingjaponica you are entitled not to like these dogs, but they are also trained to recognize symptoms of anxiety (which their very presence would cause you to express) and attempt to soothe them. Your body language and “cues” would be calling to these dogs. I think you need to explain in very concise language prior to starting that you are extremely allergic to dogs, and as a result, you can’t physically touch them. Unfortunately, you can’t work in a classroom with therapy dogs.
Just never, ever say that you don’t like them. That creates a whole different reaction from people.

A properly trained school dog should not be approaching anyone without being invited to! I work in a specialist school for children with autism. A lot of our pupils are terrified of dogs. Others love them but don't know how to have boundaries around them.

Well over a year ago now, we started on a programme to get a school dog. A member of staff found the right kind of puppy (cockapoo so small and hypoallergenic) and registered her for school dog training.

The whole school and staff have been instructed on ignoring the dog, which was vital for her training. It's been going on for a long time now, but the school dog is now able to work with pupils and is having a really positive effect on lots of kids.

It really is important that a school dog isn't just a member of staff's dog. It needs to go through formal training and assessment.

Well school dog has been a great addition to our school where I work , especially for kids suffering with anxiety, depression etc.

My ds goes to a different school where they also have an adorable dog that the kids worship!

@Peace43 were you referring to your dog or boyfriend?

Any dog with poo in its name is annoying. Although there seems to be an abundance of them everywhere these days like a buy 1 get 1 free. They all seem to be jumpy annoying dogs who’s owners think they are just on so lovely little things.

Just poor breed poorly trained mutts really.

@horst lol, agree!

I'm fine today. The lumps on my face have gone down, during the day today, I'm on triple doses of antihistamine and had to medicate through the night, and have eye drops for all the resulting irritation. Today is also the day for my immune-suppressant pills do all good.

Bloody 'therapy' dogs.

Funny how people have to put up with others health issues eh?

So strange though that with a job that means you go into different schools you didn't think to ask if they had the therapy dogs before hand? Given that you are so allergic ? And surely knowing that therapy dogs in schools are a 'thing'?

.

You’re unreasonable to tar all dogs in a breed. My cockapoo isn’t needy at all.

I have never met a cockerpoo that isn’t annoying. I love dogs but would never want one as manic and irritating!

What is a school dog exactly