Would you use a childminder with a dog?

[PashunFroot]

Just that really. We want to use a childminder rather than a nursery, purely for logistical reasons as they can collect older child from school. However all the childminders locally have dogs. I’m not a dog person, and I’m quite wary of them. I know they will be kept shut away from the children but would I always be worrying about it while I’m at work?

aibu for even being worried about it?

I went to a childminder with a dog when I was younger. No issues. The dog had its own space, we had ours, and it was a lovely GSD.

I'd send my kids to a childminder with dogs now, but only if I had met the dog/played with it/my kids could cope with it/the childminder had a written policy of when and how it would interact with the children.

Any decent childminder who is Ofsted registered would (should?!) have these plans in place, so I would be more than comfortable with that

I would see the childminder having a dog as a bonus. I would not pick a childminder I did not trust. So, if I trust them with my child, I trust that they are responsible dog owners too.

Yes we do. I'm scared of dogs and saw it as a positive because I've always been desperate not to pass my fear on. Our cm is wonderful, the dog is very small and very placid, and the cm teaches dog safety to all the kids such as what to do if an unknown dog approaches you. This all paid off greatly when my eldest was only 2 and we were at the park. A dog ran up to her took a mouthful of her hair and refused to let go - she was incredible, calm, stood very still, hands by her side and repeated "mummy the dog is hurting me" a few times in the calmest voice I'd known, while I was a complete wreck!

No. Dog owners prove time and time again that they cannot be objective about their pet - they're defensive and frequently don’t control them well. They regard them as one of their family so your child’s safeguarding would always be at the mercy of their loyalty to an unpredictable animal with animal reflexes and instincts

This with bells on.

There are posts on this thread proving this. One aong the lines of 'well I wouldn't leave dc unsupervised with them but I'd trust my dog with my life' 🙄

Anyone stupid enough to trust any dog 100% in this way - I would never believe their lip service to the not leaving dc alone with them.

No

Definitely not! I really wouldn't feel comfortable about it at all.

I am pregnant and have a dog. I wouldn't choose to place my baby in childcare where there was a dog on site, either with a childminder or nursery. Having said that, my parents have a very 'unique' dog, and they will be doing 50% of my childcare (their choice) and we sat down and discussed the implications of their dog being around my baby and how everyone felt about it as he's quite unpredictable, and we have come up with a plan and solution that we're all happy with.

I have been part of the solution because I know the behaviour of their dog and we know how to manage it, what I'm trying to say is, can you be that confident and comfortable with someone who has a dog you don't know, don't know the dogs behaviour pattern etc?

Did you read the op? The child won't be in a room with the dig, the dog will be shut away.

No and TBH I question the judgement of someone who has a dog and is a childminder - surely it is obvious that it is a poor idea and introduces so much unnecessary risk.

Depends on the dog, a lab or a spaniel etc wouldn't bother me. But rottweiler or certain terriers then no.

Ours had two dogs and horses that were visited daily. I think it taught the children a lot, not least how to act around dogs if their parents were afraid of them.

No
no
no
100% no no no

Irrespective of breed, temperament, or anything like that

no

Thanks everyone. I’m going to meet her this morning and have a look.

Have a “look” at what?

Yes totally but I'd meet the dog first and check they have full insurance

But the dog on a half visit will tell you bugger al
and insurance for what?

I wouldn't use a childminder I didn't trust. If I trust them, I trust them - including to keep everyone safe with a dog in the house.

No and TBH I question the judgement of someone who has a dog and is a childminder - surely it is obvious that it is a poor idea and introduces so much unnecessary risk

Quite. It seems common sense goes out of the window when it comes to dogs.

Nobody ever gets a dog thinking, "Hell yes, this is going to maul so many kids!". I remember hearing about a family's beloved jack russell mauling their baby boy and basically ripping his genitals off. Normally loved the baby. Freak occurrence, but dogs are animals and may not always behave as expected. I love dogs, am used to them, but wouldn't be keen for my baby to go to a CM with one tbh. Possibly if they were kept separate.

Depends ... my boys at school age went to an after school minder who had a tiny little dog. I was comfortable with it being there, (it wasn't shut away) and the boys loved playing with it. But, they were also old enough I could talk to them about how to behave around the dog, what to do if it growled or barked at them, etc.

Baby or toddler, no. No matter what size or breed of dog. As a few others have pointed out, many dog owners are not objective about their dogs. Especially someone who insisted their dog was so perfectly behaved and gentle and would never hurt a fly, I would worry they trust it too much and wouldn't supervise highly enough.

Did you read the op? The child won't be in a room with the dig, the dog will be shut away

I think the implication is that this rule may not be strictly adhered to, as is often the case when an owner promises to keep the dog out. The rules are too often relaxed, and presumably that's what op is worried about.

the childminder “shuts away” the dog?
So why the heck does she have a dog? Doesn’t exactly sound a nice life for the dog

I don’t want my young child in a home with dog day in day out, and me not present

No, I wouldn’t.

Yes, absolutely. My kids would have loved this.