To be totally put off when childminders have dogs?

[MickeyMouseShithouse]

and have them around the children?
maybe it stems from my slight fear of dogs - or the number of reports of children being mauled in the news.. but I would never want to hand my baby over to someone who has their dog around children. We have dogs in the family, all lovely and have never hurt a fly but I still keep the majority of my attention on them if the dogs is nearby as you just never know what could happen (especially with grabby baby hands)

It makes me feel awful that I can’t trust but sending my children off to a house with dogs in that I don’t actually know give me a sicky feeling.

Erm...she didn't imply anyone is at fault if a dog goes for them. She is saying that if a dog senses you are scared, they do not see you as a commanding authority which is what happened when she was confronted with the Alsation. Dogs are clever and can sense fear and other emotions.

Anecdotally (and I'm sure someone will say I'm talking rubbish) I always find when I'm feeling low or sad and walking through the park or just out and about it's amazing how many people's dogs will veer off and just randomly come walking up to me. These are nice dogs and sometimes if the owners says it's alright I'll pet them a bit and suffer with the allergies later! Most of the time the owner thinks the dog is just being a nuisance, but I'm convinced they have picked up on how I'm feeling. It always happens when I'm needing a hug. I sound crazy but it's true. Perhaps emotions have a smell to them.

My CM has cats, other small animals and a dog.

When my DD first started the CM just had cats. The cats made it very clear they didn't like small children and would run away. It's only in the last few months now that DD is calmer and her voice isn't as high pitched they stay anywhere near her. I use to find it amusing they would greet me outside the front door in the afternoon/evening as they knew that's when the children were leaving.

The small animals were rehomed to the childminder and are in cages/hutches/tanks. Those that can be taken out are only taken out under adult supervision and most live in places that aren't accessible to the mindees.

The dog is another household members and is a small breed. It is only allowed around the mindees when there is another adult there and if the youngest my mindees aren't around.

I had a childminder as a child with cats and a dog. The dog was large and kept in a secure area so we never went near each other. I only found out later it was a docile breed so would be safe around children but obviously children would cause the dog stress.

Erm… she said ‘nothing makes you so vulnerable as being scared’ and implied she would not have been bitten by a dog if she had not been scared.

This is not how it works. What makes you vulnerable is uncontrolled dogs being loose and able to attack you. Whether you are scared or not.

And it doesn’t matter how the dog saw her when she ‘confronted’ it. It was already loose, uncontrolled, and bounding up to strangers. That dog was already a danger and would have attacked you scared or not. Although if a large unknown dog bounds up to you being scared is a normal and to be honest sensible reaction.

maybe it stems from my slight fear of dogs

I'd assume it stems entirely from your fear of dogs. My childminder had a (small, docile) dog. My children loved him. He was kept separate from the children (using a stair gate) except when they were all out in the garden together with the childminder.

No they don't. What utter rubbish.

I'd see a CM with a well behaved dog as a positive experience and a benefit over, say, a more sterile and institutionalised nursery environment.

I think a dog is a bit of a random line to draw tbh...

You’ll entrust your child’s safety to a childminder while they’re there for every potential danger that exists - except a dog.

Weird how the crazy dog lovers comment but the vote is very clearly yanbu. It isn't usual for cm to have dogs in the area they mind in, ofsted would be looking for safety here and if there was no separate space etc it would not go down well.

And of course all dogs and their owners smell unless you are obsessed with cleaning. Dogs smell even worse when you wash them and it seeps through walls in semi detached houses. I am a super taster and smeller so accept only 10% of people can always smell them.

Thanks for all the opinions.

I dodnt realise there had been a influx of dog-hating threads - it wasn’t my intention to, and I hope I haven’t created another - I certainly don’t hate dogs. They make me nervous, but I do like them.

@AngelDelightUK - I would probably mention to a dog-less CM that the reason we didn’t pick ABC was due to my nerves with the children being around dogs. To aid as a bit of a reminder that she might forewarn me if she were planning on getting one in the future. If she were to get one in the future I would likely lol for another CM, there would be no hard feelings (from me anyway) as I get that ashes very much entitled to have a dog if she wants one.

YANBU.

I once looked round a childminders, she had 2 labradors and said “It’s great because whatever the kids don’t eat I pour into their dog bowls and that’s their lunch sorted” 😱🤮

All dogs do smell. If you think yours doesn’t it’s because you’re nose blind

The little girl in the hospital bed next to my daughter a few years ago no longer had much resembling a face due to a dog attack. The owner said the dog was so lovely and calm and loved children and never aggressive. Until it did this.

So, no I would never choose a childminder with dogs and personally I don't even think anyone with dogs should be allowed to be a childminder.

All living things have a smell, that's natural! That includes the kids, you're just nose blind to your own.

I wouldn't risk it. Never

You're right, they stink. You know a house with a dog in it as soon as you walk in the door

My childminder when I was little (6months-11yrs) had a border collie, he was mostly kept to the kitchen/garden but we were allowed occasional interaction with him through the baby gate and to take him on walks sometimes. I'd never been around dogs before so was a good way of learning about pets and interacting with animals and I remember getting to stroke him or take him out was always a highlight of my day.

I wouldn't have a problem with a well behaved dog being introduced slowly and carefully, and always supervised.

I sent my children to nursery, because of dogs and as it’s someone’s home it means they could have visitors and whilst childminders have plenty of checks their visitors don’t.

Before anyone says I am over reacting I was abused on a play date by a friends Father and have also worked with women who were survivors of CSA and DV.

Our first childminder decide to get a pit bull terrier - told us in advance but didnt indicate anything about precautions she would take. We decided to remove our DC as we just weren't sure. CM wasn't too fussed either as I was aware that the sibling of a previous minder needed full time care whilst my DC was just part time.

A later CM had a highland terrier type. It seemed every room had a gate on it. Some rooms only the dog could go in/wasnt allowed in. I absolutely trusted this situation and that made a huge difference.

DH is not a doggy person at all so he was more nervous about it but the different approaches of the CMs made a big difference to how I viewed it and DC enjoyed being around the dog.

I'm afraid you are the one being "silly (such a patronising term). Have a quick look at the research on PubMed.

I love dogs. The dc love dogs. We have a dog, as do most of our immediate family members who we visit.

I still wouldn't ever use a cm with a dog.

However lovely, small, docile - dogs are work. They need feeding, walking, cleaning up after, playing with, training, watching. If I'm paying a cm I want all of their attention on my dc (and other dc there obvs), not distracted with regular walking, cleaning up, playing with, feeding of a pet - which it they're a decent dog owner will suck in a portion of their day. No, not for me.

I'm not saying they don't have a smell but doesn't make your house smell. My mam and dad have a sheep dog. She doesn't smell that bad only when she pumps. But the house smells fine

You honestly wouldn't know they have a dog. I suppose it helps its a big house. But again my friends houses don't smell who have dogs

Simple. Don’t choose a CM with a pet. There aren’t enough CM due to ridiculous red tape already in place.