Is it weird to stand outside a school at 3pm if I don’t have a child?

[Whatislifegw]

Before you think I’m crazy! I have a dog who I want to expose to loud and busy environments and live very close to a school.

would it be weird to just stand or sit near the school at that time for my dog to work on being in that environment.

my dog is a very friendly and 6 month old German shepherd because he’s so big I want him to be able to behave around strangers and strange children.

(I have my own toddler who wouldn’t be with me) ideally in a few years I’d like to be able to do the school run when it’s my turn and bring my dog at the same time.

Bear in mind that some children and adults are afraid of dogs.

If you must do this, at least leave it till later in the year when the younger kids have gotten used to school.

Not everyone loves dogs.

Why not go and stand outside Tesco on a Saturday.

School's don't allow dogs.

When you kid is in the younger classes you'll be expected to walk them into the school grounds that don't allow any kind of dog barring official disability dogs so taking the dog on the school run wouldn't work until they are old enough to be let out alone.

You're not all there, are you OP?

If it was a Chihuahua yes, a German Shepherd? NO!
I'm scared of big dogs having been bitten in the past. I hated the people who took their dogs on the school run, especially as my son's primary school pavement was so narrow, we always had to manoeuvre around some dog or other.

You want to train your dog? Spend some money and send it to a dog trainer

I’d do it. People will think you’re waiting for someone so won’t think you’re odd.

Guess what I did when training other peoples dogs @BetsyBobbins ....

Hell yes, hang out in earshot/sight of schools, walk past, classically condition and operant condition dogs.

The noise small children make in a school playground really cannot be found anywhere else it is really distinctive, and dog training requires predictable exposure, which can be controlled - this is easily found by walking past a playground at break or lunchtime or home time, and not easily found elsewhere.

We obviously don't do this with dogs that might actually eat a child - that would be stupid and I don't carry the right amount of insurance for that, it appears children are very expensive as dog food.

I think its a bit odd, and very inconsiderate.

Not too close on such a warm day unless its cooler near you, and not a good idea to be too near children at a busy time of day. All it takes is a nervous child to stand on a paw or pull a tail, and you will have a riot.

he is generally very good lots of children play outside where we live and my dogs walks off lead with no issues (although I can definitely see the temptation to go over if they’re playing with a ball)

🤦‍♀️

That sounds like a nightmare thing to do @Whatislifegw

Slowly introduce noise and hustle and bustle to your dog, don't hit him with it like you suggest - what if he gets scared and bites someone?

Some schools don't allow dogs to be taken to the school gate due to the risk of allergies. Ours doesn't.
Standing alone outside a school with a dog and not collecting a child is disturbing and could make you look like you intend to kidnap a child. Parents are very aware when there is someone strange in their midst. If they see you there they will gossip and school may report it to police which in turn may affect your relationship when your child does start school. I will give you a tip training wise. We trained our dog in outdoor shopping areas, busy High streets etc where dogs are allowed and accepted. We also used Beamish as a place to train her because she got used to shops, queues, children and strangers. As well as public transport. Don't be that person who stands out, train your dog in a more appropriate place. There's nothing stopping you walking dog past the school at home times or mornings with your dog that way it's a familiar area and when and if the school allow you to take her for dropping off your child then at least she is familiar with the place but don't stop and stand around it only looks suspicious.

Our school always encourages parents to report any suspicious looking individuals around the school even making it clear these could be men or women and that we should especially be wary of those who don't seem to be collecting a child but observing the school. Of course mistakes are made and a man who had dementia was stopped at a local school near us because he was standing staring at the school 3 days running. It turned out he used to work there and was merely having a medical episode but parents were terrified that he was about to snatch a child or do something and a total of 36 reports were made to police. Even women have been known to snatch kids from school gates so don't put yourself in that situation there are so many better alternatives for training your dog.

I have a feeling this thread is going to be referenced in a 'what's the most bonkers idea you've read on mumsnet' posts in the not too distant future!

But that's the point I made. A chihuahua yes; a German Shepherd? Not a good idea.

Also, you're a dog trainer I assume by your post, the OP is a lay person. More to point, it is really effing creepy to just stand outside a school with a massive dog like many people have pointed.

OP sounds like a sensible owner to me - I doubt they're planning on standing outside the school for hours on end, we're discussing a few minutes at a time here, not lurking like a weirdo for hours!

I determine whether a dog is safe and ready for the level of training by behaviour rather than breed - so I would no more take a bouncy over-excited GSD to sit outside a school than i would a bouncy over excited chihuahua (nor terrified, nervous, anxious etc etc).

If a dog is ready for that level of exposure/environment... then they are, breed is not relevant in this instance. If they're ready for it, then they're not a threat to anyone, so the breed does not matter.

Pointless discussion I suspect as I doubt you understand the first thing about dog training and think we're talking about standing in the middle of a crowd of kids with a dog leaping around - rather than standing in earshot/sight, at a significant distance, rewarding the dog for listening to us/seeing stuff/hearing stuff, with the option to move away if we feel we need to.

Hey ho, carry on as you were.

@WiddlinDiddlin You seriously can't compare the damage that a German Shepherd would do to small child to a Chihuahua's bite, can you (of course you can as you're already doing it)? What next? Dobermans to the kid's playground in the park? American Bullies to the soft play?

And you're missing the point yet again, dog or no dog if I saw a person repeatedly standing close to the school gates without collecting a child I'd call the police because that's really creepy behaviour

My child's school has Dog Parking! Very popular. None of them seem distressed or particularly interested either tbh. More bored than anything else 🐾

Supermarket car parks are great for this! (I raise guide pups and have spent untold hours hanging around supermarket car parks)

Also please don’t take your dog on the school pick up when your time comes

Please don't. Walk through town instead or something.

How lovely for any children/adults who have a dog phobia. Please go away

Of course it’s strange

train you dog in the park and there are enough dogs around schools

I would like to take my cat to a cafe with me he is so friendly but I don’t becuase I don’t constantly feel my cat should be inflicted on others

I definitely understand the concerns and being a parent myself I’m wary around strange dogs and my child

quite happy to cause someone else's child to feel scared though. Selfish at best to use other people's children to socialise your dog. Dangerous at worst.

I am not comparing the damage - there would be no damage, because I would not take a dog even vaguely likely to cause damage, to hang out near a school.

As I said if the dog is ready for that level of exposure...

A dog likely to cause damage to a child is not ready for that level of exposure.

See?

Or are you suggesting that any dog bigger than a chihuahua should NOT be trained to ignore children, be engaged with the owner and able to listen around children, be safe and reliable, around children.

Because that is a bit bloody silly really. It is almost as if you're looking for something to get hysterical about.

And again, the duration of a training session is so short that by the time you've got through to the police, I've buggered off again. And if they show up and speak to me, I'll point out I am dog training in public, a safe distance away from a school, which is not dodgy or illegal, and is in fact me being a responsible owner/trainer, trying to ensure my dog is safe in public.

I wouldn't suggest someone went out of their way to seek out a school, but if as the OP does, you live where a school is on your route, I really can't see the problem. If you want your children completely 100% isolated from ever clapping eyes on a dog - um, live in a bubble? on a dog free deserted island?

It's not a good idea to do this outside a school. Try a nursing home whilst they're drawing the balls at bingo or having a singsong.

I assume this is a wind-up

My DD is autistic and is frightened of dogs especially larger one and this would cause her to try to walk into the road rather than walk past your dog.