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AIBU?

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Original poster

Worried about my baby's childminder having a dog

81 replies

Sweettreet · 20/09/2025 21:28

I am getting bit worried about my baby's childminder having a big dog. I don't know the breed yet. I saw the big dog in pictures in the same room as my baby and other toddlers and I have become concerned as I thought the dog wasn't allowed to come to the same space as kids.
My baby is only 11 months and other baby is 8 months and then there are toddlers who are 2 &3.
It's my first time using a childminder and I don't know what the norm is. Can you please help me figure out what to do and what to say to the childminder calmly as she's a lovely person but I am quite worried right now.

OP posts:
KnitKnitKnitting · 20/09/2025 22:03

I used a childminder with a dog. But I knew this in advance, and when I visited she offered a whole load of information about the dog - where it would be, when it would be in the room, etc etc. Plus I met it myself.

I wouldn’t be at all happy with a dog I didn’t know about, and a childminder who had not gone out of their way to have good policies and explain them.

cbbo · 20/09/2025 22:05

She didn’t tell you she had a dog? Maybe she doesn’t and it was visiting with a family member. Just ask her.

Original poster
Sweettreet · 20/09/2025 22:06

It's her dog for sure. I only saw it through pictures.

OP posts:
Original poster
Sweettreet · 20/09/2025 22:07

I am looking at the council website where the details of all childminders are listed and it says she has dogs and cats.

OP posts:
Dodgethis · 20/09/2025 22:10

I wouldn’t use a childminder with a dog. I certainly wouldn’t use one who didn’t disclose their dog.

Original poster
Sweettreet · 20/09/2025 22:11

I am checking about all the childminders near me and 4/5 have mentioned they have a pet dog. I am feeling really lost what to do.

OP posts:
laughinglovingliving · 20/09/2025 22:11

Going against the grain here. My childminder had a black dog called Bella. I think it was a lab cross or something but honestly it was lovely!

mindutopia · 20/09/2025 22:12

It would be a nope from me. I have a well trained working breed dog who is actually quite lovely. I don’t allow her around young children (say 5 and under) who visit at all. She wasn’t allowed around toddler ds hardly at all unless on a lead until she was 2. She’s a big energetic dog and actually very good, but animals can be unpredictable. Even very well trained ones. Especially when adults are distracted. The number of times I’ve turned by back and she’s bounded right over one of my dc or got excited and scratched one.

Nope, I just wouldn’t use a CM with a dog. There is only one of them and they can’t be everywhere with free hands all the time.

modgepodge · 20/09/2025 22:12

Youknowwhatright · 20/09/2025 21:55

Agree with pp, it’s a no to the dog and also her ratios are wrong - they’re only allowed one baby under 12 months. They can have 4 under 5s though as there’s some rules around “continuing provision” which are meant to be an exceptional circumstance but even my very excellent former childminder rated outstanding used to use that rule more than I thought would be appropriate.

I think the same rule allows 2 under ones sometimes (eg twins). My daughter and another were both at a CM together when under 1, they didn’t start till 10 months so it was very short term, she did stick to only 3 under 5s though.

i declined 2 CM with a dog, I just couldn’t make myself comfortable with it. And these CM said the dog would never come into contact with the kids etc. I would not be happy at all here esp as it seems OP didn’t even know about the dog!!

Brightbluesomething · 20/09/2025 22:12

My DC’s childminder had two spaniels. I knew this from the first visit. Lovely calm dogs and my DC absolutely loved them. She’d been childminding for many years and there was never any issues.

DramaQueenlady · 20/09/2025 22:13

Does she have a separate room for childminding. The dog may not have access to the area where the children would be. You need to ask questions before making up your mind.

Youknowwhatright · 20/09/2025 22:14

modgepodge · 20/09/2025 22:12

I think the same rule allows 2 under ones sometimes (eg twins). My daughter and another were both at a CM together when under 1, they didn’t start till 10 months so it was very short term, she did stick to only 3 under 5s though.

i declined 2 CM with a dog, I just couldn’t make myself comfortable with it. And these CM said the dog would never come into contact with the kids etc. I would not be happy at all here esp as it seems OP didn’t even know about the dog!!

Show quote history

But they’re not twins? They’re unrelated. I’m not sure how the rule could apply in this context, what would be the continuation?

Screenager · 20/09/2025 22:14

Angeldelight50 · 20/09/2025 21:34

I have a large breed dog and young children myself, but this would be a no from me.

I agree! My kids grew up with a giant breed. But i still wouldn’t be happy

Peteryourhorseisheree · 20/09/2025 22:15

I have a dog. A great big soppy golden retriever who adores children.

Theres no way she would be in the room with children if I was a childminder. She would stay well away in another part of the house.

I wouldn’t leave my child with a childminder who had a dog in the house mixing with the children ebb though I have my own dog at home.

DramaLlamacchiato · 20/09/2025 22:15

DramaQueenlady · 20/09/2025 22:13

Does she have a separate room for childminding. The dog may not have access to the area where the children would be. You need to ask questions before making up your mind.

This, I wouldn’t be happy, but it may be kept away from the kids

LEWWW · 20/09/2025 22:15

Depends. My childminder has a small poodle type dog, she’s cute and my DD loves her. Wouldn’t have been happy with a big dog though, I’d have a conversation with the CM and see what she says, at the end of the day any dog can be a risk but a big dog is a big risk.

AluckyEllie · 20/09/2025 22:16

Nope I’d remove my child. It’s not the problem her having a dog, more that the dog is in the room with the kids.

In any situation, even with the best behaved and calmest dog you have to watch when kids are around. It wouldn’t take much for a toddler trip over the dog, stand on their tail or be a bit rough stroking them and the dog to react. It wouldn’t be the child or the dogs fault and it can happen so quickly.

Itstheshowgirl · 20/09/2025 22:18

A dog in itself wouldn’t put me off but the fact she didn’t tell you rings alarm bells tbh. This could be a new dog or she could have been babysitting a dog and both of these are even bigger problems because it might not be used to children and be stressed at a new setting itself, recipe for disaster OP I would move CM.

autienotnaughty · 20/09/2025 22:18

I was a childminder for 15 years, I had a big dog. I had a risk assessment, the dog had a seperate lockable area he could go to or I could put him in when I was busy (like meal times) he also had a separate area in the garden so no risk of dog poo. His feeding stuff was kept separate as were his toys. I would have him with the kids if I was there the whole time and usually for an activity like bathing him which they loved. He was a big softie but I would never have left them alone with him not even to nip to the loo. We also walked him together.
some parents were put off, others saw it as a positive and some were ambivalent.

Questions to ask -
Does childminder have a risk assessment for dog?
Does the dog have a separate area from the children in house and in garden?
does the dog crap/wee in the garden or house?
do the children get involved with the dog, how is this supervised? Ie would she leave them unattended to answer door/use lol?
is the dog separated at meal times ?

if she’s open to the questions, has a decent risk assessment, is open to you meeting the dog and you are happy with her answers you could consider it but if it doesn’t feel right look elsewhere. The fact that you didn’t know about or have not met the dog yet is concerning.

Btw my dog lived to 13 years old, in all that time I had 1 incident.a 10 year old boy deliberately fell on him (I watched him do it it was definitely on purpose) dog was around 10 years old and getting on. Dog snapped inthe boys direction but with zero intention of biting (if he wanted to bite him he would have) . Parents were fab about it but after that I kept dog completely separate . He was getting older and stiffer anyway it seemed fairer to him.

OrigamiOwls · 20/09/2025 22:18

She isn't going to get rid of her dog for you. You either accept that (and by extension, her dog) or move your child to another childcare provider.

GoldMerchant · 20/09/2025 22:19

I wouldn't mind that a childminder had a dog. I'd mind that they weren't absolutely transparent about it. Did she give you an information pack at the start? My kids childminder wrote about her two cats in there (said cats mostly stayed well out of it).

AgnesMcDoo · 20/09/2025 22:22

My cm had a dog. It wasn’t allowed in the same part of the house as the children.

MsCactus · 20/09/2025 22:23

My childminder has a dog - a little sweet Spaniel. Usually I hate dogs being near my kids, but my childminder is lovely, so attentive with the children /shuts the dog away, and the dog is adorable and sweet (I've met it). My DD absolutely adores the dog and loves being at my childminders. She's been running for 15 years and never had an issue with the dog and the kids - so I think it can be fine, but it sounds like your childminder didn't disclose the dog? In which case ask for her policy and ask to meet the dog with your DC

summerlovingvibes · 20/09/2025 22:23

My childminder has a dog (used to have 2). She has a risk assessment and is open about it with Offsted.

I have found it to be very beneficial actually and a lovely asset to the setting. The children are all fond of the dog, they take it for a daily walk and take turns throwing the ball etc.

We don't have dogs at home and I think it's nice that my children get to have a "pet" whilst they are there.

If I wasn't comfortable with the situation I would remove the child. The childminder will not remove her dog for you. I don't think any child minder would risk having a dog that isn't good with kids etc as it would be career suicide.

It will be good for the children not to be fearful of dogs.

namechangetheworld · 20/09/2025 22:25

It would be a hard no from me. I turned down a pre-school for my then-2 year old because they had a 'pre-school dog' who roamed freely and cuddled up to the children at storytime. The owner seemed terribly pleased about the situation but it just seemed irresponsible and dangerous to me.

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