Teacher’s dogs in classroom?

[Sunnyday14558]

Our son starts school in September. We had a meeting this evening with the new class teacher and fellow parents and the teacher dropped on that she has two sausage dogs. She said she brings one into class and is going to bring the second into class next week and ‘hopes he gets on with the kids’. All the fellow parents made a lot of ‘awww’ sounds but honestly I was a bit surprised.
is this normal in schools? She also said that if any parents were uncomfortable she’d try and work something out. I’m nervous around dogs but mostly because I have a four year old boy who doesn’t have experience being around them. I feel in an awkward situation where I don’t want to be ‘that’ parent if I say I’m not happy but equally, maybe it’s ok? So confused

I'm so fed up of dog owners imposing their choices on everyone else and then making out that everyone else is the issue.

Two dachshunds in a Reception classroom is inappropriate. It's distracting for everyone, plus they can be yappy and bitey.

My daughter’s regular primary school has 3 dogs. One is a puppy and one is a lab who stays in the office. The third is a golden retriever who is basically a pupil and often does pe with the kids they love it. My sons special independent school has a sausage dog as a therapy dog in training but he is not let loose around the school. My daughters school also has chickens and other small animals that the classes take turns on looking after it’s really great for the kids.

But not in his classroom. Why should he?

My dc' high achieving state primary has had school dogs belonging to a member of staff for over ten years. They are very loved and when children behave well they get rewarded with walking the dog it s a huge honour to them. My dc adores the dogs. It's the highlight really.
There also was a pet fish in year 4 and one of the children was allowed to take pet fish home in the tank over Christmas as the teacher was travelling. Perfect

https://docs.dogstrust.org.uk/school-dogs-guide-2025.pdf

https://www.nationalschooldogalliance.co.uk

Is this is actually true? I think back to the many headteachers I worked for they would not have allowed a teacher to bring in two dogs every day. Two small dogs and a class of four year old children! What could possibly go wrong😱.

As the owner of a dog who is used to noisy children and very child friendly, i think it is an absolutely crazy idea to add 2 daschunds into a reception classroom. I'm amazed that the head would allow this. How is she possibly going to supervise even 1 dog while meeting the needs of 20-30 young children. These children may have allergies to dogs, be from a culture that regards dogs as unclean, be afraid of dogs etc. How can she ensure that the dogs go nowhere nesr them? I would also be concerned about the welfare of the dogs- no responsible owner would subject their dogs to a large group of noisy children all day. They will get stressed and are likely to bite, daschunds are not the most docile of dogs. I would certainly contact the school head and raise concerns, and am sure you won't be the only one.

Peanuts can kill but in your eyes it's I don't give a fuck, my child will bring peanuts to school if they wish. Children can be highly allergic to dogs but in your eyes it's I don't give a fuck, dogs should be allowed in schools.

It's attitudes like this which are detrimental to society in the UK. If it becomes the law to allow dogs in the classroom there will be absolute outrage amongst parents whose children have serious asthma exasperated by dogs or whose children are highly allergic to dogs and rightly so. It will never happen.

I had a class hamster when I was at school but no way would I have been comfortable with two dogs. It's going to be certain children's main anxiety and will be incredibly distracting.

If you're not happy OP then voice your concerns before school starts in September.

That said, my son would have loved this so much! It would make him want to go to school. I'm probably desensitised to this subject though as his school had lambs in the classroom sometimes and pet chickens. Also I have a "work" dog!

I've only known this once and that was 50 years ago. My head teacher brought her westie to school every day, but you only saw it if you went to her office.
There are lots of positives to your situation but sadly the risks are also there. Risks for both dog and children. I'm amazed the school thinks that this is acceptable.
I think I would have to be that parent. I say that as a huge dog lover.
Children are too unpredictable at this age. If the dog snaps out of fear or pain, the consequences for everyone would be huge.
A carefully supervised dog visit is very different of course.
I volunteer in a primary school. Levels of need/support are much higher than many might expect if based on their own schooling.

Talk to the head teacher and if that doesn't' work write to the governors.

It's frankly ridiculous for a teacher to bring her dogs into a classroom.

There may be children who are allergic to dog hair (someone I know is very allergic.) Let alone the risk of biting.

Seriously? @Pennyfan

The UK is fucked because a teacher wants to bring her dog into the classroom and some parents are worried about risk?

Are you a parent?

Have you ever seen a person having an extreme reaction to dog hair?
Akin to an asthma attack.

I can believe it. At my kids' state primary the head (who was a law unto herself) used to bring her dog in every day, insisting that all the kids would adore it. She was divorced so "couldn't" leave him at home alone. Small dog but untrained and allowed to run around the school and playground unchecked. Nipped a couple of children and the head brushed it off.

In a twist of fate the dog died suddenly, only about a year old due to a previously unidentified heart condition. Head put an awful emotive message on the school FB page saying she supposed all the parents who'd complained would be glad. Few months later she announced she was getting a new puppy. The governors got involved and although the new dog made an occasional appearance, it was kept much more under control.

Additionally, one of the form teachers used to bring her two large dogs to school fairs, discos etc with the nutty head's permission. They were generally well behaved but really greedy around food and would nick it if they spotted it. One of them jumped up and grabbed an ice cream cone out of a toddlers hand - could have been really nasty if he'd bitten her hand.

I actually like dogs but this is so, so inappropriate and unprofessional and potentially dangerous.

Unless it's been trained specifically for the classroom environment with this age group, I would be very unhappy to accept this, and would not be putting my child into this situation.
Just because it's 'fairly common' doesn't make it appropriate.

Yes. It was a thing in the 80s. The Nursery Teacher I took over from in 1985 kept her dog in the stock cupboard. Maybe it was the same school 🤣

She also said that if any parents were uncomfortable she’d try and work something out.

What on earth is that supposed to mean?

Was it a guilt trip?

Honestly, unless they are part of the curriculum I don't think that they should be there.

Sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

Our primary school regularly has one of the teachers dogs in the nursery/ reception class, obviously its well behaved, is predominantly on its lead but they do interactive sessions with it, all the kids love it.

I have a friend who's really nervous around dogs. She has really struggled with not passing this fear onto her kids. She knows logically that most dogs pose little threat and she's desperate for her kids not to experience her fear, but her kids pick up her unconscious gestures regardless of what she tells them.

If the dogs are good with children, this scenario could be an absolute gift for your family IMO.

And I'm sure the teacher knows her class well enough to ensure that non are highly allergic. As for your none so blind as those who will not see rubbish, I could bat it right back. The class will absolutely love having a dog in. The teacher will ensure that there are no highly allergic children before doing so and she'll ensure nervous pupils don't have close contact unless they want to.

We'd never do anything fun is we constantly over analysed everything.

As an ex reception teacher looking after and welcoming 30 new little people to a new classroom is challenge enough. Dogs running all over the place is so inappropriate and frankly dangerous. I would most definitely be 'that' parent.

Distracting for the children.

Not fair on the dogs.

No thought for allergies.

I do know a school where this is common. It’s a bit of a funny case though and they advertise it very widely so you wouldn’t apply not knowing.

I completely agree it’s inappropriate.

Weird assumption there that liking dogs is the default!

You don’t have to be highly allergic for dogs to cause problems. I have one child who is highly allergic to dogs, and another who is less so. They still negatively affect the second child. More asthma etc. I’d prefer not to have him living on anti-histamines too.

School is not the place for dogs.

In general people can be fairly dismissive of allergies so I wouldn’t be at all sure a teacher would understand their true impact on a child.