To introduce a dog into the family while CMing.

[Shoshe]

As some of you know, i was giving up CMing this year and going back into the outside work force.

plans have now changed, and I am carrying on for another two years.

DH has always wanted a dog, but while he was away most of the time I had said no.

Now he will be home all the time, we had thought of getting a dog. A staffie.

But with strict restrictions.

The dog was to be kept in a outside kennel within a fenced off area so that the children could not get within touching distance, while the children were here.

A Lot of the time the dog would be going to work with DH, although as he will be working shifts, there would be times that the dog would be in the kennel.

I have now put out a news letter to all my existing parents, all the feedback is negative.

Even if we changed the bred of dog.

The Dog would NEVER be with the children.

Would you send your child to a CM who has a dog, even tho the dog is securely locked away?

If the person next door to your CM got a staffie would you remove your child?

no way no way no way. if you were my CM and you got a staffie i would remove my children immiedtalye. And I would shout at you. And your dog would probably rip my throat out. I don't care how well trained it is, how nice you are, and if it would actually be dog of the year, staffies and children don't mix. are you mad?

can someone help me to understand why staffs are suddenly so popular? why does everyone everywhere seem to be getting one? I live in london and my local park has more staffs than any other kind of dog. why?

and please don't deluge me with 'its not the type of dog its the way their trained' load of crap, stafs have the phsycial capacity to do damage most other dogs odn't becuas eof hte way their teeth close together. Also they are disgusting.

pscmum - go onto the kennel club website and read up on the breed. Get your facts straight.

They highly recommend KC registered (ie REAL) staffords with children.

Get enlightened

I for one would not be doing that. If I were deciding to get such a dog for myself then I would want as much information as possible to help me make a decision. I'm sure then this site would be an excellent source of help.

If it were my childminder making these decisions then whatever I felt (i.e. no way in hell would a child of mine be going there any longer) it not taken into account is it??

It's all about choice isn't it, any childminder accepts their decision may not be the same as the parents of their mindees on a number of topics and they both have to agree to whatever that subject is.

Quite frankly I am amazed at such reactions on here.

No. Labrador type dogs would be fine, although I'd prefer no cats and dogs, but I'd consider someone wanting to keep a staffie as being a bit of a thug, and the potentially dangerous dog chained up outside just doesn't tick the right sort of boxes for the sort of person I'd want to look after my kids.
I don't understand why anyone who isn't into terrorising the neighbourhood and looking macho would want a staffie.
It's for the Bill Sykes' of this world.

good luck with your new career!
Fwiw you sound like an incredibly responsible cm and dog owner and so I wouldn't have a problem with you getting a dog. If I didn't know a cm and they had a staffie I would be anxious (purely based on reputation which may be unfair but i would). However if my child was happy with you and I could see you are as responsible as you are I would trust you and think it may actually be nice for ds to be around a dog. I would trust that were there any problems you would act accordingly in some sensible way!
Anyway not relevant now but just wanted to say that i don't think you were being u and am sorry that it feels like a job you were clearly excellent at left you feeling like you had no autonomy about how to manage your own home.
I'm surprised that people here feel so strongly the other way...

Good luck with the new job, is at at dd school.

I was going to do childminding when I was at home with dd and we decided against it because of our dog. As you know we have a springer who is very very good with children but I understood that some parents would feel uneasy about him so I agreed to put him in a run during the day. But I could not do it to him and realised I had to do something else.

Childminding is a very difficult job as you do have to adapt your home to meet the needs of others.

I dont know if I would use a childminder with a staffie. One of my friends has a staffie and as I know her very well and know what a great parent she is if she became a childminder I would use her. However a new dog I would not be as sure, it is hard not to be influenced by what you hear in the press. The same would go for a childminder I did not know, although of course your mindees and their parents know you.

Yep Twinny, The Children's Centre attached.

DD went to the holiday club there over the summer, that is linked to the children's centre isnt it? They were very good there and realy helped dd settle in Blandford.

My cm has a husky dog & he's a darling.

He is in his kennel in the morning's & when the cm drops 'her' kids @ nursery/school she takes the little one in the buggy & takes the dog for a walk.

Same in the evening. He's an outdoor dog anyway so him being in the house isn't an issue.

The last cm I used (ages ago) had a dog too, she was a King Charles & adorable.

My 2 sisters cm & they both have house dogs, they never have any problems getting mindees, in fact for one sister her dog was the icing on the cake foe getting a set of twins over their dog fear & now they even have a lab of their own!! (as do I but ours is a bouncy mad thing!)

twinset/shoshe - are you both in blandford? How exciting I am just down the road!!

Good luck about the job shoshe! And if you are still interested in getting the staff i can recommend some good breeders of KC registered staffs in our area (if you are interested of course....)

Haven't had time to read the whole post, but my immediate thoughts are:

1)That your CM business will be seriously harmed by having a staffie, whether it is in or out of the house. This is not a rant against Staffies, but rightly or wrongly it will make very many parents deeply uncomfortable and they will question your judgement. A less contentious breed of dog would be better, but many parents would still prefer no dog. Why take the chance?

2. From your own family's persepctive, and for the good of the dog, if you go ahead and buy one, it should be brought up in the house and socialised properly with the family. That is the best way to ensure that it will be safe to have around your children, and a well-balanced happy dog. It is not a working dog, but a pet, and to keep it penned up and alone will make it aggressive, nervous and territorial. Perversely, it will make the safety situation worse, not better.

3. Please do not underestimate the time, commitment, and strength of character required to take on a puppy, clean up after it and train it adequately. I did it when all my children were at full time school and it was still 6-8 months of bloody hard work. At times I cried, and wanted to give him back, but that is not an option, and you should not approach dog ownership as if it were an option. If you are already committed with young children who take up much of your day I would say now is not a good time - especially if you are inexperienced with dogs.

4. If you insist on going ahead take out adequate liability insurance.

sorry, I read your whole post obviously, I meant the whole thread.

good luck with the new job but i would not use a CM with a dog full stop. staffie? double no way!

if my CM got a dog my kids would be out the door asap.

Yes we are nomoreamover , where abouts are you?