undecided about childminder-hygiene/dog

[pod3030]

my little one and i visited a childminder last week and although my child loved it, i am unsure. The place smells strongly of dog, and there were poos all over the garden. But dc had a whale of a time, the lady is lovely, it's just the level of cleanliness is different to mine. I just thought if you knew a prospective client was visiting, you would at least pick up all the poos. I am particularly averse to dog smells though, and had to have a bath as soon as i got home.

There is no way that I would leave my child to play in a garden covered in dog poo. TBH I wouldn't use a CM with pets either.

I expect any CMs house I see to be clean. Obviously tidy doesn't always happen when there are kids around all the time, but it should be as clear as a nursery is. Dog poo in the garden would be a no no for me. Plus if it does smell quite doggy and you don't like that smell, your DD will smell of it quite strongly.

I think it is very important that you choose a childminder you like, so if you really don't like dogs/doggy smells then look for one who doesn't have a dog. I don't have any pets so I tend to get parents with pet allergies/aversions while my childminder friend who has 4 dogs gets all the dog owning parents. It is all about finding a good match for your family.

thanks, i was worried i was being a bit snooty nosed, but i'm really not a dog person, even though the wee dog was sweet if whiffy :)

Poos in the garden would def put me off. Very unhygienic unless dog had a gated area that was just theirs iykwim

Love dogs but poos in the garden would put even me off. I think CMs with pets are good, as working full time rather precludes them at home - all the benefits and none of the responsibilities! Our CM has cats and fish.

Makes me cross when cm do this. I am a cm with a dog but my house doesn't smell doggy (he has baths and I wash his bedding!) and i ask friends regularly!
He is exercised outside of garden outside of work time.
I presume she said the children use the garden? The cm is breaking all sorts of health requirements by allowing her dog to foul garden and really should be reported.
I love my dog and my job and its hard work to balance the 2. She sounds shoddy and lazy to me.

Dog faeces is really dangerous and can cause Toxocariasis which in turn can cause blindness. Young children are most at risk from Toxocariasis as their immune system isn't fully developed.

If the childminder isn't that good at picking it up, the chances are that she doesn't wash away and softer remnants. I wouldn't let any child I know go to somewhere like that!

I'm a pet owner and so I'm pretty laid back about pets in childminders/friends/relatives houses and the hair etc that goes with it. (I do keep my house clean but I accept that by dint of circumstance non pet homes are generally going to be cleaner). WRT a doggy smell, I'd not be too worried, that in itself can't hurt anyone even if it isn't too fragrant but the mess is a different thing altogether.

Was the mess just that morning's? I mean, could the CM have been out prior to your meeting, for example, and only had time to let the dog out for the loo and open the door to you? I'd let that go this once but reassess if I placed my DC there and I saw any more mess. Anything beyond that would be a no from me.

I'd be looking at how the dog is separated from the DC as well. I'm not an alarmist about this, I'm cool about dogs and DC in the same house in general but would want to know that a CM is responsible about it, especially if she's lax in other areas.

Nope don't use her. I'm a former CM and a cat owner. I checked for cat faeces routinely before using my outdoor space, (my cat and neighbour good ones) which should be used everyday.
Our cat has a litter tray in the garage which was out of the way of the children. It also meant the cat was less likely to crap in the garden.

I can tell you now that if she was in my area she would be shut down temporarily for having a dog toiletting in the minders play space should an inspector catch wind of it. Outdoor space wont be registered here if a pet uses it for toiletting. No compromise on that.

As for the cleanliness issue- if she's slack on that what else is she slack on? Seat belts? Her insurance? Updating her first aid?

Avoid!

Dog poo in the garden combined with doggy smell & the dog itself(!) would make me not use this cm. I don't like dogs though - can you tell?!

I love pets and I am a cat owner and childminder. It's really important to be aware that not everyone likes pets and so are more sensitive to their smells. I clean so often to make sure there are no hairs or lingering litter tray odors. I also empty litter tray often, it's just what you have to do if you have a pet and childmind. It frustrates me that not all childminders take the same care. Dog poo should be routinely checked for, and garden should be inspected prior to children going out. It's a bit more effort but one that's required.
If I were you I would continue my search! X

Yuk - faeces in garden is unhygienic and dangerous.

There are plenty of lovely childminders around who don't have a smelly house. I'd carry on looking x

I have a dog and clean up every day so this is unacceptable. More so when she had people round. I would avoid.

I'm a former CM. She should risk assess every day, this would include removal of anything that can cause harm to your child, that includes dog poo. If Ofsted visited and there was poo in the garden I think she'd have a lot of questions to answer. If you really like her though you could raise it and see if she has a soloution? I personally wouldn't use her though, you need to feel your child is in a clean environment.

What did you decide in the end pod?

You shouldn't use her.
Dog faeces often contains two parasites toxocara and toxoplasmosis both which can infect humans and whilst the systemic effects of the infection are usually flu-like and mild, they can cause scarring to the retina and irreversible blindness.
Not worth the risk IMO