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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Childminder with a large dog

37 replies

Myusername2015 · 17/10/2017 16:00

Hi; I’m currently looking at child minders for my 8 month old baby; there is one i like but on the visit her large dog was shut in the kitchen barking. Obviously she has stairgates and the dog isn’t allowed in near the children but a part of me is being paranoid this is a risk with a baby. Am I being overly concerned?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

tryingtobebrilliant · 17/10/2017 17:14

What type of dog and did it only bark when you knocked on the door or the whole time ?

I have a dog myself and personally I wouldn't want to use a childminder with a dog. I'm sure the childminders dog is used to children but why take the risk ? My dog is used to my child and I worry with other children despite him being a family friendly breed.

jannier · 17/10/2017 18:52

I'm a cm with a dog. I decided and picked him because the children I had were scared of dogs and he was a good temperament etc. having said that I never leave him alone with children and I watch how he and they are. We use the stair gate to give him space and to keep him away from people when they first come in after a while and if everyone is happy he comes to say hello. I have a clear risk assessment and policy for him. If you like her go cack when she is working and see how the dog is handled and if he is calmer. Go as many times as you need to and listen to you instincts.

LadyWire · 17/10/2017 19:15

DD is grown up now but her CM when she was at primary school had a dog who was kept in the kitchen with a stairgate. DD used to let herself into the kitchen (and into the dog's bed) so often that the CM eventually stopped stopping her!

orangeowls · 17/10/2017 19:18

I don’t think the size is the issue, many large dogs are much more placid than small ones. I have two dogs myself but I probably wouldn’t be happy with a childminder for my LO having dogs.

Original poster

Myusername2015 · 17/10/2017 19:31

Thanks all; not sure of dog breed I need to check that; she just said mixed breed; he was a large animal though and yes he was barking all the time I was there

OP posts:

Jayfee · 17/10/2017 19:32

My daughter was a year old when her childminder got seriously ill so I had to find a new one at short notice. Thr new one had a standard poodle which was kept in the kitchen behind a stairgate. One day husband bought toddler ( she started walking soon after first birthday) home with a wound to her face. Babyminder had told him she fell while toddlng, hit her fact on table corner, and not to worry about it. I wasn't happy and took her straight to gp who sent us straight to casualty. The doctor there said it was a dog bite and showed us the marks and how he knew it was dog bite. As it had happened several hours earlier, it got infected. I think my child probably pulled herself up to stand at the stairgate and the dog bit her face then. I was really upset and she still has a scar on the front of her face. So personally I would never choose a child minder with a dog.

Redken24 · 17/10/2017 19:32

Our childminder has a dog. Dd loves it, didn't really think much about it as we have a cat.

Imaginosity · 17/10/2017 19:35

It would put me off. Go with what you feel comfortable with.

PrincessoftheSea · 17/10/2017 19:40

No way. My children would be unsettled in house with barking dog.

silkpyjamasallday · 17/10/2017 19:46

I personally wouldn't like it, for me it would be an unnecessary risk as there will be other CM without dogs. The fact that it was barking for a long time would ring alarm bells for me, and I would wonder if it actually was shut in the kitchen all the time. Also potentially a hygiene issue. I like dogs but I wouldn't trust any dog around a baby and big dogs can easily clear a stair gate if they want to.

An in law of mine has an awfully trained dog (she doesn't think so but I disagree entirely) and insists on having it around and holds it up to DD so it 'gets used to the baby and then when she is walking they will be best friends' well dd is walking now at 13 months and when DP took her on the last visit the relative just let the dog and baby have free run of the house together. Dog immediately starts snarling and nipping at DD and knocked her over, thankfully DP was with her and scooped her up before anything worse could have happened. I had stayed home as I had things to do which I now regret as IL is clearly far more irresponsible than I thought. No matter how lovely someone claims their dog is they cannot predict or control their behaviour.

MrsRolly · 17/10/2017 20:12

Our CM has two dogs, normally one goes to work with her husband. My boy loves the dogs and they love him one of his first words with Oscar (the dogs name) I trust our CM implicitly and think her dogs (and her are amazing) that being said I think you dogs or no dogs you don't sound that sure on this CM. Childcare is such a tough decision that I think anything you aren't 100% on I wouldn't go with personally! Good Luck :)

ImminentDisaster · 17/10/2017 20:15

I didn't use a particular childminder for precisely this reason. Too much of a risk for me.

tryingtobebrilliant · 17/10/2017 22:55

Jay ** bad enough the incident happened but to lie to you about the bite.

If a dog needs keeping away from children it really should have a double gate so it cannot touch a child. My dog will literally sit by the baby gate and let visiting children pull his ears etc. So now I have a safe place for him where they cannot touch him. As much as I love my dog I don't trust him with other children, as you never know.

Poodles have very sharp teeth and actually make very good guard dogs. My parents had a poodle once accidentally bit my hand ( my fault as was giving it a treat during dog training ) and I had one very deep puncture wound.

Mulch · 17/10/2017 23:00

German Shepherd I grew up with was so soft she wouldn't go in the back garden if next doors cat was there. My sisters chihuahuas are badly behaved ankle biters. I'd take a large dog any day

RosyPony · 17/10/2017 23:09

I went to view a CM who had a dog, who told me a 'hilarious' story about the dog, who 'usually' stayed upstairs had let one of the little girls groomed him and when he got bored had growled at her and then left...

MASSIVE RED FLAG

I don't even trust my own dog who I have known since he was two weeks old, who is glued to my side day and night.

Hellywelly10 · 17/10/2017 23:12

Go with your gut.

Ttbb · 17/10/2017 23:17

No way. Just because an animal is domesticated doesn't mean that it is safe.

Enwi · 18/10/2017 16:56

I’m a childminder with a large dog
I feel that that children get so much from him being around (learning how to treat animals with respect, daily dog walks, watching him doing funny things etc). I explain to all parents when they come and visit that he isn’t kept in the kitchen all day. He is part of the family and is allowed into any room with the exception of the dining room when we are eating. He is NEVER left alone with a child. Not because I don’t trust him, but because I don’t trust the children and as others have said it isn’t worth the risk.
You are right, you don’t have to take the risk. Yes there are other childminders... but I like to think that there are no other Childminders quite like me so if I’m the right fit it’s silly to decline the place due to a dog. The childminder will have had to explain to Ofsted how she plans to safeguard the children from the dog, and should have a policy on how she keeps the children safe and happy.
Also, my dog ALWAYS barks when a new family comes to see us. Such a pain in the bum but oh well. As soon as they come for their second visit he isn’t one bit bothered and spends most of the day asleep!

Hoppinggreen · 18/10/2017 16:59

I'm a dog lover and have a large Do myself
If I really really liked a cm and the only thing I wasn't sure about was the dog I would probably send my child there but if I was considering a few options it would be a massive negative

Jayfee · 18/10/2017 19:12

A query I have is why don't some if not all pet rescue centres allow families with children under 6 years old to re-home dogs?

ElizabethShaw · 18/10/2017 19:15

I wouldn't risk it. The cm will be busy with multiple children and even a small mistake could have disastrous consequences.

Callamia · 18/10/2017 19:21

Jayfee woah, what did you do?

I wouldn't. Partly because I'm allergic to dogs. and partly because I don't know enough about them or any hypothetical childminder to trust that it would be entirely safe.

duckduckmouse · 18/10/2017 19:38

No chance

repetitionrepetition · 18/10/2017 19:42

i wouldn’t and i love dogs (or i did before i had a baby ). it’s not just the danger but also the hair and dirt in the house. no thanks not on my pfb.

SleightOfMind · 18/10/2017 19:46

I've got large dogs and small children and I wouldn't.
Not because of the dog, I know what little DC can be like.

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