Would this put you off a childminded? (Dog)

[newbieminder]

Would it put you off a childminder if they had a dog? My exact situation is that I have one dog, a king charles cavalier spaniel. He would be kept in the kitchen behind a stair gate when the mindees are in the front room (where they spend most of the time). When we are in the kitchen I wouldn't usually (with my own kids) think to shut him out as he is very chilled and just lies in his bed, comes over for an occasional stroke but I obviously could if this is what the parents want.

I have 2 kids myself and the dog is no trouble, he's a total softie but appreciate some parents might be put off? I'm hoping not all?

I would be fine with the dog as long as you were rigorous about a deworming regime.

Why would minders be in the dogs area?

Actually now that I think about it every child minder I know has a dog, and I know several.

Yes it would put me off, I’d never send my child to a childminder with a dog, but I’m sure others would probably love it.

No I wouldn’t send my kids to a childminder if they had a dog. I don’t trust any dog, and I wouldn’t want them coming home smelling of dog or with hair on them.

I really like dogs and am pro pets but I’d definitely be unsure. I think I would want the dog to be separated at all times, so yes if the dog was moved out of the kitchen when the children are in there that would be ok. Probably.

I’d just be worried that there could be a moment where they are unsupervised and I don’t trust any dog no matter how lovely.

I’d actively seek out someone with cats though, we have cats ourselves. Everyone has their own level.

I wouldn’t touch a childminder with their own baby to look after too. Babies are always ill, what will you do then? Reliability is key.

I used to work with a number of childminders

one had a large dog and another a very small dog.

the large dog was very much kept away from the kids. He was much larger than them. But I don’t think it was an issue at all (I felt sorry for the dog though). It was practically quite easy for the CM though as she looked after the children in an outbuilding while the dog was in the house.

the smaller dog (different CM) had free rein of the house as far as I could see and was no trouble other than the occasional bark.

I wouldn’t see a small dog as an issue per se but I am a dog person and lots of people are not. In fact I would see it as a positive thing for the children to have experience of a dog. However as a CM it is a big responsibility - can you be 100% sure that the dog would never hurt a child? I don’t think you can. But it depends on the dog and the set up- in your case it will be quite a small setting so probably doable. On the other hand I think fencing the dog off from everyone for most of the day would be mean.

very common for CMs to have cats wandering around, not quite the same but similar from an allergy perspective

It depends on the dog. A spaniel wouldn't concern me. If it was something like a cane corso, it would. I know it's meant to be the owner and not the breed and I agree to an extent, but a larger dog that suddenly snapped would do a lot more damage and could be uncontrollable. The hygiene aspect would not bother me as long as the house was clean and tidy.

It depends on the dog and and is only one factor. I turned down one childminder with a dog because it was a small terrier and it and the way she interacted with it made me uneasy. I then sent my dc to a childminder who had two dogs which came on walks with the children and all sorts and it was a great setting.

In terms of school drop offs and pick ups, would you be able or willing to offer wrap around for school aged children? Having older siblings in the same setting would be a definite plus for us. Even if not most childminders round here have their own children and will be doing the school run and even taking mindees to assemblies and school events from time to time, so if people don't like that then a childminder may not be the right setting for them.

No I wouldn't. I love dogs and so do my kids, but I wouldn't want them around a dog where the adult in charge is looking after 4 kids including a baby, along with the dog. Even with the greatest planning in the world I don't see how you can guarantee you won't ever be distracted or take your eyes of them for a second, leave the gate open etc. Not worth the risk for me.

It would for me, but I’m only 1 person. As you can see from here lots of people wouldn’t care.

It would be a no from me.

This. My son has been with our CM since he was 2. She has a cat and dog, and has always done school runs.
She is honestly the best childminder and is very sought after in our area.
I understand the pet thing is personal preference, but to actively avoid a great CM because you don't want your own child doing school runs is absurd. What on earth are you going to do when your own child reaches school age and you need a CM to help you out then?!

And to add. My CM has a son who is the same age as my DS, and they're at the same school. They're best friends as they've grown up together. Her having her own child has never affected her job or how great she is.

My kids childminder had a dog. I wasn't sure initially but met the dog and she was a lovely, gentle dog. The childminder had a play room so the dog could sleep in the living room or her bed in the kitchen when she wanted. She loved the kids and my 2 kids who went to her love dogs. She also had a cat. He has more attitude than 4 dogs put together lol

I have had a king Charles spaniel for 10 years and childminder for 25. I am always full and have a waiting list. It is good for children to learn about animals, how to treat and care for them and hygiene involved. They are kept separate during mealtimes and taught to wash their hands after touching him and before eating. Same as we teach them to wash their hands after toileting.

It would put me off. I don't know enough about dogs to know the different behaviour of different breeds, so for me I'd just say no to any setting with a dog.

@Espanaes81 a CM would not be suitable for you then..what you want can only be done by a private nanny. A CM is likley to have babies and other dc even if not their own. They would never make enough money to stay open if the only had one pre schooler. Its totally expected and usual for them to have two pre schoolers and a baby in their care. It is also usual to do school runs to pick up older mindees to provide wrap around. That is also how thet make money. I have never known a CM not provide wrap around and dp school runs. So it makes little difference if that includes their own dc too. Most will have the preschoolers, baby and a handful of school age dc most days.
As CM ususlly work full time and start early and finish late so parents can get to work and back they sometimes need to do shopping and medical appointments when looking after mindees. They fit this in with trips to play groups or other child focused activities and often make an activity out of it like adding up shopping.
Its pretty common knowledge for anyone with school age dc or preschoolers as you see them at groups and on school runs snd thet become a familiar face.

My concern wouldn't be about the dog having pooed on the grass in the past, it would be about making sure it's been picked up straight away so child isn't going to land in a whole pile.

Some of the comments about childminders with their own children are just truly bizarre on this thread. I don’t know any minders who don’t have their own children, literally every minder I know has their own children. Some of them, their children are now older however they started when their kids were really small weirdly, I would find it odd that someone wants to be a childminder having no children of their own. It wouldn’t put me off or anything but I’d be very surprised.

The dog wouldn’t bother me, it’s a small spaniel and used to children. MN is a weird place where people seem to think every dog is going to savage a small child.
There are plenty of dogs in our family and the two reoccurring issues have been small children whipped in the face by a Labradors tail and being knocked over. Usually accidentally, one naughty dog did once knock ds over on purpose. No bites but a lot of food has been sneakily fed to the dogs.