is it really so bad to take a well-behaved dog on a lead into the playground?

[hatwoman]

I guess it's easier to ban all dogs rather than just banning idiots with badly behaved pit bulls. but it does seem a bit harsh. I appreciate that not everyone likes dogs and that some people are scared of them regardless of their nature or breed, but if it's on a lead I'm not sure I see what the problem is...

The fact that well behaved dogs can and do sh*t at will and lift their legs all over the equipment??

blimey what did I start?

ok first off - I wasn't contemplating doing it. and I hate the fact that because I asked the question about the reasons people think I was and feel the need to ask me not to.

but, given that dogs are everywhere I was, tbh, genuinely interested in why a dog from whom you can keep your distance (ie one on a lead, and one not standing around somewhere unavoidable like the school gate) is worse in the playground than on the road outside. As I said in the OP I do accept that it makes life so much easier to have a blanket ban - and I know anything else would be unworkable.

(when I said please leave your dog at home, I was kind of speaking to the whole world, not just you, hatwoman )

(not saying this as a reason to take dogs in to a playground - but rather to counter misunderstandings about dogs) - most dogs in fact crap to a pretty well-defined timetable that their owner is aware of. Guide Dogs are trained to poo on command

what about my lion

no, we decided you can take your lion

but I can't control his poo

yes no dogs on playground

dogs shit and piss

and bite

and your dog ses a precident for other dogs

No DOGS

Hatwoman was only asking, it's good for her to ask - shows she has an open mind.

The people you should worry about are the ones who do whatever they please.

And what is wrong with rats?

My rats are very well-behaved and do not savage children.

hmmm.... a lion nappy for school run times?

tsk - surely your lion is toilet trained?

mine was trained by the time he was 18 months old.

ethel you should post on this thread:

www.mumsnetdiscussionsGIFTEDANDTALENTEDLIONS

got me!!!

pmsl

School is supposed to be a safe place for all children where they can play and run and enjoy themselves without any fear - that is why dogs are banned from playgrounds - and rightly so.

A Mnetter once had a dog
Which she came to believe was a god
She took him to parks
For him to have larks
What a pity he bit like a sod!

Out of the whole surface of the earth, about 0.0000000000000000000000000000001% is covered by childrens playgrounds. You have got the other 99.999999999999999999999999% to exercise your dog in.

Yes.

I love dogs, but don't like to see them anywhere near the playground.

One parent brings a blardy Akito. It's a lovely dog, but as big as some of the younger children, and was very bouncy as a pup.

We have occasionally had an (old) St Bernard bought to school (not a parent) but he sits very still outside the playground, and just lets those who want to fuss him.

Oh, and we've had donkeys occasionally but again, not on the playground.

when there is a news article about a dog causing death/serious injuries dog owners always make the point that a child shouldn't make sudden moves towards a dog/ act in an unexpected way round a dog/ shout at or upset a dog or irritate it in any way because this may provoke a dog to 'snap' and act out of character and bite the child.

Given that children rush round in parks and shout and yell and make as much noise as possible, then dogs simply shouldn't be in play parks.

And that is before we get to the dog shit issue. Because if the amount of dog shit in my park is anything to go by, most dog owners are not as careful about clearing up after their animals as Mnetter dog owners are.

One Mum had a small cute puppy on a lead, couldn't do any harm, was really tiny. Then a Rottweiler attacked it and ripped it apart, all as the P1 and P2 classes were coming out. Bloody horrific.

One Mum had a small cute puppy on a lead, couldn't do any harm, was really tiny. Then a Rottweiler attacked it and ripped it apart, all as the P1 and P2 classes were coming out. Bloody horrific.