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...

[Whizzz]

We have had so many letters hopme about not bringing dogs onto the playground, yet there are at least 5 or 6 people who STILL do it on a regular basis. Grrrrr
And also there is the issue of people who excercise their dogs on the school playing field / rugby pitch - nice if you get tackled & hit a pile of poo. Grrrr

[squilly]

I like dogs, but my daughter really doesn't thanks to a playground incident. Bositerous young puppy (quite large) bounced up at her and grabbed her hand in it's teeth. Skin wasn't punctured, but she got scratched and was hysterical.

No child should have to tolerate that in a place that should be safe. I complained bitterly and contacted the Local Authority who agreed with me it was a risk.

The school reminded people that dogs should be kept in certain areas of the playground, to minimise any risks, but some ignorant bastards still bought their dogs into the main playgrounds.

No dogs. Zero tolerance. If there is even a hint of an incident in our school again I'll report the buggers quicker than you can blink and I'll threaten legal action too. Sorry, but it really gets my goat!!!

[throckenholt]

this is really interesting. I live in a rural area where most people have at least one dog - so I guess the kids are all used to them (if not their own then their friends).

Quite a few people bring dogs to school pickups - either tie them up outside the gates, or just inside the playground at pickup time. No-one has ever batted an eyelid - and it never occurred to me it might be a problem. None of them have ever weed or poo'd that I have seen.

[Charmander]

I think it is bad to do however well behaved he dog is because it sends out the message to children that you can pick and choose which rules you keep.

[cornflakegirl]

I like dogs, but I get really arsey when people bring dogs into the local children's play area. The owners may be completely confident that it's okay, but I don't trust any dog around a 3yo.

The other thing that wound me up recently - we were walking home on the path round our local rec. There were a couple of teenagers sitting on the grass about 20m away with two tiny puppies, not on leads. Suddenly the puppies run up to DH and DS and jump up at their legs. DH doesn't like dogs, so was trying to get away from the one near him - I was a little way away - so DS had to fend for himself, and ended up kicking the dog (in a "get off me" kind of way). The owners started shouting at him - I went totally ballistic!

[sheepgomeep]

yes it is bad.

not everychild likes dogs well behaved or not.

some idiot brought a dog into the playground at dd last school and dd was terrified. she wouldn't go into the playground and was screaming and crying.

yes we do have a dog and she is fine now.

[lilymolly]

I take my dd to a local park where my 2 dogs have a great run about in the green and in the river and do their business which I clean up
then we all go to the park where dogs are on leads and dd can enjoy herself.
I have NEVER had any problems, no wierd or dirty looks and the children we see. all like to come and stroke our dogs, but I always ensure the parents have given them permission

Can I ask why so many of your children are frightened of dogs?
Seeing my dd interact with our dogs and learn how to respect and care for animals is priceless and I cant imagine for one moment how other children can not get the same pleasure.

Its seems to me that we all wrap our little darlings in cotton wool
I was bitten by a dog when I was little but it was my fault as I trespassed into someone garden- my parents taught me to be respectful for other peoples property, politley refused the offer to have the dog put down and helped me overcome the fear that I had.
This has enabled me to have the pleasure of owning 2 dogs who give our family such great pleasure. We had 10 puppies from our lab bitch last year and most of them went to homes with young children who absolutely adore them and they have become well loved pets.

[sheepgomeep]

my ds was bitten on his face at the age of 3 by his grandparents loopy westie

'oh but he is so well behaved'

ds only walked past the bloody thing

[sheepgomeep]

lilymolly i can assure you that it was not my sons fault that he was bitten.

That is why my dd was so scareed of dogs for ages. It wasn't a nice thing to witness

[lilymolly]

Sorry should have clarified
Can TOTALLY understand children being scared if they have had a bad expereience, but why would they if nothing bad has happened to them?

[VickyLou]

FFS I hate threads like this. yes not everyone likes dogs I get it. But a lot of people do.

When you say playground I don't know if you mean the school playground or a park playground.

If you mean a school playground then it is wrong to take a dog in to the playground weather it be on a lead or not. But if you mean a park playground then no it is not wrong. Why shouldn't a dog get to have a walk around a playground on a lead.

[DarrellRivers]

OMG, no ferrets in the playground, very unnerving creatures, always feel like they are going to take off a big chunk of your calf.
Poor you RubyRioja

[ingles2]

we too are rural and dogs come as part of the package.
there is literally a dog for every family tied up at the gate.
there is no reason for them to be in the school playground though. local park and playground is a different matter IMO.

[MrsFogi]

Yes, it is one place we can be confident dogs have not pooed or weed.

[MrsThierryHenry]

I've not followed this whole thread, so apols if I'm missing some vital piece of information.

It's one thing bringing a puppy, I think generally most kids and adults who don't feel safe around dogs wouldn't have an issue with a pup.

Granted your dog was on a leash (also I don't know the breed of dog).

The thing that many dog owners seem to get is that you may know your dog is well-behaved, but a stranger doesn't. Also, to be honest, a stranger doesn't know whether you, as an owner of a dog, are well-behaved.

Someone once let their large dog go bounding right up to my friend, who was lying in the park next to her newborn baby. The friend threw herself over her baby to protect him, then the owner shouted out: 'It's alright, he won't hurt you!'. That statement may make perfect sense to someone who knows the dog inside out, but to a stranger who's afraid of dogs and who's just had a random dog lurch towards them, the owner looks like an insensitive prick.

So in summary: IMO dog owners shouldn't make assumptions about people's comfort levels with dogs, and all the more so when children are around.

[mum2ds1]

yes please leave ur dog at home when picking lo up from school your dog may be the best dog in the world but there will always be a child who is petrified of dogs for what ever reason as my son is now after a alsation puppy jumping up at him and reeally barking in his face whislt on a lead held by a adult who thought it was funny(he didnt after i flew at him) and had taken his pup into town to get it used to people well thankyou very much my son now has a fear of all dogs
please please spare a thought for the children who are scared of dogs

[justhavingamoan]

i wouldnt take my dog, but i wouldnt run in the opposite direction if one were int he laygroud.

as for CONRFLAKEGIRL, Your DH is shocking - even if he doesnt like dogs, to leave you son to deal with getting the pup away from him, whilst 'worrying' about getting the pup that was near him away is pathetic. its a puppy, not a bl00dy lion, hes an adult with a child.

[Greyriverside]

Yeah, some people like dogs and some don't. That's fair enough.

Those of us who don't would rather not have the experience pushed on us by people saying "ohh there! there! he won't hurt you. He is just leaping on you to make friends"

We'd also rather not have infected dog shit lying around. Even the smears left behind by those dog owners who bother to pick it up can contain the parasite that blinds children.

[squilly]

I was talking school playground. IMO it's totally unacceptable to have dogs in a school yard. Yes, I accept that there will always be dog lovers and dog haters but you ain't winning anyone over by taking your loopy, over exciteable pup into a playground with screaming kids in it. Especially not when, statistically, there is likely to be a perecentage of dog phobics in the crowd.

I do not wrap dd in cotton wool, but she doesn't like dogs, has never liked dogs and it's all because of a dog jumping up at her when she was 4 in a school playground.

Yes, if I'd been more interested I could have gotten her over this fear by buying her a puppy, but FFS I shouldn't have to even think about it. DD should not have been scratched/jumped up at by this dog in the first place because it shouldn't have been in the school playground.

Parks/public playgrounds are fair game in my book, but still, I think that owners should ensure their pups are under control in fenced areas. Most pet owners are responsible, but some think it's funny to frighten people with their hounds of hell!!!

[FairyMum]

Its totally unacceptable to have dogs in any plaground. Its the one area which you can assume is safe from dog piss and poo which is nice. My children are petrified of dogs. posts like Lilymollu really annoys me. No, I am not wrapping my children in cotton wool and no I am not teaching them to be scared of dogs. Irrespponsible dog owners manage that just fine by themselves thank you. So many times my children have had dogs come over and jump all over them. Its frightening for a child. Why can't dog owners not accept this? Its like they are defending a child. A dog is a dog. Personally, I don't want my children to be scared by dogs, but I don't trust most dog owners to make a realistic assessment of the safety of their own dog either. I would never let my child go without me to visit people who had a dog I didn't trust. I also find it totally yukkie the way dogs sniff and lick you. Yuk yuk yuk. Maybe that is pathetic to some of you, but I would like it to be my own decision if I want dog saliva all over myself sor my children.

[FossilSister]

I dunno, is it really that bad to drive on the wrong side of the road?

[FossilSister]

Sorry that was a bit grouchy. I just mean, if there's a rule, there's a rule. Everyone thinks they are the exception.

[olyoly]

Rules are rules. They are there for the comfort/safety of the majority, so they should be followed.

I adore dogs, but I wouldn't take mine to a playground. Dogs get excited around children, which scares some kids, and you can't control their poo/pee.

[ScottishMummy]

YABU playground should be safe dog free space my LO has a pathological fear of dogs eg crying/shakes/screams.because someone else "well behaved" dog terrified LO.

so what to you is your well behaved dog is an object of fear to some children, and playground should be safe area