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Original poster

Childminder is getting an American bulldog - should I be worried?

122 replies

glitterndirt · 18/06/2021 18:45

Just that really. My dd is 3 & goes 2 days a week to her childminder who is a family friend of ours. She hasn't said anything to me personally but has announced on fb today they are getting an American bulldog puppy.

They have never owned a dog before so their inexperience & the breed has me worrying.

Should I be worried about this type of breed around my daughter? Are their any owners or people that know this breed well that can tell me their own experiences with them?

OP posts:
TheVanguardSix · 18/06/2021 19:13

Nope.
Puppies nip and bite.
You really have to be on the ball when pups/dogs and children are sharing space. I have had this experience as a parent and dog owner. I wouldn't put my child in that position outside of our home, beyond my watch.

Igotjelly · 18/06/2021 19:14

Breed itself isn’t an issue (I’m a bully owner myself) but as said above they are strong and can be difficult to train as they’re stubborn by nature. Every one I’ve ever met has been soft as anything but they take up a lot of time and energy to make sure they’re properly trained and socialised and that in itself could be problematic.

deedsnotwords11 · 18/06/2021 19:17

I would find an alternative childminder ASAP - I know of a child badly injured by this breed visiting their relatives house

GameSetMatch · 18/06/2021 19:18

I adore dogs, absolutely love them but there’s not a chance in hell my children would attend a childminders with a American bull dog puppy! Pups bite and are time consuming how can she train a pup as well as look after other people children in a meaningful manner? It’s an accident waiting to happen, pull your child out ASAP! She’s an idiot thinking she can do this.

Veterinari · 18/06/2021 19:23

@30degreesandmeltinghere

Surely if you trust her to mind your dc you should trust she can have a ddog suitably trained to be around dc? We had a Rottweiler.. She never savaged any of my dc .. Or anyone at all. My dil was happy her dc was here 2 nights a week. Never questioned it.
By this logic how do you explain the 1700 children per year admitted to hospital with dog bite injuries and the fact that most bites occur in the bone or from a known dog outside the home.

In fact children are most at risk of bites from known dogs in their home or the homes of families/friends

Veterinari · 18/06/2021 19:23

Bone = home

AriadnetheSpider · 18/06/2021 19:26

No experience with dogs?! Absolutely no way. They are not a novice breed and require a firm, knowledgeable hand and good socialisation as pups. If she doesn’t have a clue about dogs I’d be seriously questioning her judgment. Such a strong bull breed in the wrong hands is potentially disastrous (absolutely no judgement on the breed re aggression, but owners need to understand how to raise and own them safely. Too many people don’t bother).

Sweak · 18/06/2021 19:27

I think it's more of an issue she's not told you she's getting a dog. Not everyone feels comfortable with dogs around their children...or there could be allergies. Obviously she doesn't need permission from her clients to get a dog, but you should be informed of changes so you can decide whether to continue to send your child.

Btw, I like dogs, but personally I would get a new cm. I'm sure people will disagree with me but I wouldn't want my child around a dog I didn't 'know' day in day out. Prepared to get flamed for that but I can't help how I feel

FeatheredHope · 18/06/2021 19:29

The issue isn't the breed it's the lack of experience with dogs

THIS. Plus the fact she hasn’t told you and instead you found out on Facebook. Hell no. And I say that as a huge dog lover. If you want to push the issue before just canceling, I’d ask her for her full risk assessment about how to mind the children and a puppy effectively.

StateOfTheUterus · 18/06/2021 19:29

My childminder did this. I turned up one day to find she had a rescue dog from abroad. She did use stair gates to separate the dog from the children….but I still felt anxious. So I moved my DD (she was 3 at the time). It was awkward but I couldn’t deal with the worry.

JeanClaudeVanDammit · 18/06/2021 19:30

Absolutely no way. I wouldn’t be happy with a childminder having any dog near the children tbh but especially not a large breed and an inexperienced owner.

Iwonder08 · 18/06/2021 19:32

I wouldn't send my child to a childminder with any dog. Given the fact she announced it on social media and hasn't informed the parents about the intention also the fact it is her first dog just proves she is irresponsible.

FeatheredHope · 18/06/2021 19:54

Btw you’ve also got to question where the puppy has come from. I’m familiar with American Bulldogs and some breeders of them. None of them would be comfortable selling a pup to a childminder with no experience of dogs which personally leads me to suspect it’s being sold by a less than scrupulous breeder.

Summerfun54321 · 18/06/2021 19:55

Wherever you send your child you want to feel relaxed and confident that they’re safe. If you start to doubt the set up you’ll need to find somewhere else. Not because your DD will or won’t be fine, but purely because you’ll worry and it’ll be exhausting for you.

MitheringSunday · 18/06/2021 19:59

Nope, my child would be straight out.

moiraHT · 18/06/2021 20:00

I would t use a childminder that had any type of dog. The breed is a red herring

Staffroomdoughnut · 18/06/2021 20:02

Another no.

BlessedBeTheFruitCake · 18/06/2021 20:06

I wouldn’t be keen on any breed of dog at a childminders really.

frumpety · 18/06/2021 20:10

I wouldn't be comfortable with this, not necessarily because of the breed, but more the fact they have never owned a dog before. Keeping a large breed puppy and small children ( especially other peoples ), simultaneously happy and safe in your home, is a lot of plates to keep spinning successfully.

TheRebelle · 18/06/2021 20:12

Personally I wouldn’t send my child to a childminder with any dog, no matter how experienced they were with dogs. Any dog can turn and it only takes one incident to be fatal, not worth the risk when other options are available.

Wombats12 · 18/06/2021 20:14

A puppy, properly looked after, will require a lot of attention & is a lot of work. I wouldn't be happy, it's not safe.

ComDummings · 18/06/2021 20:16

I would not want to send my child to a childminder who has a dog at all, I’d be finding another

Overdueanamechange · 18/06/2021 20:21

I love and trust my dogs and am a very experienced dog pwner, but I wouldn't allow any of them near a 3 yo. An inexperienced dog owner with a large dog and a 3yo non family child is a recipe for disaster.

GrouchyKiwi · 18/06/2021 20:22

I would absolutely not be happy with this.

Puppies are bitey little bastards. Large breed puppy + lots of small children + inexperienced owner = total nightmare.

I'd call myself relatively experienced as a dog owner, and when we got our large breed puppy I thought we'd be fine. Actually, the reality of said puppy plus toddler, 4-year-old and 6-year-old child was even worse than I anticipated, and keeping the puppy and children separate required a LOT of energy.

I'd be finding a new childminder in your situation. She won't have the time to look after any of them properly, children or pup.

knittingaddict · 18/06/2021 20:24

I've just read up about the breed They don't have a reputation as an aggressive or particularly dangerous dog, but they have characteristics that would bother me. They tend to be one man dogs, don't take easily to strangers, need a lot of attention, get easily bored and are obviously very strong. There is no doubt that if it all went horrible wrong then they could kill an adult, let alone a child. I'm a dog lover, but there is no way that my children would have gone to this child minder.