Dog Bit My Child This Morning In The Playground!

[Mummatothreecubs]

Hi, sorry if it’s in the wrong category.

This morning my child was bitten by a dog in the school playground by a parents dog. I didn’t see this happen although he was playing near the climbing frame when he dog jumped and clenched his jaw around his arm. Although his skin is not broken he’s been left with bit marks on his skin.

I raised my concerns to the deputy who was In the playground at the time and she said she would have a quiet word with the parent or may put this in our weekly newsletter.

Several parents bring their dogs to school for drop off/pick up, can anything be done about this? The school also has 2 small pet dogs which roam around on a lead.

I’m actually very concerned now and worried this could have again, he already isn’t great with dogs and now this has happened it’s going to take us a while to work on the whole safety around dogs again.

What is the rule around dogs in the playground? If there is one. Who do I speak to about this?

I agree. One woman in our playground who I spoke to offered to carry her yappy snappy little dog thinking that solved the issue, so I pointed out that carrying her dog put it at face level to many children

Our school has no dogs on the school grounds policy.

what did the police say? The school reaction is crazy but if they allow staff to bring their dogs in, they're probably tone deaf about boundaries when it comes to dogs
(and I speak as the owner of two dogs who I'd never ever take to school)

Escalate to the governors if the head doesn’t agree to ban parents’ dogs from the playground

The dog in question doesn't belong to a parent.

https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/advice/health-safety/dogs-on-school-sites.html

Please don’t let this test, dogs should not be on school grounds, even the most docile dog could be spooked and bite around all taht noise. The deputy response is absolutely inadequate, write an official letter of complaint to the governors. My daughter is allergic to dogs, could hardly have the playground full of hair just before she goes into lessons.

From the OP:
my child was bitten by a dog in the school playground by a parents dog

That dogs use their mouths in all sorts of ways is precisely why they shouldn't be left wandering around a school playground.

I can't believe you're blaming a child. The child was at school. Where they are meant to be. The dog wasn't there to learn its times tables was it.

Does sound like a bite more kid plays with dog, dog uses mouth to play, kids arm gets in dogs mouth, dog lets go situation ends. I would love DS to go to a school with dogs he's also been bitten but actually loves animals

I’d be absolutely fuming. First of all, dogs shouldn’t be in the playground, they are banned at our school, even in people arms. I say that as someone who is inconvenienced by not being able to take my dog on the school run - I have to nip back home for him but I’d rather do that than have any potential problems with him and other kids (he’s actually fab with kids but any dog has the potential to turn in an excitable area like a playground).

Secondly, it’s bullshit that they have ‘school dogs’ - they have teachers who don’t want to leave their dogs at home or to nip home at lunch to let them out etc.

Thirdly, it’s ridiculous that the deputy head said they would have a quiet word - a child was hurt on their property and it could have been much worse - a quiet word doesn’t quite cut it.

I’d also be extremely annoyed that you as a parent asked to speak to the head teacher but were denied that opportunity.

After logging with the police I would contact school again and demand to speak with the head.

@Marchintospring

im right there with you.

but mention dogs on MN & it all goes way OTT.

This is such a ridiculously stupid comment that I can’t even be bothered to explain how wrong you are, you are clearly not one of those people who are willing to be educated and admit you may be wrong.
Op visible injury or not, this dog has bitten a child and is now classed as a dangerous dog. I get why you spoke to the school as it’s on the school grounds, but this is first and foremost a police matter. You should have phoned the non emergency police line and reported it. As the dog now has a bite history and other children are potentially at risk, the police will likely put restrictions on the owners such as muzzling the dog, and keeping it on a short leash in public at all times. Please do report to the police to prevent this happening again. I try not to judge owners without knowing the circumstances, but I suspect there’s a good chance that they’ll be there yet again next time with their now proven dangerous dog out of control

Yeah dogs aren’t allowed in the playground at my kids school either…unless you’re the headteacher and not only is the dog allowed on the playground but spends its days inside the classroom

Are you for real?

What should we teach our children - ‘now children, sometimes, dogs may want to put your arm or another body part in their mouth, but you must let them and mustn’t complain because dogs use their mouths in all sorts of ways and it’s just part of the natural world’???

Don’t be ridiculous!

That's awful. In our school dogs aren't allowed on school grounds, so if i take mine we wait by the gate or when my DC were younger in infants and we had to collect them right from the school door I just didn't take the dog.

School yards and playgrounds are inappropriate places for dogs to be, for lots of reasons.

One of them being that childrens' arms might end up in dogs mouths.

Everything in writing, that you will pursue a ban on dogs on the school site with everyone that you need to until it's put into place.

Head will clearly resist as they have their own dog on site, but fuck that, don't let them fob you off. For perpsective, I'm a dog lover and dog owner but schools are no place for dogs to be. There's a reason that most council playgrounds have railings all the way round and don't allow dogs.

Dogs shouldn't be in playgrounds - it's an inappropriate place for them.

But, it doesn't really sound like your child has been bitten by a dog. Any dog, from young puppy upwards, would have broken skin if they had bitten your child. I don't know what you expect the police to do - no harm has been suffered?

Our school has a “school dog” which is the head teacher’s and comes in occasionally. I’ve never seen it except on photos, it’s not allowed in the playground either. I wouldn’t be happy at all with a school that allowed dogs in the playground.

Why is everyone saying that you can’t have a school dog and also ban other dogs from the playground? Of course they can! I don’t even see why the existence of a “school dog” is relevant, the chances they’re just pissing around in the playground at pick up and drop off times are slim.

@Caravaggiouch I'm sorry I don't really understand all of what you've written there.

It's absolutely possible and very normal to both not have a "school dog" and also not to allow dogs on site at pick up and drop off. Very normal and makes sense for lots of reasons.

Additionally, it is government legislation that all dogs must be under control at all times. A dog can be considered out of control if it injures someone, or makes someone worried it might injure them.

I'd say that includes leaping around grabbing children by the arm in a school playground.

All schools round here do not let dogs onto their grounds. Any parents that do are quickly escorted out. Allowing dogs into school grounds is absurd (& Im a dog owner) and shouldnt continue for this very reason - children can get hurt as not all dogs or owners are suitable to be around lots of kids running around making noise, playing etc.

Dogs should not be allowed on school grounds unless they are guide dogs in my opinion. Dogs are not allowed on our school premises- they can be dangerous, they can poo on the school yard, many kids are scared of them and many people are allergic. I have a dog and I wouldn’t even leave her tied up on the fence outside the school at pick up, she just doesn’t come with me on school runs. She’s a lovely dog but I wouldn’t dream of bringing her into the school grounds.

re the teachers therapy dogs- this seems to be a new thing. Teachers not wanting to leave their dogs home alone all day and pay for dog walkers so they bring them into school as ‘therapy’ dogs when they’ve had no training whatsoever. Recipe for disaster

op you are not unreasonable to take this further. Ask for risk assessments for dogs on the yard if they refuse to ban them (I can’t see why on earth they would refuse though). It could have cut the skin, it could have been your child’s face. It’s not acceptable. Next time, it might be even worse. The risk should never even be there to begin with

You’ve said the Head will clearly resist banning dogs from the playground because they have their own dog on site. Why do you think that is the case?

Having a school dog (belonging to the head) on site has no bearing on whether or not they ban dogs from the playground. Obviously dogs should be banned from playgrounds.

My child’s school (and a few local schools I know of) have a school dog. It doesn’t affect them banning dogs from their playgrounds.

Yes ask to see this and if they don't show it to you speak to the safe guarding lead and the Governors. I think its unusual and potentially very dangerous for a school to allow dogs in the playground.