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Original poster

Letter from school saying Dogs at the school gates are scaring younger children.....

124 replies

DrNortherner · 22/01/2009 16:11

It is reminding us that dogs sniffing at young kids is scary and that a few parents have complained. It says if you must bring your dog, do not leave it tied up at the gate.

Now as a dog owner, who walks to school with my dog I can't help but feel a bit miffed about this.

Are they suggessting we should leave our dogs at home?

Are these parents who have complained over reacting slightly?

All of the dogs I see at school are much loved family pets and are used to young kids. No harm has ever been done, no barking no nothing. Maybe a bit of sniffing, but hey, isn't that what dogs do? Shouldn't these parents be teaching their kids to walk on by confidently and ignore said dog if they are a little scared rather than complaining that the dogs are actually there?

Or do I need a little bit of prospective here. Interested to hear points of view from all, especially non dog owners.

Thanks.

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TamartorousBeastie · 22/01/2009 17:04

I dislike dogs, smelly etc etc, they may not all be agressive and dangerous but they all have the potential to be.

I encourage my kids to interact with dogs, if the owner says it's ok, and two of them love dogs.

The other is still petrified of them, largely due to owners who let their dogs run off lead to and from school, saying oh they wont bite....no but they can and do jump up and chase him barking thinking it's a game. Funnily he didn't see it as a game.

clutteredup · 22/01/2009 17:05

DR N please explain why you can't tie your dog up away from the school gate out of the way of the children - why should this be a problem?

Original poster
DrNortherner · 22/01/2009 17:07

I do tie my dog away from the school gate, but due to the layout of the school entrance, whichever way you come from, you will have to walk past them. I always stay with my dog, but if people are complaining about dogs sniffing tgheir kids, I must confess, mine sometimes sniffs.

he only way to stop this would be to leave him at home.

OP posts:
ScarletA · 22/01/2009 17:08

yes - take yrs points that the dark does not bite. But neither do the vast majority of dogs? And other fears include heights, spiders, creepy crawlies - all of which can sometimes be dangerous but most of the time the fear is irrational.

Though yes - perhaps having to run the gauntlet past a whole bunch of terrifying creatures every day is not exactly the best way to get over a fear, I agree. But doing that daily - is it not just what life is? Sometimes scary? I do think we over protect our kids sometimes, though no doubt I will be eaten alive for saying this.

I am really sad to see how many people hate dogs. And sometimes I think this rubs off on the kids ie if a parent is scared, kids pick this up and are scared too.

Outside our school dogs are tied and people smoke. It is a terrible place.

minkybetty · 22/01/2009 17:09

I thought that Britain was supposed to be a nation of animal lovers??!!

Whippet - may I ask why your username is Whippet when you clearly hate dogs?

Froginmythroat - the dark is a great example - didn't you know that's when the monsters and bogie men come out?

Sorry know am being facetious but are some people not just being a little bit precious here? - you can't wrap your kids up in cotton wool. There will always be things that we don't like in society but you can't just ban things because you don't like or they don't suit you - you just have to get on with it

clutteredup · 22/01/2009 17:10

Well in that case you'll have to put up with finding another time/place to walk your dog you choose to have rather than upsetting many people who have no choice but to take their children to school. They don't have a choice but you do - sorry.

yama · 22/01/2009 17:14

YABU but I guess by now you know that.

I don't mind dogs - quite like them actually. I wouldn't however if they were the same size or bigger than me. Put yourself in a small child's shoes.

psychomum5 · 22/01/2009 17:16

this has happened at my school too.

TBH, I do find lots of dogs at the school gate pretty unerving, as do my children......not so much because of the dogs per se, but the amount. and then, when one starts barking, often all start......which for small children can be scary as they simply don;t have the logic to know why they are barking, they just see a loud scary dog aiming at them (even if the dog isnt;).

TamartorousBeastie · 22/01/2009 17:17

"There will always be things that we don't like in society but you can't just ban things because you don't like or they don't suit you - you just have to get on with it "

Yes like leaving dogs at home on the school run.

I don't want to nor do i wrap my kids up in cotton wool. Every dog has the potential to hurt a child, why would you want to create risks in a place where children have to be?

aGalChangedHerName · 22/01/2009 17:23

I actually think for a lot of dog owners it's lazyness. Combining the school run with the dogs walk because they can't be arsed walking the dog after they pick up the dc from school.

Have had one woman at school at school admit that even after she saw my hysterical dd run away from her large jumpy dog.

Comes down to certain folk being inconsiderate of others imo.

GrimmaTheNome · 22/01/2009 17:23

Sorry I've not had time to read the whole thread.

Dogs tied at school gate sounds like bad idea - dog probably doesn't like it and may be barking/straining at leash. Kids and parents have to 'run the gauntlet'.

However. At our school quite a few people (me included) bring dogs into the playground. Most kids absolutely adore them. There's space so that nervous people don't have to get close. Its only small dogs who get brought in. I get surrounded by kids wanting to stroke my dog. If theres anyone looking querulous I pick him up.

It just doesn't seem to be a problem for anyone.

ScarletA · 22/01/2009 17:24

Loads of things have the potential to hurt a child!

should we try and prevent our children from going past the gates of the school if there are;
cars?
bikes?
buses?
men?
some parents (!)
building work?
trees on a windy day?

have to go and cook dinner now but look forward to being burnt alive in my absence

MaryBS · 22/01/2009 17:24

I HAVE tried to introduce my children to dogs. Unfortunately many of those dogs are not taught to behave. My BIL's dog is a great big German shepherd and is always jumping up, has never been to obedience classes. When a dog that size knocks a toddler over, is it any wonder he is afraid? He was supposed to be shut away when we visited and he wasn't. All SIL could say was "isn't he playful?"

DS (7) is only now getting over his fear of dogs, due to sensible owners with well-behaved dogs.

violethill · 22/01/2009 17:24

YABU - you don't need to take your dogs to the school with you. Leave them at home. Sounds like there must be quite a few of them for it to have become an issue. And a load of dogs together, plus swarms of kids coming out probably means the dogs are more excitable than normal.

Also - some people don't like being sniffed and slobbered at by dogs.

minkybetty · 22/01/2009 17:27

Ok tamartorousBeatie (think I spelt that right) - sure things work both ways...i'll give you that but...."Every dog has the potential to hurt a child....." where will it end? So many things have the potential to hurt a child....cars (on the way to school), cylists, other children, other people - are you one of these people who thinks that conkers should be banned in case children hurt themselves ...for goodness sake stop over protecting and get a reality check...
I adore my DD (obviously) and I don't want her to get hurt but equally I don't want her to grow into a lily livered person who's afraid of her own shadow.
Seriously, am I the only dog owner who doesn't have a problem with dogs???
Got to go now but will check in later - got a feeling you won't agree with me..

MilaMae · 22/01/2009 17:29

I have 3 dc of my own and childmind 3 so are transporting 6 under 6(as do several other childminders).

My dc hate dogs and will bolt rather than walk past one. If they and the children I childmind all decided to do this it would be very dangerous as I am also pushing a pushchair.

Also for many new rec children school is a scary enough place,to have to negotiate themselves past tied up dogs could cause issues with not wanting to go to school.

I think the school has done the right thing re the letter.

PixieMoon · 22/01/2009 17:31

DrN I don't think you're being unreasonable to be miffed, I think whether a dog at school pick-up is appropriate or not depends on the dog, school layout etc, I think to generalise 'no dogs' would be ridiculously harsh, but it is up to the dog owner to be responsible and sensible about what is appropriate, as with most situations with a dog. For example I'll take my small dog (terrier crossbreed) with me on the bus into town, to the bank, post office etc, no problems. Taking a rottweiler, however well behaved, on a similar trip would be inappropriate.

I personally object to mothers smoking outside school gates, I think it's disgusting, I don't care that it's open air I can still smell it and I think it sets an appalling example for children. If I ruled the world I'd ban smoking outright. However, thankfully, I don't rule the world, and I don't complain about the smokers. That's their right, and I should learn to tolerate it.

Somewhere higher up someone posted, why should children have to learn to be around dogs?

Because dogs are part of our society, and for children's own safety, I feel parents should teach their children how to behave safely around dogs you don't know. You teach them about road safety, not to run with scissors and to be careful with hot things, well I think how to act around dogs is up there too. If a child has no idea how to act around dogs they are at higher risk of bites etc, due to acting inappropriately around dogs, not being able to read warning signals the dog is giving etc.

www.thebluedog.org/ is a great resource for all parents about safety around dogs.

PixieMoon · 22/01/2009 17:31

DrN I don't think you're being unreasonable to be miffed, I think whether a dog at school pick-up is appropriate or not depends on the dog, school layout etc, I think to generalise 'no dogs' would be ridiculously harsh, but it is up to the dog owner to be responsible and sensible about what is appropriate, as with most situations with a dog. For example I'll take my small dog (terrier crossbreed) with me on the bus into town, to the bank, post office etc, no problems. Taking a rottweiler, however well behaved, on a similar trip would be inappropriate.

I personally object to mothers smoking outside school gates, I think it's disgusting, I don't care that it's open air I can still smell it and I think it sets an appalling example for children. If I ruled the world I'd ban smoking outright. However, thankfully, I don't rule the world, and I don't complain about the smokers. That's their right, and I should learn to tolerate it.

Somewhere higher up someone posted, why should children have to learn to be around dogs?

Because dogs are part of our society, and for children's own safety, I feel parents should teach their children how to behave safely around dogs you don't know. You teach them about road safety, not to run with scissors and to be careful with hot things, well I think how to act around dogs is up there too. If a child has no idea how to act around dogs they are at higher risk of bites etc, due to acting inappropriately around dogs, not being able to read warning signals the dog is giving etc.

www.thebluedog.org/ is a great resource for all parents about safety around dogs.

TamartorousBeastie · 22/01/2009 17:32

It's an easily avoided risk though. So because i don't want hoards of dogs outside a school i'll object to conkers [huh]

My children are not growing into people who are afraid of their shadow, and i'm presuming you are not aiming "for gods sake stop overprotecting" at me?

LurkerOfTheUniverse · 22/01/2009 17:32

haven't read whole thread , but think yabu a bit

it is like crufts outside our school sometimes

2 dogs had a spat just as we were trying to get past them, my dd freaked out because she thought they were going for her

sarah293 · 22/01/2009 17:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

southeastastra · 22/01/2009 17:51

my son is petrified of dogs. keep em at home.

Litchick · 22/01/2009 18:08

Yabu.
I'm scared shitless of dogs...I know it's irrational but I can't help it.
I don't understand why owners let them sniff your fanny, jump up, bark at you etc and then say 'he's just being friendly'.
Keep them away pleeeeeaaase.
And dogs tied up are evn worse becuase they don't have theiir owner with them so they often go bonkers growling and sniffing etc.

coppertop · 22/01/2009 18:39

I love dogs and so do two of my children but I still think that the school gate is not the place for them.

Yes it would be lovely for children to learn how to behave around dogs but I don't believe that the school gate is the place to do it. It's not the calmest of environments on the best of days.

As a parent I think I should be the one to decide when and where my children face dogs. Children have the right to feel safe at school.

nkf · 22/01/2009 18:46

I think it's extraordinary that people tie their dogs up at the school gates and then leave them.