Pup not allowed in school playground

[Solo2]

Just posted on the AIBU forum but thought I'd also come over here for clarification.

The short version is that every day, parents bring pups/ dogs into my DCs school playground. Our pup has had about 4 visits. Tonight he was petted by loads of children and teachers but suddenly the headmaster screamed out of his upstairs office window that all dogs are banned from school grounds and we must remove him immediately.

Is this normal practice in school for Health & Safety reasons? Obviously, till today, it hasn't been the case but now our really really cute, well-behaved, lead-held, docile and calm puppy has been sent packing!

This has totally upset my sons - as one thing that interested them in Rollo was being able to 'display' his cuteness to friends. This is also really awkward for me re. dog walk and school runs, as I'll now have to cut short the afternoon walk, return Rollo home and then rush out to school (can't park in grounds so wouldn't want to leave him alone in the car for 30 mins - (the time taken to walk up school drive and finally, finally get DCs to leave with all the stuff they need - which often involves several return trips to the classroom!)

Just wanted to check if most schools ban dogs from the playground, even if on a lead and well-behaved - ie sitting or lying nicely and quietly, nest to owner?

No dogs allowed in our playground.

Saying that when mine was very small, before her jabs had been completed, and she got too much of a lump I used to carry her into the playground everyday at school pick up.

Children were only allowed to pat her if they went and asked their mum or dad first and her paws never touched the ground.

Several parents have done this for socialisation and our Head has seen and doesn't seem to have a problem with it.

After her jabs were done then no, she's never been back in, and fair enough really. Dog poo and playground surfaces shouldn't mix, plus you will always find some kids who are very dog phobic, even with cute fluffy puppies.

afaik all schools ban dogs from the playground. with older children you can just wait outside on the pavement with dog. other kids can fuss dog there if you want

Dogs are banned from playground here aswell.

Dogs banned from ours too, parents wait outside with dogs

V unprofessional for Head to scream out of his window though .

Jeeez, lovely example to set the kids

Dogs are banned from our playground. Quite right too. Can't imagine many/any schools would allow them.

Yep no dogs in ours either - the Head even mentions it in his prospectus, along the lines of "you know your dog is safe and won't bite, but children don't", seems reasonable enough to me.

Can't see a reason why dogs need to be in a playground.

Banned at ours too

Yours sounds nice but there are some horrors here that are bigger than my recep child so I think it's sensible

No dogs in our school either. Dog owners rarely think that their dog is capable of biting but with unpredicatable excited children running around it's just not worth the risk.

Yes, most schools ban dogs. This is because:
a) some kids are scared of dogs
b) some adults are scared of dogs
c) dogs poo, and while I know you'd clear it up pronto, the school cannot assume that everyone would.
d) I'm sure your dog is very well-behaved, but some dogs do behave unpredictably and the school has to be able to ensure the health and safety of all the pupils. And the pupils have to feel safe, even if the reality is there is no risk to their safety whatsoever.

Yes, banned at our schoool too, for all the reasons Hassled said.

Is it not possible to tether the dog outside? Or, better, for you to wait outside the school gates with the pup, and sort put a way to collect your children that way? I must admit that I could never tie my pup up and leave her- she would get nicked and not even give a backward glance as she is so trusting!

Same here too - not even tied to the railings outside as that is still school property. I'm clerk to the governors at a couple of schools and it is an issue that governors are anxious about, as they are responsible for safeguarding the children on school property.

We've had this at our school recently. Thing is, everyone thinks their own dog is fine, but that's not the point. I'm a recent convert to this dog business, but I can totally see the other side. Most schools will apply a 'no dog' rule. Some children will be scared, rightly or wrongly, and there is the potential for mess (even if you pledge to clear up your own, some unscrupulous owners won't), plus the potential for dogs scrapping with each other. We've had that too.
We've therefore had parents tethering their mutts outside the gate. More than a few times recently, that has led to dogs screeching at each other outside, whilst their owners are inside the grounds. Many children are, understandably reluctant to walk past dogs which are barking and frothing and straining on their leads.
We also had a guy recently, who came in just before playtime to collect his son for some reason, with his pedigree something or other (bull terrier-type, not sure exactly). He broke "the rules" as he refused to leave the dog outside the grounds in case he was stolen. The problem was he tethered the dog on the path just at the point where 210 children were about to charge onto the playground for their playtime. Dog went bananas, with excitement/fury/who knows? We had some children trying to pet him, and others almost hysterical! OK, so it provided an opportunity for teaching the children subsequently about not approaching unknown dogs, but as dogs are not supposed to be on the school premises in the first place, it was an unexpected hazard.

Posted on othr thread. I don't have a dog myself.

No dogs are allowed in the playgrounds at either DD's school or the infant school I work at.

Dogs banned in all four schools my children have experienced. Though I did once see two Italian Spinones and their owner talking to the head at the school entrance. Well, the owner was talking, not the dogs.

FGS don't tether the dog outside. There's nothing like having to walk past a barking furry thing the same size as you, which you're (irrationally) scared of, to end your school day. I want to do bad things to the parents who tie their dogs to the barrier that faces our school gate.

Ok then, I see the problem. But what's wrong with waiting for the children with the dog, outside the playground?

I wait outside the school gates with the dog and make him sit whilst waiting for ds1. I wouldn't take him into the playground as it is private property.

We've never been allowed to take ours on the playground. I used to tie our sheltie up outside but after going on here and reading about all the dog thefts I think that was pretty unwise. Now the little girl I take to school is Year 4 so I just leave her at the gates and let her walk round on her own. They have to be collected from the back playground, though, so I only take the dogs if I can take someone with me to stand with them outside by the road.

So, I think the school is probably in line with most others. Having said that, the headteacher has handled the situation pretty badly. A quiet word would have been better, along with a reminder on the newsletter to all parents.

Dogs banned from our school, as they should be imho and I am a veherment god lover.

Bad idea for all the reasons already stated.

Headmaster sounds like a loon though.

I am a dog lover, I love all things doggie, am not into god.

Christ and by 'doggie' I mean canine......

I leave my dog tied to the school railings, he now has a fan base of year 6 girls who gather around him and have photos of him on their iPhones! Think it's quite normal to not allow them into the playground. How would you feel if someone took a rottweiler in?

Agree that head teacher could have handled it better though.

Lol at wildthings doggie comment!