School is getting a dog

[SchoolDogBadIdea]

I've named changed for this as there is information that would identify my DS's school. I am a long time poster.

So this week my DS's school (primary) announced that the school is getting an 8week old labrador PUPPY! It will have its own office and will supposedly be a "therapy" dog. They have stated it's gifted by X breeder and put links to the puppy farm breeder in their email to parents. Apparently he's the perfect puppy for the school because he's a Labrador.

I'm actually really pissed off. It's a disaster in the making. They have plainly failed to consider:

1. that Labrador puppies are very mouthy, strong and jumpy and that they need to get to two years old to calm down enough.
2. The risks of overwhelming the puppy with the shear number of different children and extra noisy environment thus risking creating fear.
3. what happens when this all goes wrong - are they going to get rid of the puppy for being too much trouble? (Thus teaching the children, when an animal is a problem get rid) or are they going to spend a fortune on a behaviourist?
4. what happens if puppy gets ill or worse dies?

To make it even worse:

1. the "breeder" is 100% puppy farm - who school have now advertised as a good breeder. Also means puppy is more likely to have health problems.

2. The parents are working type and the "breeder" themselves has described them as hot headed. This puppy is from the wrong type of lines to be the calm therapy dog school believe he will be.

3. This dog will have huge exercise requirements that will not be met by being taken around classrooms.

There's loads of other issues too but there's too many to think of at once.

The school told the children about the dog before anything was said about it to parents. So the children are all looking forward to having a cute puppy in school.

It's just so irresponsible!

Goodness OP I agree entirely. What on earth are they thinking? Who is actually even going to look after the poor dog at home time and holidays? What if that person leaves? Who is going to be the dogs human?

I cannot believe they have told the children as well. Unbelievable. Even if you can get them to rethink what a disaster to explain. I wonder whether RSPCA or similar have educational officers who might be able to have a stern word?

Gosh. I've never heard of a school doing this- what if a pupil has allergies or a fear of dogs? That's so sad about them coming from a puppy farm, horrible stuff. Hopefully the school will come to their senses- can you send them an email with your concerns for them to consider?

Also who would take the puppy home and would insurance cover a dog in that environment?!! So many questions!!

Where will the dog be kept overnight and during holidays? Will it just be left alone in the building? or are the staff expected to care for it at home?

OP, please say you’ve made this up.... what kind of establishment is this?! Who on earth thinks this is okay? There is so much wrong with this idea that I can’t even begin.

I’ve worked at a school that had a school dog. It was a complete sham. In reality the head had a dog and the dc in the school probably caught a glimpse of it once a month. It didn’t come in the classrooms or to assembly or anything like that.

If there was ever a thread that should be picked up by the Daily Mail - this is it.

The school need to be named and shamed, surely this isn't legal? Who is taking care of the puppy or are they planning on leaving it in the office overnight?

They want it to be a fucking therapy dog? One of mine is a registered therapy dog and she did her assessment when she was 7 years old, well trained, incredibly passive and she had to pass all manner of tests to be accepted.

Whoever is in charge of this farce needs putting straight. I am SO angry about this!

This is appalling on every level. You are 100% right OP

Is it the case that the Head/one of the staff wants to get a dog, and this is a crafty way of claiming it on expenses? As a pp said, they'll bring it in occasionally to justify the 'school dog' status?

Presumably, in reality it will beong to one of the teachers who will take it home, feed it, walk it before and after school, and be the one to pay for vet bills, vaccinations and behaviourists.

I do agree though, a working lab puppy from a puppy farm, what were they thinking? A therapy dog could have been a great idea, but it needs to be an actual trained, tested and housebroken therapy dog, not a random puppy, poor thing!

That is the most bonkers idea I have ever heard.

Where do you even start with the practicalities?

And the puppy farmer gets free publicity and all the kids pester their parents for a puppy like the school one.

FFS

This is horrendous, that poor dog, is there a local animal welfare charity who could step in to halt this? this is a serious welfare issue for the dog.

I actually think you should name the school, I for one would be delighted to send them an e mail as I am sure would many others.

My kids school has a school dog. It works great. He does mornings and afternoons on the gates, as well as being read to and comforting ill/hurt children. He started in the school at ~6 months old. He's a springer/poodle x.

He lives with the head, but as she's on secondment somewhere else, he's dropped at the school in the morning and picked up later.

Like any assistance dog, when he's harnessed, he is workiing and is very calm. When he's off duty, he's a typical bouncy spaniel who has had a lovely play with my pup. Even my friend's very dog phobic children love him.

They also have the Dog's Trust in fairly frequently (once a year or so) to talk about how to behave around dogs. He's always been part of the school. He's almost 6 now and has grown up with the older children in the school. The head says he mopes during the hols when the children are off because he misses them.

I agree though an 8 week old lab puppy doesn't sound ideal.

Complete insanity

Are you sure it’s not a member of the SMT who is getting the ‘school’ dog?
It might come into work with its owner on occasion but not actually be there all day.

If not, those are some serious levels of stupidity. Get together all the other, sensible parents and make the school stop!

What a load of frothing before you know the actual facts

I wonder whether RSPCA or similar have educational officers who might be able to have a stern word? fourpaws - that's a brilliant idea. Probably be Tuesday before the right department is open again but I'm definitely going to call and see.

I am scared of emailing the school and it having negative repercussions on me/my DS. Had they have told parents prior to telling DC I would have been straight in there with my concerns but by telling the DC first it seems that they are on cloud cuckoo are determind in their idea and didn't want parents to have a chance to point out negatives.

They have provided no information on where the dog will live outside of school hours nor who his human will be. All that has been said on dogs living arrangements are that he will have his own office and visit the classes with a "handler".

They have considered allergy and parents not wanting their DC involved with the dog. Those DC will be kept away from the dog and school believe the school is hoovered enough for it not to effect those with allergies (im not sure thats strictly true, if a severely allergic DC was to be sent to the school) and apparently they are drawing up a full health and safety policy, relating to that.

If it was actually that x teacher is getting a pet dog and dog was going to make frequent visits to the school, I don't think it would be quite as dreadful. Although still questionable.

ivenoidea I honestly wish I could say this was a wind up. I promise it is 100% truth.

What a load of frothing before you know the actual facts

Fact - puppy is going to be 8 weeks old when he will be in school seeing children.
Fact - it is a working line Labrador, who's parents the "breeder" describes as hot headed.
Fact - its from a blatent puppy farm
Fact - they have advertised said puppy farm as a nice breeder
Fact - puppy will have an office and be taken around class rooms
Fact - they got the DC all excited about puppy (who is already named) before even telling parents it was being considered.
Fact - they have not thought about the mouthing or biting

Those facts alone are awful and surely anyone sensible, with an ounce of knowledge about dogs and who actually cares about animals can see that.

The fact that school aren't giving any information about the dogs living arrangements outside of school open hours, is a concern. Why in their announcement and faq was it not covered? Why don't they appear go be open to questions about it? Why didn't they tell parents it was being considered prior to telling the children that they were getting a really cute puppy? They keep sending pictures of the schools cute puppy, yet arent open to discussion from parents.

*mouthing or jumping

But you don't know half of those 'facts'

Why not wait and see eh? I realise that's not as much drama for you as all this angst though

You're even got people on here wondering if it'll just be left on it's own in a school all night.

Just try and calm down and ask the pertinent questions to the school

Disaster in the making. Could you take it up with the governors as an extremely urgent matter?

But based on the fact they are buying from a puppy farm shows them to be idiot who have no buisness handling dogs around children.

But you don't know half of those 'facts

All the things listed as facts are known facts. They are what the school put in the announcement pdf they emailed and what you can easily see from looking at their link to the puppy farmers "breeder's" Facebook page.

Also school are not open to discussion, the pdf they emailed is sufficient information as far as they are concerned. Other parents (those that aren't just besotted by the cute pictures) are seriously concerned and school are not providing any other information.

If this was my DC school I would have to find DS2 a new school, he's very allergic to dogs. I wouldn't care how much they hoover, I wouldn't want to take the risk considering his last reaction to a dog had him swelling up. Nor would I want to dose him with antihistamines every single day.

My DC secondary school has 2 dogs who help the children immensely. They belong to the teachers and are trained therapy dogs, they visit children who are struggling with a whole range of issues and the dogs are loved by all at the school.
Pupils can request to spend time with the dogs too and they visit classes through the day. There has been a huge improvement in the behaviours of some pupils and Im very happy about the school dogs