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!

And what happens when it becomes bigger, or gets to 12 months and it's hormones kick in, or if it becomes obsessive over it's office.

Bloody idiots, this is why there are so many dogs in kennels because people use them as accessories. Don't train them properly and then wonder why they turn out the way they do bloody makes my blood boil!!!

This is the ingo page that explains about the dogs, hopefully your school will be taking a sensible and professional attitude to having a therapy dog at school

Last part of the info, the school has had the the dogs (was just 1 at the beginning) for 5yrs now

Sounds familiar! Only difference is that school paid half for a "xpoo" that my friend bought. (She is a teaching assistant and it's her first dog.)

Apparently the dog has the perfect temperament and attends special training with a charity that is 350 miles away. (Its every 6weeks for the first year.)
She has since given up the special training, as it's to much, and is working with a 1:1 dog trainer very 4weeks. Dog has 0 recall and is generally very jumpy and mouthy around children. It's not well socialised with other dogs and is generally nervous around visitors to their house. Basically a nut case which is typical for the 2 breeds (intelligent and high energy with unusual high pray drive...)
Although all the behaviour can be corrected, as dog is only 7 months old - I agree that it is irresponsible to buy a "school pet puppy" and place it with someone that has no dog experience and just expect it to work.
"Dogs with jobs" are exceptional characters and undergo rigours assessments and training. They are not just a puppy that you buy from any breeder. Even Pets as Therapy have a assessment process and minimum age for dogs to join.

One of mind had a real fear of dogs and wouldn't have stepped a foot into the building. It's fair enough to say they'll get used to the dog but it's a big risk.
If this is a state school, I'd be on the phone to my local authority or the head of the academy group.

My dc's school has a dog. I dont think it's a therapy dog tbh. The head is basically the owner and takes it home every day and looks after it. I think the kids rarely see it. It's the puppy of a crufts winner a few years ago. There hasn't been many problems with it and the kids love him. Plus he's not constantly around the kids so doesn't get overwhelmed when the kids do have contact with him.

hobbit but they are adult dogs, with calm temperament and who are trained. Not a bitey, jumpy, excitable 8week old puppy from "hotheaded" working lines. Your DC's school is also welcoming feedback, mine is very much giving off the attitude that the decision is made and that's it.

"Dogs with jobs" are exceptional characters and undergo rigours assessments and training. They are not just a puppy that you buy from any breeder. Even Pets as Therapy have a assessment process and minimum age for dogs to join. Exactly. But according to school he is a Labrador so will be the perfect therapy dog - no consideration to the fact he's working line not the calmer show and therapy dog type lines, or that he is a tiny puppy who will be a mouthy, jumpy, hyper, nutter, who will need lots of training and to mature a lot before he would even stand a chance of being a therapy dog, even if he was bred right, for it.

missmorely and wilteddaffs also highlight what a big problem it can be for DC with severe allergy or fear.

How do you know it's a puppy farm OP?

It's clear from some posts on here that school dogs can be a huge asset. My concern would be that it is done properly and refusing to discuss the matter isn't a good sign.

I have a working type lab. He is the stereotypical calm but always ready to go dog you imagine when thinking of a Labrador. But it took a lot of work to get him there. He is very bright and has huge exercise needs. He is frankly amazing with my DC who both have SN. I can't imagine him in a school...and at 8 weeks, no way!

You know he's going to eat something he shouldn't and cost them £500 don't you? (bitter).

Perfect because he's a Lab? They have zero clue what they are letting themselves in for.

Why would the school give you info about out of hours care for the dog, that is not your concern.
I would be comforted by the fact that the dog has a handler with it, and if the handler is experienced and a good trainer the dog will be fine. If not I'm sure they will withdraw the dog.
Phoning the rspca seems a bit over the top, but that's just my opinion, I understand why you're concerned.

I know a school who got a therapy dog (a cockapoo). I was really dubious about the whole thing but it has worked out well. The dog lives with an alternative member of staff and comes in to school every day. It's hypoallergenic (who knew a dog could be?!) so no allergy worries. It's been crate trained and when it got big enough / trained enough to.lay calmly outside the crate a baby gate was installed on the office door. It is always on a lead outside of the office. It visits classrooms and children come and read to it and calm down with it etc. It's been coming in to school since it was 8 weeks so it's grown up with the noise and sounds of the children and is totally fine with them. It's had proper training and the children even helped practise his training witg him on the playground at lunch. The school had to buy specialist (and very expensive) liability insurance.

But for all my doubts it has worked out brilliantly.

Give it a chance, it won't turn out as badly as your expecting - no school would take that risk. It's going to be socialised with children early on too. And I think the thoughts about it being left at school overnight and during the holidays are ridiculous - of course that won't happen.

I've never heard of a school dog before. I feel quite sorry for the poor thing before it has even arrived.

*an SLT member of staff not an alternative

colours because they linked to the "nice breeder" who is giving them the puppy. Looking at the "breeders" Facebook page, they:

1. churn out puppies like there is no tomorrow,
2. sell on a first come, first served basis
3. breed lots of popular breeds - working type labs, cockerpoos, miniature dachunds, Cavapoos (the cavalier bitch they showed with the most recent litter had blatantly horrific conformation).
4. they don't do most of the breed specific health tests.
5. appear to have a vast number of kennels and bitches.

Which all together = blatant puppy farm.

I believe this is the same school my kids go to.
The puppy is going to live with a teacher the children have been told this, They have also been told that they wont see him all the time until he is older.
They have been told they have to be quiet around him.
I think its a good thing for the school personally.

My dd school has a lab therapy dog. He belongs to the senco and spends his day going around lessons or snoozing in the senco office. He was 12 weeks when he came to the school and he's about 6 months now. He is a calm, unflappable, friendly dog and he's done wonders for the children. My dd especially loves him because he comes into her Latin lesson!

If it's a bona fide Pets As Therapy dog then you can't just use any old animal. You have to have it assessed, have a reference from your vet - all kinds of hoops to jump through to make sure that it's suitable.

The children absolutely adore him and he's a superb dog. I think it's one of the best decisions that the school has ever made.

OP... Do you have a link to their Facebook? (if you are allowed to post?)
If it is a puppy farm, report that, not the school.

There are kids with severe allergies at DS’ primary, so there is a blanket
ban on families bringing their dogs into the yard at pick up/drop off. I also don’t get the ‘hypoallergenic’ claim. Its not just fur/shedding, some people are allergic to saliva and labs are very slobbery.

It's a private school btw if that makes any difference.

Someone said further down the line about 'hypoallergenic' dogs. That's assuming that people's allergies are to dog hair. My allergy is the water vapour in their breath. So a dog panting or just breathing near me affects my asthma to the point that I can't breathe.
What happens then? The child is sent out of the class? Or that class misses out? Either scenario is unacceptable.

Someone said further down the line about 'hypoallergenic' dogs.. That was me, like I said I didn't even know you could get hypoallergenic dogs (which is why I pulled a confused face). I do know the school sent out permission and allergy awareness letters when consulting about the dog with parents so I assume no-one had any to be concerned about and would like to think if there were allergies they would have risk assessed that and not gone ahead.

Snuffle... I'm sure the school will do an appropriate risk assessment and put the right policies in place.

Our school has had dogs for years. No issues, no complaints and the kids love it.
I can see the allergy argument though! Luckily it hasn't been a problem with ours.

If it is a puppy farm, report that, not the school. as far as I am aware puppy farms aren't necessarily illegal as long as they have a council license for the number of litters they produce each year and provide the minimum welfare standard.

I've worked in schools that have school dogs. All have been appropriately trained by behaviourists before being allowed at the school.

Some schools have reading dogs, that are owned by a volunteer and brought into school for a few hours a week.

This seems absolutely insane.