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!

Oh that's awful. I'm quite angry the school can't see it tbh. Hardly a good start is it?

I just can't see a working lab in that situation. Not without a huge amount of specialised training. Mine is 6 and very well trained but I don't take him on the school run...it's like he picks up the energy...you can see hes all go go go.

The puppy days were not the easiest and his parents were the polar opposite of hot headed. They were working dogs and my boy was classed as an easy train! Id want to know who is going to be putting all the work in...who is providing the additional training.

The lack of any discussion about it is the most worrying thing here.

Not sure how good they think their Hoover is either.

Our school has a therapy dog. He came to the school fully-trained, and the member of staff he lives with had to have training, too, before the organisation placed him with us. His 'office' is a particular zone of the school, so that allergen and fear issues can be safely addressed.

He has been a beneficial addition to the school. However, his selection and introduction was handled entirely differently to the OP's case.

We have a school dog. It’s owned by a member of staff and has worked wonders with lots of pupils.

Bitey... Yes I'm aware, but would rather the rspca looked at that rather than the school. Which dog is more at risk?

If the school have risk assessed it, properly thought it through, organised the appropriate training etc then they need to communicate that properly. Not shut down discussion.

Picking a random pup from a highly dubious breeder isn't exactly giving the impression of meticulous planning.

If it is a puppy farm, report that, not the school ...You can't - there's nothing illegal about puppy farming, despite what many believe. As long as they have a council licence they can sell as many puppies as they want.

School dogs are quite common now. I spoke to 3 local schools who all had dogs as my Head Teacher was thinking of bringing her 1year old dog into our school. We wanted to hear about the pro's and con's first hand before a decision was made. In our case we decided to go ahead and it is the best thing we ever did. She is a beautiful calm little dog and the children love her. I know that no dogs are bomb proof but this one is as near as you could get. She also doesn't shed and we have a member of staff who was very allergic to dogs but he can stroke our dog with no problem. Our Ofsted inspector even commented on how he liked to see a dog in school.

However, the thought of a puppy in school horrifies me. Far too young and how on earth will they deal with the toileting! Our dog goes out 4 or 5 times a day and gets a good run around the playground a couple of times a day. I cannot imagine having the time to keep taking a puppy out every hour or so.

I just feel sorry for the poor puppy and when the poor thing gets over stimulated and nips a child everyone will be baying for blood!

Also the "puppy farm" you are talking about is a licensed breeder who has glowing reviews all 5star with people saying what great puppies they have from her and talk of how experienced and helpful she has been.

Hmmm have they done a proper risk assessment?
I’m severely allergic to dogs. No amount of hoovering or putting it ‘in another room’ reduces the allergy.

The protein molecules which cause allergies stick to anywhere, including ceilings. They take 3 months to go. If l worked at that school (and l do work in a school) then l would be severely ill enough to be in hospital. Then the school would have big problem and potential payout on their hands.

I wheeze really badly and inhalers don’t help that much, my lips and tongue swell, and my face and eyes puff up so much l can hardly see.

Severe allergies can’t always be treated with anti histamines either.

‘We have a member of staff who was very allergic to dogs, but he could stroke her no problem as she doesn’t shed’

It’s not about shedding. And even l can stroke a dog, but l can’t be in the same building as one. As someone who has a sever allergy, l don’t see how that member of staff can suddenly be ok. It can’t have been that severe an allergy no matter what he claims.

And ‘non allergy’ dogs affect me just the same as normal ones.

Do you think they know the failure rate of Guide Dogs, dogs which are very carefully bread and have excellent training that just don’t pass muster. And when do these dogs retire? Working dogs go off the boil eventually and thereafter forcing them is a different ball game.
My failed guide dog is currently lying at my feet, he’s so well trained people are amazed but he washed out (he’s a little dumb even for a lab).

If the puppy comes into the school at 8 weeks that’s great for getting used to school noise but not really long enough to know about it’s personality and where it needs special handling.

Seems gimicky like the hatching chicks in classrooms.

My daughter used to attend a school that had a school dog , he belonged to a member of staff , was beautifully trained and socialised and spent lots of time sitting with the children when they needed someone to talk to / had any issues. It worked very well . Massive over reaction as usual on this thread , no head teacher is going to allow a dog to jump on/ bite a child , the dog will not be roaming the corridors alone and it could just as easily turn out to be an excellent asset for the school .

The Sixth form DS is starting later this year has a dog. Apparently the students go and stroke it when they feel stressed and it makes them feel better.

The whole thing is worrying.
This isnt a 'beautifully trained' or a genuine 'therapy dog' its an 8 week old puppy ffs!

School are not showing any due care or risk assessing nor any common sense if they are not communicating with patents first nor even after they have unilaterally decided to get a dog.

They havent asked about allergies nor fears nor phobias. Of course they are presuming that just keeping a child who is allergic away from the dog is enough. What about after all thier friends have stroked, cuddled it and are now covered in hair, dander and saliva? Some allergies are so easily triggered you dont actually have to touch the thing.

They have not explained who will take care of the puppy in school, who will be respinsible for taking them out hourly for toilet, where exactly will the puppys toilet area be, who will train them, etc.

If this is such a good idea all this should be clear to parents and they should have bern informed before the decision was made.

And if this breeder churns out puppies it will probably have a defect and will cost to put right if at all.

A cute bouncy bitey scratchy puppy is not going to calm down in a room full of excitable kids! Unless someone in school has excellent experience with dogs and training them they are kidding themselves.

Also the "puppy farm" you are talking about is a licensed breeder who has glowing reviews all 5star with people saying what great puppies they have from her and talk of how experienced and helpful she has been.

Please go and educate yourself on puppy farms. They are council licensed (as are pretty much all puppy farms - since if they are not licensed they are then illegal) and there are very few licensed breeders who are not a puppy farms (organisations like guide dogs being the exception, as they breed large numbers due to the high failure rate of even the best bred animals).

Also anyone on Facebook who has all 5star reviews is filtering them (they can stop any review being published at their whim) and relying on people who keep their blinkers firmly on to ensure they can get the "cute puppy" fast and friends who will post a bogus review.

They are 100% a blatant puppy farm. Anyone who has bothered to do even a small amount research on puppy farms can see that.

willow beautifully summed up.

I would also like to make it clear, since two people have totally misconstrued what I've said - I am not calling the RSPCA to report a dog in danger or suffering and to send out a welfare officer. I am calling them, as the first person to respond to my post said, to ask them if their education officer can have a word with the school about the whole thing. To at least make school consider the poor puppy's welfare.

I would like to make it clear that I am not opposed to an adult, properly bred, fully trained, calm, true therapy dog being used in schools.

I'd be a bit concerned about allergies and it meaning some DC wouldn't be able to attend the school or that some people would be excluded from working there (as pp have said).

But on the whole it could be very beneficial to many children - particularly those who don't have a dog at home.

Had my DS's school, consulted parents prior to telling DC, been open and shown thought had been put into this, found a true therapy dog, and generally behaved in a way that showed responsibility, I wouldnt be particularly concerned. Unfortunately they have done none of those things / behaved the total opposite.

Oh god what an awful idea

Dd was part of the read to a dog scheme and she loved it. Animals used this way are so beneficial.

But they are trained and tested dogs .

Not all puppies and dogs will have the temperament and the tolerance to he a PAT dog so there's a huge chance this dog will not be suitable. Especially if it has health problems as a result of being from a puppy farm.

Are these adults supposed to be qualified to teach children

I think you are trying very hard by twisting facts to paint the school in a bad light instead of asking questions. I think if you were as concerned as you say you are you would ask the school. Its all a bit dramatic really isnt it.
The school spoke to the kids about it in depth telling them that as the puppy is young he wont be there full time that they are going to train him and when he gets older he will be there more.

As you have seen from this thread other schools have dogs now and it works.
I myself think animals are very good for children and vice versa, they can learn alot from each other.

As you have seen from this thread other schools have dogs now and it works.
I myself think animals are very good for children and vice versa, they can learn alot from each other

No one has disputed this not even the op

You can't just pick up any old puppy though and hope for the best. Many dogs "fail" as therapy or working dogs.

The owners and the dogs need proper training most schools can barely afford new books let alone pay for veterinary treatment and behaviourists.

I'm a vet who is old enough to have been at school when school dogs were common, and spent a lot of time under the desk with the teacher's corgi when I'd finished my work early. I think the right school dog can be great, except for the allergy issues. This is the wrong dog. You are absolutely right, op, it'll be very challenging - not housetrained, bitey and so scary for children who aren't used to dogs, too lively and absolutely sounds like it's come from a dubious breeder. If they were set on a school dog, a calm adult of known character, such as a retired breeding bitch, would have been infinitely better, or they could have just engaged with one of the charities that bring vetted dogs into schools. This really doesn't sound like a good idea.

I have heard about schools doing this, it's a nightmare for kids with allergies as well those who are scared of dogs. Can't believe this is a thing now.