How many of you have got dogs??

[Louise B]

I've just done something really silly (although very exciting! lol). A friend of mine was looking for a home for her dog, she's split up with her partner a while ago and he kept the dog. He's now moving in with his new partner but can't take the dog, and my friend has a child who is constantly in and out of hospital so she doesn't feel it's fair to take the dog on. I asked her about him (I know her mainly online, haven't seen her for a while so don't know the dog) and she said he's great with kids - she has 2 with her ex and he has 2 teenagers with special needs, all 4 kids have pulled the dog around and he's never snapped.

So I've said I'll give him a trial for a week :eek: We always had dogs when we were kids, and seen how envious my kids are of their cousins who have a dog, and have always wanted them to have the experience. My partner doesn't live with us, so it'd be really hard to exercise a dog when it's dark, raining, etc, with no-one to stay home with the kids, but this dog is a Yorkie and won't need as much exercise. We can walk him to school with us, take him out in the daytime and he's got use of the garden too.

Someone has commented to me on Facebook that we shouldn't have dogs if we're minding!! A childminder friend of mine had a dog much bigger than this one. Surely if we risk assess and make sure the kids aren't left alone with the dog, and they don't pull him around, etc, then it's no different to having my other animals? There's a corner in my living room between two sofas where he could have a bed and no children can access it without climbing over the arms (which they're told not to do), so he would have somewhere to go, away from the kids.

I'm really excited, we're going to give him a try, and my older 2 girls are at their dad's so have no idea. Can't wait to see their faces!!!! So... do I need to text all the parents to let them know?! Should I have done that first? I'm fairly sure none of them will have a problem with it, but now worrying myself that I've done something stupid...!!!!! :(

xx

[mummyof3]

I have an 11mth old boxer dog and 2 cats I really don't have any issues about having him here when I am minding and neither do the parents! As long as you risk assess then I really don't see any problems. Lots of childminders near me have dogs as well.

How exciting hope it all works out for you. :D

[mrs robbie williams]

we have a black lab :) she's lovely and adores kids. I have put it more or less at beginning of my childcare.co.uk so people know we have her and she is a big part of the family before they even contact me. BUT i have had 3 different families (all african - prob not relevant and total coincidence but seems bit odd) that all freak out when they come to view my setting and find out i have a dog - and none of them have signed because of this. One of them even said cant you just lock her in the garden all day while you have my child :eek: er no !!!!!

[mummyof3]

we have a black lab :) she's lovely and adores kids. I have put it more or less at beginning of my childcare.co.uk so people know we have her and she is a big part of the family before they even contact me. BUT i have had 3 different families (all african - prob not relevant and total coincidence but seems bit odd) that all freak out when they come to view my setting and find out i have a dog - and none of them have signed because of this. One of them even said cant you just lock her in the garden all day while you have my child :eek: er no !!!!!

I have an african family who were very unsure when I got my dog but now they are fine about him - mum refuses to come into the house though :eek:

I have also had a family say no to me as her dd was scared of dogs - she is still searching for a cm now 4mths on :eek:

[MaryMary]

I have an 18 mth old springer spaniel. I got him as a puppy. I wanted a rescue dog, but they all say not suitable with small children/cats/rabbits etc. The idea was I would have a perfectly trained dog by now :D (fail!!:eek: ).
He is crate trained (sleeps in a crate in the kitchen) - has been from day 1 & is happy. the children are not allowed in his bed as that is his space.

I have had problems with walking this time last year. It is too cold & miserable for little ones, and it is dark by the time they go home. I did pay a dog walker for a while.

It is ok now, as I don't have little ones in the day at the moment. He does need a fair bit of exercise, but it's good for me too :laughing:

As the weather gets better, it gets easier. Last summer he was in the garden a lot, but the children didn't get out there as much as I would like. I do keep the children and dog separate during the day. he is still very exciteable and steals toys for attention.

I am hoping this year to do some work in the garden - it is on 2 levels, and I want to separate with a gate, so dog & children can all play happily at the same time :D It is still in the planning stage at the moment :)

The kids all like the dog (1 mindee would squeal last year - but she was a drama queen doing it for attention & at 8 yrs old should know better :mad: - she has left now - not dog-related). I do mention the fact that I have a dog to prospective parents.

Good luck with your little dog :thumbsup:

[mufftie]

[QUOTE=Helen N;850247]we have a black lab /QUOTE]

so do i , but he's very old now at 16 he couldnt hurt a fly and as he has never lived in the house then has never caused a problem , ofsted have never batted an eye lid at him so they obviuosly dont mind dogs

i do love yorkies tho

[butterfly]

We have a cocker spaniel who is great with the kids and they love him. I have risk assessed and I have a Pet Policy and he's included on my health and safety policy.

I've had a couple of mindees who were scared but their parents commented on how great it's been for them to be around him.

[sarak31]

I do but to be honest I do find it difficult sometimes. Walking him is hard at this time of year - ok if you have very littlies in the buggy but once you have 3 / 4 yr olds who don't usually use a buggy (or too many to fit in the double) then it's harder walking with lots of children - keeping an eye on the dog and them. Am seriously thinking of hiring a dog walker for some days.

Also our dog (a choc lab) is fantastic with children, very patient, but the prob I have always had is not him it is the children not leaving him alone. He doesn't want to be put in the other room alone as he'll just cry (or dig holes in my carpet:panic: ) so I have ended up putting him behind a stair gate by the back door when I am working until my children come home from school then he goes in the front room with them.

Also find his mess difficult in the garden with this job - I clean up every morning but still not that great with little ones - we haven't got the type of garden where we can fence off any part (and don't really want my garden like that really either).

The other side of that is he is a lovely dog, is great company when my DH is away working, and the children (inc minded children) all love him a lot. Never really affected my business I don't think but I say straight away on adverts that we have a dog so I guess those that don't like that would never enquire in the first place and I would never know. Most of my parents love the fact we have a dog.

[miss mopple]

We have a rescue golden retriever cross and she's lovely. We have had her for almost a year and I haven't found it much of a problem with minding. As mentioned, walking can be tricky with lots of children in tow, we get round that by DH getting up and walking her before work if I wont manage it during the day with the children.

I have put a dog run up in my garden, which is great as it means I know the grass is clear and the kids can play safely while the dogs outside :thumbsup:

Today we have started to look after my friends 3mth old beagle puppy so it may be chaos next week :laughing:

[flora]

I have 4 dogs and we get on ok.

I have 2 mindees that are frightened of dogs and because my lot are as daft as brushes they have been able to overcome their fear a bit.

For every parent that won't have you cos of a dog there are those that will.

RA all the way, and document when and what make of wormer you use.

[Cammie Doodle]

My son has just gone back to Scotland with his 16 week old Boxer :( I would love another , but it has made me realise that I can't do puppy's and babies, its ok when the dogs/ kids are a bit older. This week was a bit hectic, I worked at Carolyn for 1 day this week to keep my sanity :laughing:

[mushpea]

we have a black lab,,, he is lovley with the kids and i've never had a parent say no to comming because of him once they've met him,,, he sleeps in the kitchen during the day then is allowed the run of the house when the
others are gone,,,,my partner walks him before work (he gets up at 5am to do this) then one of us takes him out again after work,,,,in the hols we will go out with him and the mindees but ususaly hes an excuse to get us all out of the house!
please dont be under the impression that small dogs need less excersise,, yorkies are lovley but still need to go for walks what ever the weather or they end up just running loopy round the house.

[caz3007]

I have an old yellow lab ***** and she spends her days in the kitchen behind a stair gate asleep in her bed and when no children here she has the run of the downstairs. I have never had a family decide not to use me because of the dog and mostly get positive comments about the fact that its good for their child to get used to dogs.

[onceinabluemoon]

I have a lab retriever. Its hard for me to walk him when working so my teenagers do it in the day.

Yorkies are sweet but terriers can get very snappy and of course tiny Yorkies could easily be hurt so I would set some very firm ground rules before the children meet him/her eg no picking him/her up. (Of course all dogs can be nasty and I dont mean to imply that just terriers may be)

Remember that exercise isn't just to keep fit, they also need time to get out of the house and socialise, see the outside world etc so will probably still need lots of exercise.



Enjoy your new pet x

[PixiePetal]

we have 2 dogs.

a 15yr old patterdale terrier - almost blind and deaf poor thing :( she is in the corner of the dining room most of the day in her bed asleep. doesn't go for walks any more, just a potter in the garden and sunbathing in the summer. I have a safety gate between dining and kitchen to keep her away from kids - she has hardly any teeth so prob can't do a lot anyway. :rolleyes:

pup is 1yr now - crate trained, terrier x, in her bed in there, in the kitchen when i am working. DH comes in and out (we are on his farm) sometimes takes her with him for the day or half of it so she gets out a lot. No walk as such. She has been out all day today and shattered!

If you decide to keep it, could you introduce a crate? How old is the dog? Where there is a will there is a way! :D :thumbsup:

[mushpea]

also just thought you need to think of the cost,, ie flea treatment, worming tablets, anual jabs,, cost of kennels( 7 nites is costing us £130) if you go on hols with out the dog and also the cost of the kennel cough jab,, treatment if there is a problem ie our lab gets doggy hayfever each year and we spend a good £100 each year on tablets etc for him,,, one year he ate some posien and was at the vets for 4 whole days and that was £400, we have him insured which helped though and then the obvious such as food .

[Louise B]

Sadly it didn't work out with little Toby... who actually wasn't that little!! He didn't look like a Yorkie, but she assured me he has papers somewhere. He was a lovely dog, very friendly and kept sitting on me, then growling at my partner for coming near me! lol. My 2 year old was here and he was really good with her, running around and licking her. His previous owner had only been gone a few minutes when a friend and her 2 children turned up (I mind one of her kids). Within minutes, they were playing with the dog and moved his toy bone, and the dog snapped. I was mortified, he marked the little girl's arm. I think he wanted to play and hadn't actually meant to hurt them, but it was too much of a risk for me. He also snarled and snapped at the little boy when he came near me. Poor old Toby was sent home within 2 hours of being dropped off!

He was sweet, very protective and I think if it'd just been me and my kids, it might've worked, he would've had more settling in time and we could've spent more time helping him to get used to us. Instead, he was faced with a houseful of strangers and a couple of kids poking at him, and he was probably overwhelmed. Such a shame, I could've cried when he went, I hate letting people down, and felt so sad for Toby. But with this job, it wasn't worth the risk, and now I'm seriously thinking about getting a younger dog who can grow up with the kids. Toby hasn't had kids living with him for over a year, and has been left on his own a lot, so it was probably a massive change for him.

So... any recommendations on a pup?! lol.

xx

[MaryMary]

So sorry it didn't work out for you :(

I have a springer, so I would recommend.... a labrador!! :D Or better still, a lab/golden retriever cross :) That is what the guide dogs use, because of their temperament.

Have you had a puppy before? It might be worth contacting the Guide Dogs, as they sometimes have dogs which didn't make it through the training, and you don't have to go through the puppy stage (It is SO hard!)

Good luck :thumbsup: