Caring for child and dog-strange enquiry.

[Glitter]

Hello,
I had an enquiry yesterday from a lady would would like a childminder one day a week.

The strange bit was she has a small dog and she is looking for someone who can look after it at the same time.
I don't look after any other children on the day she needs, and it might be nice to have a dog one day a week. I told her I would have to find out if I was allowed to do this and because I would not be able to look after other children on that day I would have to charge her a higher hourly rate (normal rate is £3.50 so told her it would be £5 an hour).

So what I need to know is would I be allowed to look after her dog in my house at the same time as her child?

[lilac_dragon]

lol not heard this one before!
I cat and dog sit for people but in their houses not mine.
As a dog owning Childminder, I have to make sure my dog is vaccinated and wormed regularly, could you be sure of this with someone else's dog? They have vac cards, but not worming ones.
There may also be a flea problem - once in your house they are hard to eradicate as they thrive in our centrally heated homes.
Muddy paws - carpets, and dog fur- carpets, furniture and allergies.
Might it hold you back if you have an enquiry from someone who's not happy with dogs around their children? Needs considering, personally I've simply told people that the dog's family and they need to ask someone else.
Benefits - depends on the dog, ours is a happy waggy tailed member of our family and all the los love her.

[Mouse]

Granny Murray does it, so I guess it's OK

[FussyElmo]

Oh that's is a strange one

So you are able to accommodate it on that day but what in the future if you took on more mindees.

Im not sure I would want responsibility of someone elses dog. I know mine but don't trust them 100% another persons dog I wouldn't know anything about.

What about the pooh and when they are sick - dogs are worse than children and you couldn't send the dog home

[Ripeberry]

As you said it's only one day a week and you have no other children. What about dog food, will she provide? Where will you keep it? Do you really want dog hair all over the place? What if it barks like mad? Too many negatives.

[dawn100]

I'm a big dog lover and we currently have 4, but I'm not sure I'd do it. Lilac dragon made some very good points to consider. Where would the dog be when minding? Mine are not allowed in the room that minded children spend most of their time in. You don't know this dog or its personality, I sometimes look after friends dogs whilst they are on holiday but on the condition they are kennelled in my kennel and run in the garden during working hours and a dose of flea and worm treatment for me to administer to the dog a week before arrival and to see their vaccination card, that way i can guarantee they are protected, it might sound a bit over the top but having so many pets in my house on pre-reg with one not belonging to me i got a real grilling so decided that is what id do as otherwise its not worth the risk, come my inspection ofsted were very impressed with my pet p&p.
You would have to risk asses, where will it toilet? Worming, fleas, vaccination, where will it spend its time etc
I would think very carefully about this as could end up more hassle than its worth!

[amirose]

Wouldn't she be better off with a nanny? Unless you would consider looking after child and dog in her own home? Depends if you have your own children and their ages I guess x

[Glitter]

Thank you everyone for your replys. I had not thought of all the down sides to doing it (don't really want a house full of dog hair).

I think I will give her a ring and say after taking advice I would not be able to do it, and maybe suggest she advertises for a nanny.

[julie w]

I'd love to do that. I think its a great idea xx

[Ripeberry]

Could never do that myself. Any strange dog would have a field day, chasing my cats, the chickens and guinea pigs.

[Daisy De]

I had an enquiry like that. I did know the lady, child and dog.

Said no because I had other children on the day and, although I have dogs myself, could not have another person's dog around other people's children.

If it was just her child on the day I would have happily had the dog as well

[JCrakers]

Could she maybe give you a house key and you go over to her house and walk it?

[lizduncan72]

Could she maybe give you a house key and you go over to her house and walk it?

I do this for one of my families, dad used to take dog to work with him but when he changed job he couldn't do it any longer so since they live next to nursery I go down a few minutes early to let dog out first

[SammySplodger]

There may well be a gap in the market here!
Child n Pet Minder

[Rick]

Granny Murray does it, so I guess it's OK

You know it's not a documentary

[Mouse]

You know it's not a documentary

Don't shatter my illusions

[primula]

Maybe you could give it trial and see how it goes??

[k1rstie]

£2 per hour for the pouch. That's cheap. Doggy day care is more expensive than childcare!

[bunyip]

Don't shatter my illusions

Granny Murray's setting is a liability - you should risk assess it as you watch: it would be a brilliant exercise for all pre-reg CMs.

Anyway, I think she's a bloke..........

[bunyip]

£2 per hour for the pouch. That's cheap. Doggy day care is more expensive than childcare!

True dat! £10ph round here for dog walking/sitting. Says a lot about how much people care their dogs in relation to their children.

From a practical point of view, I'd have thought it would mainly be a question of risk assessing the dog and gaining consent from the other parents, who send their lo's on the basis that you don't currently have a dog. The RA is tricky, cos you don't know the animal or whether it has had all its shots, etc. but are ultimately responsible for it whilst the lo's are there.

Not sure where you stand with Ofsted in that you might be seen to be running 2 businesses at the same time. They might judge that you couldn't give the lo's 100% attention ???