Those of you who have dogs....

[jackie13]

Hi, I had more or less decided to give up on childminding because of money worries, but i am having a visit from my area person next week so i'll see what she thinks and then make my decision. So now i just have another question for anybody who has dogs, whether it has put potential parents off? I know my dogs are safe and they will be seperated and closely supervised but i only have a small house and i am just thinking if i had a baby/young child and was looking for a childminder, if one had dogs and another didn't but were equally good settings, i would pick the one without dogs, and i'm a dog person!! I know from other posts that some of you have dogs so i would love to hear what parents reactions are when they are looking round. One of my dogs (i have 2) is a staffie cross and on 1st impressions some people think he looks scary but I see him as a big softy, although he can be boisterous. He's not too big, but he is stocky and has big pricked up ears which make him look bigger and 'on alert'. I'm worried aswell as i can only enclose them in the kitchen but you have to walk through the kitchen to get to the garden and if parents are looking round and we have to walk through to see the garden, the dogs will get all excited and might jump up and that would be very embarassing!!
Anyway, sorry for long post, i hope some of you can help! Thanks

[PixiePetal]

I have never had a problem - some people like the LOs to have contact with animals but not have the resposibility of having their own pets.

I have had a call this week who asked about cats, but that was because of allergies and she was fine about the dog.

As long as you can assure them that they will not be left alone with the dogs, it is down to them. Maybe a non dog lover would be better suited to a different minder - but there are dog lovers out there :thumbsup:

Good luck :)

[little miss chatterbox]

i find it depends on the person. I had one family who didn't come to me because of the dogs because they hated dogs!

However i have other families who come because their children want dogs and parents don't so they have a happy medium with me!

I wouldn't give up because of the dog, for those who don't want to use you there will be others that do!

I use it as a good marketing tool and say to parents it helps children to learn to respect animals and what it takes to look after them and also it helps them to not fear dogs.

I had a parent who was terrified of dogs so they liked the fact we had one so their LO didn't fear them! she grew up loving the dogs!

The only problem I find with mine is that they are over friendly so when people first arrive they go mad! I usually keep them out of the way for a first meeting and then slowly introduce them so the parents see them and know they're not big scary dogs!

[Anne66]

jackie you sound like you love your dogs. I have a pure breed staff and he's also mad but a great people dog. The trouble i have is that he jumps up and obviously i can't allow that. I have never had any trouble with parents accepting our animals because i do not allow our dog any contact with them when they first arrive which means they don,t really even notice him I obviously have to explain to them that he gets to excited. As for the children my dog is also in the utility space and the children have to walk through there to get to the toilet so all I do is put my dog in his crate where he,s happy to be and where he is secure and the children are quite happy with that. I have had children come to me who are very scared about dogs/cats but give them a little time and loads of encouragement they soon realise that they are part of their lives and enjoy seeing them. You can get the crates from argos and it would only be a temporary place for your dogs why you are trying to organise your children and are trying to speak to your parents. good luck

[AliceK]

Hi
I have a big lab x but he is old and lazy although he does bark and sound quite fierce when someone knocks at the door. I always tell parents when they first call me that I have a dog. The mindee that I currently has has a dog at home anyway so it was not a problem. I've used a CM with my DS in the past who had a dog and I must admit although I am a doggie person it did worry me VERY slightly as we all know that all dogs CAN be unpredictable. My dog just lays down and sleeps all day (until someone comes to the door). I had a parent visit me the other day and she was a dog lover but was shocked that after he had said hello he just lay down and went to sleep.
Just be honest with people and teach the children to respect and be gentle with the anilmals (I also have 2 cats and 4 rabbits :eek: )

xxxxx

[cabby]

i do the same as Alicek, i tell them on the phone when thet first ring me, that way if they have a problem with dogs they dont have to come round!! i can honestly say in the 8 years ive been doing this job, no one has ever said they wouldnt visit because i have a dog, and once anyone meets her they fall in love with her any way:) :)

[jackie13]

Thanks everyone that has made me feel a bit better about it! I do have a crate but they have only used it in the car (my little dog used it as a puppy but not very successfully!!) Perhaps i should put it inthe kitchen to get them used to it as it would be good also for when i am preparing food as i'm sure H&S would have something to say about that! I have put a paragraph in my welcome pack about the dogs teaching children about how to behave around animals in a safe and supervised environment. I'll see what the lady says next week about them!

[Hebs]

i have a dog, he's very well behaved and the kids love him,

as for the parents...... they WANT him :laughing:

:thumbsup:

[Alibali]

Every parent that has come to visit me has signed up, so I guess the dog wasn't an issue.

I have on the CIS website and my own website and my flyers etc that I have a dog, so I suppose there may be people who haven't even bothered to call me, but if they are keen enough to come out I don't see it as a problem.

All of my mindees have said 'diesel' as one of their first words!! (maybe because I say it so often though, he is a daft mutt)

[Daftbat]

I look after two children whose parents want me to get them to like dogs as they are quite scared of them at the moment!

I always tell people at the start i have a german shepherd and not been a problem - the only thing that bugs me is that they often say "Oh they Looove dogs!!!" then when the child arrives i find they are not as in love with dogs as their mum thinks and i have more of a problem getting them to relax around our dog than i had anticipated.

Have not had anyone NOT come to me as a reuslt of having our mutley!

[Ripeberry]

Sorry, but as a parent to even older kids 4yrs and 7yrs, I just could never trust a dog such as a Staffie. That would put me right off :( I'm sure he's a lovely dog, but the mouth is too big and they can lock their jaw as they were bred originaly for fighting.
O.K little dogs may bark and nip more often, but they can't take a babie's head right off.......I'm not a dog person.
Also, some dogs and even cats can get really jealous of their owner taking more care of children that are not part of the 'pack'
My little cat, has started to actively 'pick' on my mindee and won't leave him alone and just won't just clear off upstairs like she used to.
So she gets either locked in a room (the cat) or stays outside :mad:

[LOOPYLISA]

Sorry, but as a parent to even older kids 4yrs and 7yrs, I just could never trust a dog such as a Staffie. That would put me right off :( I'm sure he's a lovely dog, but the mouth is too big and they can lock their jaw as they were bred originaly for fighting.
O.K little dogs may bark and nip more often, but they can't take a babie's head right off.......I'm not a dog person.
Also, some dogs and even cats can get really jealous of their owner taking more care of children that are not part of the 'pack'
My little cat, has started to actively 'pick' on my mindee and won't leave him alone and just won't just clear off upstairs like she used to.
So she gets either locked in a room (the cat) or stays outside :mad:

My dad has a staffie and as lovely as he is, we, and my dad would never trust him :panic:
I personally would never send my dd to a cm with a dog, just my opinion x

[Curly Quavers]

My dogs have never been a problem for my customers. (everybody who has come for a visit has signed up)

I have worded my pet policy very strongly to try and reassure parents that I take the children's safety very seriously and that they never have unsupervised access to the animals.

Everybody is different and I think it does dramatically differ especially when it comes to what breed people have.

I don't think people should say I would never use a childminder with a dog it should all depend on the childminders own merritts and if she or he can prove to you that they are a responsible dog owner.

[PRINCESSDAISYFLOWER]

My dad has a staffie and as lovely as he is, we, and my dad would never trust him :panic:
I personally would never send my dd to a cm with a dog, just my opinion x

I have to agree even though I am an animal lover i have been attacked by dogs before so have seen at first hand the damage they can cause in a very small space of time. Therefore as much as i still love dogs it would be a deciding factor on where i sent my child.

[Alibali]

I have to agree even though I am an animal lover i have been attacked by dogs before so have seen at first hand the damage they can cause in a very small space of time. Therefore as much as i still love dogs it would be a deciding factor on where i sent my child.

Each to their own:)

[mumof1]

I also was worried about this, i have a 9 month old lab. But i have since been reasurred that its not a problem, but i did get a fenced off area in my garden only for the dog. I will only ever use it when mindees r here.

[naomiesian]

Hi, I have a staffy, she is very much a people dog, loves everyone, she gets a bit excited when she meets somebody new and tries to give them a clean, I am not cm yet as im just waiting on my certificate, but I had a parent who wanted me to look after their child, they loved everything apart from my dog and told me it was because of her breed if she had been an old english sheepdog they wouldn`t have had a problem! They wanted me to shut my dog in the garden when their child came to my house, I refused as I do have stairgates up so she can be shut in the kitchen or back room but they said no she must be outside,they wouldn`t even come and meet her as they were both afraid of dogs although did state they didn`t want their fears to rub of on their children,I just wished them all the best in their search for childcare,I was so upset at the time but since then I have had more enquires and have already filled all my 5 spaces for as soon as im registered :clapping: the parents have all met my dog and think she is lovely.
My advice would be to introduce your dogs to people coming into your home so they can see their temprement,also if you have people coming in the dogs might calm down a little bit as they will get used to it, show you have done risk assesments on your dogs covering every single thing you can think of and just be prepared if some people are put off by the fact you keep dogs. All the best xxxxx

[jackie13]

Thanks again everyone. He isn't a full staffie, he isn't quite as broad as they are and his head isn't as wide. Its hard to imagine anyone seeing him as scary because i just dont. Both my dogs are used to being around children as i nanny and the 3 i look after come to play with them a lot. I got him from dogs home and was wary when kids 1st came to see him as he is boisterous but he seemed to instinctively know to be more gentle. Shame the same cant be said for the kids :D

[LOOPYLISA]

I have to agree even though I am an animal lover i have been attacked by dogs before so have seen at first hand the damage they can cause in a very small space of time. Therefore as much as i still love dogs it would be a deciding factor on where i sent my child.

I love animals, just would never fully trust one, or my cats for that matter :laughing:

I have seen the damage a dog can cause and if they are having a off day :panic: ............just my opinion :thumbsup: hence i would send my dd to a cm without dogs x

[fiona]

Hello, i have just got a puppy, its not a big dog and will never be, i didn't check with my parents i just introduced them to her on her first day, i have issed my parents a pet policy regarding Hygine and safety, i have also devised a care plan, so that the older children in my care can assist in the feeding of the puppy and grooming, i'll do all the messy stuff before the children arrive, all my parents are very happy with this and thinks it will help the chidren learn to care and respect animals! we also have 3 cats and a hampster, although i have a house big enough to lose them in, i generaly think parents are good with pets!

[geordiebunny]

I had the same problem I asked my friends if they would use me with me having a dog and they said no. But I did not let that put me off, I had to provide an additional area outside for my dog and she stays upstairs in our bedroom when I do mind which is fine as it's at the back of the house and she barks from the front upstairs windows at people walking past. I have always had an open and honest policy with regards to my dog and advise all parents that their child will have no contact with my dog unless in extreme circumstances and even then the children are my first priority. I am minding an 11 month old little girl and she is fine her mum doesn't mind. I have pictures of my dog on my website and she is some sort of staffie cross and is lovely but I would never leave her anywhere near a child unsupervised.
The right child will come along it just may take a little longer than normal and that would be down to the parents views and not you personally.
Good luck

[balloon]

I have a lab pup and although I've had grief from one family, everybody else has been wonderful about him - but he is a pup so maybe different.

Now this is going to sound weird but although I have a dog of my own I would not send my children to a childminder with a dog. I know this is hypocritical but I just wouldn't take the chance, especially with a dog like a staffy as they can do so much damage. It would make no difference to me if the dog was kept upstairs, in a pen or anywhere else, if the minder had one it would be a no go. I like Staffys so it isn't a 'hate dogs' thing, just a 'protect my children' thing. Sorry x

[mama2three]

I am lucky that i have a seperate yard and utility space where the dog 'lives' and the children have no access at all. I do not tell prospective parents about her on the website etc , as she is not in contact with the children. I do tell them / show them when they visit to reassure them that there is no way she would be in the same area as the children- the garden is child only , the yard dog only , even when im not minding so no worries about dog mess etc. One parent has requested that her son has closely supervised access to her as she is a petlover , but i pointed out the fact that i have other children to consider and the health and safety factors. He only gets time with the dog if its a day where only he is here. One parent recently heard her bark ( bonfire night , scared of the fireworks) and she said she had forgotten we had a dog!

[polly73]

Hi,

I'm in the middle of going through the process of becoming a childminder, i've had my 1st visit from the care commission and hoping to start in january but i have a golden labrador and i thought it was going to be an issue but there seems to be alot of childminders with dogs, my dog is quite big but he is a big softie but does get excited when people come to visit so i think when i get started i will just have to introduce parents and children gradually, hopefully it will not be a problem, this is my 1st post on this site and it's great to see so many different subjects.:)

[little daisies]

hi, i have 5 at the moment and 3 are due to have pups in the next 3 weeks:eek: they all live outside in a fenced off kennel and run area though. i show and breed them, i explain to parents that they will be in the house when pups are here for a few weeks but all my parents are fine with it and say they are happy with all my animals ( my partner shows canaries and we have a few rabbits and guinnie pigs ) ofsted are fine with it as well

[daisyboo1980]

i have 2 dogs a large choc lab and a german shephard x the are outside during the day but come in when the last child goes , they r friendly but sound scary when someonecomes to the door but i dont mind that as i lived alone for years and i feel they were looking after me . the social worker that reg didnt like dogs and made it very hard for me when reg but i did everything she asked and in the end i said i wouldnt carry on if she kept adding on abt dogs they are in a secure kennel out the back with lock and behind a 6 ft fence plus kids are out in side and front garden. no parent had and problems with the boys and are now talking to them so they dont bark as much at them

[francinejayne]

I have to agree even though I am an animal lover i have been attacked by dogs before so have seen at first hand the damage they can cause in a very small space of time. Therefore as much as i still love dogs it would be a deciding factor on where i sent my child.

I have to agree. I'm a dog lover who's always had dogs. I had 2, but just before I had my babe (now 19 months) I chose to re-home one of them as I coulldn't trust him. the dog I kept is so soft she's truly not a problem. it's a tough decision.

[caz3007]

I have a soppy lab, and always tell prospective parents that I have a dog on the initial call and never had a problem.

In fact I had one boy come to me who was scared of dogs and he got used to mine and the family ended up getting one of their own.

I certainly havent found it a problem at all