We found an awesome home daycare a few months ago for a September start date for our one year old. We loved everything about the home and the family so we signed up and paid a deposit. Yesterday, I received an email to set up some play dates and parent-child visits in August so LO can get comfortable with the surroundings before September rolls around. The email also was to inform us that the daycare family has a new "addition" to the house, a 10-week old puppy, a shih-poo. DH and I are a little uneasy about this as neither of us are "dog-people". Just curious what other people think. Would you send your LO to a daycare where there was a dog?
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I would, but i adore all animals including dogs. Are you afraid the dogs may bite?
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I'd want to know if the dog and my child would be interacting or is the dog kept seperated? My initial reaction is that I would still send my LO to a daycare with a dog BUT then my head starts thinking of the "what if's" and then I'm not so sure. Our LO goes to daycare that has cats and there have been no issues... Dogs, especially puppies are different though, they jump, scratch and play bite. Since it's a puppy I think I'd just inquire into more specifics and then go with my gut. Since it's a smaller dog that might eleviate some of my worries....
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@hotchildinthecity: yes we are concerned about the dog biting and general behaviour around a one year old. She's not quite walking, she has no experience with dogs. We just haven't been around dogs, but I will say this dog is tiny.
@ajsmommy: all valid points. I also would love to see her interacting with the dog, and I'll get a chance to later this month. I just have this uneasy feeling but likely it's unwarranted. I will ask the provider about if the dog is kept separate from children. The dog was raised by a family with four young children apparently before our provider got it, but really how much raising can you do in 10 weeks?
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I don't think size would be a factor for me so I didn't vote, I think a golden retriever would be a better choice than some smaller dogs. The deciding factors for me would be training and how they plan to handle separating the kids and the dog when needed. Another concern would be allergies, what if you sign up and rely on this place and realize after a week your lo is allergic?
Personally, I would ask a lot of questions either at or before the initial visits about their plans with the puppy and see what you think then.
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Nope, I wouldn't. But I'm not a dog person and I'm also allergic, so I'd hate to be dealing with dog hair and dander on my child's clothes and body. Plus if I'm allergic, he might be too, so that's another concern I would have.
Plus as a puppy, I'd worry about them being hyper, biting, scratching, etc. Plus if your child has never really been around dogs, he might be really afraid of them. Xander was TERRIFIED of the first dogs he was around! I just wouldn't want to deal with it at all.
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DS absolutely loves dogs so we'd be comfortable with it. But this is knowing he handles well around dogs despite not walking well yet. He just turned 1. If he wasn't comfortable around dogs, then maybe not.
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@Cole: fyi my adoption doctor told me kids dont develop pet allergies until 3 y/o. Fun fact. We were worried about our son coming home and then being allergic to the cats.
I'm thinking they would certainly keep the dog separated, at least while it gets used to the kids and learns good behavior. And i'm with PP. I would really make no designation between big and small dogs because lots of big dogs are better behaved than small ones.
When i was young, it was rare that we went to a house without a dog, so maybe this is just more natural to me.
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@Cole: I've been told The dog is hypo-allergenic. I will definitely ask lots of questions so this is helpful for me so I know what to ask at our visits. It just sucks because as we left the daycare after our first meeting DH actually said "They're so great and I'm glad they don't have pets."
@Adira: DH agrees with you, he's not a dog person so why would he want to send his daughter to a place with a dog? Our LO doesn't seem to be afraid of dogs, she's not really around them ever but loves waving and saying "arf arf" when they walk by her outside. However, it's true she has had no real interactions with them. If we decide to not go with this daycare do you think this dog is a good enough reason to cancel?
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Yep! My dd attends a home daycare with a pretty large dog. He's always separated from them and not just running around.
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Not a chance. I am not a dog person though. But I wouldn't want LO coming home with dog hair all over her or worrying about dog bites.
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If the dog was crated or in a separate part of the house I would have no issues.
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I would not. A puppy is a lot of work...I'd worry about how the caregiver would balance taking care of LOs and a puppy. I'd also be worried about the dog biting.
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@Alivoo01: I think maybe we are being a little silly about the walking issue but we think having a dog might impede her learning to walk because it'll be chasing her around and knocking her down!
@hotchildinthecity: I agree about big vs. small dogs but since I really have no experience I look at the picture she sent me of her dog and think "awwwww so cute, she couldn't harm a fly." Then after talking more with DH we are both uneasy about the dog regardless of size.
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@delight: I definitely think the dog is reason enough to cancel. You could even just say that you are allergic and are worried about potential allergies or that you would find it uncomfortable being around the dog yourself (or your husband would). I absolutely would cancel if I picked out a home daycare and then they got a dog! Plus the LAST thing I would want (as a non-dog person) is to have my kid playing with a dog all day and then BEGGING me to get him one! NOT happening!!
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I would, if they show their plan for interactions. I think it's good for kids to learn how to be around a dog (and other animals).
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Not a puppy, and not a small breed dog. Little dogs can be snappy, and puppies are a TON of work. A combination of the two? Nope. We have two yorkies and we endlessly have to work with both them AND DS to keep everybody happy.
I voted "other" though - A friend of ours has a home daycare, but her dog stays in separate quarters during daycare hours. I would be ok with that.
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If they had the right rules and environment set up, then I would consider it.
Its good that its a hypo allergenic dog. But its a puppy and they can have a lot of energy and require a lot of work. Here would be my list of questions:
1) Who will be taking care of the dog during the day? Is it the owner that is also watching the kids and also having to take the dog out to go potty (can be as frequent as every hour until they are house broken).
2) What kind of training will the dog receive? Do they have experience raising a dog and training it to be around kids? There is much more to teach a dog than just "sit".
3) How will the kids and dog be separated? The dog should always have a safe place it can go to if it needs a break from the children.
Smaller dogs can be harder to train because it seems like they get in the way less. But really they can be just as dangerous for biting, knocking over, etc.
I wouldn't worry about the development delays of a dog knocking your son over. If anything, I think kids with pets may even develop faster because they have a pet to play with and a motivation to get moving!
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I wouldn't - I like dogs, but this would make me hesitant, and the fact that the dog is still a puppy is a HUGE red flag to me! Honestly, I do not understand what on earth the daycare is thinking with a puppy around all of those children they're caring for - puppies nip at people, it's a pretty typical development thing that they need to be trained not to do. And kids need to learn through almost constant re-direction and reinforcement how they can and cannot treat animals, and until they do learn that, having kids and a pet together requires constant supervision so that you can step in before the child or dog is hurt. Realistically, that's just not possible to do in a daycare setting.
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My concern would be that the care provider's attention wouldn't be fully on the children. Puppies are a ton of work and unless it was crated or fenced off from the kids, I would be very uneasy. Puppies typically nip/bite as they are teething, and it hurts!
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I would want the dog to be separate from the kids. I also think it's a bit irresponsible to add a dog into the mix and tell the parents after the fact.
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Yes (and we do.) He is kenneled most of the day but she LOVES Cooper and talks about him all the time. We also have a dog in the house, so she is comfortable around him.
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Yes since I have a dog, but I would def need to visit and ask a ton of questions about training, boundaries between dogs/kids, etc.
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I most likely would, but I would also want to meet the dog first. We have a dog at home (a big, sweet Lab who sheds everywhere!) and so we're comfy with most dogs, but I would want to see this puppy's temperament for myself before I moved forward.
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DS goes to a home day care with a dog. The dog is very old and lazy though. I would be concerned about a new puppy and nipping and biting.
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@grizz: oh boy thanks for your response, it's good to get information from a medical stand bite about small dogs and bites. That scares me.
@Adira: We laughed about having LO ask us constantly to get a dog at home. Totally not ever going to happen. Thanks for supporting our decision to cancel if we go that route. This is so stressful. It's so hard finding a good daycare around here.
@lawbee11: I wonder how much time they'll have for all the kids too. I imagine a new puppy is a ton of work.
@T.H.O.U.: that's a great list of questions. I'll definitely be asking many things when we bring her over for visits/play dates.
@wonderstruck: DH and I completely agree with you! Why would you get a puppy all of a sudden when you run a home daycare? We likely wouldn't have chosen them in the first place if there was a puppy. But we "fell in love" with them and the day care environment which makes this so hard for us.
@Ocean girl: We have no idea at this point about how the day care provider plans to split her attention, but really I want her attention to be on the kids all day obviously, and not the new puppy.
Honestly this is stressful. We just bought a house, are putting ours up for sale this week, have little time to research and find a new day care for September. We researched and visited many centers and home daycares and now feel sick about this. Why did they get a dog?!
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I'm a dog person; I love dogs and transport rescues……but honestly; I wouldn’t be thrilled and definitely might pass on a daycare with a dog, especially a puppy. Puppies are a ton of work and puppies see children as their “littermates” – which means they want to play and roughhouse with kids, which includes nipping/biting, tugging, etc. It’s not something only “bad” dogs do; it’s totally normal puppy behavior.
Also, poodle mixes are *not* necessarily hypoallergenic; mixing breeds is a lottery in outcome. While poodles are generally fairly safe (compared to other breeds), the puppy could just as easily take after the Shih-Tzu parent and trigger allergies in any of the kids.
That’s also a very small dog, especially as a puppy, and frankly, I think it’s irresponsible to have a dog of that size around a room full of toddlers. If the puppy/dog wuold be segregated, I see it as less of a problem, but then again, I also don't think that's necessarily fair to the dog either.
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@delight: I'm so sorry! Childcare is my biggest stressor since our son was born. I wouldn't pull him just yet, but maybe you could have a serious conversation with the owner to see what her plans are, and list your concerns. You may be able to work something out!
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@delight: Ugh, yes, finding a daycare you like is soooo hard and stressful!!! But at least your LO hasn't started yet, so hopefully it's not as stressful to find a new one as switching from one your LO seems to love might be! Good luck to you!
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@delight: hugs! I know how stressful daycare sourcing is and can't imagine how hard it must be with your housing situation PLUS returning to work... Any one of those things on their own would be difficult.
Maybe see if you can visit the home again and see how things are going with the puppy and have a chance to express your concerns. No doubt, other parents are equally worried! -
I voted other. Probably yes, but that's because we're dog people ourselves. I would certainly want to meet the dog and make sure I was comfortable with it first. Also find out where the dog spends the majority of the day, will my child ever be around the dog unsupervised, etc.
@Weagle: Yes, this! The dog wouldn't bother me so much as the daycare people getting the dog AFTER I already signed up and payed a deposit. That would really rub me the wrong way. They should have let you know what their plans were when they were thinking about getting the dog.
If you're uncomfortable with the idea I would tell them that one of the reasons you chose them was because of them not having animals and that you'd like your deposit back.
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@Weagle: @littlebit: We totally think it's irresponsible the families were told after the fact.
@LuLu Mom: I honestly think our daughter would actually love to be around a little dog and that it would be good for learning about compassion and responsibility. I do want to know if the dog will be kennelled. Do people even crate little dogs?!
@snowjewelz: oh yes, we have many questions to ask! Hopefully we can do our visit sooner than later so I have time to find a new place if needed.
@Periwinkle: we are planning on having LO interact with the dog and see the temperament for ourselves for sure. It was always part of the plan to ease LO slowly into daycare with half day visits and play dates. I really am hoping that we see that e little dog is not much of an issue but we are doubtful.
@Danizaur: although my initial reaction was that a little dog was not a problem, I do see now that they are a lot of work and can also cause injuries.
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Our daycare has 3 large dogs. When we started it was just 2 outside dogs but they got Gus a few months ago he's a German Shepard he goes in and out is great with the kids and they love him
ETA: Gus was kept away from the kids for the first few months he was there. During that time there was 1 instance of the puppy play biting after hours with her own adult children and he was sent to intensive traing with a service dog agency.
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I'd be much more comfortable if it was an older dog they had for years instead of a puppy!
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@delight: We have a small dog, and she is definitely crate trained.
Honestly, I know puppies are a lot of work, but I'd be more nervous about an older dog than a younger dog. This dog will be around young kids straight off the bat so it really wont know any different (and hopefully will be great with them), whereas an older dog may be more set in it's ways.
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Absolutely. We have two dogs at home so if we had a child, they would already be used to dogs.
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No. I am a dog lover and we have a dog. But I do not trust others to be responsible dog owners. Especially not around my kid unless I personally knew the person.
Dogs can be unpredictable creatures and toddlers can annoy the heck out of even the most patient dogs.
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I would and I do. The dog is kept out of the daycare area.
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It would not bother me a bit.
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I would. We have a dog, so that's probably why. I also think it's good for kids to be around dogs, so they know how to interact with them.
However, I would only do it after getting a lot of info from the daycare family about their plans for how the dog and children will interact, how the dog will be trained, where it will be kept, etc. Basically I'd want to make sure they were being extremely responsible and smart dog-owners before I'd do it.
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79 comments