Dogs And Daycare Help Please

[PitterPatter]

ALL opinions welcome and needed here please. I know some of you have dogs and cats as pets and manage to run a daycare too. My question is how? What came 1st? What were your original thoughts? How do you manage it?

I have always loved animals and after losing my last dog to cancer 7 years ago I thought no animal would ever take my heart again. Since then my son (now 9) has been asking for a dog for many years now. Since I started my daycare a little over 5 years ago I just didn't feel it was safe to bring in a dog. (Our family always has large dogs but now I am willing to go small) The past 2 years I have really been wanting to get a pup or even a young dog yet again I worry about daycare kids and risks. My son is an only child and we don't have much family so he is alone a lot with the exception of a couple friends who visit now and then and of course the toddlers at daycare. I really want him to grow up with a dog. I feel it really helps children to have pets to cuddle and bond with. It also helps them to love. I don't see me changing my career anytime soon so what do I do? Never allow my child the beauty of knowing the love of a pet? How could I mix the daycare and the pet? I don't want to have a risk yet I can't leave a new dog locked up all day. What do you do?

[Unregistered]

When I got a dog, I got her as a puppy so she would grow up around all of the kids. I taught the dcks how to treat the puppy nice right from the begining. I also put an old playpen in the playroom to put the puppy in when I couldn't watch it, so she was safe from the kids and the kids where safe from her, yet she could still be with us. I also started from day one, teaching the puppy to be nice to the kids, no jumping or nipping. My daycare is in my basement so as the puppy got older she learned on her own that if the kids where bothering her she could go upstairs and they couldn't follow her. She was the first dog we had ever had and she has been terrific with the kids. She's a yorkie/$hitzu cross and weighs about 12 lbs.

[Kaddidle Care]

Just do your research for a very tolerant breed and be prepared to spend a lot of time training in the beginning. EVERYONE - household peoples as well as Daycare peoples. Your 9 year old can take a big part in training the new family member.

Keep in mind that a lot of smaller breeds are more apt to nip/bite and can be easily injured.

I'm a big fan of Golden Retrievers - I'm now on my 2nd (first one lived to be 17). While as older dogs they are wonderful, they are a PUPPY until the age of 3 and the one I have now was a complete nightmare as a puppy. (Pirahna puppy teeth) They will also counter surf because they are tall enough and need to learn not to - as well as family members need to learn not to leave things out. They also need to learn to control themselves as they will happily jump up on anyone in greeting - they must be taught this is a big no-no.

If you have baby gates and are willing to use a crate for training, it's do-able.

You're already doing some major thinking about it so you have to weigh the pros and cons. Best wishes to you!

[Pammie]

We have a small dog (14lbs) and 2 cats that all interact with the daycare kids to whatever degree they're comfortable doing so. Over the years we've had other cats and larger (50lb) dogs in my home - and all have been phenomenal with the dc kids.

Like PP we too, got them as teeny puppies/kittens, so they've grown up being accustomed to how little kids behave. My own opinion is this is the single most important aspect of having kids and pets together successfully. The pets have learned that the occasional fur-pull or step-on/fall-on, is just something that goes with the territory, and none of my pets get upset or startled when those things happen. I can't imagine most older dogs or cats that haven't been raised around kids accepting life with little kids

Additionally,the pets are never confined either away from or with the kids. The choice to be with the kids is theirs - they can escape to the upstairs bedrooms if the kids get to be too much - and they frequently go up there for naps during the day.

The children are taught and expected to treat my pets the same way they treat the babies at daycare - touch only if they ask me first - and then only with gentle touches. They learn that pets are "fragile" and need us to be gentle and caring towards them.

I've had very few families that didn't enroll with me because I have pets, and a couple that couldn't enroll because of allergies. But most of my families either have pets at home - or am happy that their child gets to be raised with pets at my home, because mom and dad don't want any at theirs

Personally, I think if your son is ready for the responsibility of caring for a dog, and you really want one - then go for it I would do LOTS of research on breeds though, and find a dog breed that has a temperment to do well with kids. (My own kids really wanted a Jack Russell when they were little - after being fans of the Wishbone series - but all of the breeders warned us that that's not a breed that we should consider with small kiddos around - good advice that we listened to - and went with a golden lab instead)

[MyAngels]

We've had three dogs over the course of my daycare career. Our first was an Irish Setter who was already a member of the family when I started my daycare. The second was a Golden Retriever that we got as a pup after the daycare was established, the third was a German Shorthaired Pointer that we got after the Golden was a few years old.

We never had a problem with any of the dogs. We made sure to train everyone - both dogs and people - how to behave around the pets. My dogs were always allowed around the kids, but did have their own spaces to go to when they needed their space, which they needed more and more as they got older.

The only issue I ever had with daycare parents was one mom who was convinced that I allowed the Irish Setter to lick her 8 month old baby's face all day :confused:. That dog wouldn't lick anyone, no matter how hard you might try to convince him to, so I have no idea where she came up with that idea.

The thing that I worried about most while we had the dogs along with the daycare was making sure that everything remained clean and smell free. There's nothing I hate more than that "dog" smell that you find in some homes with inside dogs.

[Ariana]

I have a 7lb toy poodle who LOVES kids and is so great with them. He was here first and luckily everyone who meets him falls in love with him. He doesn't shed and is, for the most part, hypoallergenic. I would be looking for a breed like that if I were you. My advice would be to take this new dog for training. We took my dog and he listens so well that I feel I can trust him. Training is key and take him to a reputable trainer that others recommend.

Although I do like big dogs I personally would never own one. Good luck in your decision!

[DCMom]

When I got a dog, I got her as a puppy so she would grow up around all of the kids. I taught the dcks how to treat the puppy nice right from the begining. I also put an old playpen in the playroom to put the puppy in when I couldn't watch it, so she was safe from the kids and the kids where safe from her, yet she could still be with us. I also started from day one, teaching the puppy to be nice to the kids, no jumping or nipping. My daycare is in my basement so as the puppy got older she learned on her own that if the kids where bothering her she could go upstairs and they couldn't follow her. She was the first dog we had ever had and she has been terrific with the kids. She's a yorkie/$hitzu cross and weighs about 12 lbs.

Funny! I could have written this post, . Except that both of my dogs are pure bred ShihTzu's.

Like you, I lost my beloved ****er spaniel, Candy Kisses to cancer; I always swore that I would never get another dog. But...as my kids grew up I felt like I need company around the house AFTER daycare. I guess that's why when my daughter wanted to go check out a dog adoption fair one weekend I let myself be talked into it.

Anyway, long story short, I fell in love with a little white puffball and the next thing you know we had a 6 month old puppy. His owner had gotten sick unexpectedly and he was given up. I did consider daycare in that it had to be a kid friendly breed and small enough to be amongst the chaos of the day without adding to it. That was 6 years ago. It worked out so well that we adopted a second puppy this past March.

You are already thinking about it ~ it's a big commitment. Our second dog was adopted from a family who just changed their mind after 6 months. I think you realize that though, you will make the right decision.

It's like having another child some days, , but like children it's worth it.

[bice99]

We have a 3 year old lab mix (65 lbs) who grew up in the daycare. I just blocked off part of the room with an x pen for her. Plus, we always crate train so that made life easy. We got a mini aussie shep in March. She was doing great with the kids and crate. Climbed the gate! But then her leg was broken when she was 4 months old and she had to be in her crate 24/7 for 9+ weeks. Now she's afraid and barks at everything. But she loves the kids and they love her.

[DaisyMamma]

I have 4 dogs. Yes, 4. I love them to death. The dogs came first. I do keep them separated from the daycare kids mostly for my own peace of mind and the safety of the dogs (3 are Chihuahuas). I find it difficult because they bark and wake up sleeping kids!

[kathiemarie]

go for it...

I have a ****er and 2 cats. they all have beenraised in the DC. Never (knock on wood) have I had any problems with the kids or the animals. Well, when the dog was a puppy he loved breast milk so I had to make sure the bottles were always out of his reach. Boy did I have on pissed off mom once. !

[caligirl]

I have two yellow labs. They are 5 years old now. I've been doing daycare for 26 years. We asked everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE including several Veterinarians what they would recommend as the best dog for children. Hands down they all said a retriever. So we got two puppies (8 weeks old) and played with them as we imagined young children would....you name it, we did it (took food from them, fed them by hand, took toys away, pulled ears, tails, wrestled.....etc..) so my 'girls' grew up in a daycare. They are by far the most WONDERFUL dogs. I can't say enough about them.... I took them to puppy training...I didn't care about teaching them tricks, those are not at all important to me, we wanted them to 'mind'.......sit, stay, leave it, off, go....etc......which they do perfectly. We keep up on all their shots, keep the records in the 'daycare file'.... What else can I tell you......we potty trained them to go in one spot in the yard where the children do not play. It's fenced off, so when the girls have to go they run to their spot. I can't imagine NOT having them here. I think it's wonderful for the children. I always introduce them during an interview.

[wdmmom]

I started daycare with 3 cats in the house. We are down to 1 now. We got a golden retriever puppy 1 year in. The kids and parents loved her. She passed away at 10 months old. I contacted every family on that humid Thursday night and let them know that I would be closing the daycare the next day. Everyone was so understanding and compassionate. The daycare kids continued to talk about her all the time and it was one of the things that helped me get past her untimely death.

We opted to get another golden. She is a little over a year old now. She is so mild tempered and sweet. I don't have her around the kids unless there is constant supervision and they love when she flops her fat self onto the floor and wants her belly rubbed. They even use her as a pillow!

I know having a dog changes my ability to take on any family due to allergies, etc but my home remains clean, the pup spends her day both inside and outside and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

We are considering adopting another dog just so our pup has a buddy. I've discussed this with a few parents and they are completely open to it. They know that their child continues to get the same care they received prior to having a dog.

[Blackcat31]

I have a 7lb toy poodle who LOVES kids and is so great with them. He was here first and luckily everyone who meets him falls in love with him. He doesn't shed and is, for the most part, hypoallergenic. I would be looking for a breed like that if I were you. My advice would be to take this new dog for training. We took my dog and he listens so well that I feel I can trust him. Training is key and take him to a reputable trainer that others recommend.

Although I do like big dogs I personally would never own one. Good luck in your decision!

LOL! I don't mind little dogs, I would personally never own one...I have a 225 lb three year old St. Bernard. He loves kids but has a hard time playing with them...(think Clifford) . He sheds everywhere and is no where near hypoallergenic!! He is trained and listens very well (at least when he feels like it..)

Good thing I run my child care in a separate home than where the dog lives. ::

[sharlan]

I wouldn't have a dog because I am a little bit leery of dogs.

I do have 5 cats, 2 tortoises, and a ****atoo.

The cats have free roam, 2 of which never come in contact with the daycare kids.

The tortoises roam and the kids have all learned from a very young age to leave them alone.

The parrot is in a locked cage and the kids have been taught to never touch the cage. My niece will get him out frequently and let the kids pet his tail.

[dave4him]

If we have pets, which we do not, they would have to have a file just like the kids with their shot records. I dont think the DHS approves of animals but i dont think they close people down unless they are dangerous. You know like having a Rino in your backyard or a jungle cat in the closet