Dog is a Liability?!?!

[akpayne]

I am very disappointed! DCM just called and cancelled our second interview! The first one went great, she loved me and I really liked her. Was suppose to meet her twins who are the same age as my son and my other DCK and everything seemed perfect, Id have all my spots full. DCM cancelled because they were at her parents house and DCG was terrified of the dog. Now everytime they say the word dog she cries. My dog is wonderful. She loves kids and the kids love her. She has never been an issue before. Its upsetting to me that Ive now lost this family because of my dog and makes me worry about this happening again in the future. I really need to fill my last couple spots and this seemed so perfect

Does anyone else have a dog and has it affected your daycare positively or negatively in anyway?

[SilverSabre25]

Honestly...I would think that they are using the dog as a thinly veiled excuse to cancel. They probably found cheaper care or something.

[Country Kids]

Something doesn't sound right. They were at the grandparents house and she was scared of the dog. Was it a new dog they had just gotten. If they have had it and all of a sudden she is scared of it did it do something to her? HHHHMMMM, there just isn't something right.

[mrsp'slilpeeps]

I have a dog. She is an American Pitt Bull Terrier or a Staffordshire Terrier as some people prefer to call them.

Anyway all of my parents and people who come for interviews know what breed she is and if they dont like it, well go find someone else.

My dog has been raised from a puppy by me and has been around babies and children all her life.

Some people choose to raise these dogs to be mean and thats why they have a bad rep.

They only negative part is that her bark sounds ferocious and she gets excited to see who is here every day. (bad front door manners) so I have to either put her outside or in my office when people arrive for drop off and pick up or she just licks everyone to death!

This is what she looks like.

[wahmof3]

Honestly...I would think that they are using the dog as a thinly veiled excuse to cancel. They probably found cheaper care or something.

I would agree with this, however, I have a friend who was supposed to use me to cover for her provider's vacation. Her dd then in preschool is HORRIFIED of dogs. She never had a bad experience with a dog and they have one but for some strange reason she is totally scared. My friend brought her over to my house prior to caring for her for the week and she would've climbed into her mom's body if she could. Total death grip!!! She didn't come here for the week needed. There could be some truth to it.

She is the only one I had in almost 6 years to be scared of my dog. Odd's are they probably did find cheaper, but you never know.

Sorry that you didn't get the family, that stinks.

[saved4always]

I have 2 dogs but they have never affected my daycare that I know of. Most of my families had dogs of their own so they did not even question about the dogs. For those who did not have pets, I let them know that I have no problem keeping my dogs away from the kids during daycare hours. I have had a couple kids that would get upset when the one dog would howl at pick up (for some reason he only did that at pick up, not any other part of the day), but it did not bother the parents since the dog was gated in another area. It was just annoying noise, no contact.

My own son who is now 17 used to be terrified of dogs when he was around 2 yo. I would never have chosen a daycare for him at that time if there was a dog. He would have been miserable. He would flip out when we would be walking in our neighborhood and we would see a dog. I would have to take him out of the stroller and carry him past because he would be so upset. We were house shopping around that time and he refused to go into one of the houses for sale because there was a dog STATUE in the foyer. It was really weird... he had never had a bad experience with a dog but he was so afraid. A couple years later, he was fine with dogs and we got our first dog when he was 5. No problem since. Must have been a weird fear stage.

[meganlavonnesmommy]

I've had families that picked me, in part, BECAUSE I had a dog. Their kids loved animals, and they wanted a home with animals.

But I know kids who are terrified of dogs, and wouldnt do well in a home with them.

I know you are dissapointed, and needed to fill your slots. But sounds like it wasnt a good fit. The child would be miserable around your dog, and you would go crazy dealing with him being miserable.

If you have the ability, you could always keep the dog in a seperate area during the day, away from the daycare kids. Not sure if that is an option or not.

[countrymom]

if I was looking for care, I wouldn't want my kids around a dog. I have a dd that is horrified of dogs (only big ones) but I've seen way too many times dogs jumping on kids and dogs licking kids faces, I just wouldn't want to expose my kids to that.

[GretasLittleFriends]

When people call for an interview I disclose that we have 2 1/2 dogs, and two cats that think they are dogs. Our large dog (70lb Collie) is an outside dog, as the two cats are also outside (barn) cats. That leaves us 1 1/2 dogs in the house. I say 1/2 because we have 2 schnauzers and 1 travels with my husband, so she is only home 1/2 the time. Now, in her older age (she's 12.5) she is all but completely blind and missing most of her teeth.

I had one interview where I was going over my contract, and was discussing the pets. It was almost on queue that I said our Collie is an outside only dog only to have him show up in our kitchen to the dog dish as if he belonged there. Someone didn't shut the door tight, and he pushed it open. I was mortified, the prospective parents laughed. I excused myself to send him back outside. That DCB has been with me going on 3 years.

I have had people call and go through a partial phone interview and find out I have pets and chose not to bring their children here. I am ok with that. It is their decision.

[seebachers]

yep....i always disclose that I have 2 cats and a dog in the phone interview and that my dog (although a soccer ball on toothpicks) is quite the barker. She has been around kids her whole life and never had a problem. I have only had one family that didn't enroll because she barks too much. Of course, it is only until the parents leave and then she is this calm little lady of leisure. I put her in my daughter's room when arrivals and departures come and that eliminates most of the problem.

So I guess what I am saying is that yes, it can be a liability at times, but it really is no skin off my nose. Oh and btw....I always provide a copy of my animals vacinations to each of the parents so that they know they are healthy as well.

[CheekyChick]

From my experience, many children (and parents) are afraid of dogs and so I took mine out of the equation so it wouldn't be an issue. My dog stays in a back room with access to an enclosed outdoor dog run during DC hours so that solved the problem.

[Breezy]

I have a dog. She is an American Pitt Bull Terrier or a Staffordshire Terrier as some people prefer to call them.

Anyway all of my parents and people who come for interviews know what breed she is and if they dont like it, well go find someone else.

My dog has been raised from a puppy by me and has been around babies and children all her life.

Some people choose to raise these dogs to be mean and thats why they have a bad rep.

They only negative part is that her bark sounds ferocious and she gets excited to see who is here every day. (bad front door manners) so I have to either put her outside or in my office when people arrive for drop off and pick up or she just licks everyone to death!

This is what she looks like.

I have a pitty too! She has been here since she was a baby and she too would lick ya to death. She does have a scary bark and I love it because she barks only when there are strangers around. My german shep mix barks at everything so when my pitty is barking I know it is something I should listen to.

[MizzCheryl]

I keep my dog away from the kids. She is a great dog but the kids are sometimes too rough with her and she has gotten older and would rather lay around in the living room away from the kiddies. \Sounds like an excuse to me.

[Crazy8]

my dog passed away last year but we had him for the first 9-10 years I was doing daycare. Like everyone else said, some people probably didn't choose me because I had a dog (a giant lab!) and others loved him. Some loved that their child was exposed to a pet but they didn't have to have one in their own house, LOL!

Child could be terrified of dogs, or it could be an excuse, either way I wouldn't worry about it and would just move on. I never had an issue staying full while I had my dog - I have more of a problem now in this economy!

[akpayne]

thanks everyone! i was pretty disappointed but see it probbaly wouldnt have been a good fit. No matter how good with kids my dog is, if shes afraid its not gonna matter. Glad to hear lots of people have great responses about their dog! Ill just keep advertising, I have 2 moe interviews as well so hopefully itll all work out