Pitbulls in Daycare

[Blackcat31]

I know this is going to get some people riled up, but how do you feel about pitbulls being fostered for a rescue group in a daycare home?

I know the breed can be wonderful dogs, but I also know that those with difficult temperaments can be extremely dangerous. I have a friend with a child in a daycare where the fostered pitbulls are out and about with the kids, and she is really concerned.

As providers, what are your thoughts?

I don't think it matters one bit what any of us think. What matters in this situation is your friend is concerned.

If I were your friend, I would do whatever I felt was necessary to keep my child safe. If I didn't like dogs or didn't want my child around a specific breed or ANY pet, then I wouldn't enroll in a child care where pets were present.

We ALL have our own opinions and our own thoughts on the subject but NONE of those thoughts and opinions matter to your friend.

Just like the only thoughts and opinions from parents that concern me are the ones interested in my program.

If I had a dog, wanted to get a dog or foster dogs, I would need to know that my daycare parents were ok with that. IF they weren't I wouldn't do it.

Many providers would just not take the family if the family objected to the dog.

Bottom line is your friend needs to do what makes her comfortable.

The rest is just fluff.

[caregiver]

I don't think it matters one bit what any of us think. What matters in this situation is your friend is concerned.

If I were your friend, I would do whatever I felt was necessary to keep my child safe. If I didn't like dogs or didn't want my child around a specific breed or ANY pet, then I wouldn't enroll in a child care where pets were present.

We ALL have our own opinions and our own thoughts on the subject but NONE of those thoughts and opinions matter to your friend.

Just like the only thoughts and opinions from parents that concern me are the ones interested in my program.

If I had a dog, wanted to get a dog or foster dogs, I would need to know that my daycare parents were ok with that. IF they weren't I wouldn't do it.

Many providers would just not take the family if the family objected to the dog.

Bottom line is your friend needs to do what makes her comfortable.

The rest is just fluff.

Totally agree!

[daycarediva]

I personally would not have any kind of dog while running a daycare. It's too much of a risk FOR ME, but I fully support other childcare providers having dogs while doing childcare.

That is how I feel as well.

If it isn't a good fit for your friend with a dog in the home, then by all means, she needs to find a new child care arrangement that she feels comfortable about.

I have cats, and only take kids 18months+, every interaction with them is supervised, and it STILL makes me nervous. We actually JUST installed locking cat doors so that our cats can stay on a separate floor from the daycare kids, and so far, I haven't even seen one today during daycare hours.

[Laurel]

Personal opinion here, I don't feel that any dog has a place around dck's. If I had a dog I would keep it in a seperate portion of the house. As a parent of kids that used to go to a home dc, I chose her over another because she did not have dogs. Kids are kids, and dogs are dogs and even the best providers can not watch everything at every moment. All it takes is one pull of the ear or tail and ANY breed of dog, not just pitbulls, can bite a child. Not worth the worry as a parent or the liability as a provider, IMO.

Our licensing laws do not allow us to have dogs around the children. They must be kept separately and not be in the same room with the children or outside with them. My daycare liability insurance does not cover certain breeds and that includes bull mastiff (I think they call it).

I personally would pull my child immediately if my provider had a pitbull. That said, my grandchildren lived in the same house with one for a year and it was a friendly dog but the owner had had it since it was young and trained it himself. Even in that case, I'd pull. Just too risky with ANY dog around a child.

Laurel

[TwinKristi]

My liability insurance prevents me from having specific breeds like pit bulls, etc. anything deemed an aggressive breed. I don't care for dogs much anyway so it's not an issue but I wouldn't feel safe with kids and dogs mixed.

[Play Care]

I don't think it matters one bit what any of us think. What matters in this situation is your friend is concerned.

If I were your friend, I would do whatever I felt was necessary to keep my child safe. If I didn't like dogs or didn't want my child around a specific breed or ANY pet, then I wouldn't enroll in a child care where pets were present.

We ALL have our own opinions and our own thoughts on the subject but NONE of those thoughts and opinions matter to your friend.

Just like the only thoughts and opinions from parents that concern me are the ones interested in my program.

If I had a dog, wanted to get a dog or foster dogs, I would need to know that my daycare parents were ok with that. IF they weren't I wouldn't do it.

Many providers would just not take the family if the family objected to the dog.

Bottom line is your friend needs to do what makes her comfortable.

The rest is just fluff.

[Luna]

I agree, all that matters is how your friend feels about it. If she is uncomfortable she should let the provider know. Who knows, maybe she won't foster dogs if she knows she could lose a family.
I remember reading somewhere years ago that children under 4 just aren't equipped to make good decisions when it comes to dogs. Tail-pulling, ear-tugging, kicking, throwing things at it...so many things that can lead to disaster. Also, every single time I hear a news story about a dog attacking a child, the owner says they just can't believe it, the dog has never shown aggression before. Every time.

[Soccermom]

I know this is going to get some people riled up, but how do you feel about pitbulls being fostered for a rescue group in a daycare home?

I know the breed can be wonderful dogs, but I also know that those with difficult temperaments can be extremely dangerous. I have a friend with a child in a daycare where the fostered pitbulls are out and about with the kids, and she is really concerned.

As providers, what are your thoughts?

I have a pitbull mix dog and she is the sweetest girl! The daycare kids just love her and she loves them too. She greets them all at the door with tons of kisses and sends them home the same way lovethis

However she is extremely well trained and she has been with the daycare kids since she was 6 weeks old so she sees them as her family.

She doesn't spend the whole day with us but I do allow her to come and visit us during the day and we take her for a morning walk with us.

Having said that, I wouldn't want a foster dog around daycare kids because they were not raised in a daycare and it could be too much stimulation and stress for a dog. It could cause the dog to become aggressive towards the children.

[Brooksie]

I have a pitbull mix dog and she is the sweetest girl! The daycare kids just love her and she loves them too. She greets them all at the door with tons of kisses and sends them home the same way lovethis

However she is extremely well trained and she has been with the daycare kids since she was 6 weeks old so she sees them as her family.

She doesn't spend the whole day with us but I do allow her to come and visit us during the day and we take her for a morning walk with us.

Having said that, I wouldn't want a foster dog around daycare kids because they were not raised in a daycare and it could be too much stimulation and stress for a dog. It could cause the dog to become aggressive towards the children.

There is a difference in a dog who LOVES kids and a dog that tolerates them. With a foster you don't have enough time with that dog to know for sure how they will handle the kids.

[GKJNIGMN]

I don't know that I would be ok with fostering a dog because you don't know enough about the temperment. Our old provider fostered and one of her dogs bit me.

We, however, do have a pitbull. He was a rescue and it took a long time for us to find a dog that the organization would let us adopt because our own son is only 3. This dog has been termperment tested, my son could but is not allowed to lay on him, pull his tail, put his head in the food bowl, etc. We still do not allow him near DCKs. He stays in his crate during the day in the kitchen which is separated by a gate. The kids bother him too much and he hasn't been fully broken of jumping. It's no different than when I worked outside the home and he was crated during the day. I know at least one of my DCKs has 2 pitbulls at home. I just make the parents aware that I have a dog and that he is kept separate. They are always welcome to see him but not one of the parents has ever asked to or asked any questions about him at all.

[Josiegirl]

I've had several dcps tell me they're glad I have dogs because it exposes their kids to them. The others already have dogs in their family. My dogs love the kids and the kids love my dogs. They are all well-supervised. Mine are both lab mixes and the one I had before these 2 was a lab mix as well. I realize it's a risk mixing kids and animals, but then isn't everything we do every single day somewhat of a risk?
I'd never get a pitbull because I see the risk increasing hundred fold and my insurance wouldn't cover. I know a dcprovider who has german shepards. At one time that breed was the 'feared' breed of the decade. And yes, her dogs are with the dcks.
My dd volunteers at a rescue shelter and sadly, there are many pitbulls that go through for fostering. She loves them.

[Unregistered]

I am the OP, and I also have a dog and cat in my daycare home, but they are kept completely separate from the kids. My dog is very sweet, but can be rambunctious and the kids sometimes jump out at him when he runs by to go outside. I would never trust the kids around my pets, they are too unpredictable.

I was just a little shocked that the provider has a pitbull in her home, one of which she does not know the complete history. It would be a huge red flag to me if I were a parent, as they can be more unpredictable than some other breeds.

I am surprised our licensing here allow it.

[Josiegirl]

When I adopted my last dog this past May, the shelter kept telling me what a sweet dog she was, just a peach, and was 1 1/2 yrs. old. I guess I was pretty lucky they were honest with me cause I took them at their word. Thinking back, I'm not sure how I would've handled it if she came with a totally unexpected temperament. She IS a pure sweetheart through and through even without her history known. But I understand when you add unknown background and pitbull together. It's not a chance I'd want to take at all.

[Blackcat31]

I am the OP, and I also have a dog and cat in my daycare home, but they are kept completely separate from the kids. My dog is very sweet, but can be rambunctious and the kids sometimes jump out at him when he runs by to go outside. I would never trust the kids around my pets, they are too unpredictable.

I was just a little shocked that the provider has a pitbull in her home, one of which she does not know the complete history. It would be a huge red flag to me if I were a parent, as they can be more unpredictable than some other breeds.

I am surprised our licensing here allow it.

Was your friend notified BEFORE the provider got the dog that she was getting one? Has the provider always fostered dogs or is this a new venture for her?

Does this provider keep the dogs separated from the children? Does she practice good behaviors to protect the kids?

I am just surprised that your friend hasn't asked any of these questions...... she can't just assume that the provider got a pit bull (or any other dog) therefore her child is in danger now...kwim?

There isn't any reason why anyone should be surprised if the provider is doing everything she is required to do to not only keep the children safe but the dogs too.

Seems to me the biggest problem here is the lack of communication between your friend and her provider.

[Lavender]

I fostered dogs when we lived in CA. There is no way I would have them out with daycare kids. I temperament tested every single dog before I borught it home to make sure it would be fine with my (school age) kids and that they didn't have a prey drive since I also had cats. Even so we did have an incident once and I have scars on my arms from my injuries when breaking up the fight between 2 fosters who just somehow didn't like each other. You never know with ANY animal, but most especially with a foster.

BTW I foster shepherds and one of my dogs in a shepherd and bully breed mix. I have no issues with properly trained and socialized pit bulls (love them actually) and my opinions have nothing to do with the breed of dog. That part of the question is irrelevant IMO. NO foster dogs should be around DCKs in my own opinion.