Daycare Provider Purchased Pit Bull Mix

[Cradle2crayons]

First, I hate dogs. Just can't stand them, their hair, their barking and messes. I just don't care for them.
HOWEVER, after our dc home got broken into, my husband wanted to get a dog for safety of our family AND the dc families, so I let him do it.

I told the parents what had happened (not that they couldn't tell from the hole cut in the window) and what my husband said. No dc parent had a problem, but did warn me how pit bulls are a little more dangerous because of their jaws and how they lock up when they get hold of something, a trait other dogs don't have. I never really saw a pit that I knew was a pit so I looked them up. Was not interested in any pit bull based on the fact that they are some sort of terrier dogs and terrier dogs do not like to be alone and are loud barkers.

So, after a few days, still no dog, my husband finds the dog of his dreams, a Siberian Husky puppy. By nature Siberians are friendly with everyone. So we went and got her. The dc parents loved her (even though she hated them). The problem? She was extremely protective, and while that seems great, she would get mean toward the parents who came into the house to take "her" babies. She played with the dc kids and was great at first. Then she went to an appt and she was badly injured at the vet BY the vet who screamed and yelled at her because she squealed and moved during her shots. (She was 3 months old). She was NEVER the same. After this incident, she became aggressive with everyone except us. She didn't even want to play with the dc kids anymore.

Lucky for me, I don't do dc anymore. But if I had, I would have had to get rid of her because there was no way that we could risk it.

Dogs change, just like people, and can become very irritable by lots of things. You just don't know what will set them off. She would bite you if you came to my house and tried to touch her. She growls at the doorbell when it rings. She hates people now. All because ONE incident that she seemed never to forget.

I would NOT allow my young babies to be around a dc w/ a dog knowing what I know now. ANY dog. Not just pits.

And, if the dc didn't have pets before, they DO have an obligation to tell their dc parents about them. Many parents (like me) would choose a dc without ANY pets for several reasons: allergies, hair, just overall cleanliness, and last but definitely not least, because animals are not "safe".

I was right there with you until the last few sentences .

First of all, my allergist and family ENT told us from day one if we wanted a cat or dog or any other animal that having them in the home from the beginning actually reduces the likelihood a child will develop an allergy to that animal.

I don't know a single parent in 25 years who has ever had a problem with our multitude of pets ranging from all extremes ( not big dogs though). So saying many parents would choose a dc without any pets has not been my experience.

With that said, I would not allow my kids into any home with any animal that has been deemed dangerous or when I went for an interview I got a bad vibe about, regardless of breed.

In regard to cleanliness, my house is the cleanest house I've ever been into and we have multiple pets. So that statement couldn't be more false.

In regard to animals being "NOT SAFE" .. Never has a more uneducated statement been muttered.

Wow..that's all I can say about that.

[Unregistered]

I was right there with you until the last few sentences .

First of all, my allergist and family ENT told us from day one if we wanted a cat or dog or any other animal that having them in the home from the beginning actually reduces the likelihood a child will develop an allergy to that animal.

I don't know a single parent in 25 years who has ever had a problem with our multitude of pets ranging from all extremes ( not big dogs though). So saying many parents would choose a dc without any pets has not been my experience.

With that said, I would not allow my kids into any home with any animal that has been deemed dangerous or when I went for an interview I got a bad vibe about, regardless of breed.

In regard to cleanliness, my house is the cleanest house I've ever been into and we have multiple pets. So that statement couldn't be more false.

In regard to animals being "NOT SAFE" .. Never has a more uneducated statement been muttered.

Wow..that's all I can say about that.

Animals AREN'T "Safe" I put that in quotes because there is no such thing as a 100% safe animal. So call me uneducated, but I have seen even family dogs turn on their owners for one reason or other. Example: One of my friends had the friendliest dog ever. Never hurt a flea. Dog got ill (hey not his fault, but still), and he didn't want to be bothered. One day, probably because of the illness and being uppity, he bit my friend's daughter in the face. Whether or not it was accidental or out of fright or whatever does not matter.My friend's daughter needed 18 stitches and she has a permanent scar. So you see, though everyone who was around that dog thought he was "safe", they were proven wrong and oddly shocked that an animal could "do" such a thing. My friend even said "Well he never did that stuff before!" Of course not! He wasn't sick before either! But there's a first time for everything, and my point is you just don't know when or if or why something can happen. So my statement wasn't uneducated. I've seen and heard first-hand what can happen. Until you have been faced with a situation where your normally docile animal has acted out/attacked/bitten, you will never see that it IS possible and that there is no such thing as a completely safe animal. (Not just dogs, but ANY animal).

Additionally, as far as allergies: Everyone has different allergies; different reactions to things. Your ENT gave you info based on what he knows about YOU and yours, his patients. He cannot possibly give you information about someone he has never even seen and studies can only carry a person so far (and btw we've had animals since our babies were very little, and they are still very allergic to them and have to take prescription medications in order for us to even keep the dog and cat we have, so your ENT would be wrong about 3 out of 4 of my children; once these animals pass, there will be no more animals in our home), so therefore, while his advice worked for you, it doesn't mean that's a "one size fits all" deal, as it may not have been the same advice he would give to another patient.

The issues I listed don't apply to every single parent, nor did I say or imply that it was. I said "Many" parents choose pet-free day cares, which is most definitely true. The ones who may not have chosen you may have had that reason for not choosing you and you don't even know it.

The point isn't what worked for your situation or for mine, though, it's what was the right thing to do was. Just because a person "doesn't have to" or has the "right" to do something doesn't mean they SHOULDN'T have some courtesy and respect for others, especially when they are running a business. The right and just thing to do would have been to tell the families they wanted a dog, asked about allergies and asked if the parents would feel comfortable with it or not. (Now that said: she ALSO has the right to tell the parents she was getting the dog and if anyone was NOT comfortable with it, they would need other care; either way a heads up is the right thing to do).

[Leigh]

"pit bulls are a little more dangerous because of their jaws and how they lock up when they get hold of something, a trait other dogs don't have"

REALLY???? That is SOOOOO not true. Don't believe everything you hear, honey. Hahaha. However would they "lock" their jaws?


AS far as dogs and kids go: DON'T. I have kept between 2 & 4 dogs throughout my life. I would NEVER leave one of them alone with my OWN child, let alone someone else's. The dogs are separated during daycare hours, period. This is the ONLY way to ensure safety of the children I care for. I have what would be considered "kid-safe" breeds-and they DO love kids. They just would never be around one unless I was ACTIVELY supervising their interactions. Pit bull type and daycare should not be an issue. NO dog should be alone with kids.

[Cradle2crayons]

"pit bulls are a little more dangerous because of their jaws and how they lock up when they get hold of something, a trait other dogs don't have"

REALLY???? That is SOOOOO not true. Don't believe everything you hear, honey. Hahaha. However would they "lock" their jaws?


AS far as dogs and kids go: DON'T. I have kept between 2 & 4 dogs throughout my life. I would NEVER leave one of them alone with my OWN child, let alone someone else's. The dogs are separated during daycare hours, period. This is the ONLY way to ensure safety of the children I care for. I have what would be considered "kid-safe" breeds-and they DO love kids. They just would never be around one unless I was ACTIVELY supervising their interactions. Pit bull type and daycare should not be an issue. NO dog should be alone with kids.

Lol Leigh... It's amazing how some people think they know all these facts.... As a responsible pet owner, if I had a sick dog, I wouldn't have kids around it anyway. And as a responsible parent I wouldn't allow my kids around a sick animal because any sick animal can act different than they would normally act.

A lot of kids getting bit can be PREVENTED. with just some COMMON SENSE.

Not ALL mind you...

And unregistered user.... My ENT and doctors were right..l and I do have first hand,,,, I've been a pediatric nurse since 1997. Been there, seen and treated many an animal bitten children. Miraculously though none were victims of those LOCKED JAWS. Lol

But seriously, I don't blame the OP for being upset. And unregistered user, I've NEVER had a parent NOT choose me in 25 years. However, I've NOT CHOSEN a lot of parents .

And btw... My ENT of 25 years gave me information based on decades of research available to anyone wanting to read it.

[Unregistered]

You guys think your opinions are 100% right, as evidenced by your followup posts. But what someone else experienced is just them being uneducated. Mmmmkay. Not going to argue with you girls, because whether or not something works for you doesn't mean it works for everyone. And NO 2 patients are alike, being a former "nurse" you should know that. But carry on

[Cradle2crayons]

You guys think your opinions are 100% right, as evidenced by your followup posts. But what someone else experienced is just them being uneducated. Mmmmkay. Not going to argue with you girls, because whether or not something works for you doesn't mean it works for everyone. And NO 2 patients are alike, being a former "nurse" you should know that. But carry on

Change former to CURRENT in that one sentence please ma'am ...

When it comes to pets it's not about what "works" for me. It's about what I need to protect both my animals and my children.

Your right, when I say COMMON SENSE.... I should be more clear... Because a lot of people lack those two words.

[SSWonders]

Has there been an update to this situation?

[Blackcat31]

Has there been an update to this situation?

This thread is 3 years old, I doubt OP has returned. Several posters in this thread are no longer posting here either so I doubt there will ever be an update.

[Michael]

I sent and email to the OP. Let's hope her email still works and we get an update.

[KidGrind]

**bursts out laughing**

[SSWonders]

**bursts out laughing**

I'm not getting the joke.....