rottweiler at school gates - opinions?

PrincessPlaty

There is a 5month old staff that is always outside the school gates when i go to drop off and pick up DD1.
He is a pup he is boisterous, he jumps, he barks, he isnt muzzled.
My DD2 (3) loves him to bits and as soon as she sees him she starts calling him he also gets over excited when he sees her or she calls him, he licks her to death and she sits there and giggles
One thing if i have always been taught is to face your fears head on and deal with them!

I grew up with dobermanns and nobody would come near our house they were as soft as anything and never in all the years they were with us did they bite or even show their teeth to anyone.

On the other hand a friend of mine has an 8 year old jack russell, he is currently asleep in my spare bedroom. He is the grumpiest dog you would ever meet! :rolleyes: He barks, he growls and he has been known to snap. He will go mental at anyone that comes near me that i am not happy about. Would i take him to the school? Muzzled or not? Would i heck!!! :eek: When he is here i have to keep a muzzle and his lead by my front front door coz if anyone was to knock on my door he would go mental!

I think sometimes you need to leave it down to the owners discretion, any parent who is a dog owner would be aware of the potential risks to other children aswell as their own. Just because this is a larger breed of dog, or because of the type of dog, or just because the size of it, it doesnt mean you should judge the dog. I agree with the previous poster who said try talking to the owner you might even get over a few fears of your own

I do however understand it from the point of view of the children and my DD's school do send out the monthly school letter asking that dogs be kept away from the gates due to some children being nervous of dogs on every newsletter. Some listen some dont

At the end of the day they are on a public footpath and there isnt a lot you can do about someone being stood with their dog on a public footpath its not an arrestable offence now is it? I think the best response you have had here is to start talking to the owner. Remove all those judgements from you head for 5minutes and do it with an open mind, you may even find the dog is lovely and the owner may even be a bit more intelligent than you think :rolleyes:

shoppaholic_returns

I find the comments quite interesting, as I think alot of kids fear of dogs comes from parents, pulling their kids away etc.Kids arent born with an inherent fear of dogs, in fact they are usually if left to it very inqusitive, but it is usually parents that instill this fear.
It certainly isnt that all of these kids were attacked, otherwise all dogs large or small would be banned!
I think education on how to be around ALL dogs is required, ie don't automatically pet them,ask the owner politely first, look at the dogs and owners behaviour etc.
I am always astounded at the reactions of some VERY SILLY parents,when I take my dog out, she is ALWAYS ON A SHORT LEAD/WALKING TO HEAL/VERY OBEDIENT, but we still hear, 'COME HERE QUICKLY LITTLE JOHNNY,THEReS A BIG DOG'!!
More often than not the child wants to pet my dog, who is excellent with kids and very gentle, but it is the parents that make so much fuss.

To add, my dog has been attacked once, and yes it was by a Yorkshire terrier!!!!!!!

lostinrates

It seems to me a sign of good ownership that a dog is getting a walk twice a day, in what could be a busy schedule, and that the children are being walked to school (rather than delivered in a car) seems further evidence that this is good for the family.

A dog NOT walked, or kept away from normal activty is far more likely to be a problem.

I frequently take my dog places with me (e.g. she often goes to the airport to collect DH). I am aware not everyone likes dogs, and she is not small thoguh not a breed with a bad reputation. We do enter places where dogs are allowed and she is not allowed to approach people but welcomes people approaching her. When we are waiting, we tend to wait away from doors so that we do not intimidate people who do not like dogs.

I think it is reasonable to ask that dog owners stand along the fence, not by the gate, I think it is not reasonable to expect the dog not to come at all.

bestpud

katglasgow wrote: »

Although an animal lover I am very squeamish and overly sensitive to large dogs. SO I was distressed today to see a woman standing at the school gates holding a very large rotweiller. She was on the pavement so just outside school property but only just and IMHO did not have a very firm grip on the dog's lead. It is a huge powerful looking dog. I felt really uncomfortable walking thru the narrow gateway past her with my 6 year old child and toddler in a pushchair. I didnt say anything, but wondered if I should have/could have? I dont know the woman personally, but have seen her about and kind of have a feeling I might have got a bit of lip back (dont think she is a verr clever lady either). But thats hardly the point - to me it just doesnt seem appropriate to be sttod right at the gates of a primary school witha huge rottweiler! By the way - I have just joined the school parent council, so perhaps I should also feel a bit responsible for other parents too?
I would really appreciate opinons from others if they would have felt put out / what I could do?
Thanks!

If it's 'hardly the point', why make it?

Are you saying you'd have stopped and requested she move away from the gate if she looked intelligent?

I'm astounded at the ignorance you've displayed here and tbh, I'd be more worried about protecting my child from the prejudicial snobs at the school gate than a well behaved and sensible rottweiler!

Good grief - just when you think you've heard it al!! :mad:

libbyc3

just with regard to parents reaction to dogs - I used to have a GSD, beautiful, gentle and wonderful with kids and a PAL dog - visiting residential homes. not so great with squirrels though! taking her out to the park with my kids when they were small - I did resort to saying on one occasion - my dogs is better behaved than your kids, come and talk to me when you've trained them!
not a mature response I know - but when a parent was giving me abuse for simply owning an 'alsation' and having her on the lead next to a playground sitting by my feet I was quite annoyed.
I would not have taken her to school for any other reason that she would get in the way of all the buggies, kids and parents trying to squeeze along the pavement, it is this that is inconsiderate, not the breed, or size, or percieved 'fierceness' of the dog.

Dave101t

call the police, say its scaring your children and a danger. im sure they wil respond because its obviously a stupid thing to do

Loopy_Lobes

I do think dog owners need to take into account other peoples feelings. Just because you think your dog is the cutest thing on earth don't assume everyone else feels the same. Some people are genuinely frightened of dogs, just as some people are frightened of spiders. It may be irrational but to the person in question it's a big deal.

At my daughters former primary school the 'no dogs in school' rule applied. The problem with this was that there was always a sizeable group of parents with dogs right outside the gate on a very narrow path, often barking and jumping up at each other showing some agitation. Now I don't dislike dogs but I hated walking past them with my little one in her pushchair as she was right at their height so I would walk into the road to avoid them.

Also, I have always taught my children not to trust strange (strange an in not well known to them) dogs. The size of dog is irrelevent.

aliasojo

katglasgow wrote: »

Although an animal lover I am very squeamish and overly sensitive to large dogs. SO I was distressed today to see a woman standing at the school gates holding a very large rotweiller. She was on the pavement so just outside school property but only just and IMHO did not have a very firm grip on the dog's lead. It is a huge powerful looking dog. I felt really uncomfortable walking thru the narrow gateway past her with my 6 year old child and toddler in a pushchair. I didnt say anything, but wondered if I should have/could have? I dont know the woman personally, but have seen her about and kind of have a feeling I might have got a bit of lip back (dont think she is a verr clever lady either). But thats hardly the point - to me it just doesnt seem appropriate to be sttod right at the gates of a primary school witha huge rottweiler! By the way - I have just joined the school parent council, so perhaps I should also feel a bit responsible for other parents too?
I would really appreciate opinons from others if they would have felt put out / what I could do?
Thanks!

I think the relevent parts are the bits in bold.

I accept you have a genuine problem with this, but it is your problem imo. Unless the woman and her dog have ever given you any reason to believe it is a danger, then it seems to me you have taken your own fear and run with it.

If it bothers you that much, then by all means have a general word at the next meeting about the idea of having a small exclusion zone just around the front gates where dogs cannot be, but I strongly suggest you refrain from making the same kind of comments you have made here.

Oh and btw, you are only a member of the parent council, you're not responsible for other parents or school policy. I expect you're just trying to be a useful member but be careful you don't overstep the mark.

MrsTinks

OK so the problem as I see it is that YOU have a fear of "big" dogs? Fair enough - peoples fears should be respected certainly! But making assumptions about this person, her potential reactions and intelligence is neither anything to do with this issue nor is it setting a very good example to your kids.
Right - the problem - what is wrong with going over to said lady and saying "Hi there! Look I'm really sorry but I'm actually really petrified of dogs, would you mind maybe waiting a few meters further down the pavement when you bring it with you? I appreciate you obviously have it under control but I'm sure it must be able to smell my fear and I don't want to be the cause of it getting uneasy and getting excited around all the kids etc."
If you say it with a cautious smile and a friendly attitude then you are far more likely to get somewhere than you are with starting a debate on the council where there might potentially be more dog lovers than people who dislike dogs...

Remember that the school has little or no authority outside the school property - it's public footpath and that means they have as much right to be there as you do - especially if the dog is as you describe and clearly under control. If you can hold a rottie calmly with a "loose" lead then it's well trained Which is why you will probably acchieve far more with a polite and reasonable request than trying to get demands issued

Errata

Clearly a thorough risk assessment is needed. Probably best to do it at the same time as a risk assessment on the traffic going past which might mount the pavement and mow down mums, kids and dogs.