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PitterPatter 10:50 AM 10-23-2011
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?
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Unregistered 10:59 AM 10-23-2011
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.
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Kaddidle Care 11:52 AM 10-23-2011
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!
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Pammie 12:00 PM 10-23-2011
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)
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MyAngels 12:04 PM 10-23-2011
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 . 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.
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Ariana 12:05 PM 10-23-2011
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!
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DCMom 12:17 PM 10-23-2011
Originally Posted by 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.
Funny! I could have written this post, lol. Except that both of my dogs are pure bred ShihTzu's.

Like you, I lost my beloved cocker 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, lol, but like children it's worth it.
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bice99 12:21 PM 10-23-2011
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.
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DaisyMamma 04:28 PM 10-23-2011
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!
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kathiemarie 04:42 PM 10-23-2011
I have a cocker 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. lol!
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caligirl 04:43 PM 10-23-2011
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.
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wdmmom 07:50 PM 10-23-2011
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.
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Blackcat31 07:55 PM 10-23-2011
Originally Posted by 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!
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.
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sharlan 08:15 PM 10-23-2011
I wouldn't have a dog because I am a little bit leery of dogs.

I do have 5 cats, 2 tortoises, and a cockatoo.

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.
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dave4him 09:00 PM 10-23-2011
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
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renodeb 09:03 AM 10-24-2011
Sometimes having a dog with a dc is crazy but I wouldnt trade it for the world. If you get a puppy then it will grow up learning how to deal with the dc kids maybe having a place where the dog can get away from the kids would be a good idea. Also your dc kids will learn how to treat the pup with kindness and respect. Do your research. We have a border colie shepard mix and shes been good. Good luck with your decision.
A dog can be a great companion for your family.
Debbie
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iheartkids 09:15 AM 10-24-2011
I have a 90 lb intimidating looking dog. But my daycare is downstairs and ever since I started it he doesn't even attempt to come down there (he's afraid of the baby gate). When parents are expected to drop off or pick up I pin him in an upstairs area so he doesn't bother them. But not always do I get it done before they come and he's just an over excited greeter at the door. The kids will come across him when we are going outside and I teach them to respect him as I train him to be aware of the kids. He loves kids, just gets quite clumsy with his big body. But I have children, including a baby, that he has grown up with and does wonderful with! And my parents have actually grown to like him as well and sometimes asks me to let him out of his secluded area so they can see him.
As far as getting a puppy, I don't know if I could train a puppy at the same time as taking care of dck's. I am all about crate training and I would suggest that during the day until your puppy is potty trained and kid trained.
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Christian Mother 09:17 AM 10-24-2011
Originally Posted by 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?
My family was exsactly like yours. We lost our beloved Bubba (Rotty) when he was 10 yrs due to cancer. It was close to 5-6yrs before we where able to reconcile having another pet bc we where so lost with out Bubba. What I did however was talk to each parent and asked there thoughts on having a pet in the house. We let them know that we where entertaining the thought of getting a dog for our daycare and family. Everyone was very receptive to us getting one. One family was a little nervous as the father had been bitten and worried about the breed. We thought about another rottie but decided later on a mix breed (lab and golden retriever). We found her and rescued her at 8mos. She had already been potty trained and was very good around children. Although she was fearful of adults and other animals. We watched quite a bit of the Dog Whisper shoes and read books on how to best get her over her fear. Caesar Milan is a Awesome!! He gave wonderful advice and she is sooo much better now. She does still bark when parents come in and she has scratched the kids a couple times bc she gets over excited and jumps. I am lucky that my parents have pets at home and are very understanding. We haven't had many incidents and the ones we did have where in that first month of owning her. Everyone knew it would be a adjustment and she is truly part of the family now. These kids are her kids also. We really love having her here with us and she's a perfect addition. I think you should def. get another pet for your home and daycare. My son will be 9 yrs in Dec. and him and his sister don't complain at all about picking up poop or feeding her. There at that age now where they can understand the responsibility of owning a pet.
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Zoe 09:36 AM 10-24-2011
We have 3 dogs and a cat. One is a pomeranian. She grew up with my kids and while she's leary around children, she has places to hide away and all of the dck's have learned to leave her alone. She will nip so she's always supervised.

The lab mix grew up again with my kids and is a lump and will basically stay on the couch all day and take hugs and kisses. She LOVES kids!

The black lab is a puppy and has always been around daycare kids. She's just barely a year so still has a lot of energy so she's outside a lot. We have a completely fenced in yard that she has free range in. It's nice for when she's being extra pesty. She is still learning what are her toys and what are kid toys.

The cat I've had since I was 13 and is old and cranky. She doesn't like kids so she stays in my room all day and is happy as a clam.

Obviously you have to be an animal lover to come here. Love me love my dogs! I wouldn't have it any other way.
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Ariana 12:05 PM 10-24-2011
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
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.
225 lbs!!! Yep i couldn't handle that. You can barely see my dog
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PitterPatter 05:16 PM 10-24-2011
Originally Posted by Christian Mother:
My family was exsactly like yours. We lost our beloved Bubba (Rotty) when he was 10 yrs due to cancer. It was close to 5-6yrs before we where able to reconcile having another pet bc we where so lost with out Bubba. What I did however was talk to each parent and asked there thoughts on having a pet in the house. We let them know that we where entertaining the thought of getting a dog for our daycare and family. Everyone was very receptive to us getting one. One family was a little nervous as the father had been bitten and worried about the breed. We thought about another rottie but decided later on a mix breed (lab and golden retriever). We found her and rescued her at 8mos. She had already been potty trained and was very good around children. Although she was fearful of adults and other animals. We watched quite a bit of the Dog Whisper shoes and read books on how to best get her over her fear. Caesar Milan is a Awesome!! He gave wonderful advice and she is sooo much better now. She does still bark when parents come in and she has scratched the kids a couple times bc she gets over excited and jumps. I am lucky that my parents have pets at home and are very understanding. We haven't had many incidents and the ones we did have where in that first month of owning her. Everyone knew it would be a adjustment and she is truly part of the family now. These kids are her kids also. We really love having her here with us and she's a perfect addition. I think you should def. get another pet for your home and daycare. My son will be 9 yrs in Dec. and him and his sister don't complain at all about picking up poop or feeding her. There at that age now where they can understand the responsibility of owning a pet.
She's so sweet!! That's what I am thinking about, saving a dog from the shelter but it will have to be young as I want to know the history as much as possible. People can and do lie so I want a pup to train myself. I am sad not wanting an older dog but I just cant take the risk of them snapping due to history etc. I would love to get a purebred retriever or lab but I just can't bring myself to pay hundreds when there are good dogs dying every day in shelters. If I can save 1 then that's what I prefer. I saved my beautiful Chow from certain disaster. I had a Chow / Samoyed actually and she was the most wonderful dog ever! So easy to train! She knew many commands and tricks. Everyone praised me for her brilliance but I think it was all her.

Thank you eveyone for your advise. I am taking it all in and it won't be a quick decision.
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MsMe 07:14 AM 10-25-2011
I have two dogs. Both are Cavachons. One is 22lbs and the other is 8lbs. They are the sweetest dogs EVER!!!!!!! They need tons of attention and teh daycare is perfect for them. They have both been with me since they were 6 wks, (4 years and two years)

Do your research and find a dog with a good temperement that loves kids and attention. look up Cavachons.....I think they are the perfect daycare/family dog ever....except they hate to be left alone so if you plan on seperating them or spending lots of time away from home they are not for you.

Good luck on your search!!
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