Last updated: August 2026
Important: This is a new requirement, and it starts on 1 September 2026.
If a banned breed lives in your household or visits regularly, contact us straight away. Email safeguarding@tiney.co or call 020 4579 9271 and we will talk through your options with you.
Overview
From 1 September 2026 the EYFS bans certain dog breeds from childminding premises. This article covers which dogs are affected, what the requirement actually means, what to do if it affects you, and the rules for other dogs and pets.
It applies whether or not you own a dog, because it covers visiting dogs as well as pets that live with you.
What the EYFS says
Banned dog breeds (meaning dogs to which section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 applies, including the XL Bully type), must not be kept or present on the premises at any time. (EYFS statutory framework for childminders, paragraph 3.81)
The framework adds that this still applies even if the dog's owner has a certificate of exemption issued under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. It points to the guidance Controlling your dog in public: Banned dogs for which dog types are covered.
Which dogs are banned
Five types of dog are banned in the UK. The current list is kept on Controlling your dog in public: Banned dogs:
Pit Bull Terrier
Japanese Tosa
Dogo Argentino
Fila Brasileiro
A dog can be judged a banned type even if its parents were not. If you are not sure about a dog at your setting, check the GOV.UK guidance and then talk to us.
What "kept or present" and "at any time" mean
These two phrases do most of the work in this requirement, so it is worth being clear about them.
"Kept or present" covers more than a dog that lives with you. It includes visiting dogs, a dog belonging to a family member who comes round, and a dog someone brings when they collect a child.
"At any time" means exactly that. A banned breed cannot be at your premises outside childminding hours either. This is not something you can manage around your working day by keeping the dog elsewhere while children are with you.
A certificate of exemption does not change this. Exemption allows an owner to keep the dog legally. It still does not allow the dog to be at a childminding setting.
What to do if this affects you
Contact us as soon as you can. Email safeguarding@tiney.co, call 020 4579 9271, or message us in the tiney app.
Other dogs and pets
The requirement above applies only to banned breeds. Other pets are fine, and for many settings they are a real asset. What you need is to have thought about them properly.
Your pet policy. If you have pets at home, you need a written pet policy. You will find it under Additional policies in Policy Builder in the tiney app. Share it with families the way you share your other policies.
Your risk assessment. Cover the animals in your home the way you cover any other feature of the setting, including where they are kept, how children interact with them, and hygiene.
New pets. If a pet joins your household, update your risk assessment and your pet policy.
Visiting dogs. Think about dogs that visit as well as pets that live with you. A visiting dog needs to be in your risk assessment too.
Good to know: parents will often ask about pets before their child starts. A clear pet policy is one of the easier ways to settle that conversation early.
Key contacts and resources
EYFS statutory framework for childminders. Paragraph 3.81 is the requirement above.
EYFS September 2026 updates, the full tiney guide to everything changing in the framework.
Controlling your dog in public: Banned dogs. Which dog types are banned, and how a dog is judged to be one.
Ban on XL Bully dogs. The rules for owning an XL Bully in England and Wales.
tiney safeguarding team: safeguarding@tiney.co or 020 4579 9271.
Questions?
If you are not sure whether this affects you, or you would like to talk your situation through, reach out to the tiney safeguarding team via the app, email safeguarding@tiney.co, or call 020 4579 9271.