Care (or lack of) of a dog

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moocow

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Just wondering if I am being over sensitive or if I have to just mind my own business. We have been taking care of a family members dog for the passed week and I really don't like the routine they have for her. THe family members are very good to us and its a really awkward one to approach with them as I know the father of the house will just say I am being stupid and I am wrong.

Basically they have a 6 month old basset. She lives in the back garden. The garden is covered in poo, they never clean it up. The dog has a garden shed (wooden one) to shelter in with a raised bed. They never clean her bowls. She is fed twice a day, morning and evening tinned food with a handful of dog mix through it but does not get a walk and is not allowed into the house as she gets so excited she pees. We have taken her for a short walk every day this week

I just wanted to know, am I being really soft or is this a bit unfair for a pup? Its freezing tonight and she is out in an open garden shed and has no company. She is a hound and surely her instinct is to want to be part of the pack?

How the hell do I say something about it?
 
Shocking
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why have a bloody dog
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.
U are right to be concerned
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I would have to say something, or leave the gate open
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and remove her.
 
Thats the thing, I don't know how to say it to them. They will just shoot me down and all that will happen is that i wont be able to even get to her to bring her for a walk. Its my older brother's dog so I will be the stupid little sister (even though I am 31!!!) and told to shut up. Also they have been really good to me recently (with personal stuff) and I can't say anything.

Its so hard though as I know they love the dog its just that they have no idea how to care for animals. They will look at it as her basic needs are met - she has access to some shelter, she is fed, she has space to excercise. When they do bring her anywhere, they don't allow her in the car and stick her in the boot. Its a saloon car so total darkness, scarey noise and exhaust fumes and they drive like mad things!

How do you say to someone in a nice way, you are cruel to your dog through your ignorance!!!! They have no understanding of animals at all.

ETS: yeah we were brought up with a basset too and it was different times so some of the practises possibly weren't the best (type of feed etc) but the dog had the run of the farm, he slept in the back kitchen at night and always had company.
 
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Personaly,I would call the RSPCA and see if they will visit maybe overstate things so they do.
The pup has shelter,food and water so her basic needs are met and they wont do a damn thing,but the shock of a visit from them(who wont do a damn thing but tell the owners off and leave some pamphlets) should make her owners rethink how they look after her.
 
Cant do that anima. They would know immediately that it came from me as I am the only one that has seen the condiions that she is kept in as the garden is fully enclosed with an 6 foot fence and tbh, the ISPCA would not come out to visit when her basic needs are being met. Different laws over here.
 
Hmm,maybe some comments along the lines of "it would be LOVELY to have a BBQ out here in the summer if it wasnt for all the poo" might help?

Do feel for you,the situation is clearly not right but since you dont own the dog there is so little you can do
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No walks and covered in sh!te?

I would 'liberate' her, to your house....bought a dog cause it looked cool? - my OH's brother did exactly the same, got a Bassett, wonders why it cries constantly, got someone else to train it, thought because the family dog was smart and adaptable, they all were.

However my dogs live outside and boy has a smelly bowl, because he prefers water that has been 'matured'......
 
THanks for the support. I was thinking after I posted. I was wondering what you guys thought of this approach. They are being REALLY good and helpful with me having a new baby on the way and I don't know my @rs* from my elbow (but I do think I know a bit about care of animals!) I was going to approach it with my brothers wife in a way like saying " if I was doing something wrong with the baby, would you advise me or would you say nothing?" I know for a fact she will say she would advise. I was then thinking of saying well, there are a few things that you should maybe think about with the dog. Not meaning to interfere but blah blah blah.......

What do you think of that approach??? The only problem is that I have to learn to bite my tongue and that I don't end up going off in a rant about the inhuman cruel way that they are treating the dog. They mean well..... honestly they do. They just have really old fashioned ways as well as an ignorance of the breed. When she has an accident (purely out of excitment cos she doesn't do it in the car with us) they force her nose into it and roughly chuck her back outside. They told me the other day that it was really funny to see her try and swim and that they have thrown her in a pond a few times (Bassets should never be made swim. they are not built for it!!!) and of course, I wouldn't throw a dog in any pond.

I am liable to start ranting but I don't want to end up with a situation where they get really annoyed at me, I need their help with the baby and they could stop us taking the dog for a walk and that just will make the poor pups life even worse. I like your suggestion about the BBQ though, might give that one a try.

Its not through malice, my brother is extremely busy with work and college so I do understand why the garden has got to the state it has. The company he works for has let half the staff go cos the credit crunch and its a really difficult time for them. He is the type though that he always knows best. The worse thing is, they are talking about getting a pony for one of the kids as well!!!!! She has never even ridden and they have no land and I can't see them paying for livery. I will cross that bridge when I come to it
 
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