Step away or suck it up?

Mogg

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ok i have a dilemma and if im wrong then feel free to say so...

my neighbour has an 18mth old dog, lovely little thing, excellent temp. if a little bit too submissive and 'cringey'

Basically neighbour/friend works 7 hours a day Mon to Fri. As i take my dog to my yard daily, and they get on really well, i offered to take Peg too and have done since she was 6 months old. Usually at yard 3-4 hours then back to mine till friend gets in from work. My thinking was that its no extra work for me, dogs have company and friend didnt have to come home at lunch time to let her out. Ive also had her when friend has gone on holidays. This has worked ok and iv grown to be very fond of Peg.

Thurs night friend rang to ask if id have Peg overnight. i was knackered and feeling ill and wanted to go to bed, and the 2 dogs would be too much really but asked what the reason was, wondering family emergency etc....basically her on/off boyf who had been ignoring her texts etc for 2 weeks had suddenly rung to invite her to stay with him for a few nights. He is living at his parents, he doesnt like the dog and obv his non-dog owning folks who were going away for a long weekend wouldnt want a dog in their home.

I said, feeling a bit mean, that in the circumstances no i wouldnt have her dog. She then asked me if she (dog) would be ok left overnight to which i said imo no, and id be very cross if she did. Friend said she'd make other arrangements. I took Peg as normal with me on Fri and found her to be very clingy and quiet all day but i put it down to having been in different surroundings overnight. As i was leaving home Sat morning friend pulled up in car, no dog. I asked who was looking after her and friend said she had left her in flat Thurs and Fri nights, as shed decided it was only like going out to work and leaving her.

i was furious but calmly told her that imo leaving her for 12-13 hours (she left at 18.30-1900 and returned about 8am) even overnight was unfair, cruel and that i couldnt state how strongly i felt that she was wrong to do it, given that there was actually no reason for it as boyf regularly stays over when it suits him any other time. Also pointed out that she only works 7 hours a day normally and even then comes home at lunchtime to let her out if for any reason i cant have her.

I'll be honest i dont like the boyf, he's told her he doesnt want a relationship, doesnt love her and uses her as and when it suits. Shes an alcky, very needy and fools herself into thinking he does love her etc, and tho she whines constantly about him using her shes obv prepared to put up with it. She admits its cos its better than having no man at all. i'll also admit that my annoyance at this does colour my judgement. altho i have told her my feelings/views on their relationship i accept that its none of my business and leave her to get on with it, just picking up the pieces when she goes to bits cos hes ignoring her.

I told her Sat pm that id considered her actions and my feelings toward it, and decided that i should step away, no longer have any role in Pegs life and leave her care to her owner 100%. Friend said ok and obv. didnt mind as she left her alone again that night. Friend does walk her in the park at weekends but rest of time takes her into communal gardens.

i've been worried all weekend about Peg. i know that in stepping away she is the one who will 'suffer' the most as she enjoys her days with me and my dog. But i feel i need to make a stand to make her owner accept her responsibilities. its not as if shes a kid, shes 36 ffs
For example friend hasnt had her microchipped despite me reminding her constantly so im the one who had an id tag made for her, mainly because if she ran away whilst in my care i'd want to know she could be returned.
Even tho my dog doesnt poo in the communal gardens i leave a supply of doggie bags out and had to 'remind' friend to pick up poo every time after other neighbours quite rightly complained about mess.
I nagged her about vaccinations booster which she decided against 'because they're expensive and anyway she only needs them if she goes into kennels'
She only got her spayed when her dad offered to pay for it.

Am i cutting my nose off to spite my face? ultimately she isnt my dog and i have no say in how she is kept but should i just take her with me during th day and pop her back in before friend gets in from work so i dont need to see her? God i sound like a 14 yo! what would u do?
 
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Poor little dog, she must feel thats she`s lost you and that her "mum" doesn`t care about her, think I`d really have to put her first in your shoes and carry on looking after her.
 
I would have kept looking after her. I really can't see why you couldn't have her overnight either - you describe the dogs owner as a 'friend' but you don't sound very friendly!
 
I would strongly suggest to her to rehome the dog, lay it on with a trowel, say its hindering her relationship and she is a terrible tie she could do without.

This dog can have no life with her, it sounds terribley unsettled no wonder she is clingy, I really think if you are withdrawing from the situation this will be in the best interest of this poor dog, sometimes people just shouldnt have a dog.:(
 
I would have kept looking after her. I really can't see why you couldn't have her overnight either - you describe the dogs owner as a 'friend' but you don't sound very friendly!

You have already committed yourself to the poor dog. She will not know why she is being doubly neglected now. I would not be able to step away from her.

I completely agree with these posts.

I also agree with CT, I would offer to take off her hands.
 
I'm not sure removing your help will work at making her step up to her responsibilities if she's selfish enough to leave peg to stay with her bloke. Think i'd see if she actually still wanted peg & offer to help rehome or take her on if she didn't want her.
 
I would have kept looking after her. I really can't see why you couldn't have her overnight either - you describe the dogs owner as a 'friend' but you don't sound very friendly!

By the same token you think shes being a good friend to want to basically dump her dog on me for what turned out to be 3 nights so she can spend them with her boyf 5 miles away? Maybe im not being a good friend for expecting her to do what i would do in that situation i.e say i cant get a dogsitter, why dont you come here instead (usually hes round at hers 4-5 nights a week anyway, when hes not ignoring her)

i think its a bit harsh to say im not being a good friend. As i said in my original post i felt ill that night (long term medical problem), and from past experience in having Peg overnight the 2 dogs together are a lot of work and hard to settle. Whilst they both get on well my own dog is quite territorial and dominant and i have to watch out for him getting too much for her. She was fine about that & told me she'd arrange for someone else to have her. Had she asked me to have her Fri night i would have said yes. i didnt realise until 2 nights had passed that she had not arranged for someone else and just left her instead.

i didnt include in my OP the numerous weekend nights iv had a phone call asking me to let Peg out or take her to mine because her owner had 'popped out to the pub for an hour' in the afternoons and was still out come midnight. i honestly feel that i help her out quite a lot and she takes advantage of my affection for Peg knowing that i'll step in.

As for rehoming...i cant commit financially to another dog, id be irresponsible to do it as much as id love to. One of my sisters has already offered to take her (before this weekends events) and has been refused, she says she loves her and wants to keep her. i think she does love her but i think shes probably like a lot of dog owners out there who like the idea of having a dog much more than the reality of having a dog.

i do take on board other comments, i know its Peg that is missing out because of my actions and i probably will end up 'giving in'. I just couldnt think of any other way to make her realise that a dog is a huge committment and sometimes has to come first. As it is it backfired on me because she still left her on Sat night. But funnily enough iv just seen her and shes taken the afternoon off work to spend some time with her...:rolleyes:
 
Really really difficult one for you, & i do agree it's a bit harsh to say you don't sound very friendly. She is the one in the wrong, & she is taking advantage of your friendship. What favours do you get in return, i wonder?

We have to bear in mind, however, that being an alcoholic is an illness. If it were me, & my friend, i'd arrange a time to go round & have a real proper serious chat about the responsibilities of being a dog owner, & what Peg needs. I'd admit that you feel you have been taken advantage of, & how she needs to step up & face her responsibilities, & if she can't, how awful it will be for Peg having been out daily with you, how it would feel for her if you didn't do it any longer. She has to realise that if she really can't cope, even if it's not her fault, the dog needs to be cared for & simply cannot be left alone overnight (would that be classes as abandonment?). Tell her that you are willing to help her find a lovely home with someone who does have the time & ablity to give Peg what she deserves - sounds like you may even have one lined up.

Good luck!
 
Really really difficult one for you, & i do agree it's a bit harsh to say you don't sound very friendly. She is the one in the wrong, & she is taking advantage of your friendship. What favours do you get in return, i wonder?

We have to bear in mind, however, that being an alcoholic is an illness. If it were me, & my friend, i'd arrange a time to go round & have a real proper serious chat about the responsibilities of being a dog owner, & what Peg needs. I'd admit that you feel you have been taken advantage of, & how she needs to step up & face her responsibilities, & if she can't, how awful it will be for Peg having been out daily with you, how it would feel for her if you didn't do it any longer. She has to realise that if she really can't cope, even if it's not her fault, the dog needs to be cared for & simply cannot be left alone overnight (would that be classes as abandonment?). Tell her that you are willing to help her find a lovely home with someone who does have the time & ablity to give Peg what she deserves - sounds like you may even have one lined up.

Good luck!

I don't think you will get through easily. If someone can leave their dog like that for a non urgent reason, they really do NOT love that animal at all.

Think you need to talk to he about giving the dog up to someone who will love and care for her. Perhaps point that there are some legal requirements (id etc) which she has left you to take care of. Suggest that of someone else got wind of her actions, she could well have a visit from the RSPCA and lose the dog anyway (ok so that's a bit of a stretch but needs must)

Your dog would probably settle after a while, mine all did but if you are not well then you do need to think of yourself and your health.
 
I don't think you will get through easily. If someone can leave their dog like that for a non urgent reason, they really do NOT love that animal at all.

Think you need to talk to he about giving the dog up to someone who will love and care for her. Perhaps point that there are some legal requirements (id etc) which she has left you to take care of. Suggest that of someone else got wind of her actions, she could well have a visit from the RSPCA and lose the dog anyway (ok so that's a bit of a stretch but needs must)

Your dog would probably settle after a while, mine all did but if you are not well then you do need to think of yourself and your health.

Er..... i think that's kinda what i said?
 
I have fallen out with a 'friend' in the past because of the way they treated their dogs. One ended up being put down because she killed the other when left together in a small crate in a stable overnight.......

Perhaps I shouldn't have walked away, but stayed and made my feelings known more forcefully?

Difficult one - not your responsibility at the end of the day, but it will be the dog that suffers in the end. I fear your 'friendship' doesn't really exist - in the same way that mine didn't. If it's always only one way then that's not a friend, and you don't sound as if you like her very much anyway.
 
I have fallen out with a 'friend' in the past because of the way they treated their dogs. One ended up being put down because she killed the other when left together in a small crate in a stable overnight.......

Perhaps I shouldn't have walked away, but stayed and made my feelings known more forcefully?

Difficult one - not your responsibility at the end of the day, but it will be the dog that suffers in the end. I fear your 'friendship' doesn't really exist - in the same way that mine didn't. If it's always only one way then that's not a friend, and you don't sound as if you like her very much anyway.

i'll be honest and say that whilst i do care about her i dont like her very much atm, i cant get my head around how she thinks it was ok to leave the dog.
Saw her this evening as i was taking mine out, ended up sitting in the garden with both dogs having a play. I know that i cant let Peg down any more than i have already, she's so sweet & was so happy to see us. Today wasnt the right time to talk things over as another neighbour came out to join us but i intend to have a frank talk with her to explain why i was so upset and angry, how Peg would have felt at being alone all night, and also to broach the subject of rehoming again.

Thx all for your advice
 
Sorry! Picked you up wrong based on your first comment - i thought you were disagreeing with me (must be this forum rubbing off on me! :)) My apologies.
 
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