To think this dog must have a miserable life

[majorcrowdpleaser]

My next door neighbour (of about 8 years) lives on his own.

He has a dog which he uses as a gun dog during the shooting season. The rest of the year this poor mutt is left (apart from an hours walk in the evening and the odd walk in the garden) for approx 23 hours a day in a kennel outside.

My neighbour works from 7am till around 6-7pm each day and has a friend who pops by around lunch time to check on the dog (she NEVER stays for more than 5 mins).

I am a real animal lover and all of my pets, including my current dog have always been housed inside as they are part of my family.

I myself am a dog walker and have always been a dog lover and I have never seen such a sad, depressed looking dog in my life. If I try talking to him over the fence he looks at me in a frightened way and retreats into his sleeping quarters, he has'nt been socialised at all.

I have offered to pop in and exercise the dog myself but my neighbour always turns me down.

In the past another neighbour contacted the RSPCA but because the dog is feed, watered and otherwise 'looked after' it ticks all of their boxes so they did'nt want to know!

AIBU to think this is cruel and this dog deserves a better life? :(

BTW I live in the countryside so know several people with gun dogs most of which sleep in outside kennels but most of these dogs are with the owners during the day and are fully socialised with people and other dogs. Its not a kennel/gun dog issue for me, I just can't help but feel that this dog should have a better life but sadly there's is nothing I can do about it.

[VioletBam]

It does sound lonely but re it being outside all day...I have a Maremma and he loves it outside. I have to purseude him in after dark. He'd stay out all the time if I let him.

I don't because he barks at the wildlife.....he only has one walk a day...he's certainly not neglected but he's not a lapdog.

[BodsAuntieFlo]

What a shame for the dog. Most working dogs are out and about a lot. I have 2 labs off working stock and they wouldn't never cope with being cooped up all day. Poor thing.

[Sparklesilverglitter]

I think the same about the dog next door to me, neighbours have a beautiful German shepherd and while his loved/watered/feed and a healthy looking door. He never gets a walk ever, he has to make do with the gardens which are not large at at all and he's a big dog.
I never understand why the poor dog never gets out with the couple and grown up son you'd think one of them could walk him to the big park lake that's 10 minutes from the house

[Sparklesilverglitter]

Door=Dog

[stonecircle]

It does sound lonely but an hour's walk in the evening is probably more than a lot of dogs get and he obviously cares enough to have someone check on it in the middle of the day.

Far worse when you hear the numerous accounts of dogs that never get taken for a walk.

[HmmmHashtag]

The dog is fine. I know many people with working gun dogs who are kennelled whilst they're at work.

He doesn't want you walking the dog because he's probably spent a lot of time training it and doesn't want that messing up.

As long as it's fed, watered and clean, it's fine. It's not a pet. It's a working animal.

[Shizzlestix]

Sounds fine, plenty of working dogs are kept like this. You're wrong to say it's not socialised, it will be in the company of multiple other dogs out on a shoot.

[Doggity]

How long is shooting season? That said, either way, think it's pretty mean. You've got people spitting feathers over goldfish in a too small bowl on another thread. I find this just as bad. :(

[maninawomansworld01]

Difficult one. There are plenty of dogs with worse lives but it must be hard seeing the dog cooped up all day.
I have several gun dogs and they live in the house and come to work with me on the farm every day so they would be miserable if they were suddenly cooped up all day.
A friend of mine has a couple of dogs and they are kennelled at home while he goes to work (about 10 hours a day) and then again overnight to sleep , but they get a couple of hours in the house in the evenings and 2 walks a day and they are quite happy. I think 23 hours a day alone is far too much.

I understand why he wouldn't want you walking it though, gundog training is so very difficult and takes years to do correctly yet it can all be undone very quickly by someone who doesn't know what they're doing (however well intentioned). There are only 2 other people in this world allow to look after and walk my dogs. Out of desperation I let someone else look after then for a weekend once, it took me 3 or 4 weeks to get their behaviour fully back in check and undo the damage to their training - and I am a successful gundog trainer.