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Brother rang up swearing at me after I have been dog sitting for him

291 replies

Jolenepleasetakeawaymyman · 14/09/2025 15:31

Sorry I really need to rant and also check I am not the one being unreasonable.

I will try to be as concise as possible and include the key details. At the moment I am not working for a whole host of reasons and living off savings and a small rental income. I have two secondary age kids one has some behavoral issues and the other has processing difficulties. I am doing my best to support them both as a single parent having left an abusive marriage.

My brother works full time and is older than I am by several years. His dc is at university and lives with him. She persuaded him to get a dog despite both of them being out of the house long hours and her having an active social life. The assumption was that my parents would go round and look after the dog. However they are both very elderly and have had some recent health issues. To help out I offered to do as many times a week as I could. Thought all was fine, go and feed the dog, let it out and then wait for a couple of hours to play with it and give it some company.

This weekend we were asked to do the dog. I said I would but would need to take my youngest son and would be a bit later as he had some activities but I would do both days. No problem - rushed to get there and spent time to look after the dog including picking up mess from the garden. Son went to watch tv. He made his own profile on their Netflix. Didn't think much about it.

Came home had dinner - all seemed fine. Then in the evening I get a call from my brother. He is shouting and swearing at me saying my son has changed his Netflix password. I was so shocked I started apologising and went to ask my son if he had. He said no he only created a profile. I said I believed him and said I don't think he did. He was still cussing and swearing at me the whole time. I came off the phone in shock. It triggered a lot of the feelings I had in my relationship when my ex would blow up for no reason.

Apparently his daughter had been on the phone complaining she could not login to Netflix abroad. But we had done nothing to his account. And even if my son had by accident changed something I don't think it needed him to shout and swear at me telling me not to touch anything in the fing house etc. I was doing him a favour! I was spending my time on a regular basis looking after his dog! I don't have a dog of my own due to not living in my own house right now and not being sure I can guarentee the time once I am able to work again. He took a dog on knowing he wasn't at home. And I was happy to help! Also I don't think you can even change a netflix password on the TV and if he did somehow manage to wouldn't the account holder get an email telling them this.

I sent a message to him saying it was better if I did not dog sit again and I would only go into his house from now on when he was there in order to avoid touching anything myself or my kids.

He sent a very short message telling me okay he should not have spoken to me like this. I accepted the apology but said I would not be dog sitting any more. This means my parents will now have to do it. Around the same time he phoned me my mother got a message from his daughter saying she had seen on face time that someone had pulled up one of her plants. She very passively aggressively told her that she was very upset and took a long time to calm down. Instructing her in future not to touch any plants etc. My mum had pulled up the plant as the dog was trying to eat it and it was poisonous to dogs. Again someone doing them a favour and being told off like a very naughty child for trying to help.

I am really angry today. I also feel guilty as I don't want the dog to be left alone but I don't want to go in the house either in case I damage or do something and get told off again!. Also my elderly parents will now have to go over most days to look after the dog which is a big stress on them. I don't want to come between my brother and my parents as they are very close to him. But part of me wants to tell them to say get a professional dog sitter and sort it out yourself.

So am I being unreasonable to not look after the dog anymore and to be angry with my brother and niece. Should I just accept it and continue to help out. I feel they don't actually want me in their house or my kids so I don't even know if they want me to help out.

Or am I reasonable and my brother was out of order in how he treated me and my son?

OP posts:
GleisZwei · 14/09/2025 18:50

AgnesX · 14/09/2025 18:40

Your point being what? Did I miss where he broke something?

I've replied to similar comments already.

Pregnancyquestion · 14/09/2025 18:45

Jolenepleasetakeawaymyman · 14/09/2025 16:25

Well I suppose it the old saying “no good deed goes unpunished’.

I won’t offer to do things for them putting myself and my son out. I still don’t understand why creating a profile was that bad. Could someone explain? Again he is only 12. It not like he stole or broke anything. And even if he broke something it would be an accident and I would offer to pay. I am always the first to apologise and own up if I do something wrong.

It wasn’t bad. He’s a kid and your DBs nephew. If any of my nieces and nephews were in my house and did that or downloaded a free app, or did anything that wasn’t cheeky like buying something on my account it wouldn’t even occur to me to be annoyed, if I thought he’d accidentally changed the password I’d calmly ask what it was so I could change it back and maybe say don’t change settings next time but I wouldn’t be telling a kid off and especially not their mum.

oviraptor21 · 14/09/2025 18:40

GleisZwei · 14/09/2025 16:38

I wouldn't be happy if someone just added a profile without at least asking first.

It wouldn't bother me. It's easily deleted and I'd like to think it was a small thing I could do to assist someone who is doing me a massive favour.

AgnesX · 14/09/2025 18:40

GleisZwei · 14/09/2025 18:34

RTFT.

Your point being what? Did I miss where he broke something?

Lifeinthepit · 14/09/2025 18:39

GleisZwei · 14/09/2025 16:51

A person is not a 'weirdo' simply because they'd prefer folk not to make profiles on their streaming accounts.

They are a weirdo though to make such a fuss about something so minor when it was done by a young nephew while his mother was doing the uncle a favour for which he should rather be grateful rather than rude. It's pathetic behaviour.

BufferingAgain · 14/09/2025 18:37

No more free labour for them! They can get a dog sitter. Rude CFs

GleisZwei · 14/09/2025 18:34

AgnesX · 14/09/2025 18:31

If it was my nephew why not. I really can't see the big deal. It's not like it cost anything.

Even if it did, a few quid for a film 🤷‍♀️. If you're going to be that tight you shouldn't expect people to do you favours either.

RTFT.

MoorMoreMoore · 14/09/2025 18:34

Jolenepleasetakeawaymyman · 14/09/2025 16:25

Well I suppose it the old saying “no good deed goes unpunished’.

I won’t offer to do things for them putting myself and my son out. I still don’t understand why creating a profile was that bad. Could someone explain? Again he is only 12. It not like he stole or broke anything. And even if he broke something it would be an accident and I would offer to pay. I am always the first to apologise and own up if I do something wrong.

Your son creating another profile would be a non issue to anyone with an ounce of sense. MN is a strange place sometimes.

AgnesX · 14/09/2025 18:31

GleisZwei · 14/09/2025 16:38

I wouldn't be happy if someone just added a profile without at least asking first.

If it was my nephew why not. I really can't see the big deal. It's not like it cost anything.

Even if it did, a few quid for a film 🤷‍♀️. If you're going to be that tight you shouldn't expect people to do you favours either.

MoorMoreMoore · 14/09/2025 18:30

Blushingm · 14/09/2025 16:21

I did say your DB was OTT

But your DS shouldn’t have been messing with someone else’s tv settings. It’s rude

Oh for goodness sake 🙄

ginasevern · 14/09/2025 18:25

@Blushingm
"He’s over reacted but why did your done feel he could go and mess with their Netflix, or even make himself a profile at someone else’s house?"

Because children sometimes do things like that and they were in the house doing the brother a massive favour. I mean, it's a pathetically small inconvenience in exchange for free, trustworthy dog sitting. I feel sorry for the poor dog belonging to such a colossal prick.

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 14/09/2025 18:23

Coldnightsapproachingwhereismyduvet · 14/09/2025 16:24

Your db would have received an email to have had the passwords changed. Only the actual account holder can do that.
Adding a profile is perfectly acceptable.. It's his nephew not the ndn...

Agree with this as actually, if I was getting free dog sitting (thus saving me a tonne of money) and it meant my sibling and child spending time hanging around my home the least I could do is allow the to watch my tv and set up a profile and have the occasional drink.

He sounds quite horrible OP.

usedtobeaylis · 14/09/2025 18:22

You're right to be angry and I wouldn't have been so explanatory, I would have told him to fuck off. Your son hasn't done anything wrong either - my sister came to cat sit for me earlier this year and also created her own netflix profile, for exactly the same reason. Totally normal thing to do, don't accept otherwise.

Tuesdayschild50 · 14/09/2025 18:21

Firstly I would tell your niece to get over herself about the plant and not speak to your mum that way ever again considering she was protecting the dog .
As for your brother I would broach it with him face to face and say how hurt you feel at his reaction and that it's not fair on mum and dad to be calling in on the dog it's too much for them and get a professional dog walker /sitter.
Cheek of the pair of them .

Touchwood2654 · 14/09/2025 18:20

GleisZwei · 14/09/2025 16:42

Adding a profile does involve going into settings though.

No it doesn't.

Motherofalittledragon · 14/09/2025 18:18

There’s no way in hell that I’d look after the dog again, if your parents have any sense neither would they. It seems your brother and his dc wanted a dog but neither want the responsibility of taking care of it, bloody irresponsible idiots the pair of them.

nomas · 14/09/2025 18:15

Jolenepleasetakeawaymyman · 14/09/2025 16:14

Thanks for your reply. Is it really that bad that he added a profile he is 12 and I didn’t think it was a big detail. Also how do you change the password on the tv? I tried on my account at home and could only log out and reset the password by sending an email to my account?

my son didn’t know the old password or have access to my brother’s email so how would he be able to change it? I am genuinely curious.

Also even if he did mess it up is it really okay to swear and shout at someone for their child doing this? When I am being told ‘your bloody son’. It isn’t like he bought £2000 of v bucks on his credit card.

Your brother is a knob who thinks kindness only flows one way - to him.

I share my streaming password apps with my nieces and nephews. They have the password to my Disney+ and NOW apps. I would let them have Netflix too if I could.

Your brother is knob for begrudging your nephew something which is effectively is free to lend.

IAmQuiteNiceActually · 14/09/2025 18:13

Your parents have taught your brother to treat you like you're completely insignificant and that you're all there for his convenience. It's their own fault. Poor dog though :(

DisforDarkChocolate · 14/09/2025 18:10

I'd much prefer him to set up a profile than watch from my account.

IAmQuiteNiceActually · 14/09/2025 18:10

GleisZwei · 14/09/2025 16:38

I wouldn't be happy if someone just added a profile without at least asking first.

You're focusing on the wrong thing here. It's incredibly irritating that you won't let it drop. Are you always like this?

ScholesPanda · 14/09/2025 18:08

Sorry, but your Brother and his daughter sound like twats with an entitlement complex.

Don't dogs it for him again. Suggest to your parents that they shouldn't either. But if they choose to, let them, just let them crack on.

Give yourself a break OP.

StuffingMyNuts · 14/09/2025 18:05

It’s brilliant that you have said you won’t dog sit again. He must be stewing for causing problems for himself by kicking off unnecessary at you.

user2848502016 · 14/09/2025 18:04

Your parents should tell him they can’t manage anymore and he will have to pay a professional dog sitter. His problem not yours or your parents.

Can’t believe they complained about your son watching Netflix and you drinking two glasses of juice when you were at their house for 2 hours doing them a favour!
I would rather your son created his own Netflix profile so it doesn’t affect favourites etc like you say

shuggles · 14/09/2025 18:03

@Jolenepleasetakeawaymyman Your brother sounds like the type of person who has never had any real problems, which is why he thinks that something as trivial as not being able to log into Netflix is justification for having a complete psychotic meltdown.

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 14/09/2025 18:01

"I get a call from my brother. He is shouting and swearing at me saying my son has changed his Netflix password. I was so shocked I started apologising ...He was still cussing and swearing at me the whole time. I came off the phone in shock. It triggered a lot of the feelings I had in my relationship when my ex would blow up for no reason."

OP you asked even if your son had messed up Netflix (its been established that he didnt) is it OK for him to speak to you like that. Absolutely NOT! The next time he starts at you HANG UP and text him that he is being abusive and you won't put up with it.. .or walk out of the room/party/family gathering.

You say you are always the first to apologise. You've been trained to do that. It triggered you. No one has the right to do that. I do wonder if you put up with your ex 's abuse because you were so used to it within your own family.

I think you accepted his apology too soon and lets face it, he only apologises because he's lost his free dog sitter who he can scream and shout at.
I'd be texting him with screenshots of the new Netflix things and saying next time he wants to kick off about something he needs to get his facts straight. And don't ever refer to your child as "your bloody son". I'd be telling him he needs to treat you and your parents, who are always helping him out, with a bit more respect. Don't weaken, He may push back but you have to shug your shoulders and say "So What!

He was getting free labour out of you, which you did to stop him imposing on your poor parents. Send him some local dog sitting prices and let him think about how much free labour he's just been squeezing out of all of you.

He's an entitled CF... Stop running around after him. The DD is just as bad. Your DM needs to text your brother that the DD should apologise for her nasty messages. Your DM was trying to protect the dog from a poisonous plant ( she should have binned it. Tell her to ask your DB how he'd have like the vets bill or the dog being seriously ill or dying. Even if your DM was in the wrong, it is very disrespectful way to treat her Grandmother.

Your DB is a spoilt brat and you need to start focusing on yourself and your son and putting both of you first.