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Original poster

What am I to do about this - dog?

173 replies

XmasStag · 08/12/2023 19:17

I'm babysitting for the weekend within a friend's home. I am minding her children They have a pet dog. I know the dog well and I see the dog nearly most days and the dog is friendly and we get on well too. The dog knows me and we both love each other.

However the dog didn't eat his breakfast this morning. It would be too soon for him to notice that his owners are gone for the weekend because they go to work during the week and he's used to them being away. So I don't think the refusing of food is anything to do with his owners being away.

He went out to toilet at about 3.30. I stood at the door a while ago and called his name but he never came. I called him a few times.

It should be his dinner time now too. He does have a hiding place at the end of the garden but it's too cold, wet, windy and dark to go out there for me right now.

Am I to supposed to keep shouting his name at the door or am I supposed to wait for the kids to go to sleep then go outside for him. I don't fancy going out side to him later on when the kids are asleep either because it will be much later too.

What am I supposed to do?
Will I continue shouting his name at the door or go out for him later on or just leave him out for the night?

OP posts:
TheWetBandits · 09/12/2023 10:59

Sorry OP but I continue to disagree wholeheartedly with your assertion that you did everything you could and prioritised the child as you had no other choice

This was not a situation where you could only either look after the children or fetch the dog in. The gap in your posts says it took you 5 mins to go out and bring the dog in. I absolutely do not believe that there wasn't 5 mins in the whole 4 hour period where you couldn't step outside and get him.

Your further information that he's a very old dog, cropped with arthritis to the extent he can only be walked for 5 mins in any day actually just makes this worse.

Any fully functioning adult would have left the children with a bowl, a cartoon and stepped out quickly

Your first post says it all-it was cold and wet and you didn't want to go out in that weather

You have been blasted on this thread and rightly so in my view

Original poster
XmasStag · 09/12/2023 11:01

If you think what I did to the dog was cruel it certainly wasn't intentional and the dog got more attention yesterday from me than he ever did from his family. The dog was only got as an accessory and they never have time for him. The dog is left out from morning til night while they go to work and after school activities and I also know they don't call that dog in until they go the bed at night and that's much later than the time I had the dog settled last night.

OP posts:
Original poster
XmasStag · 09/12/2023 11:02

TheWetBandits · 09/12/2023 10:59

Sorry OP but I continue to disagree wholeheartedly with your assertion that you did everything you could and prioritised the child as you had no other choice

This was not a situation where you could only either look after the children or fetch the dog in. The gap in your posts says it took you 5 mins to go out and bring the dog in. I absolutely do not believe that there wasn't 5 mins in the whole 4 hour period where you couldn't step outside and get him.

Your further information that he's a very old dog, cropped with arthritis to the extent he can only be walked for 5 mins in any day actually just makes this worse.

Any fully functioning adult would have left the children with a bowl, a cartoon and stepped out quickly

Your first post says it all-it was cold and wet and you didn't want to go out in that weather

You have been blasted on this thread and rightly so in my view

Keep it up

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Dogs
Diaria · 09/12/2023 11:15

Advice to you OP is stop digging. You were clearly in the wrong with your actions and attitude, the more you try and validate it, it makes you look worse.

If you are upset by responses on the thread I would report your initial post and ask MN to take the thread down. I would also recommend this as I would wager the family wouldn’t be too happy if they were to happen upon the thread either via MN or a newspaper (things like this are often picked up).

Seriously, you cannot leave an old, arthritic, potentially sick dog out in dreadful weather for 4 hours; if they don’t come when you call you go and get them. And you prioritise finding the dog before running the washing machine.

XmasStag · 09/12/2023 11:25

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TheWetBandits · 09/12/2023 11:26

@XmasStag not much point is there really.

Despite the overwhelming comments on this thread that it was an unkind thing to do, you seem to have shrugged it all off without a jot of empathy for the dog.or agreement you didn't perhaps judge the situation well.

I hope the old dog doesn't suffer any ill effects of being out in the cold for that long. It would have been sensible to listen to the advice given by posters of wrapping a hot water in a towel and putting it with him to get his body temp up but again...wishful thinking on our part that you might do this

Original poster
XmasStag · 09/12/2023 11:38

TheWetBandits · 09/12/2023 11:26

@XmasStag not much point is there really.

Despite the overwhelming comments on this thread that it was an unkind thing to do, you seem to have shrugged it all off without a jot of empathy for the dog.or agreement you didn't perhaps judge the situation well.

I hope the old dog doesn't suffer any ill effects of being out in the cold for that long. It would have been sensible to listen to the advice given by posters of wrapping a hot water in a towel and putting it with him to get his body temp up but again...wishful thinking on our part that you might do this

Are you unable to read?

The dog was brought in and given dinner and put to bed. He also has a heat pad in his bed that was warmed for him.

OP posts:
kitsuneghost · 09/12/2023 11:44

I disagree with leaving the children to look for a dog.
This case may have luckly been 5min.
But when you start you don't know how long it will take.
How bad would OP feel if something happened to one of the kids while she was out looking for a dog.

kitsuneghost · 09/12/2023 11:50

TheWetBandits · 09/12/2023 11:26

@XmasStag not much point is there really.

Despite the overwhelming comments on this thread that it was an unkind thing to do, you seem to have shrugged it all off without a jot of empathy for the dog.or agreement you didn't perhaps judge the situation well.

I hope the old dog doesn't suffer any ill effects of being out in the cold for that long. It would have been sensible to listen to the advice given by posters of wrapping a hot water in a towel and putting it with him to get his body temp up but again...wishful thinking on our part that you might do this

Seriously? ill effects from being outside
You do realise many dogs live outside all over the world.
From people leaving them in gardens to feral dogs and wild dogs.
This preciousness is ridiculous

kitsuneghost · 09/12/2023 11:50

TheWetBandits · 09/12/2023 11:26

@XmasStag not much point is there really.

Despite the overwhelming comments on this thread that it was an unkind thing to do, you seem to have shrugged it all off without a jot of empathy for the dog.or agreement you didn't perhaps judge the situation well.

I hope the old dog doesn't suffer any ill effects of being out in the cold for that long. It would have been sensible to listen to the advice given by posters of wrapping a hot water in a towel and putting it with him to get his body temp up but again...wishful thinking on our part that you might do this

Seriously? ill effects from being outside
You do realise many dogs live outside all over the world.
From people leaving them in gardens to feral dogs and wild dogs.
This preciousness is ridiculous

Pigsinpainauchocolat · 09/12/2023 12:30

This reply has been deleted

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Pigsinpainauchocolat · 09/12/2023 12:39

@kitsuneghost wild dogs and feral dogs have lived like that all their lives and learn to cope (often very short lives)

Domesticated dogs are NOT used to those conditions. Survival has been bred out of lots of dogs. And this one is old and has arthritis.

If I took you from your pleasant home in the U.K. and dumped you in the middle of the Sahara with no help or resources , let's see how well you'd cope, as after all other humans have lived there for thousands of years?! So why not you? Get it?

adorablecat · 09/12/2023 12:45

Pigsinpainauchocolat · 09/12/2023 12:39

@kitsuneghost wild dogs and feral dogs have lived like that all their lives and learn to cope (often very short lives)

Domesticated dogs are NOT used to those conditions. Survival has been bred out of lots of dogs. And this one is old and has arthritis.

If I took you from your pleasant home in the U.K. and dumped you in the middle of the Sahara with no help or resources , let's see how well you'd cope, as after all other humans have lived there for thousands of years?! So why not you? Get it?

Because, and I know this point has been made before, it's only a fucking dog.

TheWetBandits · 09/12/2023 12:46

@XmasStag yup, can read fine thanks but I'm not psychic and this is the first time you've mentioned a heat pad. That's great, pleased the dog was made nice and warm after being in the cold for so long

Tacotortoise · 09/12/2023 13:02

But @Pigsinpainauchocolat this is a dog that clearly likes spending time in its garden and has a shelter out there. No one has suddenly transported it to a foreign environment. It was at home, choosing to be outside. What's wrong with that?

Pigsinpainauchocolat · 09/12/2023 14:56

@adorablecat crazy cat lady who hates dogs, no fucking surprise you have no empathy.

Pigsinpainauchocolat · 09/12/2023 14:58

Tacotortoise · 09/12/2023 13:02

But @Pigsinpainauchocolat this is a dog that clearly likes spending time in its garden and has a shelter out there. No one has suddenly transported it to a foreign environment. It was at home, choosing to be outside. What's wrong with that?

She didn't say "shelter", she said "hiding place". That could mean anything - under a bush, behind a wall, doesn't mean it's warm and safe.

HerMammy · 09/12/2023 15:09

@XmasStag
The dog is left out from morning til night while they go to work and after school activities and I also know they don't call that dog in until they go the bed at night and that's much later than the time I had the dog settled last night.
If that's true, I'd report them to the Dog Warden for neglect, an elderly dog left out is disgraceful.

Chickenwing2 · 09/12/2023 15:11

@adorablecat you sound unhinged and a horrible person. Dogs are far superior to cats btw. Smile

Nickinoo22 · 09/12/2023 19:06

Diaria · 09/12/2023 11:15

Advice to you OP is stop digging. You were clearly in the wrong with your actions and attitude, the more you try and validate it, it makes you look worse.

If you are upset by responses on the thread I would report your initial post and ask MN to take the thread down. I would also recommend this as I would wager the family wouldn’t be too happy if they were to happen upon the thread either via MN or a newspaper (things like this are often picked up).

Seriously, you cannot leave an old, arthritic, potentially sick dog out in dreadful weather for 4 hours; if they don’t come when you call you go and get them. And you prioritise finding the dog before running the washing machine.

And before putting a post on MN. In that length of time op could have gone out and got the poor dog in !

Emotionalsupportviper · 09/12/2023 20:53

XmasStag · 09/12/2023 10:32

That's an absolute god damn lie you wrote here. I did not leave the dog 4 hours before wondering where he was. I did what I could under the circumstances and situation I was faced with. I went out for him at about 7.45 pm last night and before that I was not in any position to leave the house to look for him. Before that I went to the door several times to shout out his name and he usually comes when calling him but he didn't yesterday.

How dare you say that I left it 4 hours before wondering where the dog was and basically saying that I was neglecting the dog. I was not in a position to neglect the children for even 5 minutes in favour of the dog.

Keep getting angry. I did the best I could yesterday with what I was faced with. The parents went away for the weekend when all was well but a child took I'll not long after they left. I had to manage an afternoon of cleaning up sick and shit and then replenishing fluids into the child. I was not in a position to run around outside looking for the dog who was not responding to my calls.

Show quote history

How dare you say that I left it 4 hours before wondering where the dog was and basically saying that I was neglecting the dog.

Because that was the impression you gave in your post.

I was ready to kick your neglectful arse from here to hell and back myself!

You could leave the kids for (literally) 5 minutes - how big is the garden? Does the family live at Sandringham?

Emotionalsupportviper · 09/12/2023 20:58

adorablecat · 09/12/2023 12:45

Because, and I know this point has been made before, it's only a fucking dog.

Show quote history

No sentient, feeling creature is "only a fucking" dog, to cat, or whatever.

You are heartless, and unfeeling - animals have rich emotional lives, and suffer just as much as people do. Perhaps more, as they cannot voice their distress,

penni00 · 09/12/2023 23:49

I think the best thing to have done would have been to contact the parents, explaining the situ. After all, their kids, their dog.

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