To own an indoor only dog in one bed flat?

[JusWunderin]

I’ve noticed a couple over the road have a dog, at first I wasn’t sure if it was actually theirs as I never saw it come or go so assume it was a visitor.

But since I’ve had a doorbell camera that picks up movement from their front door opposite my house I’ve never once seen them take it out, not once. I work from home and my office faces their front door too so I’ve become a bit of a nosey neighbour if I’m honest. But I feel sad for the dog, it never goes outside, they occasionally open their ‘patio’ doors (barred in doors with no balcony on upper level flat) and the dog just stands there with its nose poking through the bars.

It looks healthy, it’s a relatively young dog/puppy, large breed and doesn’t look uncared for but I would have thought it doesn’t have much room to get much exercise in a one bedroom flat?

and I know what you’re going to ask.. what about toileting? No idea.. I’ve literally never once seen them take it out on a walk, or just outside for the toilet. I’ve seen them come and go.. just never with the dog.

Is it cruel? Should it be reported? I don’t want to be ‘that’ neighbour but?

It really really depends on the dog! When my elderly dog was still kicking I would offer walks in which he would walk a few steps then want to be carried! He was more than happy chilling or mooching about the garden on sunny days (he was tiny and epileptic so that might have played a huge part). Large dog? No...no way.

We had a neighbour who had a dog living 24/7 in her bedroom. When she moved, it took the new people several months to get the floorboards clean.

Do you realise how many notifications the person would be getting daily? They said the entrance/exit is for the block of apartments.
They have to actively be looking for specific people to check whether they have; or have not got the dog. All day. Every day. there are likely hundreds,
from people walking, postie, other deliveries; people in and out to work,
food deliveries etc. hundreds.

Not everyone is home all day…
same argument as children…. Why have a child and work? Why have a child and put it into childcare ? Or school? Or clubs? Why on earth do anything? Honestly just look out of your blinds and nose at everyone else’s lives going by instead,
Much easier. Highly recommend.

You’re blindly arguing for an OP you’ve never met and justify surveillance of another family/home, so I’m noting contradictory statements to that. Im
sure we will all find out that the dog was living in an awful state and OP has saved it from a life of dire misery soon enough with an update here anyway. Fingers crossed!

I’ll be waiting. With my muzzled dog. Woof.

Google the definitely of stalking and harassment.⚠️ Stalking and harassment is when someone repeatedly behaves in a way that makes you feel scared or distressed. (Imagine being the neighbour and someone taking note of all of your ins and outs?)
There are different types of stalking and harassment, and anyone can be a victim.

Stalking may include:
▪️ Checking someone’s comings and goings,
▪️ Checking someone’s internet use, email, or other electronic communications,
▪️ Hanging around somewhere they know the person often visits
▪️ Watching or spying on someone,

The above is part of a post from our local police force.
if there’s a genuine concern for the dogs health (which doesn’t appear to be the base as OP noted dog looks healthy) there is no need for the stalkery Behaviour. It’s super weird and invasive.

The reindeer show, in the headlines lately,
shows some examples of this and how things escalate hence why I mentioned it. Slow and sneaky to start with…. Or the show You. It’s icky.

Well @MintTraybake I'm not "blindly arguing" am I (just feel differently about it to you)? My take is that OP is concerned about a dog and agree that what she says is concerning.. On MN you have to take what posters say pretty much at face value within reason (otherwise what's the point?) and if you think they are lying then report to MNHQ. I don't know the OP, have no skin in the game, I have no reason to champion her cause (I'm not) and I am not any losing sleep over this thread. OP said that she works looking out of her window and for the past 9/10 months she has never seen her neighbour's young dog outside, only in the window, wondered about it so checked back over doorbell camera and asked if that would be considered cruel. I think that's a believable chain of events and personally would consider that unacceptable for a dog owner to do without a very very good reason (and maybe the neighbours have one?). A welfare check and advice from the RSPCA would be a pretty reasonable outcome if it's possible - not sure why to think that it's so outrageous? If the dog is healthy and the living conditions aren't squalid then there is little they (the RSPCA) can do anyway other than offer advice.

Your take seems (to me) to have gone from 0-100 and you're bringing in stalking laws, etc, accusing OP of either being a stalker or on the slippery slope to becoming one and pre-emptively insinuating that she will lie. You also seem to be implying that you take your own dog out only once a day, head to toe in black, in the early hours of the morning. Thanks for telling me that different people have different lives, that's helpful. I agree there will be children out there getting inadequate parenting, but this thread isn't about them. If it was my advice would basically be the same within reason. However, taking a dog outside is pretty low down on the list of meeting its basic needs - I feel you would have to have an incredibly good reason not to. Sure some of OP's neighbours may not leave their homes all day either, probably for significant reasons if long term or it's their choice - I've never come across a dog that would choose that. Sad and unhealthy for humans too even if necessary IMO. Frankly, whatever your circumstances, if someone can't look after a pet adequately then don't get one in the first place and if your circumstances change rehome. Working FT/PT is not a reasonable excuse for a dog to never go outside or be walked, in fact it's a pretty lousy reason IMO.

We are looking at this from completely different perspectives and it's doubtful we'll agree. I'm sure you have your reasons for your opnion as I have mine.

How gross @Notthatcatagain!

Long time ago we had a neighbour that similarly didn't look after it's dog properly and the carpet literally squelched when you went in (and the place honked).

Yeah they shouldn't have a dog if they're not going to meet it's needs.
I would be tempted if you know them to suggest a walk together with you & your dog. Gauge the reaction. Try to make it casual I mean if you don't know them already don't bother just approaching them for this reason but if you do talk to them anyway no reason not to make a suggestion of doing a walk together