To feel really sorry for next door's dog

[Littlefluffyclouds81]

I know IANBU. But wondering what to do.

Next door have a retriever which is just over one year old, so quite big now. They are a couple and it was his idea to get the dog, but then expected his dw to walk it as he works a lot.

He was your typical boisterous puppy which pulled on the lead and was a bit over exuberant, so basically, they've stopped walking him. Not sure how long exactly ago that was but a good few months.

So now he spends most of his day out in the tiny back yard, where he does about 5 shits a day, or the front garden which is tiny and not big enough for him to run around in.

I asked the ndn's dd in a sly way if the dog had been for a walk lately and she said 'no, we can't take him for a walk because he pulls his collar over his head.' Erm...buy a harness?

Feel so sorry for him never getting any exercise. He's lovely and it's no life for a young dog full of energy. Not sure if the rspca would see it as a problem as he has food, water and shelter. I reported another neighbour a few years ago for never walking her dog and they came round and said there's nothing they can do about it :(

Good on you! If we all start to walk a neglected dog the world would be a much better place. This thread his definitely made me realise it's going to be down to me to make the next door's dog have a better existence. I'll report back when I get things moving!

Bowerby you might want to replace that collar, even if dog is chipped, you can be fined up to £5000!!! if your dog isn't wearing an Id tag, which I assume without a collar he won't be?

This post had made me so angry - these people are lazy and pathetic!! If you get a dog, it's up to YOU to walk it. If you're short of time, pay a dog-walker. If it pulls, try a different harness. If you're not willing to invest some time and money in its well being, FFS don't get a dog, it is bloody cruel!

OP, tell them to try a Halti harness or a Sporn (haha @ the name, I know). My extremely energetic and muscular 30 kg greyhound cross gave me an elbow injury before I discovered the Sporn harness. She has actually pulled me over on the ground on more than one occasion, by leaping at a bird. But I kept trying alternatives, because that's my responsibility as a pet owner. She is walked at least an hour a day, every single day, because that's that a dog her breed and age needs.

YANBU, and I am fuming. Poor dogs!

Bless you, Bastard ()

Honestly, she can't walk a German Shepherd because it pulls?? Had she bothered to do 10 mins google searching into harnesses? Or ask a vet for advice?

I am sure half these people are just lazy.

Well done op.

It's one of the main reasons I won't get a dog just yet. I can't promise that I'll manage to walk it every day and even though I have a medium sized garden for it to run around and do its business in, it just doesn't seem fair or right.

In our old house the neighbours got a Lab puppy and for the year they had it while we lived there we saw them walk it once and it wasn't even a proper walk. They took it out onto the public field behind the house and walked around in a circle then came back. It sounds like I was spying on them Rear Window style . I wasn't interested at first, I just slowly noticed that this beautiful puppy was just left in the tiny terraced back yard a lot and it made me feel sad.

Likewise a neighbour when I lived in a block of flats years ago had a staff pup that he NEVER walked, just left it in his tiny flat wailing all day so I offered to walk it when I could and walked it for miles and miles some days, it was a lovely dog. I was so sad leaving it behind when I moved, I often wonder what that dogs fate was... Some people shouldn't get pets, it's so selfish. The RSPCA really need to rejig the rules, of course not walking a dog is bloody cruel! It's as bad for them as it is for a human being confined to a house and never exercising! Poor dogs . Definitely offer up the harness or the lead other posters have advised if you can then mention it a few weeks later- "how did you find the new lead/harness?", see what happens.

Harnesses do not make/encourage dogs to pull.

If they are already pullers they will find it easier and more comfortable to pull in a harness but it's perfectly possible to teach nice lead manners in one.

likalixer Looks like you're the one who should chill.

OP, I think the harness thing is a great idea.

If you could ask if you could walk it occasionally (you'd like the company on a walk) then maybe you could train it not to pull etc so that when you leave they will find it easier. If ndn's daughter came along you could show her how to do it too.

In what world is it the op's job to make sure a dog her neighbours bought is walked? Bloody hell, what stupid advice!!

Just waiting for neighbour to get home, and I'm going to ask if I can take her dog out. I really can't afford a harness, so hope I can cope with him on a collar lead, poor thing hasn't been out for over a year.....I'm going to get pulled over aren't I?!

Old it be worth ringing the local lab/retriever rescues up for a chat and advice regarding these dogs on this thread? They're used to working with stupid owners and sometimes talking them into doing the right thing.. They may have some pointers for you.

Our second lab was in a similar situation, except he was so manic that he literally ran rings around his following three owners (and us, who were his fourth). He just needed exercise, everything else clicked into place when he got to our files with our other dog and ran and ran and ran until he dropped. He's been with us for five years now, and is a super dog as long as he has his exercise.