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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dog-sitting; is this cheeky?

51 replies

RabbitRedux · 20/08/2015 09:01

I recently watched a dog for a week in my house. He's a lovely dog and I was happy to do this.

I met the owners on a dog-borrowing website, and we borrow him pretty frequently.

Watching him for a week, as opposed to having him for a day, was a different kettle of fish entirely (he is still a puppy and pretty needy, started peeing nad pooing in the basement). I was pretty happy to hand him back at the end.

I don't particularly need a gift, but is it not cheeky that they didn't write a thank you note, bring me a bottle of wine, something like this - for watching their dog for free for a week? I normally bring my neighbour something like flowers or wine if I ask her to look after my house for a week and she takes in a package. I just got another text asking when I wanted to borrow him again.

They sent me a text the day before they returned saying thanks very much for watching him, hope he's been OK. I didn't see them upon drop-off, they left me with a key and I dropped him back.

OP posts:
MidniteScribbler · 20/08/2015 09:48

Did you really expect to dogsit a puppy for a week and not have to deal with any poo?

Original poster
RabbitRedux · 20/08/2015 09:52

I have signed up to borrow the dog, yes. I have looked after him at my house maybe 20x in the past 3 months?

I don't expect anything in general, this really is specifically about the fact that I watched him for a week and they didn't seem to think this warranted anything more than a text. But I can see that people think I'm being unreasonable.

thanks Hissy. I am starting to get more irritated at the expectation that I collect him and drop him off and I don't know how to change this since it's so well-established.

OP posts:
Godstopper · 20/08/2015 09:52

Even though the arrangement originated from a dog borrowing site, manners dictate that a small acknowledgement would have been nice. Would not say downright cheeky (given the nature of the arrangement); but do suspect that something is lacking manners-wise.

Original poster
RabbitRedux · 20/08/2015 09:53

Did you really expect to dogsit a puppy for a week and not have to deal with any poo?

Not in my house, no! They said he was housebroken. I'm sure he is. I think he missed his owners.

OP posts:
TJEckleburg · 20/08/2015 09:53

I think it telling that it's still a puppy, and so presumably they haven't been dog owners for long. So they will have no idea of the amount of money they are saving by not employing professional dog walkers to entertain their dog during the day, or paying for kennels when they go away. As a dog owner who has had to pay for both those services, I would be showering a dog "borrower" with thanks and gifts, but I do think they are seeing this as more of a dog sharing arrangement and so thinking that you get as much out of it as they do, with fewer costs

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 20/08/2015 10:08

I think its supposed to be mutually beneficial....

But
Like you i would be a bit hacked off if i was doing the lions share of travelling to pick up and return.

I think will be useful for you to know a ball park figure for dog walking /nannying for central london - which your dog lenders are getting for free?

Then you can potentially have as back up if they start being difficult... Or as someone else said... Borrow other dogs!

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 20/08/2015 10:09

Ps in rural wilts where i am- dog walking 20-30£ daily...

Hoppinggreen · 20/08/2015 10:12

We are on Borrow my doggy and dog sit for a couple of dogs. One is usually for a full day and the other is occasional weekends. We ASK to borrow these dogs, nobody made us sign up to the site, it's not a dog daycare service which we charge for. There are some people on that site who are totally taking the piss and are looking to avoid paying for proper pet care but they are usually pretty easy to weed out.
We consider ourselves lucky that we are allowed to spend time with a dog with no vets fees etc and to be honest it's sometimes nice to hand them back so I can de fur the house and clean the floors!!!
Trusting us with their dogs is reward enough, and they are always very grateful

Hoppinggreen · 20/08/2015 10:14

Oh, and we don't travel to them they drop the dogs off with us, I wouldn't be travelling miles to do it.

molyholy · 20/08/2015 10:22

I don't get it. You physically searched out a website, looking for people who were willing to borrow their dog to you. You were probably excited the first couple of times and offered to go and pick up the dog.

You established the pattern of picking up the dog - Owners must assume you are happy/excited to do this as you have never mentioned otherwise (should they mind read?)

You agreed to have their dog for a week (kids probably made up/excited).

You have had the dog numerous times over the past 3 months. How many times have you ever said no to borrowing their dog if they have instigated contact? How many times have you initiated asking them to borrow their dog?

As far as I can see, apart from the travelling - they are doing you the favour, but you want them to show you more gratitude?

hibbleddible · 20/08/2015 10:35

I agree they are cheeky.

Having someone's dog for a week is a big favour, and completely different to borrowing a dog to play with for a few hours.

When my friend (who is a dog lover and has her own dogs) dogsits for us, I always get her a nice present at the end and an very grateful. I have known her for many years, and have had her dogs too.

To expect a relative stranger to do all this without proper thanks is cheeky. If they are skint then they could have written a nice card and thanked you in person. They so seem to be taking you for granted.

SaucyJack · 20/08/2015 10:46

If it was BorrowMyDoggy then YABabitU for all the reasons states above. Sorry.

Did they ask you to have the dog for a week- or did they sort of "expect" it?

Spidermama · 20/08/2015 10:48

VERY cheeky indeed. I gave my DSs friend £30 for looking after my well behaved dog for a week and brought his mum back a couple of bottles of wine from France.

clam · 20/08/2015 10:53

I don't know of this official borrowing malarkey website, (although lots of people have volunteered to have mine unofficially if we ever need it - not sure how many of them actually mean it though). I would have thought the odd day or maybe weekend is one thing, but a whole week? That happened to coincide with their holiday dates? Hmm (I've just paid over 150 quid to send mine to home boarding for a week. Looks like I was robbed!)

MothershipG · 20/08/2015 10:55

A friend of mine dog sat for me, it's her job so I paid her ( mates rates, but not cheap) and I got her a small gift as well!

Another friend and I dog sit for each other but always bring little gifts as well.

I think they are being cheeky, I think you should borrow one of my dogs. What wine do you like? WinkGrin

Lilylonglegs · 20/08/2015 11:01

Did you send some wine and a card to thank her for lending you the dog?

ohtheholidays · 20/08/2015 11:07

In my opinion of course they should have given you a thank you card and a gift.

We have 3 dogs,when ever we go away they stay in a Doggy Hotel,it costs us £150 a day.

Even with just 1 dog a whole week would cost them £350.
I know it's slightly different because yourself and your children get to spend time with a Dog you all love without having to look after the dog full time.But they're still benefiting from the arrangement as well.

I agree with your husband as well,if they want they're dog to be looked after by you they should be the one's doing the dropping of and picking up!

Also you said it's a puppy?If so then I think 20 times within 3 months is an awful lot of time for the poor little dog to not be at home with it's owners.

Original poster
RabbitRedux · 20/08/2015 11:12

They work long hours (no kids), so I often collect him at 8.45 drop off at 6pm. He is very content at our house, I think he became stressed by the overnights.

OP posts:
Original poster
RabbitRedux · 20/08/2015 11:12

He was 8 months when I started borrowing him. He's now pretty close to a year.

OP posts:
Original poster
RabbitRedux · 20/08/2015 11:13

I think they are being cheeky, I think you should borrow one of my dogs. What wine do you like

Smile I am absolutely not picky.

OP posts:
FilbertSnood · 20/08/2015 11:25

Ah - this is tricky… I pay my dog walker to dog sit in our house and she charges £25 a day. That is pretty reasonable as I have two dogs and they know her and get to stay at home, so everyone wins. I overpaid her and bought back a gift.

However, the borrow my doggy thing is confusing and I guess they might think that its mutually beneficial. My question would be - did they ask you to have the dog for the week - if yes, then this is different - they should expect to pay something/ gift something if they are using you as a pet sitter. However if you asked for him for a week and liaised about when suits you all - its more grey…

If it was me, I'd have bought you a gift. but not everyone is me! Then again - I wouldn't leave my dog with someone uninsured for a week!!

I once did cat sitting for someone for a week when I was about 22 - I volunteered after they emailed at work to see if anyone was interested. I love animals and I was v poor at the time and was keen to do it. However it turned out, that they expected it for free and no gifts - apparently I had the pleasure of their flat and thier cats (I did have my own flat….) but I was young and I should have asked what the deal was first, rather than being dissapointed when nothing was forthcoming when they returned. I was still pretty unimpressed with them.

Hemlockinthegarden · 20/08/2015 11:32

Ohtheholidays, £150 a day - are they at the Ritz Grin?

StayWithMe · 20/08/2015 11:42

I had a dog sitting business and owners dropped them off and picked them up. I wouldn't take dogs that weren't house trained or neutered, it makes a big difference. It was £15 a night and I loved it. In saying that, almost every one of my clients would bring me back a gift after a holiday. I never expected it so was always genuinely delighted. I adored the dogs but that doesn't mean I didn't expect to get paid. It sounds as if they're using you to avoid paying for a sitter OP, since you're doing all the running and have looked after the pup so often. Believe me, you'd be a lot happier if you set up a small pet sitting service. You vet the dogs before agreeing to keep them and get paid for the joy of having a dog.

Dud you ask where the dog normally slept overnight, at home? ,any if my clients let their dogs sleep in bed with them, so he may have been frightened in a dark room by himself. Ask what happens if the dig is injured/sick in your care? Have they the right to sue you or does the dog borrowing site have insurance to cover such eventualities?

StayWithMe · 20/08/2015 11:43

Sorry about the spelling mistakes. Blush

Hoppinggreen · 20/08/2015 11:46

filbert we are insured via Borrowmydoggy.
I agree that it's not for everyone but it's most certainly not a business arrangement and so there should be no payment - bottle of wine would have been nice given that it was a whole week though.
I do dispair at some people on Borrow my doggy though, one lady wanted someone to have her puppy for 2 weeks while she went on holiday - she hadn't even collected it from the breeder yet!!! There are piss takers and people who should never have dogs on that site and I have been subject to a bit of emotional blackmail before but generally it works well for us.