To offer to look after this fucking dog?

[AWiseWomanOnceSaidFuckThisShit]

My neighbour thought it would be a great idea to buy a very needy, clingy puppy while she fucks off out to work all day. Today she went back from furlough and the fucking thing is already going absolutely berserk. I've had her about it twice before and to be fair to her she is trying various things to calm it down. It's less than 6 months old. But the bottom line is it's a puppy and they are NOT designed for this. I can't see an end to it and she won't rehome it, which she should if she loves it. I'm working from home. I need to concentrate. Puppy is fine when with people. So muggins here is considering offering to have her responsibility here in my house, providing for free what would normally be a very expensive service during the day so it sits down and shuts the fuck up. Only until I go back to the office later this year. So unfair. I don't want to report her it would just be so awkward!

Anti bark collars give the poor dog a electric shock when ever it barks, so poor dog barks because it is lonely and / or scared and it gets a electric shock = more scared pup - more barks for help - more shocks they are banned in a lot of countries

@AWiseWomanOnceSaidFuckThisShit

I don't know what an anti bark collar is but they sound unpleasant 😳

They often are and they seldom work anyway. The dog simply becomes accustomed to them. If they are used - and honestly I wouldn't use even the "mild" ones - they are designed as training aids to be used in conjunction with human reinforcement. If they aren't, then the dog hasn't got a clue what they mean. It's like someone giving you a slap every now and then, but not saying why they are doing it (not that I am advocating violence against humans or dogs - that's just an example). Some of them use sound or sprays to "shock" or "disrupt" the dog, but some may use electric shocks.

don't volunteer whatever you do! because when you go back to work, the poor dog will suffer all over again - she needs to find a permanent fix to the problem and that permanent fix is not you!

I think a lot of people got dogs in lockdown because they thought they were great company and now when they go back to work, the poor dog charities are going to be overrun with dogs that can't be looked after properly

For people saying they will report it ,well go ahead ,but RSPCA wont usually act unless dog is being subjected to cruelty

Surely a dog barking and crying for 11 hours can be reported as a noise disturbance as well as being a welfare issue. True the RSPCA likely won't be able to remove the dog but may well do a welfare check and have a chat which might be enough to make neighbour think

Electric shock collars are now illegal in the UK but I believe you can still buy them from abroad - they're popular in America sadly

But you can get collars the vibrate or beep when the dog barks - don't be fooled into thinking they're any nicer, though. They just teach the dog to be scared of whatever it is they're barking at - that could be children, cats, other dogs, the postman - whatever. It won't solve anything and will likely make the problem worse in the long run.

I think you're right to not look after it for her op. If she thinks it's ok to leave a puppy alone for that long, I wonder if she's actually socialised the poor thing with other dogs. Finding a daycare may be tricky if she hasn't.

Is definitely so it. It will give you a break to walk it and by lessening it's separation anxiety it will be less inclined to bark in the future.

Poor dog. Why do people do this?

Would your neighbour be able to afford daycare do you think? That appears to be the answer but a responsible dog owner would have arranged this before going back to work.

I would offer to help, for the dog’s welfare, whilst she made daycare arrangements but I would make it clear it was very short term. Teenage years are approaching!

For people saying they will report it ,well go ahead ,but RSPCA wont usually act unless dog is being subjected to cruelty

Better than doing nothing!

Get her to watch Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, there's an episode on dogs being left alone and pining all day, she needs to watch it and take the advice, it's really good and works, all about going out of the house, coming back a minute later, then extending the times, then the dog knows you're coming back and gets used to it ... something like that

Having said that, if she can get a dog knowing she works full time and leave a dog on it's own in a house for 11 hours a day, she really doesn't seem that arsed, she doesn't have to listen to it all day does she!

She needs to take responsibility for what she has done
Go and talk to her and tell her you'll report her unless she sorts something out immediately
She should have got something organised ages ago
Stupid selfish woman

@vanillandhoney My dog wore a vibrating collar and is definitely not scared of the front door going off (which is why we bought it.) But you're right that it masks the problem, it needs to be used as well as training. Now he no longer wears the collar, but he still runs to the front door, just without the shrill barking.

Why not keep a diary for 3 days or so of when it starts making noise .. like 730-830: Howling .. 9-10 barking.. 13-14 barking etc.. and then show it to her... she might not understand the severity of the problem until you do that.. like you said it’s very happy Abd quiet when she’s around .. but clearly highly anxious wjen she’s not.. she might do something about it if she knows!

She needs to have a plan better than what she has now. I would ask her what they are and would only offer to have the dog, on a temporary basis (one month only even if you can do longer) and at a cost (if only as a principle of indeed the reason why she doesn't have someone yet is due to cost). If she refuses, you know that she is being really shit and doesn't care about the welfare of the dog.

Maybe she is genuinely stuck and struggling to find someone. Maybe she is on discussions to be able to work from home.

I do agree though that puppies will have times when they sleep and some when they happily sit quietly entertaining themselves but they also have moments of hyperness and needing attention so you need to be presented for that.

I regularly puppy sit for a 10 month old as I WFH. I love him dearly, but he is a handful and requires lots of stimulation and attention. I’m frequently in the middle of conference calls on MS teams and have to run outside to stop him digging yet another hole in the garden. He doesn’t enjoy it when I use the laptop or when I’m on the phone. It’s rewarding and he’s wonderful company but it’s bloody hard work as you have to keep your eye on him ALL the time - particularly when he’s gone quiet as that’s prime mischief time!

It’s a kind gesture on your part, but do think carefully before you offer!

Serious question and I’m genuinely trying to understand.

When I was young (50 odd years ago), there was never an issue with dogs being left to get on with being dogs. Back then they were mainly all bitzers/mongrels of various shapes and sizes. A relative had a pedigree and it was a really rare thing and quite the novelty.

Back then it was rare for people to have them in the house also where I was growing up, family neighbourhood with really large yards. Most yards were not even fenced, yet the majority of dogs seemed to hang around home.

They certainly were not given the attention dogs today seem to get and there was not a philosophy of people having to stay with them, puppy daycare, obedience classes etc, yet there were rarely issues with barking, howling or bad behaviour. The main issue was having to keep the dog away from stealing sausages straight from the BBQ or it taking off with the ball in a game of backyard cricket after school . Most dogs lived a long age and rarely had health issues back then too, they seemed a lot more robust than dogs today.

Is it that the majority today are pedigree or are there other factors?

I think you are being very kind to think of offering, but it will only make things worse for the dog. I think you need to speak to the neighbour and tell her how bad it is and say he needs doggy daycare. If she can afford an expensive pedigree like that she can afford some day care for it. Even a dog walker stopping in once a day isn't going to be enough if the poor dog is cooped up for all those hours. Her house must be in a terrible state unless she crates him which is surely illegal for that length of time? It's heartbreaking to think of a dog being shut up, especially that breed and that age. It's really cruel.

Boils my blood!

A pointer is a working dog!!!!! It needs to be worked!!!!! Why do people do this. I’ve fostered dogs and we had husky puppies. Which we had over 400 enquires. Fortunately i know dogs and when they were told it needed 10-30 mile ways. Every. Single. Day.

That Whittled it down to about 40 odd people.

Do you know if he has had his bits off yet/been spayed?

If not doggy daycare may not be an option. I know my local ones won't take dogs that haven't been done and with vets stopping these 'non essential' procedures she could be stuck!

In addition my doggy daycare has only reopened today and has not been taking on any new dogs over lockdown to join from today which means that finding a place has been difficult!

@ShirleyB25 don't worry about it, I know I'm coming across as intolerant... because I am 🙈 she does genuinely care about the dog, I just think some people don't think things through. It's not 11 hours EVERY day. I think some dogs can't be alone even for a short period and he is definitely one of them unfortunately. He should probably be with someone who is retired or working from home. I won't be letting it go, I really don't want to have to report her I don't think they'd do shit anyway other than tell her to do what I've told her. The dog is fed, loved and walked etc. She is trying. I'll give her a chance to sort it. I have recommended things like leaving tv on and she has done it. I will be telling her a house sitter or day care is going to be the only answer. Yes it's expensive... but pedigree dogs are expensive to keep.

I’ve also worked for dog rehoming places for many years

One good thing would be to record her dog. Then show her what he dog is doing al day long. Most dogs are like family members. So EVERY RESPONSIBLE dog owner would hear the whining and it would be like hearing their own child and they’d do what they could to not hear it in such distress

You could try that. Not just for a few mins though

If you could record it for an hour or two. Then show her and say it does this all day. I have it on tape for over 2 hrs. It might work

However. Not many people can have a pointer as a home dog. It’s a gun dog.

Has she tried leaving a radio or tv on so it sounds like someone is home?

Also. Dogs who are not trained. Who are left to suffer.

Tend to start to scratch up surfaces. Chew sofas. RIP apart furnishing

She’ll come home to Armageddon. I promise.

That’s not good and the puppy might suffer for what he’s trying to do to curb the separation and boredom.

"He just can't be on his own and as soon as he knows he is he cries, howls and barks until she is back 😕"
Record it. Play it back to her LOUD. That is a horrible life for a dog and she needs to be made to see how cruel she is being.

If you offer to look after the dog for free you are just prolonging the situation.
How about offering to look after the dog for a fee while she looks for daycare. If she doesn’t intend to find daycare or at least someone to walk the puppy during the day then I would report her as it’s very cruel to leave a puppy alone for 11 hours.