Neighbour wants paid?

[kb16]

Looking for advice on wether this is cheeky or not
The boy across the road from us is 12 (or there abouts) year 7 in school.
We have a dog who has a dog Walker that we pay for when we are at work, the boy across the road has started in the evening in the last eeek when he's bored coming and asking if he can take our dog out for a walk. They are normally away about 15/20 mins. This has been going on for about a week now, however he has started saying we should be paying him and asking how much he's getting paid.
I've said in a jokey way that he's the one that Is asking if he can take the dog out as he's bored and not the other way around and that we already pay a dog Walker but it's becoming uncomfortable now,
Thing is I would have picked him up some sweets or something to say thanks but now I'm thinking should I be paying him? He's not really doing me a favour as I could do it myself. Again, last night he was at my door asking how much he's getting paid
It's becoming really awkward!

Yes dog Walker is a professional dog Walker which is her full time job. She hires the field for the dogs, she drives them to the enclosed field and they run around for an hour.

You’re doing nothing wrong not paying him OP!

At 12 he is old enough to have made it clear if he was offering a paid for service.

It is a bit sad that these days people wouldn’t trust a teen they know with their dog. A sign of the times but I bet it was quite common in Ye Olden Days

If this was an older person and an adult neighbour it would sound like a terrible scam! It is the equivalent in the states of someone washing your car windows without asking and then expecting payment!

I would just stop it now, you don’t need a brief evening dog walker! Also if you pay him and he hurts himself while walking the dog, you are responsible. I wouldn’t personally trust a child with a dog at all but that might be because I am terrified of dogs 🤔

@RamItBunty

Cheeky because op accepted the free labour,let kid walk her dog and wasn’t explicit that she somehow considered it a perk for the child. Sure the child should have been clear he expected remuneration, however the power imbalance favours the op. I expect the child hoped op would pay

Oh don’t be so silly! She’s already got a dog Walker she’s paying for. It’s not like she’s cancelled her Walker and tricked some kid into doing it for free. I used to walk half of the neighbourhood dogs when I was younger, just because I loved doing it, I never presented a neighbour with a bill afterwards. ‘Free labour’ ffs 😂😂

She didn't accept free labour at all. Get a grip - she didn't even need it doing!

@RamItBunty

He’s a kid. 12yo the adult should know better,and she got a nice wee freebie .it’s a lot of front to let a kid walk your dog for free and think op is doing him a favour. Pay as a goodwill gesture and stop the arrangements

Are you blind? Did you read the thread? The kid asked to walk the dog! The OP didn't ask the kid to do it, she already pays a professional! She's not taking advantage of the little shit in the slightest

Paid dog walkers have insurance, first aid knowledge etc. They walk the dog when it suits the dog, not themselves. Let's not pretend he's offering the same service. If he lost your dog when they were out walking together he may not even know how to react, it's a big responsibility in the same way that a 12 year old may be okay looking after a younger child for a while, but that doesn't mean they're a childminder. You owe him nothing, give him some sweets if that was your original plan. Tell him that you don't need another paid dog walker.

@RamItBunty

Give the kid £20 and call it quits, he did actually walk your dog,job done.you didn’t negotiate terms for goodwill give him a bung I don’t think he’s a chancer in the least

I was going to suggest something similar.

Explain how he volunteered to take the dog out, it was never a paid arrangement. However the £10- £20 is a good will gesture but you won’t be paying him anymore.

I don’t know how people can say he’s earned money or is owed money.

If he’d come and asked to wash the car I think it would be different

I didn't even think of the risks involved tbh but now that they have been brought to my attention I understand where everyone is coming from and I will be putting a stop to it.

I don’t see why this is awkward. You know the kid. Just say “I thought you just wanted the dog to keep you company?” “I’m not looking forward a paid dog Walker”. You can keep taking him/her if you want to but I’m just as happy if you want to stop. If you want paid jobs to go you need to tell people you’re looking to earn some pocket money.

If he does want jobs and you do want him to wash your car or mow your grass or whatever for cash you could offer that instead. Or just say you’ll spread the word on the street.

Lol at all the people somehow thinking the OP has taken advantage of this kid! I might pop down to my local hospital, put a shift in and then bill them for consultants rates 🤪.

It's not as simple as saying 'dog-walking is work, so you shouldn't expect somebody to do it unpaid'. Lots of people would enjoy borrowing a dog and walking it on a casual, no-commitment basis. That's completely different from a regular, contracted, insured, professional service-provider.

Shop work is usually paid, yet plenty of people volunteer at charity shops, without expecting to be paid a penny, for all manner of reasons. Same with clubs, choirs etc: some are organised by professionals who make a living from it, some are run by volunteers.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll exactly I think that’s why this is a bit different from if the OP reported the same situation but he’d been mowing her lawn or washing the car.

Laugh and ask if he has insurance and poo bags like your actual dog walker presumably has.

Is it actually legal for a 12yo to earn money this way from a non-family member? Under 13s can't do paper rounds - I don't know if that's just because of the antisocial hours or partly because of their age?

OP nip it in the bud. If his parents don;t teach him ethics it's up to you.

Also do NOT pay it is rewarding bad behaviour!
If an adult did this it would be a scam. As an adult you should correct his behaviour before he graduates to bigger and better scams

Was 15-20 minutes even enough of a walk? I’d just tell him straight I’m not paying you, you asked if you could walk the dog, you didn’t say anything about paying you and I already pay a dog walker.

id give him a fiver a week if he comes and does dog walks. Maybe even a tenner. I think its nice

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll There;s an app for it called borrow my doggy

id also tell the kid that its a better business plan if he actually wants to make money, to make that clear at the beginning, because you thought he just wanted to hang out with the dog. Tell him that its useful to know that he does dog walks in case you need him, but you definitely dont need her walked every day as you already have a dog walker, but maybe sometimes at the weekend or holidays you will bear him in mind.

@LadyCatStark

Lol at all the people somehow thinking the OP has taken advantage of this kid! I might pop down to my local hospital, put a shift in and then bill them for consultants rates 🤪.

Did you spend a long time coming up with that witty response Yes go on, pop down the hospital put in a long day and submit your timesheet

[quote CastawayQueen]@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll There;s an app for it called borrow my doggy[/quote]
yes and i wouldn't touch that with a bargepole either!

I imagine that this started out in the lad's head the equivalent of, 'Can we wash your car Mister?', for which anyone would know a payment would be expected.