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Original poster

Neighbour wants paid?

235 replies

kb16 · 10/07/2021 13:52

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!

OP posts:
Mpsister · 10/07/2021 21:45

He either wants paying or he wants to be paid. He doesn't "wants paid"

SingingInTheShithouse · 10/07/2021 21:50

I admire his enterprise, 😂 but yes he is being cheeky

I d think this is the sort of age for similar behaviour in some & his parents will likely be mortified

At a similar age, I had to have a word with my DD about trying to profiteer like this. In her case she was raiding her piggy bank, buying sweets at youth club & splitting the packs & selling single sweets to DCs who couldn't afford a whole packet, or wanted a mixed bag. She was good at maths & was running rings around even the older DCs & making making a huge profit 😳. So my guess is the lad himself is trying it on, possibly not realising he's being very cheeky.

As above, just say something like "oh no, sorry XXXX, we don't need a dog walker, we have one & you are too young to work anyway. We were doing you a favour by letting you borrow our dog when you are bored, but we had best stop that now as you seem to be misunderstanding & expect us to pay. We won't be paying you & it's probably best you don't borrow our dog anymore."

Good luck

Nothingyet · 10/07/2021 21:56

I'd give him £20, and say "than ee kindly young master" in a mock 19th Century cockney accent. But maybe that's just me.

QueenBee52 · 10/07/2021 22:08

Give the bairn a Finger of Fudge 🎉

SheldonesqueTheBstard · 10/07/2021 22:13

Or two fingers of fudge

RubyGoat · 10/07/2021 22:23

@SheldonesqueTheBstard

Or two fingers of fudge
GrinGrinGrin
Happyhappyday · 10/07/2021 22:29

Could you try just being honest, like, it was my understanding you were bored and wanted to take the dog out for fun. It’s clearly been a misunderstanding but I’ll trust you had good intentions and pay you for your time (and give him an age appropriate £). But we already pay a professional dog walker and we’re not looking for a second one. If you’d like to take the dog out because you enjoy his company, we’d be happy to let you do that occasionally but you would need to understand that it wouldn’t be paid. And then have a friendly chat with his parents letting them know about the misunderstanding and that you wont be looking for him to act as your dog walker in future.

QueenBee52 · 10/07/2021 22:31

@SheldonesqueTheBstard

Or two fingers of fudge

🤣😂🤣😂🤣

BastardMonkfish · 10/07/2021 22:42

@Happyhappyday

Could you try just being honest, like, it was my understanding you were bored and wanted to take the dog out for fun. It’s clearly been a misunderstanding but I’ll trust you had good intentions and pay you for your time (and give him an age appropriate £). But we already pay a professional dog walker and we’re not looking for a second one. If you’d like to take the dog out because you enjoy his company, we’d be happy to let you do that occasionally but you would need to understand that it wouldn’t be paid. And then have a friendly chat with his parents letting them know about the misunderstanding and that you wont be looking for him to act as your dog walker in future.
This is exactly what OP should do. Be sensible OP. He's not an evil child genius trying to extort money from you, he's just a kid.
RamItBunty · 10/07/2021 23:29

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

RubyGoat · 10/07/2021 23:35

I wouldn't let him take the dog out again, TBH. There's a lot of dog thefts at the moment. It's not his dog - even if you've got insurance that covers theft, it potentially wouldn't cover it if the dog is being walked by someone that doesn't own the dog & isn't a properly insured dog walker.

GabriellaMontez · 11/07/2021 07:29

@RamItBunty

One cannot sound unhinged You’ve gotten a bit muddled in your fervour to be pithy. Poor you..
Honestly, you do sound unhinged.
Concestor · 11/07/2021 07:47

He's only 12, i would chat to his parents, explain you thought he wanted to play with the dog but it looks like he meant to ask for payment, could they explain to him you don't need another dog walker?

Don't be nasty to him he's actually still really young and didn't mean to be cheeky.

I can't believe some of the responses on here, it makes me sad how people are suggesting you talk to him.

QueenBee52 · 11/07/2021 12:48

@zurala

He's only 12, i would chat to his parents, explain you thought he wanted to play with the dog but it looks like he meant to ask for payment, could they explain to him you don't need another dog walker?

Don't be nasty to him he's actually still really young and didn't mean to be cheeky.

I can't believe some of the responses on here, it makes me sad how people are suggesting you talk to him.

OP won't be nasty to him.. I don't believe anyone on here would be nasty either..

He's a kid chancing his arm is all.. 🌸

yellowsubmarines · 11/07/2021 15:55

I can't believe the number of posters saying to pay the child £10/£20 for a couple of 15 min walks? Confused Is that the going rate in your areas? That's more than what the OP's professional dog walker gets! Shock Blimey what if the kid started turning up daily! £10 per walk is £70 per week for a 12 year old to walk the dog for 15 mins per day on top of the £50 per week the OP is paying her professional dog walker who sounds like has the dog for over an hour per day and presumably also has insurance and lots of experience.

I think giving him some sweets was a good idea, but since he's been insisting on being paid I would tell him no and agree OP you shouldn't allow him to walk or play with the dog anymore.
Do you know his parents well OP? Maybe consider having a word with them so they could explain it to him if he's not accepting your answers?

girlmom21 · 11/07/2021 16:07

@yellowsubmarines the initial post and comments never suggested it was only for two walks. that's why people suggested £10-20.

QueenBee52 · 11/07/2021 16:17

[quote girlmom21]@yellowsubmarines the initial post and comments never suggested it was only for two walks. that's why people suggested £10-20.[/quote]

He'll be onto another neighbour now 🤣 taking Ole Shep for a walk lol

MinnieMountain · 11/07/2021 16:52

Some children just try it on.

My 7yo told me the other day that we owe him £12 for laying the table every night. He forgot that a) it’s one of the jobs he needs to do in order to get his pocket money; b) I’m not a soft touch like MIL who does pay him the odd £5 doing jobs at hers that he would enjoy anyway.

SheldonesqueTheBstard · 11/07/2021 17:03

Next door’s kid and her mate (plenty of stories of the whole lot - mother also) sold bunches of flowers to our neighbours.

It was only when they tried to sell a bunch to a particular neighbour that the penny dropped.

They went to a lovely woman who took great pride in her garden. Sought out different flowers/very showy blooms etc. The pride of a very lovely Street.

She recognised a very beautiful bloom as one of her rare and prized blooms.

Checked her side garden. No surprises. Decimated.

The cheeky mink had sold people their own feckin flowers.

The police were involved when damage to pots/fences etc were found.

No sympathy.

In a lovely lovely street, we have the misfortune of living next to them. That is one of the many, many things they’ve done. 😖

QueenBee52 · 11/07/2021 17:13

@SheldonesqueTheBstard

Next door’s kid and her mate (plenty of stories of the whole lot - mother also) sold bunches of flowers to our neighbours.

It was only when they tried to sell a bunch to a particular neighbour that the penny dropped.

They went to a lovely woman who took great pride in her garden. Sought out different flowers/very showy blooms etc. The pride of a very lovely Street.

She recognised a very beautiful bloom as one of her rare and prized blooms.

Checked her side garden. No surprises. Decimated.

The cheeky mink had sold people their own feckin flowers.

The police were involved when damage to pots/fences etc were found.

No sympathy.

In a lovely lovely street, we have the misfortune of living next to them. That is one of the many, many things they’ve done. 😖

Noooooooooooo that poor garden 😱

snowflake29f · 11/07/2021 17:25

Your dog Walker is fully insured in case anything happens to your pooch or he attacks any one right ? So why on earth would you let a kid walk a dog without an adult it’s beyond me ? What if he lost the dog, Or the dog gets napped ? I think you need to think seriously about letting this child take your dog anywhere let alone giving him money .

Havehope21 · 11/07/2021 17:33

I agree he is a CF but, since you have known him 5 years and he is old enough to understand / should learn this is not how you go about earning money, you can be politely honest and just say 'we pay a dog walker to walk fido in the day, you are more than welcome to spend time with fido and walk him in the evenings if it makes you feel happy, however, but we don't need someone to do it as a job.'

MollyMinniesMum · 11/07/2021 17:44

I wouldn’t let him take my dog end of

LittleMissPlant · 11/07/2021 17:46

Give him £20 and then say he should have made it clearer he wanted paying BEFORE he started walking to dog not after - say it’s really lovely of him but you’re going to start walking to dog yourself again as you are missing the time together.

It’s a life lesson for both of you.

tibradden · 11/07/2021 17:48

DS 13 loves dogs and often “borrows” our neighbours dogs for walks. Would be extremely embarrassed if he was asking for money or money being offered.