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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Dad hit dog (9 months)

38 replies

Hisandherss · 24/09/2023 18:14

I was round at my dads today and My dads puppy was trying to steal some food from the table and my dad hit him on the head quite hard which made the dog yelp and then yelled at him to get out. I feel so bad for his dog. I shouted at my dad and told him how wrong that was etc and he stormed off upstairs and shut the door hard. What would you do?

OP posts:
NeverDropYourMooncup · 24/09/2023 18:19

Depending on how likely I was to get hit on the head myself?

Pick up the puppy and go home, never to return.

TooManyAnimals94 · 24/09/2023 18:19

Without knowing a full backstory it's hard to advise. If your dad is an inexperienced dog owner who might be open to some training advice then you could help him find a trainer.

If he's an arrogant arse who likes to bully animals then he's unlikely to take this advice. Maybe ask him if he would do that to a toddler who tried to take food that wasn't his.
Might help him to understand how OTT his reaction was.

cuddlebear · 24/09/2023 18:20

I would pick the dog up and leave with it.

He is a fucking monster.

smallshinybutton · 24/09/2023 18:22

Ask your dad to rehome the dog in a week or you'll go to the rspca

handyandie · 24/09/2023 18:23

Your dad has anger issues, he abused the dog and then threw a strop when you spoke to him. People like that should be nowhere near animals.

Hisandherss · 24/09/2023 18:23

He has had a few dogs but never owned a puppy before. He just storms off and won’t listen if anyone tries to correct him or says something he doesn’t agree with

OP posts:
Frozenone · 24/09/2023 18:23

I would have left taking the dog with me. This is animal abuse and totally unacceptable.

Has he ever owned a dog before? Is this out of character or has he always had a temper? Either way it is no excuse and he should not own any animal.

Hisandherss · 24/09/2023 18:25

He definitely has a short temper, always has

OP posts:
smallshinybutton · 24/09/2023 18:25

What would you all have done with the dog if you took it though? Taken it on yourself?

Verv · 24/09/2023 18:25

cuddlebear · 24/09/2023 18:20

I would pick the dog up and leave with it.

He is a fucking monster.

This. And I wouldn't be back.

Hisandherss · 24/09/2023 18:26

I feel so bad for the poor puppy, I’d take him on myself if I could but I rent and no pets are allowed but I’m going to try and do something as I can’t have the pup living there

OP posts:
Hisandherss · 24/09/2023 18:27

He took this puppy on from another family, my dad got him when he was 5 months old so this is his second home

OP posts:
CaroleSinger · 24/09/2023 18:28

I'd probably hit your dad on the head with a plank of wood then take the dog and go. Honestly though, teaching dogs not to steal food has evolved. People don't use punishment methods anymore. You want the dog to obey you because it respects you, not because it's afraid you might hurt it. Otherwise one day you are going to hit the dog and it is going to decide it's had enough of being hit and retaliate with it's teeth then the dog ends up being endlessly rehomed or put to sleep, all because it had a shit owner (your dad) who should probably have just got a goldfish instead.

Freezingcoldinseptember · 24/09/2023 18:28

Find out where it came from and take it back. My friend (then not now) had a dh who was abusing their new rescue ddog. I rang them and they went and picked it up. Was very impressed if I do say so. Friend never knew it was me.

Anewest · 24/09/2023 18:29

That's animal abuse. I would take the dog, but appreciate your situation doesn't allow you to do so. Could someone else take it? Even a rescue? Puppies are snapped up quickly from rescue centres and prospective owners will be vetted for suitability.

Elfandwellbeing · 24/09/2023 18:31

@cuddlebear ffs a monster … really. Talk about dramatic.

pumpkinspice2 · 24/09/2023 18:34

Freezingcoldinseptember · 24/09/2023 18:28

Find out where it came from and take it back. My friend (then not now) had a dh who was abusing their new rescue ddog. I rang them and they went and picked it up. Was very impressed if I do say so. Friend never knew it was me.

Wow that's sad. A dog who has been rescued then is rehomed with an animal abuser Sad well done for saving it.

cuddlebear · 24/09/2023 18:37

Elfandwellbeing · 24/09/2023 18:31

@cuddlebear ffs a monster … really. Talk about dramatic.

Someone who would hit a puppy round the head is a monster in my book.

SophieStew · 24/09/2023 18:38

Elfandwellbeing · 24/09/2023 18:31

@cuddlebear ffs a monster … really. Talk about dramatic.

@Elfandwellbeing I really hope you don’t have pets.

Justcallmebebes · 24/09/2023 18:42

smallshinybutton · 24/09/2023 18:22

Ask your dad to rehome the dog in a week or you'll go to the rspca

Trust me, the RSPCA would not care less about this, sadly

pickledandpuzzled · 24/09/2023 18:43

I'm a soft dog owner. He's my baby.

However we had dogs growing up and they were treated a bit more brusquely- a swat on the bum or head with a folded newspaper, the sound worse than the actual feel.

The dogs still adored us and were able to learn from the telling off.

Mother dogs give their pups a sharp warning 'shout' when they misbehave. It's not dis similar.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't do it or encourage anyone else to, but if it was a soft swat it's not the end of the world and probably not as bad as another move for the pup.

That assuming that things are generally ok for the pup, and it's an occasional correction. Far worse for a dog is sustained ongoing 'discipline'- people harking on about the meat the dog stole/cushion it shredded an hour after it happened.

Dogs live in the moment.

singl · 24/09/2023 18:45

@pickledandpuzzled it obviously wasn’t a “soft swat” else OP wouldn’t have posted. The dog yelped out

ilovesooty · 24/09/2023 18:47

I'd report him and never speak to him again.

cruisebaba1 · 24/09/2023 18:48

cuddlebear · 24/09/2023 18:20

I would pick the dog up and leave with it.

He is a fucking monster.

This - what a pig!!

MariePaperRoses · 24/09/2023 18:49

That's not how you train a dog!

Of course a puppy is going to be interested in food.

Your dad is absolutely evil in hitting a puppy over the head because it jumped up to try and smell or eat the food.

Legally you can't take the dog if he's had it chipped in his name already but if he hasn't, take the puppy and get it the hell out of there before it gets whacked and booted around just die being a puppy by your brute of a dad who is too LAZY and THICK ago try and train it with love and kindness.

Let him read the comments on here.