To think this is more common than people realise

[OfficeProbx]

I live opposite an able bodied woman in her 30’s, with a teenage daughter. Shes self employed and home a lot. They had an old dog and got a new dog a few years ago - in lockdown. I can hear them barking from the house.

I have never, not once, ever seen them walk either of these dogs. I only know they exist as they are noisy and she has mentioned them in passing before. I’ve seen them once when they got out of the front door - dogs are not disabled and both a small breed that is very energetic.

a relative had a dog she rarely walked, just let out into the garden every few hours. Eventually she rehomed the dog as it became destructive.

I have a dog and I cannot imagine the misery I would inflict on it to never be walked. It makes me feel so sad for the dog.

I guess I might not always be home to see them walk the dog so might be wrong that it is walked at times, but I actually think this is something that is more common than people realise but people don’t admit to it. You have all the best intentions but then life gets busy and you assume the dog is fine just running around your tiny garden and before you know it, you haven’t walked your dog in months.

It's common all right, I know scummy people who don't walk their dogs and have had scummy neighbours with dogs with curled claws because they don't get ground down and mountains of shit in their gardens.

When reported, "it's not serious enough".

My mil used to have a dog and she never ever walked it. When we used to visit my h and I would take the dog for a walk and he loved it. He would remember and so when we arrived he would seem so happy to be getting his yearly walk due to living 250 miles away. She did used to let him out in her garden but it's not the same in my opinion.

There's one in a house that backs on to me. We only have yards. It upsets me so much.

A previous neighbour of ours had 2 large dogs and never walked them. I was at home on maternity leave and around most of the time and never saw her or either of her adult sons walk them. She then got a partner and we used to see him come at the weekend and put dogs in the back of his car (presumably to go and walk them somewhere) but they were never walked any other times that we know of

Is this really a thing?!? I have a dog and for 14 yrs he’s had 2 walks a day, rain whatever. Sometimes I really don’t feel like it esp at night but once I’m out it’s always good. It’s never occurred to me that people don’t walk their dogs, that’s awful. I swear my dog can tell the time too!!

I live near two dogs who sit in the window watching life go on around them. Their owners have admitted they don't walk them but they go out in the very small garden. I walk mine minimum 60mins am, 45mins pm but longer about 5 times a week and actually feel guilty these dogs see us going out. 10 years ago the neighbour said to me " you'll soon get fed up with walking them!"

I walk my dog 2-3 times a day every day and am always astonished how we rarely meet people oct-march but suddenly when the weathers nice everyone is out with their dogs.

Maybe she takes the dog out in the car and goes further afield to walk it? This is what my brother in law does.

I think you are right, it’s taboo to discuss how neighbours treat dogs. People regard not walking a dog as ‘not a thing’, not ‘actual abuse’. I’m sure the dogs are not walked, they are probably bored rigid indoors or the paved garden, and it’s very, very unfair on them. Some people will regard access to a garden as more than enough, but it really isn’t for a young boisterous dog.

Not walking is abuse of a kind. Can you anonymously call the RSPCA or the Council Dog Warden?

I have known of dogs kept on a balcony (two separate cases). Thankfully both were rescued after neighbours complained many times to the relevant Councils and the RSPCA but rescuing them was a long term business.

So very sorry that you are in this horrible situation.

Many people simply shouldn’t own a dog.

It's so cruel to not walk your dog. It's the sort of thing that sends dogs mad and when/if they do manage to escape it can lead to them attacking people and other animals. We've got a spaniel so she needs 3 walks a day but if we weren't that mobile or we were too busy I'd get a dog that requires very little walking or a cat.

In Northern Ireland we have to buy a dog license every year (£12 per dog or £5 if the dog is neutered or the owners receive benefits) and the dog warden does come around and check. I saw him looking over a wall at the bottom of my street the other week checking in on some dogs.

Interesting thread.
We used to live in the country and all our cats went out at night.
Everyone I know with dogs walks them twice a day - always assumed it was a lifestyle choice.

Thehappygardener
It's not taboo to discuss how neighbours treat dogs. If someone is mistreating their dog or there is a noise concern etc then it's totally reasonable.

People might be a little skeptical about someone passing comment who thinks they know everything about a neighbour's activity because they curtain twitch. Most people don't have the time or inclination to spend their days spying and keeping a mental note of if/when they see they neighbours with their dogs. Either the twitchers really so have so little going in that their daily life revolves around watching their neighbours or they don't spend their day keeping tabs in which case they only have a very partial picture and could be jumping to conclusions.

Like a PP said, they've never seen their neighbours bring food shopping in. Should she assume they never shop?

I’ve seen this more than you’d hope tbh. I moved to a council estate near Manchester 14 years ago and without giving it too much thought, there was a Newfoundland that I literally never saw, a Labrador along the road that I saw in the back garden but never out walking and 4 dogs next door (3 westies and a westie cross) never walked the 6 years I lived there. They were just let out in the back garden quite often from 8am to yap their heads off, and if anyone went near the house they’d go mental. The estate was right next to reservoirs as well.

In fairness, lots of people change their walking time in the winter - it's quite common for people not to be able to go out once it's dark to take the dogs, for example.

I know of people who don’t walk their dogs. It’s not uncommon.

We have two small breeds who need more exercise than our lurcher. Just because a dog is small, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t need lots of running and sniffing.

Why the fuck to people get dogs if they aren’t prepared to look after them properly? 🤬

At a loss ? You report it of course ! Have you done that ? The RSPCA has a website and link to report

No that’s me 😂

This attitude is what's wrong with society. Should we all turn a blind eye when something is wrong? No! We should try to help by raising it and speaking up. It's like saying if you see kids mistreated that can't speak for themselves mind your own business. You are part of the problem with that attitude - let's hope u never need someone to speak out for you....

I’m assuming SEA is South East Asia. I don’t think the RSPCA do home visits there.

Assumed it was south east anglia lol 😆 If Asia surely there must be something else to report to ?

@Noangelbuthavingfun I don't think the RSPCA cover South East Asia

Yep! I have been put in my place 😆😆😆

I hate that people get pets for purely selfish reasons and treat them badly. We have two dogs but they have free access to the house, barn, workshop all day and 2 acres of fence in land to roam as they please but we also make sure they get at least one very long walk a day somewhere they can run and chase off lead to their hearts content. It helps we are lucky with our location but even when we lived in a town they always got good walks.

I think certainly in the case of bloke next door, he's like a fairy elephant leaving his house generally so you know his coming and going's and none of them are ever with a dog. Plus the fact he leaves her regularly overnight and frequently for long weekends. And his garden has an almost complete carpet of dog shit

I'm pretty confident he doesn't walk her. And I'm not a curtain twitcher

Agreed. I once read that only letting our dog in your garden is like reading a child the same story over and over again. They need to sniff to stimulate their brains. Why would you not want to see your dog enjoying what a dog does. It's neglect just sticking them in the garden to amuse themselves. These dogs often become problem barkers because they are so bored.