PUPPY IN GARAGE

[JasperBoo]

My nephew and his wife are keeping their new puppy in the garage, because they don't believe that dogs should be allowed in living areas.

The garage is at the end of the garden, not attached to the house, and currently contains all the usual rubbish you fill your garage with.

The plan is to empty it, add heating etc, and make it into an office space with the dog in, rather than a dumping ground, but they've been saying that for years.

They say that he will always live outside, and that they will get someone in to train him as a guard dog.

I am really upset at the thought of this puppy being left alone and scared, in a cold, dark, garage, when he could be living inside with the family.

The family will be with him outside when they have time, but they have 2 young kids, 2 cats, and a busy online "influencer" business.

(They have time to use him for their Instagram posts mind you!)

I have sent them info about the RSPCA campaign to change the law so dogs can't be kept outside. I have flagged the risk of getting someone in to train the dog to be a guard dog, rather than taking time themselves to train him to just be a loving family dog. (He's a doberman type).

But right now, I'm mostly just in bits that there is a little puppy being left outside on his own in the garage when he could be having a loving life inside with the family.

They bought him to be a guard dog, and an Instagram tool.

It breaks my heart.

My sister and mum have completely turned on me, because I put a message on their Instagram post of the puppy, asking for a photo of the garage he was living in, and asking why he couldn't live in the house. My sister went as far as to say I'm no longer part of her family if I'm "going for" her son like that.

I did ask them on a private what's app message when i first heard they had a puppy, and they outright lied to me saying he wouldn't be left outside, when this is what they had planned all along apparently. (I live 3 hours from them, it was my sister, his mum, that told me initially, then I saw messages on the Instagram post confirming he wasn't allowed in the house)

Am I being unreasonable to be so worried about this puppy? I honestly am not sure what to do next.

My heart is breaking for that tiny baby animal. He has been taken from his mum and litter mates to be shut on his own in a cold dark garage. They are evil. Looking at my lovely 4 year old lab sleeping now and remember how scared he was on his first nights with us. We would never have left him alone like that. He had a warm bed and when he cried he got a cuddle and reassurance. And he sleeps fine now.

Drop their instahandle here

Yes they probably do but they'll most likely have other dogs with them.
This puppy has gone from his mum and littermates to alone in the dark.

When someone buys a new puppy they always say about the nights when the puppy complains , that is inside , in the warm but they;re lonely and confused . This little chap is in a cold cluttered garage on his own. And no-one is going to hear him unless the neighbours do .

If they wanted a guard dog they should've bought a trained one and worked with the trainer how to get that dog working for them.

Do you know where they got him from?
Were the breeders aware the pup was going to be kept like this ?
Or what it a pay the money and bye-bye type of breeder

I'll have him.

Bastards

I would join the local FB pet pages and post anonymously that there have been reports of a puppy crying at night from a garage.

It's very mean - poor puppy.

As has been established, not actually illegal though.

So your best bet might be persuasion rather than bullying. See if you can find some research about the developmental harm the isolation might do.

And the harm to bonding with the family. I assume they want the dog to have a bond with their kids?

If your goal is to get them to change their mind, it sounds like gentle persuasion will be your best route. When people feel harshly criticised they tend to double down.....

a dog is part of the family mine sleeps on the bed, they would get under the covers if i let them, why get a puppy who has just left their mother to keep it in a cold garage, very sad.

This is heartbreaking - I have ZERO kind thoughts or words (to put it lightly) for people who not only isolate and lock their animals away, but have also purchased them for vanity purposes?! i.e. for Insta likes or guard dog status symbol.
Pathetic, superficial and downright cruel.

I'd be screaming down every avenue - RSPCA, police and local council, FB groups, even finding a way to take the poor thing myself!!

Adult dogs, who work hard all day and appreciate a comfortable quiet kennel, can do well living out doors.

Puppies need to be raised with people, or they do not learn to bond with people, miss out on vital life lessons and are highly likely to suffer behavioural problems as a result of social isolation.

Add in training that dog to be a guard dog (which btw comes with certain rules, requires licencing, specific handling and can't be insured under a pet insurance policy and almost certainly won't be covered in household insurance policies either) and you have a recipe for a dangerous dog - particularly as the type of breeders and trainers willing to sell to such a situation tend not to give a shit about the dogs welfare and will attempt to mask behavioural issues by electric shocking the shit out of the dog.

They are being morons and yes this dog will suffer. They won't want to hear it though and unfortunately the law, despite our government pretending to care about dog related attacks, will do absolutely fuck all until after the suffering or human injury has occurred.

My Sri Lankan colleague recently lost his family dog back home in a very remote village. The dog was 18 and had never seen the indoors. For 18 years he protected the crops so they would eat, bravely saw off monkeys to protect the family children, slept at the door and lived on the food scraps. He was given a village funeral ceremony and buried with family members in their plot. No vets within hours bus rides yet died a dignified death with the utmost respect. That's an outdoor life for a dog who came from many generations of outdoor dogs in a place where it's the norm.

I'm guessing I'm this is an overbred, designer bred puppy farmed baby dog in the UK, at the start of winter who is nothing more than a money making machine and status symbol and I bet will be used for backyard breeding. Not ok. Be peoud not to be considered family to these utter arseholes. There's context in everything and there's no excuse at all for doing this. Nobody takes a street dog away from it's mother and locks it is a cold lonely space if they want the best for it, even if they are going to keep it outside because it breaks them and this poor thing is going to grow into a snappy, nervous little dog which will end up on Gumtree and then probably eventually handed over for baiting when it can't be snapped for likes anymore. Bastards.

Taken from RSPCA website:
Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act places a duty of care on people to ensure they take reasonable steps in all the circumstances to meet the welfare needs of their animals to the extent required by good practice.
What does this mean for those responsible for animals?
need for a suitable environment
need for a suitable diet
need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals
need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

Your sister and BIL needs outing not only on social media but to the authorities, if not by you but a third party. I can understand your dilemma as a family member. If that fails you only need to contact various welfare groups and they will help you. Message me if you need help in this way.

They are failing this poor dog in an exceedingly cruel and ignorant manner, no doubt the dog will eventually end up being relinquished to a rescue or being pts as so fucked up mentally it is a danger to humans. Animals need companionship, to bond with humans and force free training which is continual. The dog needs toilet training and not a hell's hope of it being a protective guard dog as it will go feral being so left alone without constant human contact and interaction.

Your sister doesn't seem very bright tbh. Please show her your post as this could massively backfire on her influencer career 🙄...folk love nothing more than to destroy others and selfish actions that involve cruelty to an animal would stir folk into a frenzy.

She sounds like so many idiots that got companion pets during lock down, never put the effort in and now are struggling to cope with mentally disturbed dogs...that rescues are taking the brunt of. Totally tragic situation

Apologies and unable to edit comment, Nephew and wife, not sister and BIL.

OWRLOSERS · Today 04:53

Your sister and BIL needs outing not only on social media but to the authorities, if not by you but a third party.

I'd say by a third party, to avoid a family rift. As almost everyone has pointed out, dogs are highly sociable pack animals, which need interaction with other dogs, or humans. This poor puppy will suffer and become neurotic. It's disgraceful that they've bought him as an accessory, to paint a false picture of themselves online.

Fucking idiots.

Hopefully someone steals this poor pup

If your family think this is an acceptable way to treat the puppy, then they wouldn't have any issue with your questions... The fact that they've turned on you just demonstrates that they know it's wrong. And if they know it's wrong, they shouldn't be defending what your nephew and his wife are doing.

Well done on saying something, it's not easy when everyone else is saying nothing or taking the wrong side.

That is not acceptable, poor puppy . They shouldn't have a dog at all if they think that's an acceptable way of treating him

Do you know where they got the dog?

If so, and it's a reputable breeder, I would be tempted to have a word in their ear.

I have known dogs that live outside e.g stables, out houses or proper kennels, HOWEVER, I would class these as working dogs e.g. collies, gun dogs etc where virtually everyday they are in the fields doing their master's bidding. They are very active every day and highly trained.

Over the years, I have seen this outside living dwindle - most are now inside.

I think it is crazy to get a dog like a doberman, get someone else to train it for a guard dog and then use it as some kind of insta prop. That, to me has disaster all over it. I hope they don't let their DC anywhere near it.

I would be on the phone to the animal welfare dept at my local council.
Fucking despise animal abuse.

Whenever any of your family argue against you just ask ‘so you think the dog is being well kept?’ over and over. I’d probably report too tbh

They will get a better guard dig if he lives his family and is under the same roof.

dog and loved