To think neighbours are odd?

[PinkPosey6]

I live in a row of townhouses/terraces. My new next door neighbours asked whether I'd be willing to look after their small dog when they went on holiday for a week, feeding, letting out, walking etc.

I said no problem, I wanted to be a good neighbour, but was a bit daunted as I dont have a dog myself and neighbour is understandably very precious about their dog, it's like a child to them. They also commented about professional dog sitters costing a fortune.

Whilst they were away I did as asked, she had emailed a long list of instructions, the dog is very sweet and docile but has a very precise mix of wet and dry food etc. I also sanitised his eating area daily and poop a scooped in the garden and one daily walk. In total I probably spent about one hour per day across the three visits. I even cancelled going to some after work drinks as needed to be home for the dog.

I washed a section of the floor as asked (daily), where he trod mud in from the garden. I emailed updates and photos as asked, received some additional instructions as apparently i had put on his lead slightly wrongly (they have security cameras). I found it to be a lot of responsibility but I did it to be a good neighbour.

They got back a week ago and have blanked me since then. No word of thanks. They haven't directly walked towards me outside but could easily have done so to catch up and say thanks. Is it not bizarre not to thank a neighbour who has helped like this?

Well their oddness paid off, free pet care and not even a thanks . Beyond cheeky and I would be letting them know exactly how you feel about it .

That's not 'odd', it's beyond cheeky, and l hope you'd never do it again (if they even have the nerve to ask!)

My next door neighbour 'inherited' her mum's little dog when she died a few months ago.
I'm retired, she knows l love animals (especially dogs) and she asked, very tentatively, if I'd be willing to pop in and check on him when she's at work.
(I've lived here ten years, so we know each other fairly well)
It's literally next door, ten steps from my door to hers. The dog's old, so he doesn't need walking, just let out for toileting, and medication in the afternoon.
He's a good as gold, bless him, and being old, he sleeps a lot.
She's actually gone on holiday today, but he's in kennels now. She's gone abroad and l was reluctant to take on the responsibility of an elderly dog while she's out of the country for two weeks, which she was fine about.
(I have looked after him over a weekend, but she was about 2 hours drive away, so not abroad).
She pays me (not a huge amount, but fine by me, considering there's not a lot do to really) for the days she's at work, l pop in two or three times and let him out for a wee, etc.
She's very kind and generous, tells me to help myself to tea, coffee, fruit etc, and l have free use of her garden which has been lovely during this hot weather.
I'm currently keeping an eye on the house while she's away, I'm certainly not expecting to be paid for that, it's lovely to have her garden to sit in.

I'd be inclined to send your neighbours an invoice for basic 'care' plus an increment for early/late hours/weekends, etc. Cheeky sods.
It'd cost them a damn sight more if they paid for kennels or a professional house or dog sitter!

I’m a dog walker, have my own business. A friend of a friend asked me if I would pop in and feed/walk their dog ‘a few times a day’ when they went on a two week holiday. I refused. Dogs shouldn’t be left alone in a home overnight, ever, it isn’t done. I hadn’t even met this dog. They then asked if I would have dog at mine. Again refused. I don’t dog sit, I dog walk. My insurance covers this. Also I keep my business and home life separate, I have cats.

Friend of a friend got the hump, ended up sending her dog to her MIL. All was fine, but people who would consider leaving a dog overnight shouldn’t be allowed them in the first place.

The bigger picture here is the welfare of your neighbours dog OP, not whether you got wine or a thank you. Say no in future please, it’s not fair on the dog.

The poor dog! You did very well with caring for it OP and it’s disgraceful that they haven’t been immediately around to thank you, with gift too! Shocking that they think leaving the dog alone overnight and for most of the day is acceptable

Send her an invoice for your services!
With bank details.

When they ask you again. Just say no.

A simple no with no explanation ( its harder for them to persuade you against ypur wishes) and they will either ask someone else or have to pay for the kennels.

You sound like a nice person. They're cf.

YANBU! I wouldn’t even consider asking a neighbour this but if I did I’d be knocking on their door with a nice bottle of wine or chocolates and saying a huge thank you!

We're just back from holiday. Had the dog at his doggy day care so he had company 24/7, the cat is left home with next door in and out topping up his water/food as he spends a lot of time visiting them anyway and the gecko was visited every single morning and night (despite only needing fed every few days) by dhs best friend and his daughter who adores the cat.

Everyone got gifts and thanks, the kids even went and sang the neighbour a thank you song, was fucking horrendous but she liked it😂

My brother drove 3 hours to drop his dog at mine on the way to his holiday, and we have dhs best friends dog whilst they are on holiday. So 3 dogs, a cat, a gecko and 4 kids, is a fun house but wouldn't have it any other way.

I cannot ever imagine leaving my dog with just an hour a day interaction.

They appear to have no respect for dogs or people.

This was a great life lesson in learning to say No, I am not a doormat.

Blank them from now on- dreadful people. Kennels and pet sitters are indeed expensive but part of the consideration of dog ownership. It's also telling that they don't have any friends and family who could have had their beloved pet while they were away. leaving it alone overnight!

Not sure how they'd know exactly how long was spent with the dog each day. It's not like the dog is going to tell, is it?

OP, just reading what you were doing for them and my thought was that you've been used massively! Washing floors, mud and all? Wow!

You deserve to be paid for that but at the very least, acknowledged and thanked with a gift token (cash gift or gift card) to get whatever you'd like.

(Not everyone likes or can have chocolates and wine. Giving something that isn't of good use to someone is not my idea of thanking them. It only makes the giver feel like they've done something).

Your neighbours are users and ungrateful! If they have such high standards, they should do it themselves or pay enough for "high standards" service.

OP said they have security cameras and even emailed corrections and updated instructions. So they were watching OP like Big Brother to see what she did right and wrong.

Ah, thanks, I'd forgotten that bit! Nope, they are still absolutely out of order. I mean...washing the FLOOR??? I roll my eyes a bit at my neighbour whose cats I feed when she's away (they are pernicketty cats and each one has different food - as soon as i put it down they all pile into one another's bowls anyway) and I sure as hell wouldn't clean the floors for her!

I would report them for leaving their dog for a week!

I was thinking this.

I have cats and my mum does what OP did for the dog for them.

But never ever would I leave a dog in for a week with someone just popping in!!

OP, learn from this.
Talk about a pair of cheeky fxxkers.

Please, please do this 🙏🏻

You were very generous OP but it’s an extremely bad sign that they asked you, a non-doggy person, to take responsibility for their pet.
youll know to refuse next time.

Haha are you the neighbour?

They were extremely unreasonable to ask you to look after their dog! I don't know anyone who would ask people they don't know to do that. You should have said no.
But given you agreed they should have brought you back a huge present.
They don't sound like the type of people you'd want to be around. Say no next time they ask you to do anything

They obviously don’t treat it’s like it’s their baby because they wouldn’t have left the dog home alone and asked a neighbour to pop in to feed and walk it. They would’ve paid for dog to be looked after in kennels.
You did everything they asked and then got blanked, I would just shrug, lesson learnt not to ever go out of your way for them and ignore the odd bods next door.

Your neighbours are down right rude, its extremely bad manners to not thank a neighbour for their help over the week looking after their dog.

The entitlement lives on