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Brother rang up swearing at me after I have been dog sitting for him

291 replies

Jolenepleasetakeawaymyman · 14/09/2025 15:31

Sorry I really need to rant and also check I am not the one being unreasonable.

I will try to be as concise as possible and include the key details. At the moment I am not working for a whole host of reasons and living off savings and a small rental income. I have two secondary age kids one has some behavoral issues and the other has processing difficulties. I am doing my best to support them both as a single parent having left an abusive marriage.

My brother works full time and is older than I am by several years. His dc is at university and lives with him. She persuaded him to get a dog despite both of them being out of the house long hours and her having an active social life. The assumption was that my parents would go round and look after the dog. However they are both very elderly and have had some recent health issues. To help out I offered to do as many times a week as I could. Thought all was fine, go and feed the dog, let it out and then wait for a couple of hours to play with it and give it some company.

This weekend we were asked to do the dog. I said I would but would need to take my youngest son and would be a bit later as he had some activities but I would do both days. No problem - rushed to get there and spent time to look after the dog including picking up mess from the garden. Son went to watch tv. He made his own profile on their Netflix. Didn't think much about it.

Came home had dinner - all seemed fine. Then in the evening I get a call from my brother. He is shouting and swearing at me saying my son has changed his Netflix password. I was so shocked I started apologising and went to ask my son if he had. He said no he only created a profile. I said I believed him and said I don't think he did. He was still cussing and swearing at me the whole time. I came off the phone in shock. It triggered a lot of the feelings I had in my relationship when my ex would blow up for no reason.

Apparently his daughter had been on the phone complaining she could not login to Netflix abroad. But we had done nothing to his account. And even if my son had by accident changed something I don't think it needed him to shout and swear at me telling me not to touch anything in the fing house etc. I was doing him a favour! I was spending my time on a regular basis looking after his dog! I don't have a dog of my own due to not living in my own house right now and not being sure I can guarentee the time once I am able to work again. He took a dog on knowing he wasn't at home. And I was happy to help! Also I don't think you can even change a netflix password on the TV and if he did somehow manage to wouldn't the account holder get an email telling them this.

I sent a message to him saying it was better if I did not dog sit again and I would only go into his house from now on when he was there in order to avoid touching anything myself or my kids.

He sent a very short message telling me okay he should not have spoken to me like this. I accepted the apology but said I would not be dog sitting any more. This means my parents will now have to do it. Around the same time he phoned me my mother got a message from his daughter saying she had seen on face time that someone had pulled up one of her plants. She very passively aggressively told her that she was very upset and took a long time to calm down. Instructing her in future not to touch any plants etc. My mum had pulled up the plant as the dog was trying to eat it and it was poisonous to dogs. Again someone doing them a favour and being told off like a very naughty child for trying to help.

I am really angry today. I also feel guilty as I don't want the dog to be left alone but I don't want to go in the house either in case I damage or do something and get told off again!. Also my elderly parents will now have to go over most days to look after the dog which is a big stress on them. I don't want to come between my brother and my parents as they are very close to him. But part of me wants to tell them to say get a professional dog sitter and sort it out yourself.

So am I being unreasonable to not look after the dog anymore and to be angry with my brother and niece. Should I just accept it and continue to help out. I feel they don't actually want me in their house or my kids so I don't even know if they want me to help out.

Or am I reasonable and my brother was out of order in how he treated me and my son?

OP posts:
smallpinecone · 14/09/2025 15:35

Your brother is a nasty piece of work. Hell would freeze over before I looked after his dog again or did him any sort of favours at all. Nope, don’t need that in my life, fuck him.

Cherrysoup · 14/09/2025 15:37

You’re doing him a massive favour and he’s been ridiculously rude, very unnecessarily. His dd sounds like a problem. Why is she taking so long to get over a plant (although I cried when my puppies chewed through a clematis that was just getting established, I’ve fenced off my borders since) that might have killed her dog?

ComfortFoodCafe · 14/09/2025 15:37

I would never do another favour for the pair of them ever again. Dog needs rehoming.

Rattyandtoad · 14/09/2025 15:39

Spoilt brats both of them.

Hoppinggreen · 14/09/2025 15:40

When you say your parents are very close to your brother do you mean he treats them like shit and they put up with it?

MrsTerryPratchett · 14/09/2025 15:40

Your brother is an arse. Golden Child perchance?

Timeforabitofpeace · 14/09/2025 15:41

Your db and his dd are both incredibly rude and both short tempered. Thats the key message. On a tiny note, I don’t think your son should have created a profile on his Netflix page.

PinkArt · 14/09/2025 15:42

You're not being unreasonable, but your parents wont 'have to' look after the dog at all. It's not their dog, they don't have to do anything in relation to it. It's your brother's dog and he is the only one who 'has to' do anything in relation to it's care.
Given the way your niece spoke to your mum, I'd suggest to them that they follow your example, so that none of you is accused of the heinous crimes of using a Netflix account or removing a poisonous plant again.

DisforDarkChocolate · 14/09/2025 15:43

He's horrible and your parents don't have to walk his dog either. You all need to remind him to find a dog walker and leave him to his tantrum.

Noshadelamp · 14/09/2025 15:44

You say your parents now have to go over most days but they actually don't have to at all. They could say no and not do it.

Neither your dB or neice sound very nice. Do either of them ever thank you for showing any appreciation?

I would not do another favour for them at all.

Lifeinthepit · 14/09/2025 15:44

Your brother is an idiot. He's been rude to someone he needs help from. He needs to learn the life lesson that you are grateful to someone you need a favour from. I'm amazed he doesn't know this by now.

Owly11 · 14/09/2025 15:48

Your brother is a shit. I hope your parents stop looking after the dog too. His dog is nothing to do with you or your parents and you should definitely not look after it ever again (or do any other favours). I would be absolutely furious if someone spoke to me like that. Having said that your child should not have opened a Netflix profile without asking first - and you should tell him that this was wrong.

MissyB1 · 14/09/2025 15:49

Him and his daughter are both pieces of work aren’t they?! I can’t bear it when people get dogs then don’t look after them 😡 selfish!!

And what’s with his nasty temper? Who needs an aggressive man in their lives, you certainly don’t need it.

Tell your parents that your brother needs to employ a dog walker, they are not responsible for his stupid decisions.

Jolenepleasetakeawaymyman · 14/09/2025 15:50

Thank you everyone who has replied you are making me feel better about saying I won't dog sit again. I normally get on with my brother however he has always been able to do no wrong in my parents' eyes whilst I have had much stricter rules being a girl. Thank you @PinkArt for putting it so well - I felt the same what had happened were hardly heinous crimes.

Yes my son probably should not have created his own profile but he thought he was helping so he would not affect any of their shows or lists. Once before there was a comment about us drinking some juice from one of about 5 cartons. Not a whole carton just a couple of glasses, and not from the carton in glasses. My parents had been told to eat or drink anything they liked whilst around there. However comments were made about the juice!

Anyway thank you again I will stick to my guns and no more dog sitting. Also I won't feel guilty about my parents as they are adults and can say no. However I know they won't.

OP posts:
smallpinecone · 14/09/2025 15:52

Jolenepleasetakeawaymyman · 14/09/2025 15:50

Thank you everyone who has replied you are making me feel better about saying I won't dog sit again. I normally get on with my brother however he has always been able to do no wrong in my parents' eyes whilst I have had much stricter rules being a girl. Thank you @PinkArt for putting it so well - I felt the same what had happened were hardly heinous crimes.

Yes my son probably should not have created his own profile but he thought he was helping so he would not affect any of their shows or lists. Once before there was a comment about us drinking some juice from one of about 5 cartons. Not a whole carton just a couple of glasses, and not from the carton in glasses. My parents had been told to eat or drink anything they liked whilst around there. However comments were made about the juice!

Anyway thank you again I will stick to my guns and no more dog sitting. Also I won't feel guilty about my parents as they are adults and can say no. However I know they won't.

Your poor son. Why be so unkind to a child 😢

What your parents choose to do is up to them. They can’t help, but neither can you. Ideally it should be rehomed.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 14/09/2025 15:52

Well you obviously never help them again.

GoldDuster · 14/09/2025 15:54

But part of me wants to tell them to say get a professional dog sitter and sort it out yourself.

This is the part of you to listen to. He needs to get a dog sitter and pay for the service he needs, and your parents are adults and can say no to him too.

Blushingm · 14/09/2025 15:59

He’s over reacted but why did your done feel he could go and mess with their Netflix, or even make himself a profile at someone else’s house?

and yes you can change a password on the tv

Ratafia · 14/09/2025 16:01

You need to point out to your parents that there is no good reason why your brother can't pay for a dog sitter.

JMSA · 14/09/2025 16:02

Your elderly parents don’t ‘need’ to do anything. He can do what the rest of us do and get a bloody dog walker and/or petsitter.

thing47 · 14/09/2025 16:13

Netflix has recently changed and you can no longer share an account outside your own household (even if it previously worked) - this will be why your niece couldn't log in from abroad, nothing to do with your DS creating a new profile.

i thought the changes to Netflix's Ts and Cs were quite well known?

Jolenepleasetakeawaymyman · 14/09/2025 16:14

Blushingm · 14/09/2025 15:59

He’s over reacted but why did your done feel he could go and mess with their Netflix, or even make himself a profile at someone else’s house?

and yes you can change a password on the tv

Thanks for your reply. Is it really that bad that he added a profile he is 12 and I didn’t think it was a big detail. Also how do you change the password on the tv? I tried on my account at home and could only log out and reset the password by sending an email to my account?

my son didn’t know the old password or have access to my brother’s email so how would he be able to change it? I am genuinely curious.

Also even if he did mess it up is it really okay to swear and shout at someone for their child doing this? When I am being told ‘your bloody son’. It isn’t like he bought £2000 of v bucks on his credit card.

OP posts:
Jolenepleasetakeawaymyman · 14/09/2025 16:17

thing47 · 14/09/2025 16:13

Netflix has recently changed and you can no longer share an account outside your own household (even if it previously worked) - this will be why your niece couldn't log in from abroad, nothing to do with your DS creating a new profile.

i thought the changes to Netflix's Ts and Cs were quite well known?

Thank you this was what I thought to and being shouted at when he was innocent added insult to injury.

OP posts:
GleisZwei · 14/09/2025 16:17

You were doing them a favour, however why on earth did you let your son log on to Netflix and make a profile for himself? He could have watched under an existing profile. Going forward just say no to helping and let them sort out a dog sitter.

Blushingm · 14/09/2025 16:20

thing47 · 14/09/2025 16:13

Netflix has recently changed and you can no longer share an account outside your own household (even if it previously worked) - this will be why your niece couldn't log in from abroad, nothing to do with your DS creating a new profile.

i thought the changes to Netflix's Ts and Cs were quite well known?

You can - you can either add it temporarily or if it’s on a device you can still screw via multiple devices if you pay a small amount more