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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
ChangingWeight · 16/09/2025 13:46

To be honest I don’t think this needs to be a big blow up. Accept his apology but say you won’t be dog sitting, you don’t want to tensions getting high again or risk deteriorating your relationship as the dog sitting has become a point of contention.

I’d personally just start there, before deciding whether to cut off your family or not. It might just blow over.

theonlygirl · 16/09/2025 13:59

The only way in which you are being unreasonable is spending time wondering if you've being unreasonable. Stop wasting emotional energy on all of them, including your parents. If your entitled brother and neice bought a dog on the assumption elderly parents would take care of it, let it play out. You dont need to fix everything for everyone.

mrswhiplington · 16/09/2025 14:39

pineapplesundae · 15/09/2025 21:15

Well, I’m going against the grain here for the dog’s sake and suggest you forgive your brother this one time. Your brother does owe you a big I’m sorry present but I hope you give him one more chance for the sake of the dog.

Is this a joke? Have you read the updates?

Poppyfun1 · 16/09/2025 15:08

Your brother is a class a pr**k.

FormidableMizzP · 16/09/2025 18:07

OMG!! Big hug to you jolenepleasetakeawaymyman (great name!)
You are now seeing your brother for the total and utter selfish, arrogant, cnt fck that he is. It's always the ones who really need therapy that believe they don't - he definitely does. A texted apology is not good enough after the way he bllcked you, who the hell does he think he is exactly!? Clearly he's accustomed to women falling all over him 🤢 You mention several offspring but am left wondering whether he's jealous that you have son(s)?

Even I as the account holder find resetting Netflix password on the TV a total faff and am not a techno dinosaur, but you get a code you have to put in the TV and yes, brother would've been emailed. Asking your brother to add one for next time would've been safer but sounds like your brother is a techno dinosaur rather like my ex, has minions at the office do it for him. Your son could have found kids channels on the TV but am guessing you don't have Netflix hence the compulsion.

My brother is 4yrs younger than me and the golden child. Only last year -in our 50s!- did we get a chance to sit and talk for the 1st time ever and he realised how much harder our parents had been on me compared to him (and the extent of our Mum's shit stirring while our Dad stood by and let it happen!) and our relationship is so much better now. I 🙏 for this for you and your sister but wouldn't hold my breath!

Although you say your parents are adults he has clearly walked all over them for years and now in their twilight years they may need your help to stand up to him. They may be those parents that 'need' to do him favours/help, to stay a part of his life, but he clearly doesnt give a t*ss. I'd be tempted to put his contact info into online enquiries for dog sitters in your area . . .

gottalottodo · 16/09/2025 18:14

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.

Edited

Absolutely agree

MusicMakesItAllBetter · 16/09/2025 19:40

GleisZwei · 14/09/2025 17:58

I've already replied to similar comments. RTFT.

I Love You Kiss GIF by Franziska Höllbacher

Thank you 👍🏼

LouiseK93 · 16/09/2025 20:46

Your parents do not HAVE to do anything especially looking after their entitled sons dog! What a shit bag your brother is.

Phoenixfire1988 · 16/09/2025 21:37

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 parents not saying no is not your issue if they complain just remind them they don't have to do it they are choosing to he sounds like an absolute peice of work and the apple isn't fall far from the tree with his daughter

Hollybollyhughes · 18/09/2025 07:20

What an ungrateful, nasty piece of shite your brother is. I'm pretty sure you can't alter a Netflix account unless you are the account holder either, might be wrong but even so, BIG BLOODY DEAL. There are dog sitters available through a professional site but he'll have to pay which incidentally is what he should have done with you. No one, not even family should feel obliged to assist, it's an inconvenience and it's his responsibility to sort out doggy care. He should apologise in person too, not via cowardly text messages.

Rubyupbeat · 18/09/2025 09:23

That poor lonely dog and what a nasty piece of work your brother is, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in your niece either.
Please try to encourage them to recommend their dog.

Rubyupbeat · 18/09/2025 09:24

Rehome not recommend

Itiswhysofew · 18/09/2025 10:12

Yes. Move on from him, I'd say.

One day he'll realise how badly he's behaved.

napody · 21/09/2025 09:32

DoneKebab · 15/09/2025 21:27

If my nephew made a profile it would make me smile to see it. I’d also be pleased to see he had something to do while he was stuck in my house because he and his mum were doing me a favour. I’d never dream of saying something if it inadvertently caused an issue. Honestly, tell him to stick it.

I found this unexpectedly moving. Yes, if your nephew made a profile it would make you smile to see it. That's normal in a loving family. You like being reminded of each other.

napody · 21/09/2025 09:35

ChangingWeight · 16/09/2025 13:46

To be honest I don’t think this needs to be a big blow up. Accept his apology but say you won’t be dog sitting, you don’t want to tensions getting high again or risk deteriorating your relationship as the dog sitting has become a point of contention.

I’d personally just start there, before deciding whether to cut off your family or not. It might just blow over.

The first paragraph- think this is the way to handle it.
It won't satisfy him though as he's not fussed about 'making up' he just wants you to do as you're told! But it puts you in control of the narrative and he can't paint you as 'overemotional'.

Starlight7080 · 21/09/2025 09:51

This is awful behaviour.
I would ignore him completely. He obviously needs all of you more then you do him. He uses you all . And his daughter sounds like a lazy brat .
Avoid and dont feel guilty about it .
He wont change

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