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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:
Fleetheart · 14/09/2025 19:05

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.

Edited

"why on earth"? a bit OTT surely, anyway OP has explained why. Creating a profile is the right thing to do as it wouldn't affect anyone's recommendations etc

Mapletree1985 · 14/09/2025 19:05

Lifeinthepit · 14/09/2025 18:39

They are a weirdo though to make such a fuss about something so minor when it was done by a young nephew while his mother was doing the uncle a favour for which he should rather be grateful rather than rude. It's pathetic behaviour.

Can't the rude brother/uncle simply delete the unwanted account?

Fleetheart · 14/09/2025 19:06

PistachioTiramisu · 14/09/2025 18:59

I feel sorry for the poor dog! Nobody wants to look after him!

Yes I do too. I would offer to have the dog perhaps (I am a bit of a dog softie, and not a human softie)

DirtyBird · 14/09/2025 19:10

Poor doggy. This makes me sad. He should be rehomed to a loving family that wants to spend time with him.

Your brother is a dick.

lemonraspberry · 14/09/2025 19:11

Wow, so much drama over Netflix! I would not be doing anymore favours for anyone after all that - never mind dog sit,

Billybagpuss · 14/09/2025 19:11

He sent a very short message telling me ok he should not have talked to me like that.

I hope you’ve summarised this message as that is not an apology it’s a statement. He owes you a proper apology

nevernotmaybe · 14/09/2025 19:14

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.

Edited

Watching on existing is worse. Could mess with them tracking what episodes they have, it can change what shows are displayed, recommended and where they appear.

Adding a simple profile, that makes no changes to Netlfix at all and can be instantly deleted, was the correct thing to do.

Gandalfsthong · 14/09/2025 19:14

Poor bloody dog, but don’t blame you op they shouldn’t have gone one 😔

doodleZ1 · 14/09/2025 19:15

OP as an aside has your brother ever done anything to help you? Is it all a one way street and how would he react if it was the other way round and you shouted and swore at him? If it were me this would be my wake up call to step right back. You have your own issues to deal with and you don’t need a man that can’t control his emotions to phone you and let rip at you. I bet he has done this before as it doesn’t come out of nowhere. You don’t need to put up with people that don’t respect you and are prepared to say hurtful things to you. You deserve better and your parents should be backing you up on this. If they don’t it shows the family dynamics. You did well to state you weren’t doing any more dog sitting, keep those boundaries up.

Facecloth · 14/09/2025 19:16

No good deed, indeed!

Your brother is a nasty bully.
Stop being used and abused.

NEVER oblige him again.
Never.

You need to put him on mute.
Expect him to come back and want more help and tell you that you have over reacted to his verbal abuse.
Do not be foolish and back down.
Stick to your guns.
His dog.
His problem.

My friend had a bust up with her entitled sister who got a dog last year and just expected my friend to take it for weekends and holidays.

My friend said No not happening, nothing to do with me. She too got a nasty earful from her selfish sister, and blocked her.
Her sister eventually apologised for the "misunderstanding".

My friend really enjoyed the peace so has accepted the apology but has told her she has no interest in resuming regular contact.
Their parents are dead and she is now done.
She has booked a sun holiday for Christmas/New year, to reenforce the point that she really is done.
Its been a blessing.

A real case of fxxking up and finding out.

Bellyblueboy · 14/09/2025 19:28

They need to pay for doggy daycare or a dog walker.

Your brother is a selfish nasty man - and his daughter is a chip off the old block.

Grammarnut · 14/09/2025 19:30

Don't your brother and his DD listen to anyone? Obviously not and they should not have taken on a dog - and I feel sorry for the dog as well as you. Ingrates, basically.

Clearinguptheclutter · 14/09/2025 19:31

ComfortFoodCafe · 14/09/2025 15:37

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

This. Poor dog but for the best.

BilbaoBaggage · 14/09/2025 19:34

I have had several visitors create new profiles on Netflix. It has never occurred to me that this was something I should be getting upset about. It takes a matter of seconds to create and equally few to delete. It is completely harmless and certainly doesn't deserve shouting about.

nomas · 14/09/2025 19:38

BilbaoBaggage · 14/09/2025 19:34

I have had several visitors create new profiles on Netflix. It has never occurred to me that this was something I should be getting upset about. It takes a matter of seconds to create and equally few to delete. It is completely harmless and certainly doesn't deserve shouting about.

Yes, it takes seconds to delete a profile.

The kid probably thought he was being thoughtful by not messing with the recommendations on the other profiles.

shiverm · 14/09/2025 19:43

I haven't read every page of comments, so unsure if this has been pointed out, but your son making his own netflix profile is surely a helpful and considerate act? I'd bet it would have been annoying if he was watching a bunch of shows that mess up your brother or niece's algorithms, having it recommend things they don't like or losing their place in whatever theyre already watching. I'd prefer someone did that.

Your brother sounds like a worse than typical man bully. I don't like the sound of him one bit (sorry).

Biskieboo · 14/09/2025 19:47

BilbaoBaggage · 14/09/2025 19:34

I have had several visitors create new profiles on Netflix. It has never occurred to me that this was something I should be getting upset about. It takes a matter of seconds to create and equally few to delete. It is completely harmless and certainly doesn't deserve shouting about.

Yeah but you're doubtless a well adjusted basically normal person with a well developed sense of perspective. As I've learned today, there are people out there who apparently see a profile being created on their Netflix account as a calculated insult. It seems barmy to me as I honestly couldn't give a shit.

...and well done OP for telling your brother where to get off with his childish behaviour. If the stupid twat is going to bite the hand that feeds then he needs to learn the hard way.

Bahhhhhumbug · 14/09/2025 19:48

Jolenepleasetakeawaymyman · 14/09/2025 16:14

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.

I'm a bit on the fence about the Netflix thing and it would've been better if your son asked your brother if he could set up a profile when he was there one time, so that he could use it when there.
I think my view is slightly skewed by being furious at my neighbour putting my recycling bin out when we were away, because she had put some excess stuff of hers in it and 'thought l wouldn't mind'. But she then didn't bother to put our bin back in and left it on the pavement for three days where we discovered it on our return. We had deliberately not put it out . She might as well have left a neon sign outside to the local burglars.

PinkyFlamingo · 14/09/2025 19:49

GleisZwei · 14/09/2025 16:30

It's an account managed and paid for by someone else, so it's rude to add yourself on to it without asking.
He could have just watched Netflix on one of the existing profiles.

In normal families I don't think this would be an issue at all, I certainly wouldnt mind . And using an existing profile would be much worse as it could muck up their settings

GleisZwei · 14/09/2025 19:51

PinkyFlamingo · 14/09/2025 19:49

In normal families I don't think this would be an issue at all, I certainly wouldnt mind . And using an existing profile would be much worse as it could muck up their settings

'Normal' families?
No need to make sweeping statements about something which can vary dramatically.

lessglittermoremud · 14/09/2025 19:52

I wouldn’t dog sit again and advise they employ an insured dog walker.
Whenever anyone has come to let out ours in an emergency etc I’m so grateful I wouldn’t care if they had accidentally changed a password, drank or eaten anything they had found.
Your brother sounds hideous!

Valeriekat · 14/09/2025 19:53

Surely everyone knows that Netflix no longer allow sharing out of country?

Valeriekat · 14/09/2025 19:56

Talipesmum · 14/09/2025 16:35

Maybe she tried to watch something at the same time he was watching on the Netflix account so that’s why she couldn’t get into it?

No, Netflix are stopping account sharing. Nothing to do with what your son did.

gamerchick · 14/09/2025 19:56

The only way to stop someone taking you for granted is to stop. As your parents are going to find out.

Poor dog.

21ZIGGY · 14/09/2025 19:57

GleisZwei · 14/09/2025 16:38

I wouldn't be happy if someone just added a profile without at least asking first.

Dont be ridiculous. It does nothing no matter who it is, but its his NEPHEW

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