can someone explain to me what goes through the mind of someone doing this?

[YoureBeingADick]

my sister (I wont call her dsis because she just isn't anymore).

works full time 6 days a week- out from 8-6pm with one late night a week. she is 25 but lives with my parents who both work full time aswell. 2 weeks ago she arrived on my doorstep with a puppy- I assumed she had found it somewhere near my house and was asking if I recognised it- no it was her new puppy- apparently my aunt's dog got pregnant by some unknown dog (don't get me started on that) and the pups were going free to good homes so sister went and took one and now it is spending at least 20 hours a day in a shed at 11 weeks old amongst old bikes and toys. I went out today as we were out that way and took it out to play outside and it stank of piss. she has bought lovely pink and purple accessories for it and balls and chew toys- not much fun when it has no-one to play with all bloody day long! we stayed for tea at my parents and sister arrived home after work with a couple of new toys- talked to the dog for a few minutes and then took her dinner up to her room for the rest of the evening leaving my parents to take it out to the loo when needed. so I asked her what the long term plan was for the dog, was she to be a house dog when toilet trained? no, she'll move from the shed to the dog run (there is a kennel in it) when she's a bit bigger (it's nearly winter!) and was when my dad suggested it would need a bed to lie on in the shed when the other went to the kennel. so I said what about all that stuff in the shed- it's going to hurt itself. the answer? "well dad would need to get it all cleared out wouldn't he?" I asked about training- is she going to do any? yes she's going to bring it down to her friend's house so it can watch her dog and pick up some commands

this is a supposedly intelligient person who did a diploma in animal husbandry when she left school and has notions of following a particular career path to do with horses but I just cannot get my head around how unbelievably stupid and unthinking she is being about this! what is wrong with her? doesn't she realise that dogs need walks and stimulation and training and company and warmth! why on earth has she gotten it? I want to steal it away and bring it here to live and be happy and stimulated. but she hears none of what I said about it needing all these things. she thinks she is some sort of animal expert because of the course she did and that I have no clue what i'm talking about. I am no expert by far but I know the basics- tbh I thought most people understood the basics. it appears not! I am so furious about this tbh. she comes to my town everyday for work and it is an understatement to say we do not get on but I am thinking of telling her to bring her pup into my house every morning and collect it in the evenings. at least then it will have someone with it all day to toilet train, walk, stimulate it. it will have my dog for dog company, my cat to get it used to cats and my dcs to get it used to dcs who are very used to being around dogs. at least that way it would have some respite from the monotony of sitting in a fucking shed for the majority of it's day. poor thing. she'll likely turn up her nose if I suggest this but I know she wouldn't let me have the dog permanently so it's the best I can think of to help it. (I don't particularly want another dog but would take it just to get it away from that life.)

Just get your parents to agree that it cannot stay at their house then take the dog , if necessary tell your parents that you will be reporting them if they let the situation carry on .

they wouldn't agree- they have to live with her. they get to shut the door on me

they would just say it's up to her, nothing they can say. mum is probably happy that it's outside rather than in.

i'm going to try again tomorrow to get her to bring it to me and i'll send 'friendly/helpful' links about caring for puppies.

Tell her your taking the dog or you will report her to the RSPCA that's if they will do anything about it. Good luck with this.

In your situation I'm afraid I would go and take the puppy away as I just couldn't bear thinking about it. I think I am in the same part of the world as you and sadly a lot of people here would think what she was doing was absolutely fine. Same type of people who think its fine for their dogs and cats to have a litter very year don't get me started. Young pup running free will either be killed on the road, stolen for fighting or shot for sheep worrying - but you know that.
Whether the USPCA would respond I have no idea, I suspect they see this every day of the week, and much worse

I' m guessing she doesn't have the pup licensed or microchipped yet? Another good reason for threatening to report her.

i'm only getting back to this now- I called USPCA who directed me onto my district animal welfare officer where I left a message asking someone to call me.

I have held off on texting sister today as TBH I am still fuming and I will say something to get her defences up rather than get her to listen. i'm trying to think of a way to word a text so that she doesn't take it as me having a dig or criticising. our history doesn't make that easy unfortunately but if I stand any chance of helping this dog I need to get her thinking i'm just passing on info rather than criticising or she'll cut contact and refuse to listen to anything I have to say about the dog ever again.

not sure about microchipped- she got vaccs last week so maybe had chip done then. definitely not licensed though.

I think i'm going to go with the 'running away/shot by a farmer' angle to start off as the thought of that would strike the fear of you know who into me so maybe it will for her too? i'm hoping when my dad realises she intends letting it roam free he will voice his opinion (i'm going to tell him when I see him again) as he knows farmers will shoot it. he kept farm dogs in his younger years (when we were small) and never let them roam free. they were either in their shed or in the house with him. he had a horse chased by two dogs when in foal so knows how possible that is.

How about <a class="break-all" href="//Trustwww.dogstrust.org.uk/az/p/puppies/default.aspx#.UjieZcu9KSM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dogs Trust for some unbiased information?

FWIW we took two Sprollies from an unwanted litter nearly seven years ago . Their other 4 litter mates were dead within a few months as they were given to people who thought it was OK to just leave a dog in the yard. ( meanwhile our two girls are thankfully sprawled out on the sofa)

If necessary google dog fighting in Ireland and you will find enough to frighten her about the number of dogs being stolen, if she has any feelings for the pup at all.

I hope your sister is not the hairdresser I had to stop going to because every time she told me she really wanted an Andrex puppy but it would be fine because where her parents lived there was loads of outside space...

no she's not a hairdresser.

good point about dog fighting- hadn't even thought of that. will try dogs trust thank you.

Look up the Animal Welfare Act. If not in UK it might not apply (are you in ROI?) but the principle is there and there may be a similar law there.

I'd discuss with your district animal welfare officer if they would back you up on taking the dog. Perhaps they could say they ultimately have taken it but it is being fostered with you. That way she can call who she likes as there's an official trail which says you are in the right.

The rest of it was appalling enough but planning to allow it to roam free is a recipe for disaster. At least one dead dog, at worst one dead dog and a bill for vet treatments and replacement of livestock it may have hurt or killed.

I am still getting over the fact she is 25 and acts like this. I know three year olds who have more sense.
If she let's it roam free and it causes a traffic accident then she could be sued for hundreds of thousands of pounds. Maybe that will be a wake up call.
Puppies need feeding every few hours. This is not a dog yet it is a puppy who will grow up unsocialised and will probably end up biting someone and have to be put to sleep.
I can really understand your frustration with not only your sister who appears to have not an ounce of sense but also your parents who appear to condone her behaviour.

How's it going YoureBeing, any further forward?

The being stolen for bait for dog fighting might get her attention if you do it in a tactful way, tbh I think I'd rather the poor thing was shot rather than being used for bait, at least it would die quickly.

Meanwhile there is the whole issue of this little puppy being on its own all day.

She clearly knows nothing about dogs or their needs. Would someone at the USPCA be willing to have a talk with her about that, if you could get them on side. She obviously wont listen to you, but she might take it from a stranger.

Yes thank goodness!! No call back from welfare officer yet but there are only 5 serving all of NI so i guess busy. But i sent sister a link on fb last night warning people of dog theives marking houses with ribbons etc so they can come back and steal dogs for bait. I sent it as if i was just passing on a warning ( i share alot of them on fb anyway) and she replied 'dad already told me this so youve no need to worry she'll be kept in' so i asked about feeding during the day and she says she leaves out enough dry food for the puppy to eat all day. Knowing puppies, she is probably overeating tbh rather than pacing herself. I offered again to have her at mine 'for the winter while she is so young' and she said she'll think about it. Going to lean on my dad now as that seems to work with her.

Will still speak with welfar officer and see what they say.

Well that sounds as if you might be getting through to her a bit. So glad this little dog has you to speak up for her.

I agree, highly unlikely she's pacing herself with the food, I'm surprise your sister isn't coming home each night to find she's been sick all over the place.

Hope you get somewhere with the welfare officer.

Do not leave a days worth of dry puppy food out as if the puppy eats it all at once with water it will not only expand in the stomach and the puppy will be in great distress but also cause kidney problems.
Also if the puppy is being kept in where is it toileting?

Even if she brings it into the house this puppy is probably going to have health issues because of the way it's being fed and very soon it will have behavioural issues because it is not being socialised.

I really think you need to get it out of there with some urgency because, let's face it, once she has damaged it due to neglect and it starts misbehaving and she doesn't want it any more no one else is going to want to take it on either.

Frankly if she doesn't agree to bring the pup to you every day I think you will need to take drastic steps, just remove the puppy, deny all knowledge of it and get it to a no-kill shelter while it's still got a chance.

What a horrible situation for all concerned.

Ok- i did a bad thing but im not sorry.

Went out today to speak to sister. I told her all my concerns and made it really clear that my only priority was the dogs health and safety. I told her she was damaging it's development by feeding her so infrequently in large amounts and lack of socialisation. Thankfully my dad was there and backed me up, we looked on internet and found loads of different websites stating about frequent feeds and sleeping conditions, socialisation etc and she didnt agree at first, she was adamant her way was just different but just as good. At that point (lied completely) i told her i had already spoken with a welfare officer who would be making an unannounced visit to check up on the report i made of a pup being neglected and that thy would be removing it without warning into my care if they found anything of concern. She went mad but my dad (who knew i was lying) calmed her down, told her it wasnt anything to worry about a long as she looked after the pup properly then thy couldnt take her. She cried loads and is furious with me but my dad has talked her round so the pup is now sleeping in the house at night and is coming into me in the morning for her first day in puppy day care .sister not happy about this but dad told her if she doesnt he will support the welfare officer in removing it to my care if she doesnt. I have also offered her my idiots guide to dog training which she has accepted. I am hoping she does a bit more research herself tonight/ over the next few days and realises that i am not just trying to steal her pup or criticise her but that its genuine concern for the dog. I hope this lasts. I dont care if she hates me as long as she does the right thing by the dog. She thinks im ringing welfare officer in the morning to report back what sister has done to improve dogs living conditions.

Well done you, and good on your dad for backing you up in the face of such a tantrum. Although it's beyond me she gets away with behaving like that without consequence, at her age I'm surprised she doesn't find it demeaning and humiliating to do so, but clearly not. You obviously got all the good parts.
She needs to grow up.
I hope you can hang on to the pup and this arrangement and her 'expert' mate doesn't rock the boat.

This was bothering a few people here I think, and the strength of your feelings was palpable! I'm so glad pup has you to look out for it

I hope so too- i think the fact my dad told her he wouldnt 'protect' her from having the pup taken away is what worried her tbh. He usually gives in for an easy life so it must have really made her see how serious this was that he wasnt prepared to. Im hoping she'll start to see that a well excercised, trained and properly fed puppy ( all being done for her for free!) is a lovely thing that she wants to keep happening as opposed to one kept in a shed all day with no clue how to behave.

Oh YoureBeing, I'm so glad you've managed to get through to her. Well done for persevering.

I've been checking this thread every day to see how you've been doing.

Luck puppy to have you on her side. She'll be much happier spending her days with you.

Youre You're a wonderful person!
Your sister is very lucky to have you in her life.
Your nephew/niece puppy is also very lucky to have you!
You're Dad deserves a pat for finally standing up for what's right.

(Did you see what I did there?? )

Well done. Could definitely feel your frustration.

Now you have to tackle your aunt to get her dog speyed so there are no more puppies she has to give away to people who clearly haven't a clue.

Guess who is here!!! I have taken a photo but dont know how to post it on the iphone? We're having a blast. Big dog isnt so keen on pup, he is completely ignoring her and keeps having to back away from her as she is quite jumpy at his face.

Aw, you are a lovely sister.well done you, that poor dog.

Your sister sounds mad. I felt guilty leaving my dog while I worked and she was inside, for less time than that and had two walks a day and lots of attention. I would love it if a member of family said they would have her during the day. Much better for the dog. Can't believe your sister was so against it, she's certainly not putting the welfare of the dog first.