How to question a friend's 'dog parenting'

[NotADogOwner]

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I live in a shared house in London with a couple and another housemate. The couple also own the house and have a big bounding poodle who hasn't even finished growing yet; I think he's about nine months. He is sweet and good natured; I love him and take him out from time to time, but he is also always full of beans, jumps up and sometimes even bites because they do not walk him often enough. He (the human) works long hours. She is freelance and works from home, yet she claims she cannot walk him on her own because he is already too big and strong for her. She freely admits she is more of a cat person (they also have a cat who's a bit older than the dog and surprisingly tolerant of his chasing and general boisterousness), yet she wanted to get a dog whilst he was against the idea. She now gives the impression of finding him (the dog) more annoying than anything else. I feel the situation will only get worse as he gets bigger, especially if they have children in the meantime.

My other housemate and his girlfriend, who both grew up with dogs, agree the kindest thing to do is find a new home for the dog, with owners who will walk him every day. I agree and feel the sooner they do this, the better chance they have of finding the right home for him whilst he still has the 'puppy factor'. The obstacle of course is how to say this to my housemates/landlords. I get along well with them both and like them both as individuals, I just don't think they should have a dog.

I would appreciate any constructive advice.

 

[My Dog Levai <3]

You should have a talk with the owners, the poor dog isnt getting a good quality of life. Talk to them about getting him some dog classes and getting him a dog walker if possible. If thats not possible, i think they should look to rehome the poor guy, I just had to rehome my Lab x German Shepherd puppy because I just didn't have enough time to care for her. You said your from London, why not (if they chose to let go of him) take him to wood green animal shelter, they do a sort of 'test' to rehome dogs and find out who will best home for the dog. I hope this helped you out a little, bye!

 

[JoanneF]

They do sound like they are struggling; the bite is worrying. Was it play getting rough or was it a 'real' bite if you are able to distinguish the difference?

 

[lurcherman]

Always tough to settle, will they kick off at you and prob that the reason you don't know how to handle the situation ??? If that's not the case then just steam on in and get them told as the dog is not getting the proper care it deserves.

 

[arealhuman]

I'm a very new dog owner, but have experienced situations like you have (with the dog, not the tenancy) in the past. Could you not say something along the lines of a friend/someone at work has a dog with similar behaviour, they took it to a vet/behaviourist who concluded that it wasn't being properly cared for and the solution was to either look after it properly (interaction, exercise, etc.) or rehome it? Might be something you could casually drop into the conversation, which might be less confrontational than my next suggestion...

What does you tenancy agreement say about pets/dogs? Could you use this to address the situation? This is probably the more uncomfortable approach. I hope you can come to a good solution that's of benefit to the dog, please let us know how you get on.

 

[gypsysmum2]

If the dog is otherwise well cared for then it seems to be just the exercise and training that it the issue. Why not suggest that they employ a well qualified dog walker? The right person (suggest they do lots of research and even follow the person during their daily work) should be able to train the dog to walk sensibly on the lead and to give the dog sufficient exercise for its needs.

Perhaps your housemates could, at least, take the dog to a dog training class once a week? Or have a dog trainer come to the house to help with the pulling and mouthing? Choose a trainer or class from the APDT. Their motto is "Kind, Fair and Effective. Mental exercise is just as tiring as physical exercise so between the dog walker, and the owner training, the dog's needs should be met.

 

[NotADogOwner]

Thank you for your feedback all. Especially appreciate gypsymum2's measured advice. I'm glad to say that my housemate's girlfriend gave them a pep talk on the need for exercise and routine etc, which seems to have made a real difference. He is now getting much more exercise and is much better behaved as a result.

 

[gypsysmum2]

Yay!

 

[arealhuman]

Result!