- This topic has 12 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 1 year ago by myti.
-
Dog folks: dogs and holiday rentals
-
johnx2Free Member
Is a dog being maltreated here and would you do anything? (If only mention in an airb&b review)
As I type this in a Provence rental, Gordo is lying outside the kitchen door whining occasionally. He wants attention and who can blame him? He was on his own when we came in at eight last night and there’s still no sign of this owner (who also owns the property and who’s living in a separately accessed basement apt). At least this time he’s not shut in his own bit of the garden but has the run of the place.
He’s a healthy looking dog (I know zilch about dogs – he’s some sort of labrador sized hound with floppy ears and a lovely nature, is well trained and knows he;s not allowed in the house, can give a paw etc, but clearly can produce the deep and threatening bark which is what I guess many of the dogs in these houses are kept for (the walk down to the village you’re treated to a lot of barking)…
Anyway, we’ve been asked not to feed him so we haven’t and he always has water, and his owner is fine with him hanging round us, but he’s clearly desperate for his owner to come back, but wants our attention (which is fine – I like dogs and am happy to chuck stuff and rough him up a bit. Not that there’s anything to chuck. I’ve had to use my massage ball which won’t last long).
Anyway he’s sad and it’s hard to ignore. Or is this just canine manipulation and everything is fine? What if anything would folks do? Would you say something to the owner or in a review (knowing that with AirB&B we get reviewed by the owner – which I realise isn’t much of a big deal.)
franksinatraFull MemberYou say he is a labrador type dog and looks sad. You do know that looking sad is their specialist subject, they are masters at it.
Well fed, well trained, well mannered. Doesn’t really sound like maltreatment from here.
My spaniel is walked two or three times a day, gets constant play and cuddles from the kids. She goes biking with me 2 or 3 times a week and swims in the river most days. She is well fed and gets too many treats. She has a massive basket full of toys that she carefuly relocates throughout the house and garden during the day. I WFH so she can hang around with me all day. She also chooses to sleep on the front garden and approach neighbours/postman/DPD/strangers at which point she will look like the most sad, neglected, downtrodden soul on the planet. If she could phone RSPCA herself she would. She thinks nothing of heading next door to whine at them and get them to throw a ball, with big brown eyes used to full effect.
BoardinBobFull MemberFrench attitudes to dog ownership does seem to be very different to the UK. I say this from a lot of experience in morzine where French dogs are pretty much left to their own devices all day, wandering the town on their own, into bars, restaurants and accommodation!
As long as he’s well fed then he’s probably ok.
Some dogs are aloof, some are attention seekers. My spoiled rotten Labrador would pester you relentlessly to throw his ball for him if he was there
the-muffin-manFull MemberSo you are the guest, dog belongs to the owner?
Bet you’ve been asked not to feed him as the constant stream of guests probably feed him all sorts of shite.
If the lab is healthy looking and well trained I’d say he was fine. Most labs are fat and lazy due them being masters of gorging food and owners feeding them too much and not walking them enough.
And most dogs crave attention, they are pack animals after all.
johnx2Free MemberOkay. Happy to be reassured as it makes life easier. Doesn’t feel great going out when the owner’s still away, but hey I’ll ignore the wheedling…
flickerFree MemberOkay. Happy to be reassured as it makes life easier. Doesn’t feel great going out when the owner’s still away, but hey I’ll ignore the wheedling…
You’re most likely being had, the dog will be used to a succession of marks throughout the year, you’re the latest victim 😀
Our dog is well loved, well fed and watered, well exercised, he lives like a king. As soon as a visitor arrives he’ll plonk himself at their feet and give them his best sad face and then lap up the attention, as soon as they get up to leave he’ll cry like a baby, when they’ve gone he’ll go back to snoozing on his bed or beating the **** out of his toys.
duncancallumFull MemberHe’ll have learnt guests are a soft touch and big doe eyes and whining will get him stuff.
Some dogs are fed 1x a day id imagine in hoter climates this is more common so if he looks healthy relax.
willardFull MemberThis is for sure something that both Labs and Spaniels excel at. Despite a lot of training to _not_ beg, my two spaniels would position themselves either side of visitors and double team the with the sad faces and the small whines of a dog that had _never_ been fed and had _never_ been shown any affection.
If you were a small child, they were your very best friend, because small children are messy eaters and drop things.
GolfChickFree MemberAs has been said, the French approach to dog ownership is VERY different to our own and this is completely normal. In fact if you see one being walked I’d call the press as it’s exceptional. In the big cities etc this will be different but for everywhere else it’s normal and it’s like complaining about them closing shops for an hour at lunch time!!
fasthaggisFull MemberSounds like they are testing you with the dog,it will be a child next🤣🤣🙃😉
What’s the hourly rate for dog minding ?😎😜scruff9252Full MemberOn the sad eyes thing – Our pup is a master of it! I work from home, she get loads of walks and affection, but tie her up outside a shop and immediately she puts on her sad eyes telling all in Sundry what a maltreated and neglected dog she is.
I once got a phone call from a concerned woman that I had forgotten my dog and left her outside the co-op for hours. I had to explain it had been less than 10 minutes and I was just inside buying lunch and the dog was just looking for affection!
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.