'He said he was going to really teach [the puppy] some manners': Dog mom hires 17-year-old neighbor's son to babysit her 6-month-old puppy, but after hearing him brag about breaking her rules, she fires him

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Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Apr 3, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

We hope you've managed to keep your sanity until now, animal fam. But, now that it's Fursday, we're ready to let loose and get a little wild. And by wild, we mean to start exploring some of the more spicier sections of the internet. It's like our version of watching reality TV. Today's episode features a 6-month-old puppy, a dog mom, and an overly-confident neighbor boy.

We wouldn't let anyone take care of our dog when she was just a puppy. Only close friends and family. What can we say? We were protective pawrents. Life happens, though, and sometimes you have to make some game-time decisions. The dog mom in this post needed someone to watch her puppy while away for a wedding and was convinced by her mom to let the neighbor's 17-year-old son do it. But, after overhearing that he wanted to take the puppy to hang out with 10 of his other friends (which she specifically said not to do), she fired him. Get some popcorn and read the full spicy story just a scroll away.

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  • 01
    Am I right not to trust a 17- year-old with our puppy?
    via jeffwasserman

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    We have a 6 month old golden puppy, and this weekend we need to go out of town for a wedding. My mom's friend said her son (17) could take care of the puppy for that day (literally just from morning until 5 pm) and that we don't need to take him to the dog hotel in town.
    via u/Chirithyst
  • 03
    I initially agree because he would come over and stay in our house with the puppy, but today I overheard my mom and her friend talking. She said her son was taking him to lunch with his friends (outside terrace) and that he was going to 'really teach [puppy] some manners!.
    via u/Chirithyst

  • Excuse us? Teach him some manners? Absolutely not. Ab-so-lute-ly not. No one gets to discipline our dog except us (or a professional trainer). Everyone say it with us, all together now: red flag.

  • 04
    Mind you, he isn't perfect (still bites when overexcited and has accidents at home), but he's really sweet and I have been doing my best to train him along with my sister.
    via u/Chirithyst
  • 05
    I told my mom I wasn't letting him take the dog out for lunch with his friends and that I didn't trust him with the puppy anymore after that, and she freaked out on me. I am having doubts that maybe I overreacted, but I have just reached out to the dog hotel in
    via u/Chirithyst
  • 06
    town to see if they could take him for the day. I know the owner and he has been really good, he's a professional trainer and we have had a couple of sessions, but I have also heard two stories of dogs having problems at that hotel (fights, etc.)
    via u/Chirithyst
  • 07
    Formal-Oven-8644 Your puppy your rules trust your gut
    via u/Formal-Oven-8644
  • 08
    SpinachnPotatoes Really teach the puppy some manners??? This was your neon flashing, siren screeching billboard of a sign to put the puppy in the hotel or find a better alternative.
    via u/SpinachnPotatoes
  • 09
    Who is he so well experienced to assume he has the abilities in training your dog in just a mere afternoon. That's a child that has no place to be near a dog unsupervised.
    via u/SpinachnPotatoes
  • 10
    Cheezburger Image 10488182016
    via Juanmonino

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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  • 11
    Miezchen Trust your gut, never leave your dog with someone you can't 100% trust! I would never leave my dog with someone I barely knew, especially not a teenager. Especially for a 6 month old puppy, stuff like this can traumatize them for life!
    via u/Miezchen
  • 12
    folpetta I agree, your rules - if the deal was to stay at home with the puppy he has to stay home with the puppy - it would bother me too, especially as he didn't ask you if he can take the puppy out for lunch but just decides on his own, that's not a sign of being responsible
    via u/folpetta
  • 13
    Tricky_Being_7383 Former teacher here - talk to the 17 year old. For any typical pet sitting situation, you'd have the sitter come over and you'd go over routines and expectations - there is literally no reason whatsoever to not do the same with this
    via u/Tricky_Being_7383
  • 14
    teenager. (i assume you're gonna pay him, like you would a sitter? If not, I'd encourage that as it does make it a more "real" job for the teen as opposed to a "puppy rental" fun day).
    via u/Tricky_Being_7383
  • 15
    Explain to him that your puppy isn't mature enough for big outings, and (if you're comfortable with it) tell him he can have a couple of his friends over for lunch at your house, where the puppy has all his supplies, crate/pen, etc.
    via u/Tricky_Being_7383
  • 16
    Go over dangerous foods, give him some training commands to practice, etc. Engage the teenager as someone with agency who is agreeing to be responsible for the safety and wellbeing of your dog/a dependent for the day, not from a lecture-y vibe but from
    via u/Tricky_Being_7383
  • 17
    a "I appreciate you doing this and here is what the puppy needs from you to have a safe day."
    via u/Tricky_Being_7383

  • Let's be honest - teenagers aren't the brightest lightbulbs in the batch. Not all teenagers, of course, but we remember when we were teenagers (in the late Jurassic period), we made some pretty stupid decisions that, looking back on it, could have used some more forethought.

  • 18
    You can reiterate the expectations to his parents, and with him and his parents go over vet contact info and your "take him to the vet/ER immediately" scenarios. Make sure the teen is part of the whole "what goes into taking care of an athletic baby with big teeth" picture.
    via u/Tricky_Being_7383
  • 19
    If the teen's parents have issue with this approach, then you can say "I'm sorry, I thought you were comfortable with your son doing this petsitting job, but I think I misunderstood - thanks for clarifying this for me and I'll figure out another option!"
    via u/Tricky_Being_7383
  • 20
    Cheezburger Image 10488181504
    via Guillermo Spelucin

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 21
    In my experience most parents are stoked for their teens to have some safe and controlled experience with responsibility and service, but some do get indignant at anyone else having expectations of their kid, so yeah. Hopefully not what you encounter!
    via u/Tricky_Being_7383
  • 22
    Bitterrootmoon Depends on the 17 year old. If it was me at 17, absolutely. My sister at 17, or 21, or 25, or 30? H I no
    via u/Bitterrootmoon
  • 23
    Update: Thanks for the help! I talked to the kid, and he said he wasn't going to take the dog for lunch, he was leaving for an hour or two and coming back. I wasn't sure he was telling the truth, so I talked to his older brother today (He used to walk my old family dog, and I trust
    via u/Chirithyst
  • 24
    him more) and acted oblivious. He said that his brother was not only going for lunch out with all of his friends (10+ underage kids) they were going afterwards to one of the boys' houses who has other (adult) dogs and a pool.
    via u/Chirithyst
  • 25
    I called the kid and told him he's not watching my dog tomorrow, and that I found out he lied to me. So I called the doggy hotel, and unfortunately they weren't able to take puppies this young without a vaccine he doesn't yet have (they apologized pretty profusely).
    via u/Chirithyst
  • 26
    So I ended up downloading Rover like a comment suggested, and found a college girl who had great reviews and I do know her older sister! (went to high school together) So I contacted her, and she came over to meet the puppy first, she was great and really kind to the
    via u/Chirithyst
  • 27
    puppy. So issue is solved! I was pretty transparent that I will be leaving a camera and she was understanding of it, so everything looks great on that end. Thank you so much for suggesting the app and all the advice! <3
    via u/Chirithyst

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rules manners dogs neighbors fired dog mom puppy cute puppies doggos babysitting animals son
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