Think the dog I'm watching is mistreated, anything I can do?
I'm watching a Rover dog at my home and from the dog's behavior and the interaction I had with his owner, I'm sensing some mistreatment. The dog is a large breed, young and full of energy and yet he is kept in a too-small crate for too much of the time. When trying to put him in the crate myself he seemed very afraid of the crate in the sense of, he's probably used to getting stuffed in there for too many hours. He also seems fearful of being touched. He crouches at your hand going to pet him which makes me think he may have been mistreated. When interacting with the owner, he seemed rather short-tempered too. As a dog lover, I just want to do what's right for this animal and I want to make sure he's in a safe and loving home. Is there anything I can do? Also, the owners kept calling the dog a "she" when he is VERY clearly a "he". Eek!
** Friend wrote this on my profile; however, still a very real situation. She is a rover dog sitter as well.