Borrow My Doggie, any experience, good or bad?

[MatildaTheCat]

Sorry, this is shamelessly not an AIBU other than if I am U to not really understand how it works.

I've registered and added a cute photo and filled in all the requirements. I have a super friendly, easy dog and need help at the weekends. We live near a fantastic park and apparently there are heaps of 'borrowers' living nearby. But I've had not one single message or hint of interest since joining about a fortnight ago.

Should I pay the money to be 'verified' to get offers? I am happy to do that if it means getting borrowers. I'm really cautious about who I would want to lend him to and would want to meet up to chat and then walk together before sending him on his own. In the week I use a dogwalker and walk with friends but am disabled and can't walk him alone so I really would like to make this work.

Please tell me how to do it. Or is it hopeless?

If you are disabled would you qualify for help from The Cinnamon Trust? Not sure if this is just for the elderly or anybody with a dog in need. I'd like to volunteer to dog walk at this charity but there's no one anywhere near me who needs help.

Yup. I have used it and found fab people who take my dog out every saturday. I joined acouple of years ago though and thought you must be verified (must have changed).

I got quite a few people contacting me.

Go for it.

I think a lot of people are registered on it out of curiosity and then never check back, I registered on it and then never borrowed a dog because time and circumstances got in the way. Plus where I live (Northumberland) there weren't a lot of dogs available nearby.

I haven't used it myself, but i'm pretty sure you have to be verified to receive messages from what I had read.

How exactly does it work?

I wonder this too although I want a dog to borrow where are you OP

I thought owners were meant to message borrowers? That's how it worked for me although I'd get messages, reply then never hear back.

I recently registered, and paid to be verified, as a borrower. Sent a few messages, some got ignored and had one very sad response that the doggy in question had actually been PTS the previous year!

Have yet to actually meet anyone to do said borrowing.

Borrowers approached me (owner) actually. Quite a few actually. And I know my borrowers are also borrowing another dog

Thanks to all for your input. It feels a bit cheeky to approach borrowers since I've clearly stated what our needs and availability are. There are lots of people registered near me.

I think I will verify and see if I get any messages. I do agree that people probably sign up in a rash moment and then forget. I don't feel it really fair to ask the Cinnamon Trust for help when there are so many people who must really need them urgently. My lucky boy gets masses of great walks but Sunday's are a feel headache golf widow.

I registered on the website as a borrower however I didn't pay to sign up, I believe that I can't approach people to borrow their dog due to this and that if I want to progress it further I'd need to pay the registration fee (I will in time but right now wouldn't be able to commit to something regular due to a change in circumstance)

I signed up as a borrower out of interest but didn't pay to be able to contact people and haven't actually checked back since! I would definitely be interested if an owner took the time to contact me though, so I definitely think it's worth you going out to some local borrowers (and not at all cheeky)

I admit I haven't fully looked at it but it worries me a bit.

My dog walker has insurance, is crb checked (or whatever the new one is) etc what happens if an incident occurs or if your dog gets hurt because of the walkers negligence?

Also who 'verifies' people? What's to stop someone signing up turning up at someone door and stealing the dog? Absolutely no way would I hand my precious hound over to anyone.

The Cinnamon Trust is definitely worth a go - honestly just speak to them and see if anyone is near.

Your dog sounds like he has a great life honestly - much better than a lot I know. Does he play up or cause you any trouble if not walked on a Sunday? I really wouldn't feel guilty if you can't sort anything out straight away you sound like a lovely owner.

I wouldn't let a stranger take my dogs out to be honest.

Can you not get a dog walker?

I believe insurance wise, arrangements through borrow my doggy are covered by their insurance. I have seen it work very well for a couple of my friends.

Friend uses it, loves it. She and her DP both work f/t but through Borrow my Doggy her pup gets at least one walk a day. They're happy, she's happy not to have to pay huge daycare / dog walker fees and dog seems happy.

They live in a nice trendy bit of west london and most of the people who walk her dog are actors/actresses who have some spare time during the day.

I have to admit i'm not sure it would be for me, she currently has 8 (!) people who have the keys and alarm code to her flat. I'm sure her home insurance must be invalid...

Placemarking! I've got my eye on two local dogs I'm hoping to walk.

Following with interest.
We have a dog that I was hoping to find a walker for. But I got cold feet after the initial sign up. Something about giving some random person off the web my housekeys and permission to head off with the most important thing in my life after my kids (well, some days after the kids. Depending on how argumentative they've been, she could be more important!) felt wrong. I'm interested to see how it's working out for people, so I can stop fretting about dog theft (which does go through patches of being prevalent round here, so this would obviously be one way to go about it) and actually find someone who wants to hang out with DDog.

I'm a borrower!

We borrow one dog (who is amazing) on an ad hoc basis at the weekend and sometimes overnight! It was very weird at first as I expected it to work differently, but our relationship is absolutely perfect. We were meant to have her last Sunday but my baby was sick so we couldn't, but asthecfogs mummy was out my hubby popped in to check on her (yep we have a key!). We have become great friends with the dog and her owner and love her to bits (so much that we don't look for other dogs!).

I do hate the site in so much as many owners are looking for 'free' dog walkers during work hours, which is not the point of the site.